At Bozo's in Fort Lauderdale, Fridays Bring Food for the Soul

For 31 years, Rosa Bozeman, owner of Bozo's, has reserved Fridays for soul food. It's the day in which the parking lot is packed and she stays open until 6 p.m., two hours later than usual. Oxtail and meat loaf are the highlights when it comes to meat. And since...

By Melissa McCart

October 28, 2011

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For 31 years, Rosa Bozeman, owner of Bozo's, has reserved Fridays for soul food. It's the day in which the parking lot is packed and she stays open until 6 p.m., two hours later than usual. Oxtail and meat loaf are the highlights when it comes to meat. And since I'm obsessed for the moment with oxtails, I'd marked the day for a stop-by.

Oxtail is having a moment, inspired by

a national love affair with Asian cuisine. Though I've tried some around town, my favorite lately has been at the Two Boroughs Larder during a recent trip to Charleston, South Carolina. Served over fried rice garnished with fried egg, the Szechuan-style oxtail with red chilis, ginger, scallions, and peanuts was transcendence. Thomas Keller's oxtail tartine in Ad Hoc is pretty wonderful too, if you can convince your person to take on such a labor of love to make it for you.

Boseman's is not the Keller rendition, of course, but it's damned good, seasoned with tons of garlic, clove, and all-spice. Don't let that it's not photogenic dissuade you from ordering it.

The sides would seem as destination-worthy as oxtails. Yet on this visit, the collards were a bit underseasoned -- I was hoping for bacon with my collards. And the macaroni will please American cheese fans. Other options include the pigeon peas, okra and tomatoes, or mashed potatoes.

There's something to be said for Bozeman's home-cooked meal, the type of which I've come across seldom since I've moved to town. Add to your order a slice of cake baked in-house and you're in for a well-earned food coma. For 14 bucks, it's a meal for three.

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