Knotty Pine, historic soul food restaurant in Wilmington, to reopen

Lolita Johnson spent her childhood at the Knotty Pine restaurant in Wilmington's East Side.

The fourth-generation cook used to pop into the kitchen to watch her grandmother "Mom Fannie" and grandaunt "Mom Stella" whip up soul food classics like chitlins, chicken and dumplings, and sweet potato pie for their regulars.

Now, Lolita, 45, is taking over the family business.

"We decided we want to reopen the building, start the family traditions all over and try to bring the neighborhood together again," she said. "This is the new generation, but the food will be cooked with the same love and affection."

The Knotty Pine II is scheduled to open in July in its same location at 308 E. 11th St.

Since its establishment in 1959, the Knotty Pine was a refuge for African-Americans in Wilmington when restaurants were segregated by race. Patrons included black celebrities like Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and Lena Horne.

It was Delaware's oldest continuously operated African-American restaurant until it closed in August 2014 when Stella Johnson Dunning retired her apron because of health issues.

For Lolita, it's a privilege to continue her family's work.

"I knew this was something I wanted to do, seeing that hustle in them," she said. "I've seen these women in my family make strides."

The restaurant will keep its traditional character and the wooden panels and beams that inspired its name, but with some new twists, Lolita said. She hopes to introduce live entertainment like spoken word and jazz music.

A new menu will not include pork but will feature many of the old favorites, including fried fish, which is one of Lolita's specialties. It will be open for lunch and dinner, including on weekends, Lolita said. She hopes to eventually offer breakfast and healthy food options.

Community members said they are excited about the restaurant's return.

"The Knotty Pine is a community landmark that has a great deal of significance to the community, emotional significance," said the Rev. Terrence Keeling of the nearby Central Baptist Church. "Anytime a business is coming into, or back to, the East Side, it's a good thing."

City Councilwoman Zanthia Oliver said she used to go to the Knotty Pine for her usual creamed chipped beef and home fries because "everybody can't fix it."

"It's a community anchor and historical marker, and it needs to continue," she said.

The new Knotty Pine plans to host educational training for aspiring business owners, said Wanda Johnson, Lolita's aunt, landlord and adviser.

"We believe in not only feeding your soul but also educating your mind," said Wanda, one of Stella's five children.

"To have four generations of entrepreneurs in one family is incredible – and all women, even more. Our motto is: economic empowerment through equal opportunity."

Lolita said self-sufficiency is a core value in her family, noting one piece of advice from her grandmother Fannie that stuck with her.

"She'd say: You have two choices. You can either learn how to cook or you can go up there with Congo," Lolita recalled, referring to the local funeral home business. "Because people have to die, and they have to eat. And I thought, well let me learn to cook because I'm not going up there."

Lolita's new business venture follows the opening of Kameelah's on 8th Street in 2016, which she ran with her husband of 15 years, Warren Johnson. That business was short-lived because of plumbing problems, Lolita said. The couple, both of whom currently work in the human services field, will run the Knotty Pine together.

Lolita never went to school for cooking. She said she learned her craft from "being nosey" and watching her family members make Knotty Pine items like pig feet, Kirby and Holloway scrapple, and muskrat when it was in season.

"They were always cooking and always busy, so I made sure I got in there and seen what they were doing," she said.

Lolita said she hopes the next generation of her family visits her kitchen and pays attention.

"Eventually we'll be passing the torch again," she said. "We've got some work to do with them."

Contact Christina Jedra at (302) 324-2837, cjedra@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ChristinaJedra.

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