Carl Redding's Latest Restaurant

I heard from Carl Redding the other day. You know, the former proprietor of Amy Ruth's on 116th Street in Harlem? The brother has been through a lot of ups and downs in Harlem, at Foxwoods and at various other places as he makes his dream of being a major restaurateur come true. The people who have worked with him have been as down as he's been up.

He's now planning to open a Southern-style restaurant in Atlantic City in May, on Mother's Day. It will be called Redding's, and I intend to check it out during my travels from New York to Georgia and back again.

What are your memories of Carl in Harlem? And, BTW, what makes food "Southern" and what menu items would you suggest? I like the corned beef and lentils dish I made a few days ago, but that would probably never appear on a "Southern" menu. Hmmm.