Global traveler chooses Grand Rapids' Franklin St. for soul food eatery

Adam Kader could have helped his father, Nader Kader, open their soul food restaurant in Chicago, Jerusalem or Dubai -- all places where the family has lived and been entrepreneurs -- but they chose Franklin St. SE in Grand Rapids, instead.

Nader Kader is co-owner of Miss Tracy's Liquor Store at 1024 Franklin St. SE, a neighborhood staple in a district that has seen businesses come and go. When the Kaders opened Miss Tracy's Kitchen in November in the same building, the family wanted to keep the name and its history, says Adam Kader.

Kader, 21, manages the restaurant and cooks, a passion he developed as a young boy, then continued in the Hospitality/Culinary Program at Kent Career Technical Center and at Grand Rapids Community College.

"I have been cooking all my life and have been always trying to create something new," Kader says. "When I'm in the kitchen, it's like a high for me. Whether I'm depressed or happy, when I'm in the kitchen, I forget about everything."

Kader's menu is extensive and carries many items he created, such as the Kitchen's signature item, Miss Tracy's Burger: two grilled quarter-pound beef patties, Swiss cheese, deep fried onion rings, green onions, lettuce, tomato and Thousand Island dressing.

Other menu specialties include barbecued ribs, sub sandwiches, grilled chicken, burritos and a selection of breaded fish, including Lake Perch and catfish. Breakfast selections run the gamut, from a $2.99 meal of two eggs, toast, meat and coffee to pancakes, waffles, mackerel patties and salmon patties.

Salads and build-your-own pizza round out the offerings.

The Grand Rapids Planning Commission recently approved construction of an outdoor grill area, an opportunity Kader says he's considering.

"We can only use it four hours a day, so if we add it, we would use it during the prime hours, like between noon and four," he says.

The restaurant is open seven days: Mon., Tues., Weds. 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.; Thurs. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Fri. 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Source: Adam Kader, Miss Tracy's Kitchen

Photos by Josh Tyron

Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor