NAFSI 1916 Uses Food To Revitalize The South Shore Community

NAFSI 1916 Executive Chef Dondee Robinson and NAFSI 1916 owner Donnell Digby at the NAFSI 1916 opening celebration. Ryan Anthony | HTTP PHOTOGRAPHY
NAFSI 1916 Executive Chef Dondee Robinson and NAFSI 1916 owner Donnell Digby at the NAFSI 1916 opening celebration. Ryan Anthony | HTTP PHOTOGRAPHY

NAFSI 1916 Uses Food To Revitalize The South Shore Community

By Tia Carol Jones

Donnell Digby opening NAFSI 1916 inside the South Shore Cultural Center is a full circle moment for the restauranteur. When he was younger, he was a caddie there and at Jackson Park Golf Course. He has always loved the idea of recreating community ecosystems. Born and raised on the South Side, he has been a real estate professional for 20 years.

“I’ve always felt a certain kind of way when I saw our corridors and major thoroughfares being dilapidated with vacant and decayed buildings. As much as I could, I always wanted to buy buildings in our community and recreate our corridor,” Digby said.

When he saw the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the space within the South Shore Cultural Center, he had to apply for the opportunity. He won the concessionary contract three years ago. NAFSI 1916 has been open for a month.

Digby hired Cecilia Cuff, co-owner of Bronzeville Winery and CEO of Nascent Group, to build the restaurant space. He said the space is a complement to the South Shore Cultural Center.

“NAFSI 1916 is a testament to the City of Chicago’s commitment to building small businesses on the South and West Sides,” Cuff said in a statement. “For me, this restaurant is an especially important development and design project all about reclamation and unapologetic inclusivity. Where our African American community was not allowed until the late 1970s, the restaurant will now celebrate Black culture and cuisine. We also estimate that NAFSI will create more than 35 local jobs and attract more than 100,000 guests to the South Shore community in the first year.”

Digby said he wanted to create a really dope space for the community with really good food. He gave Executive Chef Dondee Robinson carte blanche to create a menu that they both felt was necessary for the community.  

NAFSI 1916 is powered by the team behind Bronzeville Winery and Robinson was the sous chef at the winery. He earned his chops at the winery and Cuff thought he would be a good fit for NAFSI 1916. Digby spent a year doing chef tastings and for the idea that he wanted, none of them really worked. When Robinson did his tasting, Digby knew he was the right fit for the concept.

Robinson came up with the concept for the menu that spoke to the community with elevated soul food. He said while you can get fried chicken, greens, but he wanted to put the fine dining feeling to it, for South Shore. NAFSI means soul, and Robinson and Digby wanted to explore how to elevate soul food to the next level, from presentation to palate exploration, yet still being approachable for the community.

With the menu, Robinson is incorporating the things that make people feel good with soul food. Growing up, he loved chicken thighs. His mother always smothered chicken thighs. On the menu, there is a deconstructed smothered chicken, with pan seared chicken thighs, herb wild brown rice and a French cream sauce.

“It’s bringing those concepts, how we can have classics and change it up a little bit,” Robinson said.

Another item on the menu is the fried green tomato Caprese. One of the stars of the dessert menu is the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding, made with Uncle Nearest. For Robinson and his personal culinary journey, being the Executive Chef at NAFSI 1916 is an amazing experience and a great opportunity. He said, anytime he can get people to sit at the table and smile from the food he and the team in the kitchen are creating, it is wonderful for him.

Robinson said he found his soul was in the kitchen. He credited his mentors, Chefs Erick Williams and Damar Brown from Virtue, Chef Lamar Moore, Chef Christian Hunter, with helping shape his culinary career and him as a man. Robinson also wants to mentor and train children and young people in the culinary arts, from the business side to the cooking side. He wants to be able to be a way path for young Black people in the culinary industry.

Digby wants people in the community who come into the restaurant to feel welcomed.

“I’m a community guy, I love where I come from. I want people to come around and have a great feeling of pride when they come here. The food is phenomenal, it’s a great vibe and my mother comes here three times a week,” Digby said. He added that she has tasted everything on the menu and liked everything she has tried. One menu item she loves is the 14-oz. pork chop.

Digby said that south of 57th street, there aren’t any dine-in eateries on the south side. He was told that $29 million leaves South Shore because people in the community go elsewhere to patronize sit-down restaurants. He believes with NASFI 1916, those dollars can be recovered and stay in the community.

“I think we fit a need; I think we’re filling a gap. Upscale fine dining in our community, we deserve it. I don’t want to go to North Ave., I don’t want to go to Division. I want to come five minutes from my house, have a good dining experience, then go home,” Digby said.

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