♪ ♪ >> MISHA COLLINS: We are here at the intersection of Ellis and 60th street.

This is where my mother dropped me off at my freshman dorm at the University of Chicago in 1992, and it's where I officially left the nest.

I remember my mother crying as she hugged me right over there.

I spent four years here at the University of Chicago and I occasionally strayed out into the surrounding predominantly African American community.

But for the most part, I spent my time in these Gothic buildings, in these hallowed halls of ivy as they called them.

And I didn't really get to know the surrounding community, I didn't explore it.

And I am turning southward today, peeling back the curtain and going to explore this place that was right under my nose all those years, and to try some of the South Side aquarium-style barbecue that is a phenomenon not found anywhere else in the world.

Let's chow down.

♪ ♪ In the 1970s, a young couple set out on the most epic road trip of all time.

Jane and Michael Stern were on a mission to discover every regional dish in America, and over four decades, they burned through 38 cars and published ten editions of their iconic guide, Road Food.

♪ ♪ Now I'm picking up where they left off, exploring what makes America's communities unique and what binds us all together.

And it's delicious.

>> Major funding for this program was provided by: ♪ ♪ >> Yours is a front-yard family.

Because out front... >> How you doing?

>> ...is where all the neighborhood is.

And your neighbors know you well.

>> Mario, what's up?

>> They've seen your robe, your run, even your bathing suit.

>> (laughing) >> They also know your home turf stays open to the whole street.

So you stay out front.

We'll stay real-brewed.

And the world just might get a little golder.

Gold Peak real-brewed tea.

♪ ♪ (doorbell rings) ♪ ♪ >> Yes!

♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: We are on our way over to Lem's Bar-B-Q.

Lem's is a spot that, when I was a student, at the University of Chicago, I would drive out to Lem's.

We're also going to meet a musician named Isaiah who lives just a couple blocks away from there, and chat with him about the neighborhood as well.

♪ ♪ Do you love this place?

>> Been coming here since I was a little girl.

>> COLLINS: How many hours do you think have you waited in line here?

If you add them all up.

>> Oh, thousands of hours.

Every holiday when the summer comes in till the fall goes away, we're here.

>> I'm all the way from Michigan and came here.

>> COLLINS: You came from Michigan just to be here?

>> Sometimes we just come for the barbecue.

>> COLLINS: How'd you discover this place?

I discovered it way back in the '70s.

My older brother used to take me when I was a little kid.

>> COLLINS: That's amazing.

>> And we just loved the taste of the links, so we've been coming ever since.

>> COLLINS: Okay, so basically it's delicious.

That's the reason.

(laughter) ♪ ♪ >> So you want the small combination?

>> COLLINS: Yeah.

Are you Billy?

>> Yes, I am.

>> COLLINS: Hi.

>> How you doing?

>> COLLINS: I'm Misha, nice to meet you.

How old were you when you started working here?

Officially 16, but unofficially about eight years old.

>> COLLINS: Would it be possible for me to come back there and see the kitchen?

>> Absolutely.

>> COLLINS: Okay, cool, thank you.

Nice to meet you.

>> You as well.

>> COLLINS: So is this the smoker over here?

>> Yes, it is.

This is where the magic happens.

>> COLLINS: Oh, man.

That is magic.

I have, like, a flood of memories coming back, because the last time I was here, was 1996.

>> Okay.

>> COLLINS: You might have been working here.

>> I was 16 in 1996.

>> COLLINS: Really?

So that was the year that you officially started working here.

(laughs) So you may have served me out that glass, 25 years ago.

>> Absolutely.

>> COLLINS: That's amazing.

>> Yes.

>> COLLINS: And I remember it was, like, it was late at night, and the smoke was still just, like, billowing out and the smell was delicious.

It was freezing cold, it was the winter.

Well, thank you.

Thank you for feeding me once again.

>> We appreciate... we appreciate having you.

>> COLLINS: It's hot, hot, hot-- hot.

>> Yeah, about 500 degrees hot.

>> COLLINS: Yeah, I can feel it.

♪ ♪ I am going to try this now.

>> You have ribs, chicken, rib tips, hot links, and French fries.

Oh.

I feel guilty eating this in front of you.

It's so good.

>> (laughs) >> COLLINS: What's in this sauce?

>> A little bit of everything.

>> COLLINS: I know it's a secret, but I want to pry it out of you anyway.

I'm trying to eat this delicately, like- >> Well, barbecue eating is not supposed to be pretty.

>> COLLINS: No, that's right.

♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: I think one year there was, maybe it was '97, there was 400 gun deaths in the South Side of Chicago.

Like, it was... there was so much violence.

>> Yes, and that still is a problem today.

>> COLLINS: And that's still a problem, I mean, it's still in the national news, right?

>> Yes.

Bad things happen anywhere.

But for the most part, the people around here in this community, they get along, they support one another, we support each other's businesses.

So we don't want to try to, but when we dealing with media and news, they kind of put a emphasis on the violence versus the good things that's going on.

>> COLLINS: Do you have kids?

>> I have two, 25 and 15, two daughters.

>> COLLINS: Oh wow.

>> They're not in the business.

>> COLLINS: No?

>> My oldest daughter, she graduated from college, and my youngest daughter, she's a sophomore, she go to school with legal prep, she wants to be a lawyer.

>> COLLINS: A legal prep high school?

>> Yeah.

>> COLLINS: I didn't even know there was such a thing.

>> Yes.

I believe that, as parents, we need to find out what our children are good at and what they like versus just the system.

>> COLLINS: I love that sentiment.

You have this idea of where you want your kids to go, but instead of trying to push them toward that, it's real...

I think it's the job of the parent to watch your kid and figure out how to nurture them into being the best person that they can be, what they want to be, you know?

What's your next chapter in life?

>> Legacy is everything.

So I'm going to be right here doing what I have to do to keep this legacy going.

>> COLLINS: That's a beautiful ambition right there.

You know, like, I come from an African American community, and a lot of us do not know about legacy because a lot of us wasn't given anything to hold onto.

And a lot of us who are given things to hold onto, we don't know how to hold onto them because we're not taught properly.

Like I said, I've been working here my whole life, but as a young child I still took it for granted.

It took me to get grown and see the labor and the sweat and tears that my grandfather and my uncles went through to have this establishment.

And just think about the times.

1954.

>> COLLINS: Right.

Being a Black business owner in 1954?

>> Oh, man.

>> COLLINS: Yeah.

>> It had to be, you know, it was a real struggle, you know what I mean?

So for us to be here still 68 years later, that says a whole lot, I just want to hold onto it.

Hopefully, it'll be here another 60 years, someone else will be interviewing my daughter or saying, "Oh, how did it come about?"

So I'm third generation myself, so that'll be fourth generation.

You know what I mean, like, that's a great story.

>> COLLINS: I don't think I think about legacy that much with my family or my kids.

Like, our family, everybody has been sort of directed to go off, and make their own fortune, do their own thing.

Excuse me.

>> Misha, right?

>> COLLINS: Hey, hey!

>> What's going on, man?

>> COLLINS: I recognize you from your pictures.

>> Yeah, you too, man.

>> COLLINS: How are you?

Nice to meet you.

>> All right, how you feeling?

>> I'm all right, man.

>> Bill.

>> COLLINS: Isaiah, Bill, Bill, Isaiah.

Isaiah is an amazing jazz musician, saxophone player.

I think a lot of people know, South Side Chicago, going back to the 1930s, it was, like, the hub of American jazz music.

>> Yes, absolutely.

>> COLLINS: There's still jazz clubs there now, right?

>> Yes.

>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

>> COLLINS: Thank you so much.

It was really great talking to you.

>> Appreciate you guys.

>> COLLINS: I wish you every success here and with your legacy.

♪ ♪ >> Hello.

>> COLLINS: Hi.

>> How are you today?

>> COLLINS: Good, how are you?

>> Welcome to Brown Sugar-- I'm good.

>> COLLINS: Do you have coffee?

>> Yes, I do have coffee.

>> COLLINS: Okay-- can I try that one?

>> This one here, absolutely.

>> COLLINS: Thank you.

What would you like?

>> I think I'll go with the cheesecake.

>> COLLINS: And the cheesecake.

>> Just the caramel topping on it?

Plain cheesecake with caramel topping, that's fine?

Could I get you anything else today?

>> I'm going to be good with that.

>> COLLINS: I think, I think the three giant desserts is good.

Do you want coffee, too?

>> I'll take a coffee.

>> COLLINS: Can we have two coffees?

>> No worries.

>> So you know, when you get done with this fine young man and following his life, you need to come back and follow us.

>> COLLINS: Okay.

>> Because we the bomb.

>> COLLINS: Okay.

>> We've been here 17 years.

>> COLLINS: Okay.

>> Said the ambassador.

>> Bam, ambassador!

I think I moved over here when I was like nine years old.

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> What am I, 23 now?

>> COLLINS: I don't know.

>> Yeah, so... (laughs) >> COLLINS: You're just 23?

>> Yeah.

>> COLLINS: You're a baby.

>> Yeah, I know, that's the crazy part.

♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: When we were coming up with the concept of this show and we had a big map on the wall in my living room of the United States, and we were starting to put pins in the different places that we thought we might go and visit.

And as we talked about it more and more, we were discussing this question of, "Look, why are we doing this show?

What's the point?"

Because there are a lot of food shows out there on television that showcase various different tasty diners to stop at, and that's not what this is about.

The point, for us, we wrote this in big font at the top of the map.

>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

>> COLLINS: Is empathy.

Like, what we're trying to do is go meet people, and understand people, and understand their perspectives, people that we might not otherwise be sitting down and having a pastry with or a coffee with.

>> Yup, yup, yup.

>> COLLINS: Because it's essential to being a good human, is developing empathy for people who are from different walks of life.

>> You hit it on a point, and the word is empathy.

You just got to have empathy.

Even if you don't understand, having the open reception to say, "Okay, that's an experience, though I can't relate to, that's messed up."

>> COLLINS: It seems like the Black Lives Matter movement suddenly has brought, for instance, Juneteenth and 400 years of the subjugation of Black people in America to, like, front and center on all of Americans' minds.

How have the last couple of years impacted your work?

>> I mean, I'm not the first musician to say this, cliché enough, but I often believe as our jobs as artists, it's our job to be documenting the times.

So whether it was a Black Lives Matter or not, the story of the narrative in this country, what's happening is still happening.

Therefore, we have to create a proper response, that's what some of the greatest monumental songs and pieces were.

>> COLLINS: Do you live here alone?

>> Oh no, no, family home, family home.

>> COLLINS: Is your dad here?

>> No, my parents are actually out of town.

I think my brother's around.

He's a drummer who works with Grammy award winner.

>> COLLINS: There's a lot of Grammy award winners in here.

>> Yeah, or nominated people.

Which one of you is older?

Uh-huh.

Which one of you is smarter?

(laughter) ♪ ♪ >> We always talk about how music is a universal language, but a lot of us don't take advantage of it being a universal language.

And if you want to truly have a conversation, got to throw yourself in the middle of it.

Even if you don't know, if you just keep listening, you'll pick it up more and more.

>> COLLINS: You keep on touching on things that are resonating in terms of, this is what the point of, what we're trying to do here, traveling around with this camera crew, is authentically experiencing things viscerally, like, really experience other people's walks of life, and actually authentically try to understand them.

So there are a lot of different ways to approach that same enterprise.

You're doing it through music, right now I'm doing it through greasy food and a film crew.

There are so many ways to share things with one another, to actually get to understand one another.

>> I wrote a song called "Understanding," and basically these type of... Once again, this is exactly what this is, coming to understanding that we're all essentially saying the same stuff.

>> COLLINS: Mm-hmm.

>> You just gotta... >> COLLINS: Do you know "Understanding"?

Do you know this song that he's talking about?

Can you play it together?

>> We could, yeah.

>> Could we play this song?

(laughs) (playing "Understanding") (song continues) >> What is this, caramel and chocolate?

>> COLLINS: I don't know what it is.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> COLLINS: It's heart failure.

>> Oh my God.

>> It's teeth failure.

You want to try some of this?

>> COLLINS: It is Brown Sugar-- they call it brown sugar for a reason.

>> It's very strong.

>> COLLINS: That's good.

>> To the max.

>> Yeah.

>> COLLINS: That was a good choice.

>> Who made that choice?

>> I should have suggested this one, right?

(laughs) >> COLLINS: Yeah.

(playing "Understanding") (song concludes) So now we are on our way to Honey 1 BBQ, which I think is a very sweet name.

And all of these barbecue places are take-out only, there's no place to sit down.

It's not like a community gathering spot, except for the lines out front.

I just went the wrong way down a dead end street.

(groans) See, this is what happens when you need to leave the caravan.

♪ ♪ (distant siren wailing) Robert?

>> How you doing?

>> COLLINS: Nice to meet you.

>> You too.

>> COLLINS: It is nice and toasty in here.

>> Tell me about it!

(laughs) >> COLLINS: Can you tell me about this style of barbecue?

>> Far as I'm concerned, this is the only style.

(chuckles) This is wood, red oak hardwood, spray it with the fire you work a little bit.

I deal with red oak because red oak, it burns a little, it burns slower and it holds moisture.

>> COLLINS: How often do you water the wood?

>> Whenever it flame up, I'm smoking, I'm not frying, so.

>> COLLINS: Did you learn how to barbecue from your family in Arkansas?

>> Yeah, from my grandmother.

She passed away, I think, 2016, she was 103.

>> COLLINS: That bodes well for you.

>> (laughs) >> COLLINS: That's amazing, wow.

I like that part!

(laughs) >> COLLINS: So how many places are there that do this style of barbecue with a aquarium?

>> Only out here.

>> COLLINS: Only in Chi... South Side of Chicago?

>> Only in the South Side of Chicago.

>> COLLINS: Let's try some of this barbecue.

>> We can go out front or back, don't make a difference to me.

You in charge, I'm following you.

♪ ♪ Is your sauce a secret?

>> Yes.

>> COLLINS: Mm-hm.

>> My wife won't even tell me!

>> COLLINS: Your wife knows it and you don't know it?

>> My wife makes the sauce.

She's from Mississippi.

>> COLLINS: Is it really a secret from you?

>> Yes!

(laughter) >> COLLINS: It's like an insurance policy, you can't leave her behind and go start your own restaurant because you won't have the sauce.

>> I thought about that.

(laughs) >> COLLINS: Well, thank you for this delicious lunch.

♪ ♪ We're going to Slab BBQ here.

I think they're going to have slabs of barbecue.

♪ ♪ Are you James?

>> Yes, I'm James.

>> COLLINS: I'm Misha.

>> Misha, glad meet you.

>> Nice to meet you, Misha.

>> COLLINS: So this is your place?

>> Yes, my husband and I and my children.

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> It's a family-ran business.

>> COLLINS: Is this your daughter?

>> Yes, it is.

>> This is my daughter, yes.

>> COLLINS: What's your name?

>> Miranda.

>> COLLINS: Hi, Miranda, I'm Misha, nice to meet you, yeah.

>> Nice to meet you.

>> My daughter is the manager.

My son, JT, is one of our pit masters.

>> COLLINS: What is the best part about working with your parents?

>> I guess just getting to see my family every day.

>> COLLINS: What's the worst part about working with your parents?

>> (laughs) >> Getting to see your family every day.

>> Yeah.

(laughs) (thudding) Does everybody ask you if you play basketball?

>> Yep, but I don't.

>> COLLINS: Do you?

>> I actually, I actually grill and I sew.

I make clothes.

>> COLLINS: You sew?

>> Yep.

>> COLLINS: What do you make?

>> All types of stuff.

Normally hoodies, though.

>> COLLINS: Uh-huh.

>> I like hoodies, but I sew them from scratch.

>> Misha.

>> COLLINS: Hey.

>> I cannot wait to see the look on your face, >> COLLINS: Yes, thank you.

>> When you taste them ribs.

>> COLLINS: Did you chop these?

>> Of course.

>> COLLINS: Nice work, very symmetrical.

>> (chuckles) You got to have a steady hand.

>> COLLINS: Mm.

>> Yeah.

>> Hopefully, the best thing you've tasted all year.

>> COLLINS: I mean, I have to say, there is something about that rub.

>> Yeah, it's special.

>> COLLINS: Guys, you got to try this.

>> It's special.

You want one?

(chuckles) >> Thank you.

>> Are these pork or?

>> Pork, yeah.

>> COLLINS: Are there aspects of your parents that you want to emulate?

I mean, it doesn't mean that you necessarily want to follow in their footsteps, but aspects of them that you want to emulate?

>> They were the greatest inspiration.

Like, I literally watched my father go for his dream out of hesitation, so it made it easier for me to follow my dreams and do the things that I want to do with my life, even while still helping my parents.

>> COLLINS: I can't imagine anything nicer than passing on to my child the message that you can follow your dream, and the world is a safe enough, opportunity-filled-enough place that that can actually become manifest in your life.

Like, if you can arm your child with that going out into the world... >> They're unstoppable.

That's the perfect word to use.

My dad has made me feel like I'm unstoppable, because I watched him be unstoppable.

And my mom is just, like, a trooper.

I definitely don't take for granted the situation that I had been presented as a young person.

>> COLLINS: Well, I think that's a really lovely note to end on.

>> No problem.

>> COLLINS: Thanks for talking to me.

>> Thank you.

>> COLLINS: Thank you for feeding me.

>> Of course, it's been a pleasure.

>> For sure.

>> COLLINS: Take care.

And also I want to buy one of your shirts.

>> A hoodie?

>> (laughs) >> COLLINS: Yeah.

>> What size?

>> COLLINS: I don't know, this size.

♪ ♪ I'm here waiting for Jahmal Cole, who is a community activist on the South Side of Chicago and a standup human, I'm looking forward to meeting him.

>> What up?

>> COLLINS: Jahmal?

>> How you doing, man?

>> COLLINS: Hi.

>> Good to see you, brother.

>> COLLINS: Nice to meet you.

>> Looking sharp, man.

Like the shades.

>> COLLINS: Thank you.

I like your, you look like you're ready to run.

>> Hey, you know, I'm ready to run for Congress, man.

(laughs) >> COLLINS: Oh!

>> Yeah, I'm running for Congress.

>> COLLINS: This is self-promotion.

>> Oh yeah, all day.

>> COLLINS: I like it.

This show, we're using, like, food as a window into worlds and that's the sort of premise.

We're exploring barbecue in the South Side of Chicago.

>> I hate barbecue, I don't eat chicken.

>> COLLINS: Is that true?

>> I don't eat nothing like that, bro.

>> COLLINS: Really?

>> Do you think because I'm Black I got to like...

I'm just kidding.

(laughter) I like chicken, I like barbecue, I like all that good stuff.

(laughs) Have you ever been right here before?

>> COLLINS: Yeah, I went to the University of Chicago.

>> Oh, you did?

>> COLLINS: Yeah, so this is like, >> This your hood.

>> COLLINS: This was kind of my hood for four years.

>> Okay, what'd you study?

>> Social theory.

>> What is that?

>> COLLINS: I don't know.

(laughter) >> COLLINS: What's your story?

>> I started this whole "my block, my hood, my city thing," off of doing simple things.

Like, what's something simple I can do that'll have an impact on my block?

I can develop muscles by doing simple things, right?

I get stronger.

But what I felt like is like, it's just abandonment, the government should be helping us out.

These kids are not getting their guns from Dick's Sporting Goods, they're getting them from across the borders.

Like, we really need publicly funded mental health services.

The schools have one counselor per 500 kids, but there's real police officers in the school.

So my thing is, like, you know, I want counselors, crisis intervention training is another thing people are talking about now, I don't know if you've heard about it, but cops are taking it because they want to talk, they want to learn how to deescalate situations, and respond to people in crisis.

I don't think the cops know what crisis is, bro.

Because if you've been to 15 funerals by the time you're in ninth grade, that's a crisis situation.

Like, you know, if you have to order your breakfast through bulletproof glass windows on the South Side of Chicago, that's a crisis situation.

>> COLLINS: And I think that there's this patchwork of nonprofits who are trying to do these, you know, trying to put Band-aids... >> Yeah.

>> COLLINS: On this big problem.

>> (snaps) Preach.

>> COLLINS: These huge problems that aren't being handled by the government, which is the only institution in this country that is well-resourced enough to actually have a lasting impact.

>> Facts.

>> COLLINS: So, so actually changing policies is critical.

It has to be, like, permanent.

>> You should be running for office, bro.

You sound great.

>> COLLINS: Well, maybe we'll put together a ticket at some point.

(laughter) ♪ ♪ Do you feel like the neighborhood is changing?

>> It's changing but, like we said, change is a process.

♪ ♪ And the more that we have these conversations, the more that we introduce each other to different things, the more it opens up that link.

It's a link that we all have.

(laughter) These true heart-to-hearts is what we all need.

(laughter) ♪ ♪ This is happening, it's happening, it's beautiful.

It's going to be gradual, but we're going to get there.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> COLLINS: If you want to see extended footage of these conversations, or of me spilling food on my shirt, or if you want to know more about the restaurants and recipes these from this episode, go to roadfood.com.

I'm walking along the border wall here in Brownsville, Texas.

American culture and Mexican culture are meeting at this confluence of borders and rivers and roads.

The taco scene here is intense and I'm going to explore it.

(sighs) My arm is tired.

♪ ♪ >> Major funding to for this program was provided by: >> Yours is a front-yard family.

Because out front... >> How you doing?

>> ...is where all the neighborhood is.

And your neighbors know you well.

>> Mario, what's up?

>> They've seen your robe, your run, even your bathing suit.

(laughter) They also know your home turf stays open to the whole street.

So you stay out front, we'll stay real-brewed.

And the world just might get a little golder.

Gold Peak real brewed tea.

♪ ♪ (doorbell rings) >> Yes!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪