Before Kelly Rowland rose to fame as a global singer and aspiring actress, she would satisfy her hunger at her favorite H-Town soul food joint, This Is It, like every other Houstonian. As a young Kelly made a name for herself with her bandmates Beyoncé and Michelle Williams, they still found time on Sundays to sit down at the local hotspot and have good conversation over a delicious meal.
“Every Sunday until it was time to go on tour or do promo or whatever, it was The Space. That’s the part that gives you that feeling of calm, of home, of community,” Rowland told VIBE about the restaurant.
Now 43, the mother of two returned to her Houston roots to reflect on one of her favorite places through Pepsi’s Local Eats Better program. The initiative “transforms local restaurant patrons into hometown celebrities” and offers them the chance to appear in a Pepsi commercial and have their favorite menu item renamed in their honor.
Pepsi
The Houston restaurant is a “fourth-generation family-owned restaurant offering flavorful, familiar fare in a relaxed atmosphere.” In Kelly’s honor, the eatery has renamed the “Motivation” singer’s favorite dish to “pepper steak with rice and gravy, green beans, peach pie, and an ice-cold Pepsi from the vending machine.”
“Eating at Houston This Is It Soul Food is not just about the delicious food and drinks, but also about the memories you create there,” she said in a press release. “The combination of soul food and drinking Pepsi will always remind me of celebrating great moments with my family and friends, and I look forward to bringing that to others.”
Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo Global Foodservice, said, “Neighborhood restaurants have a unique way of connecting with their guests. The Local Eats Better With Pepsi program is all about celebrating the restaurants that keep guests coming back not just for the food, but for the community they create. We’re honored to shine a spotlight on these hometown gems and the loyal patrons who support them.”
To further discuss their partnership, Kelly spoke with VIBE via Zoom about her soul food homecoming, her own experiences with cooking, eating on the go, and more.
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MOOD: Does it still feel like “home” to you when you go to your favorite restaurant, This Is It Soul Food?
Kelly Rowland: This Is It has been a part of my life for more than 20 years – before and after the label, before and after fame. It’s a place that has not only provided me with food, but with space. There’s this sense of community and peace and a sense of being down to earth there, and of course I love the food. I’m a Southern girl, so I don’t skip meals.
How did you decide which dish would be named after you? Is it your favorite dish?
Honestly, you can close your eyes and pick (from the menu) and you’ll still be fine. But this is definitely one of my favorites – the pepper steak is just delicious, especially when you mash it up and mix it with rice, gravy and green beans… just one big flavor bomb.
So Houston, like other cities, has its own food scene. How far have you ever traveled just to eat?
Okay, let’s go (laughs). So that was the farthest I’ve traveled for a good meal… I remember craving really good Mexican food, and Houston has really good Tex-Mex. I actually went to my best friend’s mom’s house – because she made it in a way that made me feel at home. I remember I was supposed to go on vacation and I was like, “Nah, I need these enchiladas verdes.” So I literally drove home to Houston and had her enchiladas verdes. It was delicious and she knew exactly how to make it.
Another time I was in Italy and we were eating pasta. I thought to myself, “We have to go to that restaurant again.” I ran to that restaurant. It was so good. I ate everything that came to the table and enjoyed my wine. It was great.
Do you personally enjoy cooking?
I do it when I have time and do it consistently; I’m actually really good at it. The first thing my three-year-old asks is, “Mommy, can you make me pancakes please?” And my son likes the way I make fried eggs, and my husband likes these special breakfast sandwiches. So it’s literally like a whole show in the morning, you know what I mean? But I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
And I didn’t know I would like it so much until I see them finish their plates. I see how happy they are. I see me get a kiss on the forehead or my little one hug my leg. The part they’ll remember when they’re older is, “My mommy made these pancakes.” I love that because I would say that about my mommy’s green beans and I would say that about her fried chicken. I want my kids to be able to experience those moments so they can say that about me.
What’s it like eating on the go when you’re on tour and just busy?
With all the people I know, I think it’s important to keep in touch with them. Ciara was just in Houston on her tour and she called me. She said, “Kels, where’s the store? Tell me where’s the store.” So you have to call your people. If I was in St. Louis, I’d call my husband or Nelly and ask them where we should go. And they’d send me to this pizza place that I don’t really like. But they love it. I like to keep up with what’s going on.
In Philly, I’ll call a friend because she’ll say, “I know this place for Philly cheese steaks.” I want what this city has to offer, and I want to be among the people. I want to see what the community feels like, and I want to have that moment with them. That’s when you really live, that’s when you travel, that’s when you experience the world and let all of these places show you who they are.
How important is it to you to support black businesses, especially those in the city you come from?
That’s our job, you know what I mean? As a community, we’ve supported so many other businesses, and I think if we continue to give in our own circles and spaces, we’re going to continue to grow. Our dollar continues to grow, the black dollar continues to grow. We say what’s cool, we say what’s not cool. And these (black) businesses really need that support.
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From August 27 through September 24, Houston residents can eat like Kelly exclusively at both Houston locations of This Is It Soul Food for $15. Any fans who submit their restaurant story by October 31 will also receive $3 to put on their next meal with Pepsi.
Fans can sign up on the Pepsi Local Eats website.
