Land Park soul

Soul food across from McClatchy High School? Sound a little far-fetched? Well then, welcome to Griffin’s Place, where you can get fried catfish breaded with cornmeal, fresh-baked cornbread and the spiciest mustard greens this side of the Mississippi. Place is run by the Griffin clan, a family of 10 who’ve turned this tiny brick building, with its spiral staircase and Formica-booth seating, into a cozy little romper room of a restaurant. Open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Griffins offers barbecued ribs, Southern fried chicken, candied yams and a host of other soul-food favorites as well as items such as calzone, burritos and sandwiches. That’s not to mention the best thing of all, “Griffs Water Ice,” a family-concocted product imported from Philadelphia advertised as having “the consistency of fresh snow.” That’s no lie; a coconut-flavored version of this shaved-ice confection went a long way toward cooling off this overheated reporter on a recent scorching afternoon.