By Charlese Freeman
Staff Writer

Everyone loves that good old southern soul food cooking. Every bit is full of tradition, flavor and southern hospitality

All the spices and sauces of the South that make your mouth water can be found right here in Stroudsburg.

According to Tony Gaynor, owner of Big Mama’s Soul Food Restaurant “To us, soul food is pretty much the same thing as comfort food and Southern food to us is food made with love.”

Since Mr. Gaynor spent a lot of time in Georgia he knows a thing or two about Southern cooking.

Before Gaynor became a successful restaurant owner, he traveled the world on tour with The Trans-Siberian Orchestra as the original narrator. As an actor, he did theater in New York.

He, along with three other members of the TOS (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) formed The Kings of Christmas.

Now from the stage to the kitchen, Mr. Gaynor is one of the proud owners of Big Mama’s Soul Food Restaurant with two locations.

While one restaurant is located here at 1539 North 9th St., Stroudsburg, Pa. 18360, the other restaurant is in Passaic, N.J.

Big Mama’s menu features traditional soul food such as catfish, Big Mama’s signature bread fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese, candy yams, collard greens, potato salad and so much more.

For college students, this may be a way to escape or embrace that homemade cooking that you cannot find on campus.

Everyone gets tired of eating pizza and burgers every day, so add some diversity to your meals.

Fortunately, Big Mama’s is only located 11 minutes away from ESU, if you don’t feel like going out, no problem they deliver as well.

Big Mama’s Soul food restaurant has brought some southern culture to Stroudsburg, but more importantly it has brought some style and flavor to the Pocono area.

Email Charlese at:
cfreeman2@live.esu.edu