South Side Kitchen & Gardens
Using wholesome and nourishing food for change
Fountain Hours:
Monday through Friday 8:30am to 2pm
Our Menu
Our Friday Breakfast special: Pancakes!
Check Daily Specials
Our Sauerkraut
Why Nutrition?
After learning from a rheumatologist in 2011 that he may have rheumatoid arthritis, Drew (one of the pharmacists at South Side) and his wife, Catherine, began to think about the food they were eating. About a year later, his brother told him about a documentary called “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” by Joe Cross, where Joe was able to put his autoimmune condition into remission through nutritional means. This was the eye opener for Drew. Soon after, he learned about Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist, and his books “The China Study” and “Whole” and Rich Roll, the host of The Rich Roll Podcast, which among many things, touches on health, nutrition, and wellness. From everything Drew began to read and learn about, the message narrowed into this:
Most disease can be prevented, stopped, and reversed
Everything we put into our bodies will either feed disease or fight disease
Taking good care of our soil and the earth, in return, will take care of us
Catherine and Drew began to cut back on processed foods and eat more whole foods (fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds, and whole grains). A few of their staples became rice and beans topped with avocado, salsa, and sauteed spinach and garlic, oatmeal with fresh or frozen berries and granola, and freshly made green juices and smoothies. They bought organic when they could, especially wheat and the fruits and vegetables listed in The Dirty Dozen.
In 2015, the couple started a small garden behind their house to grow different lettuces and kale for fresh salads and smoothies and a few herbs for everyday cooking and to cut down on grocery expenses. Drew took smoothies to work to share with friends and coworkers; basically anyone open to trying something green in a jar.
Though it would be years later before happening, this is when Drew had the idea of opening a healthier soda fountain inside the pharmacy and perhaps even trying to grow some of the produce. To use both the fountain and garden as a way to share with people the connection between food and health. To share that the body, in many cases, can respond and heal. To use them as a way to encourage others and offer hope.
Feeding Generations
The Gardens
We love growing where we can! Drew was in and around a family garden for much of his childhood and started growing veggies at the pharmacy in 2016.
In the spring of 2016, Drew and his oldest daughter started kale from seed and transplanted the seedlings into two large planters at the front door of the pharmacy. A few weeks later, friends and family jumped in to help. Drew’s uncle, Amp, came with wooden posts to frame a 20’ x 4’ garden bed on the side of the pharmacy. A load of rich soil was delivered later by Charles Williams and his brother, Roy. A few buckets of fresh compost was added to the top and by late spring, the pharmacy had a bed full of kale, arugula, and mixed lettuce.
The garden is ever-changing. The small bed on the side of the pharmacy is used primarily as a garlic bed today. One mile north of the pharmacy is a beautiful 5-acre site where we are able to naturally raise (no chemicals or fertilizers of any kind) turnip and collard greens, garlic, peppers, cabbages for our house-made sauerkraut, blueberries, strawberries, and tomatoes to name a few.
Our Team
The Soda Fountain is carefully managed by Will Smith.
