Two of Los Angeles’s most popular soul food restaurants, Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen and Hotville Chicken, collaborated to create a unique menu and dining experience for The Infatuation’s signature food festival, EEEEEATSCON Los Angeles, at Santa Monica’s The Barker Hangar on June 8 and June 9.
This year’s festivities included conversations with television personality and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen, actress, producer, and entrepreneur Sofia Vergara with her son, restauranteur and television host Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, comedian and actress Nicole Byer, and viral food critic Keith Lee.
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The flavorful combination of one of L.A.’s oldest soul food spots and a classic hot chicken brand from the south exhibited as DulanVILLE, the only food truck at the festival. After continuous features on the restaurant review website, The Infatuation, the business pair was invited to diversify the experience while highlighting local Black owned businesses as headliners,
“The DulanVILLE food truck is a rolling billboard. It literally advertises two great brands coming together,” said Kim Prince, co-founder of DulanVILLE, who brought her family’s Prince’s Hot Chicken from Nashville to South L.A.
“I like the fact that we could be four wheels and we’re able to bring all kinds of food anywhere.”
Many festival goers told Prince they had never experienced soul food before. “People from all over the world are here that are trying it for the first time. They’ve never had hot chicken. They’ve never had red beans and rice. They’ve never even had buttermilk cornbread.”
The experiential atmosphere also cultivated learning a cuisine considered to be the roots of Americana.
“We can explain a lot of those dishes to people. With this food truck and both brands, we’re able to provide people with the best of both worlds,” she added.
“We are highlighting some of the southern dishes that we serve at Dulan’s on Crenshaw,” said Greg Dulan, who just re-opened a revamped version of his flagship location.
“People who have never had soul food are very excited to try it for the first time because if you haven’t tasted it or you haven’t experienced it, you’ve heard that it’s delicious,” he added.
“Likewise, the people who know soul food know how hard it is to get in Southern California. To have a soul food restaurant show up in Santa Monica at an event like EEEEEATSCON is very rare.”
As Dulan’s prepares for its 50th anniversary next year, strategic partnerships have proven to be mutually beneficial. Dulan, who also recently joined the Board of Directors for DineLA, partnered with the Hotville chicken brand envisioning a busier food truck in constant demand once he increased menu options.
Hotville recently closed its doors after three years at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall with promise for another location by its new ownership, yet Dulan saw the perfect chance to build from within the community.
“I came up with the concept of a dual branded food truck. I’ve not seen one before or since we tried this. The purpose of a dual branded food truck is to have a food truck that’s available for people that want soul food at an event,” Dulan said.
The menu can be customized to feature either one restaurant exclusively or a few items from both establishments. “You have classic soul food and Nashville hot chicken in one amazing truck,” he exclaimed.
EEEEEATSCON, presented by Chase Sapphire, is a different kind of food experience built in the spirit of a music festival, but with restaurants as the headliners. Event lineups are derived from The Infatuation’s editorial expertise where the restaurant discovery platform helps its readers find expert recommendations for every situation. EEEEEATSCON Los Angeles featured an exciting lineup of some of The Infatuation’s greatest hits from across the country such as Lucali (New York City) and KG BBQ (Austin, TX).
“I know there’s an array of options here in LA, but when it comes to soul food, the legends have that hold on people,” explained The Infatuation food critic Nikko Duren.
“When we have different places like Dulan’s and Hotville collaborate, it brings the excitement that gets new faces in the door.”
Created by The Infatuation, EEEEEATSCON now operates in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and New York City. The events feature live music performances throughout the day and panels from thought leaders and industry pioneers.
The Infatuation was acquired by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2021 to accelerate the firm’s investment in dining and further demonstrates JPMorgan Chase’s commitment to meeting customers where they are with exceptional benefits, useful content and one-of-a-kind experiences, at scale.
In addition to Chase Sapphire, other brand partners creating special experiences for EEEEEATSCON included Chase® Ink®, MLB Life, LaCroix, and DashPass by Doordash.
