Jason Fullilove Expands His Modern Soul Food Restaurant to Culver City

It’s been less than a year since chef Jason Fullilove opened Barbara Jean on Melrose, and now a Barbara Jean pop-up arrives in Culver City tomorrow. The chef also has two new brick-and-mortar restaurants in the works. The first is Hilltop Coffee & Kitchen, a casual dining spot across the street from Simply Wholesome, along with an unnamed Mediterranean spot headed to Silver Lake later this year.

The pop-up resides in the former Pei Wei space at Culver Crossroads on Washington and Sepulveda Boulevards. Fullilove starts with a limited grab-and-go menu tomorrow and expands to breakfast and dinner next week. Barbara Jean’s soul food combines Fullilove’s Ohio and Zambian roots to produce dishes like hushpuppies with truffled honey, fried fish and grits, and fried okra with violet mustard greens.

Fullilove’s team started converting the 2,500 square foot space only one week ago. The chef credits his experienced team for the rapid turnaround. And while Barbara Jean Culver City will begin as a pop-up, he says there is potential for long-term.

Fullilove’s next restaurant is Hilltop Coffee & Kitchen, which is a partnership with Ajay Relan and Yonnie Hagos of The Parlor, and managing consultant Thomas Lambiase. Fullilove anticipates a summer opening. That might sound like a full plate, but Fullilove also mentioned a forthcoming Mediterranean restaurant in Silver Lake. He says it is still too early to reveal details, but that it should open later this year.

Fullilove’s resume boasts respectable stints all over Los Angeles, including Clifton’s Cafeteria, Campanile, Malibu Pier, and the Patina Group. Fullilove maintains a loyal following that began when the original Barbara Jean’s was still a pop-up. The Barbara Jean Culver City pop-up opens tomorrow from noon until 6 p.m. Beginning next week, it’ll run daily from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m., with full dinner service starting at 5 p.m.

Barbara Jean. 4114 Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite E. Culver City, CA

• Barbara Jean’s Soul Food Takes Over Melrose Full Time [ELA]
• Jason Fullilove Re-Emerges With Pop Up Project Barbara Jean [ELA]
• Smoke.Oil.Salt Flips to Weekend Residency by Barbara Jean Chef Jason Fullilove [ELA]