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ORAL HISTORY
David Ragoonath
Soul Central
David Ragoonath was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. He came to the United States for winning a bowling tournament. He found his passion for cooking after managing a restaurant in New York. In Charlotte, he apprenticed at a bbq joint, Hog Heaven, and a soul food favorite, Lola’s restaurant before opening Soul Central. Soul Central honors the legacy of African American and Southern food traditions, but it also includes flavors from Mr. Ragoonath’s homeland. At his five-table restaurant in Plaza Midwood, his customers enjoy fried chicken, fried catfish, and his famous meatloaf along with other staples like greens, black-eye-peas, and macaroni and cheese.