How Marcus Bar & Grille is honoring Juneteenth through culinary tradition

The rich scent of smoked meats and the comforting aroma of slow-boiled collard greens are filling the air in the Old Fourth Ward on Juneteenth. 

At Marcus Bar & Grille, Juneteenth isn't just a date on the calendar; it's an immersive culinary journey. The restaurant is celebrating the holiday with a curated menu where every single dish tells a story of survival, heritage, and joy.

For Executive Chef Gary Caldwell, crafting this menu is an act of preservation. 

He invited CBS News Atlanta into his kitchen as he prepared for the holiday, explaining that the secret to these dishes goes far beyond the seasoning.

"It's not just about making a good meal," Chef Caldwell said. "It's the memories that serve as the main ingredients."

Many of the cooking techniques showcased on the menu date back generations, mirroring how meals were prepared in 1865 when the last enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom. 

Chef Caldwell notes that the heavy reliance on smoked and grilled meats in African American culinary history was born out of necessity and forced adaptation.

"In our culture, smoked meats, grilled meats, were what we cooked. We were always outside," Chef Caldwell explained. "We never really had an indoor space for us to cook properly. So, you had your house people, and then you had your outdoor people. The outdoor people always smoked, grilled, and it was one of those things where we learned how to adapt and build out properly."

Visitors to Marcus Bar & Grille will notice a striking theme across the table: an abundance of vibrant red foods and drinks. In Juneteenth traditions, the color red holds historical significance. It serves as a powerful symbol of resilience, joy, and the blood shed by enslaved African ancestors in their fight for freedom.

True to the resourceful roots of Southern and Black cuisine, Chef Caldwell ensures nothing goes to waste in his kitchen. While preparing his signature watermelon salad, he proudly demonstrated how he utilizes the entire fruit, including pickling the watermelon rind to add a sharp, traditional crunch to the dish.

As Juneteenth has gained mainstream recognition as a federal holiday, Chef Caldwell remains fiercely protective of its true roots. For him, the holiday is about commercialism, but honoring the people who paved the way.

"Everything I do is for the community and heritage," Caldwell said. "I think people are forgetting that everything that our ancestors fought for, we take it as a luxury when it's really not."

By bringing these timeless traditions to the table, the team at Marcus Bar & Grille hopes to ensure that history is never forgotten but rather celebrated in the present.

The restaurant's staff is expecting a packed house, with close to 300 people projected to join the community celebration.