Theres no tiptoeing around the facts at Seattles James Beard Award-winning restaurant, JuneBaby the restaurant has developed an encyclopedia to accompany its Southern-themed menu, because owner and chef Edouardo Jordan doesnt believe in shying away from the uncomfortable history behind the food we eat.

Take cornbread, a food so common that most of us dont give it a second thought. But if youre lucky enough to eat at JuneBaby, youll learn cornbread has a story to tell. Look at the restaurants encyclopedia, and youll learn it was consumed by slaves who had little time to cook after long hours working in the fields, and it became a mainstay because it was quick, easy and could be eaten without utensils.