African-American cuisine and Black-owned restaurants jazz up the valley’s food sceneBlack culinary traditions are as significant a contribution to the history of American creativity as any made by the people of the African diaspora. Many flavors we perceive as central to American cuisine originated in kitchens run by Black people. If you’ve ever enjoyed a potato chip, you have indulged in a Black American delicacy as definitive as a Jimi Hendrix solo. Las Vegas may not be a soul food hub such as Houston, Atlanta, or even Washington, D.C., but it is a place of deep diversity, and many of the most beautiful expressions of Blackness in our valley can be found in its kitchens and dining rooms.Annie’s Kitchen Just north of U.S. 95 is a veritable ghost town hidden within our city. Once upon a time referred to as the Black Strip, the historic Westside is a beautiful neighborhood that has seen its wealth looted and its growth stifled. There is scant activity there, save Sunday mornings when the churches are in session. However, a regular hub of activity does reside within our metropolitan erēmus: Annie’s Kitchen. This place has been making barbecue longer than Street Foodie has been on these streets. Well-smoked meat; skinny tamales rolled in foil and smoked like little cigars; deep, delicate collard greens; candied yams that feel as familiar as your granny’s living room; and a sauce somebody put their foot in. I’ll say this once as a friend: Get the ribs, get the brisket, and then get more ribs, all coated in a subtle, smooth sauce that provides the foundation for the classic soul food flavors you’ll experience here. Little wonder that while the neighborhood struggles, Annie’s Kitchen has been a West Side institution for decades. 1212 D St., 725-214-6062Big Jerk Caribbean Here is Street Foodie’s shortcut to the Caribbean. Drive south on the 15 to Silverado Ranch Boulevard, exit, and head east. When you see the sign for Big Jerk Caribbean, you’ve arrived. Now go in and order the ackee and saltfish and enjoy a rare treat. Ackee is a fruit native to Ghana, imported to the Caribbean along with more dubious cargo. When cooked, the fruit attains a velvety texture that almost melts on your tongue. Sautée it with salted cod, onions, and peppers, and you end up with enough contrasting textures and flavors that you may start plotting your own Tacky’s Rebellion (look it up). For something more familiar, try the oxtail. Big Jerk’s oxtail is made with love — but if love isn’t enough, it’s also coated in a rich brown sauce that carries its flavors to a higher plane. All that and they produce some of the more perfect Jamaican patties (think spicy Hot Pockets) in the township of Paradise. 430 E. Silverado Ranch Blvd. #100, bigjerkcaribbean.comSupport comes from Simply Pure Vegan Café [pictured above] Black people are not a monolith. Our cuisine does have its proclivities, but there is more to our culinary identity than soul food. Simply Pure offers some of the valley’s most dynamic vegan food. After seven years in business, chef Stacey Dou