By Gloria DULAN-Wilson
By Gloria DULAN-Wilson
Hello All!
Today, June 18th, marks the 88th Birthday Anniversary of my favorite uncle, Adolf Dulan - He made his transition to the realm of the Ancestor/Angels in May of 2017. He was not only my favorite uncle, he was my Mentor, Friend, and standard by which I viewed other men.
Below is the salute I wrote for him on his 77th Birthday Anniversary. Interestingly enough, June 18th is also the birthday of my Maternal Grandfather, Enoch Gaines - my Mom's Dad - another personal hero of mine. So I'm saluting and commemorating these two wonderful/FINE BLACK MEN!
| Adolf A DULAN - King of Soul Food |
06.18.2011
HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE ADOLF - WE LOVE YOU
By Gloria DULAN-Wilson
This is personal: I am sending a special
birthday greeting to my favorite uncle, and favorite person on the
planet - outside my Mom, Dad, Brother,Sisters, Man, God & my kids -
My uncle Adolf Dulan - my Dad's
baby brother, who has the distinction of being the stalwart patriarch of
the family, is celebrating his 77th birthday today, June 18, 2011, in
Los Angeles, California. I want to salute him. So join me in doing so.
When
I say they don't make them like him any more, I'm not exaggerating.
He's a fine Black man - not just playboy, pretty boy fine - he's that
kind of fine that just mellows and gets better looking with age. He's
articulate, intelligent, educated, principled, and a gentleman -
definitely a lady's man - in that he knows how to treat a lady like a
lady, and respect her as a woman at the same time.
He's managed
to be successful on so many levels - in his business - he owns Dulan's
Soul Food Kitchen in Los Angeles - which started out as Hamburger City,
evolved into Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch (now owned by my cousins - Tiffany
and Danielle Dulan); he's raised 5 kids, and taught them each positive
work ethics, the value of family and the importance of keeping your
word.
He's got jokes - a great sense of humor; and great taste
in clothes, friends, and his lady - he always manages to be involved
with someone who is intelligent, articulate, stylish and an asset (Dorothy, you rock!)
My
Uncle Adolf, son of Zady and Silas Dulan, brother of Warner Hale Dulan
(my Dad), Alene Dulan (Talton) and Zethel Dulan (Thomas) were all raised
on Oklahoma Soil in a shack on the prairie - for real!! No
electricity, no gas,no plumbing - basically a sod house that my
grandparents built themselves - with an outhouse, no less, in a little
town called Luther, Oklahoma.
Oklahoma, which means land of the red people,
has soil that is as red as our Indian heritage, and as richly Black as
the African heritage, and the mixed bloodlines that course through our
veins.
My granddaddy was a stickler for education, and we are
all the same way. He put all his kids, as well as his brothers and
sisters through college - Langston University, in Oklahoma.
When
Adolf relocated to California after the Korean War, to put down roots,
he became a social worker, and worked for years in the community trying
to help others have a better life. When he decided to go into business
for himself, he took a big dose of his own medicine - his own advice -
and began to look for ways to develop an autonomous business that others
would resonate to. He never stopped learning, exploring, inquiring,
trying new things. Though the beginning was initially rather rocky -
with some hit or miss efforts - when he evolved into Aunt Kizzy's he
found he had a hit on his hands. Those cabins you see on the walls at
Aunt Kizzy's and Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen are real - my Uncle literally
went from rags to riches, using his ingenuity, talent, and the
foundation laid by my Grandaddy Silas.
Soul food (comfort
foods) that appealed to African Americans, as well as to the broader
population, was based on old family recipes that had been shared down
through our collective families; it was such a hit, that he began to be
mentioned on such television shows of the day as Arsenio Hall and
others.
Not one to rest on his laurels, when he decided to go
the way of just soul food to go, Dulan's was born - just 7 years ago -
when most people would be hanging up their hats and putting themselves
out to pasture - not my uncle.
Adolf is better than the energizer bunny - he has taken that energy and ingenuity to a whole 'nutha levul.'
I
recently told my daughter that if there was a way to clone him I would
do it - just so young ladies her age could experience what it is like to
be treated with respect, dignity, and have fun doing it - but, I
observed, if they were able to clone Adolf, the rest of the guys her age
would never stand a chance. They'd either have to step up their game
or step off.
Never a 4-letter word, a b-word, a n-word from
his mouth. Always a smile; always a compliment; always that great sense
of humor. Always listening, and reflecting back to you so that you
know you're communicating and comprehending.
The kids call my generation "old school", while we call Adolf's generation "real school".
Make
no mistake about it, though, he's no pushover - he is from Oklahoma -
and we don't play. The school of life he comes from is a combination of
the Code of the West; the nobility of the Indian Nations (Creek); and
the "gentility" of of the South. (Notice I put "gentility in quotes -
the South was anything but genteel).
Black Indians (whites had
another name for us) are a totally different breed of cat - we used to
say, he laughs, and he jokes, but he don't play.
Does it sound
like I'm bragging about my uncle - of course I am - and who better than
me - the first born niece!! Proud of him - proud he's my uncle - he's
stood with and by the family in good and bad times, and we have stood by
him. Our tribe is tight!
And my admiration for him doesn't
stop with me. He's loved by so many in the greater Los Angeles area.
But he's never lost his down home touch. And that's part of his charm.
Elegance, style - with just a touch of humility. Not only will he feed
you some of the finest Southern Soul cuisine west of the Mississippi
(T-Bone Steak, catfish, swai fish, collard greens, candied yams, real
corn bread, okra, corn & tomatoes, short ribs, ox tails, smothered
chicken, mac & cheese, black eyed peas, friend chicken, not to
mention my Cousin Greg's Salmon Croquets, biscuits and grits!!!; with
Ice Cold Watermelon, an avocado salad - by my cousin Ling; deep dish
peach cobbler by "xxx" - are you hungry yet?)
And while you're
washing it down with lemonade, Adolf will regale you with stories about
growing up in Oklahoma, and our relatives that will keep you cracking
up the entire evening.
I wish I could be there in person to
celebrate this wonderful occasion with him and the family. Since I
can't be there in person, I'm writing this article to give him his
props, and to let him and the world know how special he is to me and all
the family: Mom Ruby Love, Warner Jr., Brenda Nell, Sylvester, Kira,
Rais, Adiya, LaDonne, and the rest of the crew in New York, Oklahoma
City, Texas, Maryland, Philadelphia, DC, Virginia, Chicago, Detroit.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE ADOLF!!!!
I love you muchly. May you have many more wonderful, blessed, fun filled and love filled years to come.
From Gloria Jeanne
PS: This salute was written in 2014 for Adolf on his 80th Birthday
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8661755859413500477/3503753504289281828
PS:
If you are traveling to LaLa Land stop by and tell them Gloria
DULAN-Wilson sent you. Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen - (310) 671-3345 - GDW
We are now in 2022 and the legacy of my Uncle, Adolf DULAN continues to rise and expand - through Gregory, Jeff, Terry, Tiffany and Danielle - Dulan's on Crenshaw was recently celebrated as the LA Ram's favorite Soul Food Restaurant during the 2022 Superbowl - which, by the way, the Ram's won. They were also nominated for a James Beard Award for Culinary Excellence. Can't you just see him beaming down with wonderfully handsome face and that great smile of his?
It would be an understatement to say that I absolutely loved my Uncle Adolf. Whenever he would come to New York to visit, I would drop everything and clear my agenda so that we could hang out. After he and my Aunt Mary finished buying up all the shops, Adolf and I would head for Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem. He had a particular affection for the Woods' family, because they both started from humble beginnings; and they both served food in the family tradition. He would spend hours talking with Sylvia, taking pictures, walking around the community.
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| ADOLF AND ME HANGING OUT IN HARLEM |
Later in the evening, we'd all gather for dinner - by All, I meant my cousin Terry, who lived in NYC at the time, his best friend Pierre, my three offspring - Kira, Rais and Adiya and myself, Ardjerie Ayers - and hit Jezebel's (his favorite restaurant at the time) for dinner. We'd hang there, catching up on old times, taking photos - talking to Alberta (Jezebel's owner); and just relating as a family, the way we did growing up in Oklahoma. After that, it was party time, and Adolf and I would hit the streets - starting at Perks Fine Cuisine in Harlem, over to Showman's and if we still felt like it, to the Lenox Lounge. His philosophy was that since he lived in California, and there was a 3-hour difference in time, 3:00 AM in NYC was really only 12:00, so it wasn't that late to him. He would also sample other Black restaurants, and was an avid collector of cookbooks - especially by Black authors. There was nothing off the table for Adolf, when it came to the good life and positive people.
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| ENJOYING HANGING IN HARLEM AT SHOWMAN'S CAFE |
 |
| ADOLF WITH HERB WRIGHT |
I have often bragged that I come from a family of FINE BLACK MEN - well my Uncle Adolf was second in line after my Dad - which meant that both men were super-fine. Not just in looks, but in manner, temperament, values, attitudes, self esteem - love of family was at the top of their list. Ingrained in them by my Granddad - Silas Sylvester Dulan, and handed down to his handsome sons - Gregory, Jeff and Terry, and his two beautiful daughters, Danielle and Tiffany. It was part of the Dulan Family Ethos - and each of his siblings were charged with passing it on to their offspring - so none of us could say we didn't know.
Adolf was our Uncle - mine, my sister Brenda, brothers Warner Jr., and Sylvester, cousins, Lamont and Sheryl Talton, and, because of the close proximity to us in age, the interpreter to our parents when we hit adolescence. As always, it appears that Adolf sailed through adolescence without all the hassles and hazards many of us faced later on; but when it hit me in particular, being the first born, he smoothed out the mis-communications that my smart-mouth would often get me into between myself and my parents and grandparents. Thank goodness for him!! I was the first born, and the ground breaker - and he had many a time to come and keep my folks from breaking my you-know-what! No doubt dealing with my madness is what helped him become such a wise and wonderful parent when his own family started to manifest (LOL) - because I was a handful. Thank goodness for the Civil Rights Era, Clara Luper and being occupied with the sit-ins in OKC, it kept me out of the streets. Adolf often remarked that I was the only Civil Rights Activist in the family - he was very proud of that.
Most people know my uncle for his wonderful restaurants - the ground breaking Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch and, later, Dulan's King of Soul Food. Some will also remember him from Hamburger City, which Arsenio Hall used to talk about so frequently on his late night talk show. The secret sauce was especially popular Black in the day. Most don't know that he initially started with trying to run an Orange Julius Franchise in California. It did not go well because their menu clashed with Black folks taste buds. Their rigidity is what inspired Adolf to go out on his own and start his own hamburger stand. It was an immediate hit because he used freshly ground beef, hand formed, and a special sized hamburger bun, fresh onions, pickles, lettuce and tomatoes. Not only was it a hit, it was the means by which his kids earned their allowances - everybody had to put their time in at Hamburger City. However, Adolf did not start out in the restaurant business - he started out in Day Care, augmented by teaching courses in money management - we now call it financial literacy - in a community program in LA. The Day Care program was very successful - so we were surprised when he decided to go into the restaurant industry.
But, I guess, in retrospect, it was a natural for him. He was Mr. Personality. He had a fantastic smile, could charm you to the point you did not want to leave, had a million stories, and understood human nature. I remember his business cards in later years always had a picture of him smiling - handsome, engaging brown eyes - silver fox (my Aunt Alene, his oldest sister, hated the fact that he would not colorize his hair the way she did hers. She felt that others who knew them knew that she was dying hers - after all, how could her baby brothers hair be gray and hers still be dark brown? LOL).
 |
| ADOLF HANGING AT SHOWMAN'S CAFE IN HARLEM |
I have so many precious memories of my Uncle - the way his eyes would water up when he started laughing; the fact that he would fall asleep for about an hour after a good meal (a trait of Dulan men, I think - Daddy and Granddaddy would do it too). The fact that he loved fine cars and jewelry. The way he would leave a surprise tip for the maids at the hotel under the pillow when they made up the bed so they would give extra service. The way he would focus in on what you were saying, as if you were the only one on the planet at the time.
The way he would send a drink to a beautiful woman at a club when we were out, and invite her to join us - of course making sure she knew I was his niece. He would then proceed to pour on the charm - and tell her that her money was no good for the evening. He would be his most charming self, and treat her like the queen she was. I will tell you that would spoil her for anyone who came around and treated her with less respect. I know it spoiled me - it made it difficult to be around guys who didn't pull out my chair, wine you and dine you; compliment you - I'm sure Tiffany and Dannie have also had the opportunity to be treated like royalty by their Dad. It's so special. It's not fake; not trying to catch - it's just that wonderful feeling that you get when a gentleman focuses on you as a lady. I remember trying to get him to write a book, or an instruction manual so we could distribute it to the guys. Of course, no dice.
Adolf, like most of the Dulan family of his line, was born and raised in Luther, Oklahoma. The youngest of four kids, he grew up on an 87 acre red dirt farm, owned by my Granddaddy, Silas Dulan and my Grandmom, Zady Dulan. Everybody had chores, from milking cows, to harvesting the watermelons, picking the corn, pitching the hay, pulling eggs, spreading the manure, you name it, he did it. He hunted rattle snakes with granddad, helped bring water up from the well; clean out the outhouse, chop wood for the pot belly stove and for the kitchen. When everybody else had grown up and gone, it was all on him to help around the farm - from canning and putting up preserves, to getting the dairy products ready for delivery. He did it all. From the son of a dairy farmer to a mogul in the realm of restaurants. What a journey.
He grew up in an extended family of aunts and uncles who were also being raised by my grandfather - each of them attended Langston University, put through by my Grandad, which formed the basis of another family standard "Education is a non-negotiable item. Adolf and all the Dulan family was expected to do well in school, and attend and complete college. There were no ifs ands or buts about it. Our family was a stickler for appropriate pronunciation and enunciation of words - and poor grammar would get you yelled at. The only time you heard him using an Oklahoma drawl was if he was joking or making fun of something. It was not allowed. But the wonderful thing about Adolf was that he was both academically and street smart. He could roll with the best of them, and then hold forth on any subject from a podium without notes.
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| ADOLF AND ME HANGING AT SHOWMANS CAFE IN HARLEM WITH ONE OF OWNERS |
Adolf was always trying to lift the Black community - not by activism, but by his contributions and participation in the many programs and activities that occurred throughout Los Angeles. Whether it was food, money, speaking at, or hosting an event, he did his part to help. He kept abreast of the issues and problems concerning Black people, and, when he became "rich and famous" preferred to remain in his own Black community than to distance himself in some opulent, isolated neighborhood where you could count the number of African Americans on one hand. And, while he may have been the one to pioneer a concept, he also knew you couldn't get very far if you tried to go it alone. For that reason he started the Millionaire Men's Club of California. Now that did not mean everybody was a millionaire who belonged to the club; but it did mean that they were aspiring to be, and that they were doing business with each other on an ethical and cooperative basis. He was also a member of Recycling Black Dollars - an organization that made it their business to spend the money in the Black community first. He had the admiration of fellow businessmen and women, elected officials, political figures, peers - but most of all, we, his family were so proud of him.
My Mom, Ruby Love, his sister-in-law, loved him to no end. During his bachelor days, while at Langston University, Adolf used to hang out in Oklahoma City with his friends; and, instead of going back to dorm after partying and drinking illegal booze (Oklahoma was a "dry" state), he would crash on the living room sofa. He would ease in about dawn, and sleep til noon, have breakfast - and praise Mother on her biscuits and grits; joke around with Daddy, tease us kids. We would tip around him while he was sleeping, and periodically go over and say, "Adolf, are you awake yet?" and he would say, "Not yet," and roll over for another round of z's. But when he finally woke up, we would be jumping all over him, happy to see him, hugging and running around him! Me, I would be doing hand stands, turning flips, and showing off: "Adolf! Adolf! look what I can do!! Look what I can do!!" Swinging upside down on the backyard gym set. "Hey Adolf! Look at me!"
I think I've spent my whole life trying to impress my favorite Uncle - some days I did; some days I didn't. But he always impressed me with his heart, his graciousness, his sagacity, his love of life and people, his pride of family and love and support of his kids. And I hope as I write this, the love we all feel for him is coming through to him, even as he is charming the heck out of them in the Realm of the Ancestor Angels.
Farewell to you, A.D.
Thanks so much for showing us how to live life beautifully and fully.
Please say hello to Mom and Daddy, Granddaddy and Grandmom, Alene, Zethel, Sheryl, Major and all the rest of the Dulan Clan.
Lovingly from your Number One Niece
Gloria Jeanne
This is personal: I am sending a special birthday greeting to my favorite uncle, and favorite person on the planet - outside my Mom, Dad, Brother,Sisters, Man, God & my kids - My uncle Adolf Dulan - my Dad's baby brother, who has the distinction of being the stalwart patriarch of the family, is celebrating his 77th birthday today, June 18, 2011, in Los Angeles, California. I want to salute him. So join me in doing so.
When I say they don't make them like him any more, I'm not exaggerating. He's a fine Black man - not just playboy, pretty boy fine - he's that kind of fine that just mellows and gets better looking with age. He's articulate, intelligent, educated, principled, and a gentleman - definitely a lady's man - in that he knows how to treat a lady like a lady, and respect her as a woman at the same time.
He's managed to be successful on so many levels - in his business - he owns Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen in Los Angeles - which started out as Hamburger City, evolved into Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch (now owned by my cousins - Tiffany and Danielle Dulan); he's raised 5 kids, and taught them each positive work ethics, the value of family and the importance of keeping your word.
He's got jokes - a great sense of humor; and great taste in clothes, friends, and his lady - he always manages to be involved with someone who is intelligent, articulate, stylish and an asset (Dorothy, you rock!)
My Uncle Adolf, son of Zady and Silas Dulan, brother of Warner Hale Dulan (my Dad), Alene Dulan (Talton) and Zethel Dulan (Thomas) were all raised on Oklahoma Soil in a shack on the prairie - for real!! No electricity, no gas,no plumbing - basically a sod house that my grandparents built themselves - with an outhouse, no less, in a little town called Luther, Oklahoma.
Oklahoma, which means land of the red people, has soil that is as red as our Indian heritage, and as richly Black as the African heritage, and the mixed bloodlines that course through our veins.
My granddaddy was a stickler for education, and we are all the same way. He put all his kids, as well as his brothers and sisters through college - Langston University, in Oklahoma.
When Adolf relocated to California after the Korean War, to put down roots, he became a social worker, and worked for years in the community trying to help others have a better life. When he decided to go into business for himself, he took a big dose of his own medicine - his own advice - and began to look for ways to develop an autonomous business that others would resonate to. He never stopped learning, exploring, inquiring, trying new things. Though the beginning was initially rather rocky - with some hit or miss efforts - when he evolved into Aunt Kizzy's he found he had a hit on his hands. Those cabins you see on the walls at Aunt Kizzy's and Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen are real - my Uncle literally went from rags to riches, using his ingenuity, talent, and the foundation laid by my Grandaddy Silas.
Soul food (comfort foods) that appealed to African Americans, as well as to the broader population, was based on old family recipes that had been shared down through our collective families; it was such a hit, that he began to be mentioned on such television shows of the day as Arsenio Hall and others.
Not one to rest on his laurels, when he decided to go the way of just soul food to go, Dulan's was born - just 7 years ago - when most people would be hanging up their hats and putting themselves out to pasture - not my uncle.
Adolf is better than the energizer bunny - he has taken that energy and ingenuity to a whole 'nutha levul.'
I recently told my daughter that if there was a way to clone him I would do it - just so young ladies her age could experience what it is like to be treated with respect, dignity, and have fun doing it - but, I observed, if they were able to clone Adolf, the rest of the guys her age would never stand a chance. They'd either have to step up their game or step off.
Never a 4-letter word, a b-word, a n-word from his mouth. Always a smile; always a compliment; always that great sense of humor. Always listening, and reflecting back to you so that you know you're communicating and comprehending.
The kids call my generation "old school", while we call Adolf's generation "real school".
Make no mistake about it, though, he's no pushover - he is from Oklahoma - and we don't play. The school of life he comes from is a combination of the Code of the West; the nobility of the Indian Nations (Creek); and the "gentility" of of the South. (Notice I put "gentility in quotes - the South was anything but genteel).
Black Indians (whites had another name for us) are a totally different breed of cat - we used to say, he laughs, and he jokes, but he don't play.
Does it sound like I'm bragging about my uncle - of course I am - and who better than me - the first born niece!! Proud of him - proud he's my uncle - he's stood with and by the family in good and bad times, and we have stood by him. Our tribe is tight!
And my admiration for him doesn't stop with me. He's loved by so many in the greater Los Angeles area. But he's never lost his down home touch. And that's part of his charm. Elegance, style - with just a touch of humility. Not only will he feed you some of the finest Southern Soul cuisine west of the Mississippi (T-Bone Steak, catfish, swai fish, collard greens, candied yams, real corn bread, okra, corn & tomatoes, short ribs, ox tails, smothered chicken, mac & cheese, black eyed peas, friend chicken, not to mention my Cousin Greg's Salmon Croquets, biscuits and grits!!!; with Ice Cold Watermelon, an avocado salad - by my cousin Ling; deep dish peach cobbler by Dorothy - are you hungry yet?)
And while you're washing it down with lemonade, Adolf will regale you with stories about growing up in Oklahoma, and our relatives that will keep you cracking up the entire evening.
I wish I could be there in person to celebrate this wonderful occasion with him and the family. Since I can't be there in person, I'm writing this article to give him his props, and to let him and the world know how special he is to me and all the family: Mom Ruby Love, Warner Jr., Brenda Nell, Sylvester, Kira, Rais, Adiya, LaDawn, and the rest of the crew in New York, Oklahoma City, Maryland, Philadelphia, DC, Virginia, Chicago, Detroit.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE ADOLF!!!!
I love you muchly. May you have many more wonderful, blessed, fun filled and love filled years to come.
From Gloria Jeanne
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
NOW THAT YOU KNOW
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria DULAN-Wilson
PS: Interestingly enough, my maternal grandfather, ENOCH GAINES, also has a birthday on June 18, 188? He was my mom's dad - and another man of adventure. That's another story for the next post!
