Lansing native Quantel Mckissic, 32, grew up watching his father, Henry Hank Hursey, prepare all sorts of soul-food dishes.
When Hursey died in 2016, Mckissic started piecing through his father’s old recipe books, mastering the basics and putting his own spin on some of the entries. This led him to run his own catering venture from 2017 to 2021, at which point he and his friend John Douglas decided to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant together.
That same year, the pair bought a former Quality Dairy store that had shuttered in 2018. Their opening plans were delayed for a few more years as the country recuperated from the pandemic, but the pair finally opened the newly renovated space on Sept. 27 under the name Hank’s Cuisines, an ode to Hursey.
The name and location both evoke fond memories for Mckissic.
“We both grew up over here, and that Quality Dairy was a staple for us to get ice cream. We thought it would be a good spot because we felt like there was a need for something new on this side of town,” he said.
The menu features breakfast options like fish or shrimp with grits, fried chicken, steak and eggs, sandwiches and French toast, plus lunch and dinner entrees such as fried chicken wings, Polish sausage, fried fish and smash burgers. Side orders include dirty rice, green beans with turkey, mac and cheese, cheese grits and fries.
Mckissic’s favorite dish is the dirty rice, but he said customers have been raving about the fish and grits in particular. In another nod to his father, he makes the dish with swai, a Southeast Asian cousin of the American catfish.
“He would basically cook the swai by marinating it overnight and frying it up with some southern grits,” Mckissic said. “What you get is buttery grits with the cheese sauce on top. It’s been very popular, and I’ve been running out of that every time.”
Mckissic plans to update the menu on an ongoing basis as he and Douglas work toward the perfect balance of flavor and affordability.
“I’m kind of a picky eater, and I like eating expensive stuff, so I really wanted a lot more on the menu,” Mckissic said with a laugh. “But we wanted to make it affordable enough to where everybody would be able to come out and enjoy the food, so we figured we’d jazz it up but still keep the prices reasonable.”
In addition to continuing his father’s legacy and chasing his own dream, Mckissic said he and Douglas also wanted to make a point to help local youth through their new venture.
“We actually have a couple of kids we hired, so we’re trying to integrate more with the neighborhood to raise them up,” he said.
He believes his father would be proud to see him accomplish a dream they both shared.
“I was always by his side when he was cooking, so I know he always wanted something like this,” Mckissic said. “I have a lot of brothers and sisters, too. So, I’m excited to give them that opportunity to come cook with me, because that’s also a way for them to enjoy their dad.”
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