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We recently discovered our new favorite Charles Village takeout joint, and we can't speak more highly about it. It's not the menu specifically that sets M and J's Soul Food, which only opened in February, apart from its takeout kin, although it's great to see items such as turkey wings, pork chops, and chitterlings alongside carry-out staples like chicken wings and cheeseburger subs. It's the sumptuous home-cooking that goes into every bite. Dinners come with a choice of two sides, and we opted for a rich and creamy mac 'n' cheese and not too salty collard greens with an order of fried chicken wings ($7.49); some stellar candied yams and those greens again with the lake trout (whiting in this case, $8.50); and a side of chunky, delicious, and possibly even hand-smashed mashed potatoes (sides $1.99 each), because we didn't see enough carbs on our plates. Every side tasted like a yummy passed-down recipe, and the potatoes will put you off machine-whipped varieties for life. Most impressive is the breading on both the made-to-order lake trout and especially the chicken wings--light and crisp and seasoned with hints of salt and pepper and little else. And the dapper takeout area, small dining space, and warm and friendly staff add more local awesomeness into a healthy nook of African-American-owned businesses along the 25th Street corridor. Welcome to the neighborhood.

E-mail Bret McCabe