A Delicious Day in the Life of the Famous Restaurant
Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network has cooked up a dish that is equally as melodramatic as it is mouthwatering. The piping hot reality show, Welcome to Sweetie Pie's, is back for its second season of family fetes, fiery fights and fried fare. Thanks to Miss Robbie, Tim, Lil' Charles, Jenae and the well-skilled hands that give us the goods, Sweetie Pie's gives a new meaning to "all in the family." We recently visited St. Louis and Sweetie Pie's for an all-access, behind-the-scenes serving of the show and the restaurant's system of survival.
12:00 p.m. Arrival at Sweetie Pie's at the Mangrove. The aroma of fried chicken, candied yams, fresh baked breads and fruit cobblers great greets us at the door. Inside, melodic tunes are being performed by a jazzy duo of singers, while glasses clink and forks scrape plates during the lunch rush.
12:30 p.m. Access is granted. With complete pride and confidence, our tour guide, co-owner Tim, leads us into the kitchen to witness cheese being grated, pies being layered and batter being poured. Everyone is in great spirits as Lil' Charles tells jokes.
Mary Mary

A lot of fans were shocked to hear that gospel singing group Mary Mary were planning to do a reality show. After all, the Grammy Award winners seem too grounded to engage in the tomfoolery that is reality television. But their self-titled show, although drama filled, remains something that the entire family can easily watch. The first episode finds the sisters struggling to strike a balance between career and family as they are called away from their L.A. homes to do a Thanksgiving show in Atlanta. A teary-eyed Tina has to miss her daughter’s first school performance because of it and wonders if her career is worth missing out on her family, while pregnant Erica’s dedication to work starts to cause problems (and contractions). All the while, they are dealing with their wild, sometimes tardy stylist and little sister, Goo, and their extra-anal manager, Michael. As Tina and Erica navigate their way through tough career choices, motherhood and their wifely responsibilities, it’s clear that reality TV just got a little bit more realistic.
The show will begin airing March 29 on WE TV.
Help Us Choose the Hottest New Artist On the Rise

Itching for a music fix? Meet six of the hottest rising acts in music—Jhene Aiko, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Spree Wilson, Carlitta Durand and Jesse Boykins III. Some are signed, some aren’t—but all are dope in their own right.
Here’s where we need you.
We’re giving Upscale readers the chance to pick their favorite rising act and the artist with the most votes will earn a feature in our upcoming June/July issue. So if you have an opinion about who should appear in the pages of Upscale, click, pick and rock the vote.
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