Black Restaurant Week, LLC will host its second annual two-week showcase from Sunday, Sept. 2-16, 2018, to promote and highlight Atlanta's African-American owned culinary businesses and farms.
During restaurant week, foodies can enjoy fine or casual dining, from $15 to $45, at participating restaurants, as well as attend special events in support of the Atlanta black culinary community. Black Restaurant Week, LLC is committed to the education and awareness of the Black Culinary Industry in the US. To achieve its mission of growth in the culinary industry, BRW aims to create experiences that will cater to a diverse group of tastemakers, professionals and area culinary connoisseurs.
"I've always had a passion for the history of our culture," said Warren Luckett, founder of BRW and graduate of Morehouse College. "Our platform is to provide the opportunity to highlight these different restaurants and highlight the industry in general. I want to expand to make sure we had the whole African Diaspora.”
Featured chef/entrepreneur, Erica Barrett has a catering business and will be opening her restaurant in a few months, cooks and has her own product line.
"I'm really excited about restaurant week because it celebrates black excellence," said. Barrett, who hosted a pre-event tasting, serving fried green tomato seafood stack. Her specialty is shrimp and grits.
The following special events will take place during the two week showcase:
Black Restaurant Week Showcase: Sept. 2-16
Ms. Icey's Kitchen, Nana's Chicken and Waffles Restaurant, Spice House, Big Daddy's, and Café Songhai are just a few of the restaurants registered for the showcase. There will be chefs, food truck owners, bartenders and caterers, who reflect a diverse community of African, Caribbean, Creole, Cajun, vegetarian, seafood, southern, and barbecue cuisine, Luckett said.
Aroma: Culinary Panel Discussion: Growing the Culinary Industry | Sept. 6
Bytes, 848 Spring St. NW, #Suite A, Atlanta
This event will highlight women who have successfully navigated the field in a variety of ways including catering, restaurant ownership or food truck ownership. Inga Willis of the Mogul Group will moderate a panel of experts, who will offer advice on ways to get started in the industry, raise capital and manage a successful business operation.
The Art of Flavor: Pop-up Dinner: The Creative Culinary Talents of Chef Jarvis Belton | Sept. 11 | Parlor-ATL, 249 A Peters St., SW, Atlanta
Chef Jarvis Belton will be the highlighted chef of the exclusive Art of Flavor pop-up dinner. As the chef for Google, he had the opportunity to produce food for many interesting clients and utilize his creativity in many different ways. The Art of Flavor dinner includes 4 courses and wine pairings.
Nosh: Culinary Showcase: The Diverse Culinary Talent of Africans and African Americans and the Power of the Palate Bartender Competition: The Craft of Cocktails, Sponsored by Maker's Mark
Sept. 13 | 595 North Event Center, 595 North Ave. NW Atlanta
The Nosh Culinary Showcase hosted by local television anchors Brittany Miller and Aiyana Cristal honor's the talented executive chefs and caterers of Atlanta by showing the diverse cultures and culinary talent that Atlanta has to offer. WNBA Player Angel McCoughtry will be judging the competition, which will feature cocktails that highlight the bold flavors from the African diaspora.
SoundBites Food Truck Festival: Food Truck Industry Growth | Sept. 15, 2018
Atlanta Food Truck Park, 1850 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta
Come experience the fun, food trucks and live music from some of Atlanta's hottest DJs. A variety of food trucks will be present serving everything from juicy wings to sweets.
"Eating at black restaurants supports our families, our community, our culture and history, and supports the black culinary community at large, adding more restaurants each year in the future, as well as adding more cities," Luckett said. "We look forward to showcasing the multitude of diversity that exists on the food scene with both community staples and hidden gems."
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Family Agriculture Resource Management Service, a food bank program, which purchases produce from small farmers to be donated to food banks and local food shelters. In addition to Atlanta, BRW is currently held in Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New Orleans.
For more information about the upcoming events or tickets, visit www.atlbrw.com.
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