The 4th annual Houston Black Restaurant Weeks is in full swing! For two weeks (April 14 – 28th), Houston celebrates the flavors of African-American, African, and Caribbean cuisines. This is literally my favorite time of year, because it unites the city on so many levels. Houston Black Restaurant Week not only bring awareness to the Black food scene here it also exposes larger audiences to African and Caribbean fare.
Usually my posts are centered around Black restaurant suggestions. Where you should eat, dishes you can’t miss and events you must attend. 99 % of this post is focused on those delicious details, while the remaining 1% underscores the issue of white fragility.
The 99% | HOUSTON BLACK RESTAURANT WEEK
Houston Black Restaurant week has a fierce lineup of 35 + delicious Black-owned restaurants for you to visit. A mix up of classic hots spots can be found along with a few of my favorite newbies. Participants like Lucille’s, Ray’s BBQ Shack , Kulture and Poitín Bar & Kitchen top my lists of place to visit.
In addition to the actual restaurants, Houston Black Restaurant Week also has a few food-filled events that you can purchase tickets to. (I am only including those that are not sold out!)
NOSH: CULINARY SHOWCASE 2019
APRIL 24 @ 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM $45 – $350
Houston Black Restaurant Week’s inaugural culinary showcase featuring Houston’s premiere Black chefs, caterers and bartenders! Dive into the African diaspora and tantalize your taste buds with flavors of African, African-American, and Caribbean cuisine.
Featuring spicy and savory, to sweet and subtle, we will have an array of options suited for every taste including vegetarian and vegan fare!
Come out and cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award.
event features:
- Unlimited Food Samples
- Live Music
- Power of the Palate Bartender Competition with Jack Daniels
- Live Cooking Demonstrations
featured bites:
- Best Of Both Worldz
- Craft Burger
- Cupcake Kitchen
- EaDeaux’s Cajun Cocina
- Fleur di Licious Catering
- Frenchy’s
- Heavenly Kreations Pastries
- K. Michael’s Private Dining & Catering
- Lemond Kitchen
- Masons Creative Catering
- Not Jus Donuts
- Nuksy’s
- Splendid Life Cake Bar
- The Stuffed Baked Potato Factory
SOUNDBITES FOOD TRUCK FEST 2019
APRIL 27 @ 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM $7 – $10
Houston’s third annual Black Owned food truck festival is back with food, music, and fun entertainment for the whole family. Enjoy the best food trucks and food vendors Houston has to offer. Soundbites will also feature Houston’s hottest DJs playing a variety of music all day. Come hungry and bring your friends!
Free entry for Children 10 and under.
features:
- Multiple Food Trucks and Food Stands
- Live Music
- Vendor Marketplace
- Kids Zone
Houston Black Restaurant weeks in only two weeks long. I personally encourage you to support black owned restaurants and business all year long. Cooperative economics is the key to our communities success. Let’s invest in our future by recycling our dollars where it counts!
Now to the foolishness…
The 1% | WHITE FRAGILITY AT ITS FINEST
As a blogger I enjoy reading articles from local Houston publications. Especially when the articles are about events that are near and dear to my hear. Click2Houston and Houston Chronicle recently published articles focusing on certain aspects of Houston Black Restaurant Weeks. After reading the articles I was even more excited and proud than before. The articles go into detail about the fabulous events occurring during the week, two prominent chefs that are participating and the interactive Black Restaurant Bingo game. This added competitive element allows participants a chance to win fun prizes throughout the weeks of events. Learn more about B-L-A-C-K Bingo here!
While the articles were fantastic, it’s the comments that happen to have inspired a whole 1% of post. I typically don’t feed negativity, nor is that my goal here. My goal is to question why it seems that the white community is often so offended when other cultures, specifically in the Black community attempt to create and highlight their own contribution to American culture without explicitly including them.
Comments like, “why isn’t there a white restaurant week?” and “If whites did this we’d be labeled as racist”, specifically highlight such social privilege that the mindset fails to acknowledge that the standards of acceptable behavior, dress, professionalism, entrepreneurship, and educational accomplishment are all dictated by western concepts created historically by white patriarchal systems. So there is no need to have “white this, or white that” because the standard of success in this country has long been dictated by whiteness.
Not only do these comments show a portion of ignorance but also a complete denial of the cultural experiences and contributions of other ethnicities that have built American society.
In closing, your frailty is laughable. Have a seat.
Check out my previous Houston Black Restaurant week posts here and here!
