11th annual

National Black Food Month

The award-winning wines of Theopolis Vineyards, which won the Gold Medal in the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, are an example of the impact of the $6 billion African-American food industry.  We call it “freedom food” because Black food businesses have literally funded our passage into freedom since the 1500s in the United States, Caribbean and Latin America. Each March since 2006, we’ve chosen March to extend 31 Ways 31 Days from National Black Business Month in August during the period of basketball tournments which are the traditional social extravaganza and the Easter holiday when families fesst.  The concept is simple, Visit at least one Black food business each day during March.  We provide suggestions for 75 cities in our book Say Grace and Wipe Yo’ Hands: BlackRestaurant.NETGuide to America’s Black Restaurants

Theopatra, the Queen of the Vineyardss

Going SuperSize

Nicholas Perkins buys Fuddruckers

The high end burgers of Fuddruckers are now the nationwide domain of 40-year-old Nicholas Perkins, who has plans to add hundreds of new franchises. He’s the first African-American to own a nationwide hamburger chain, providing options for economic development that transforms neighborhoods. Perkins began by offering food services at HBCUs. His hero is A.G.Gaston, and accordingly his company is Black Titan Investments

Black Titan Investments

Red Bay Coffee--Africa to Oakland

Making Coffee Work for Black Folks

Keba Konte has turned a hobby into the largest Black-owned manufacturer in Oakland with Red Bay Coffee, creating a model for Black food as a job creator that stabilizes neighborhoods. Konte is shpping directly from African growers, boosting economies on both continents.

Red Bay Coffee

Harold's Chicken Shack across the Midwest

The bird that flew to the White House

Kristen Pierce is the second generation to tantalize legions of Chicago and Midwest chicken lovers who included a young Barack Obama.  Harold’s Chicken Shack has been around longer than any of the major national chains-70 years.

Harold's Chicken Shack

Black Cuisine Festival

Barbecue Boulevard

BlackRestaurant.NET toured Third Street beginning at the historic Sam Jordan's, now being redeveloped into a bourbon distillery. For 30 blocks, black-owned restaurants developed a distinctive brand of Western flavor around the cattle who were processed in Butchertown

Dr. George P. Davis started the Black Cuisine Festival 45 years ago to celebrate that cuisine. At the George P. Davis Senior Center at Third and Carroll Streets, the festival the first weekend in March specializes in all kinds of barbecue

Black Cuisine 2020

The History of Freedom Food

The Black Chef Who Saved Washington and Hosted the first Offices of the Federal Government

From the beginning of the American Revolution to the end of George Washingotn's second term, Samuel Fraunces was the cook in charge of feeding the father of the country. Fraunces Tavern is still the oldest building in Manhattan and hosted the first offices of the War Department and State Department.

Twarted a British plot

It was Fraunces daughter who heared of a British plot to poison the leader of the American Revolution. The reliance of Washington on Fraunces is an indication of the centrality of African-American food businesses to the new nation. For several centuries, Black innovators dominated food production from the farm to the plate and used their expertise to improve conditions for themselves, their families and their people.

Say Grace and Wipe Yo' Hands: BlackRestaurant.NET Guide to America's Restaurants

The heart of Chocolate City

Ben's Chil Bowl

With husband Ben Ali, Virginia Ali started Ben's Chill Bowl in 1958 just in time to propel the young people who changed America. Generations of Howard University and University of D.C. students trooped down to 14th Street for the signature half smoke. Black foodie Barack Obama visited Ben's Chili Bowl on his first trip to D.C. as president-elect.

Now, the restaurant has expanded to five locations, including Reagan National Airport and the stadia for the Washington Nationals and Washington Commanders. And one can order half-smokes from anywhere on the web site.

Ben's Chili Bowl

Must visit during CIAA

LAWANS IS Charlotte

Lots of folks want Carolina cooking, but there's something about getting it in Carolina. For daily diners, and visitors to the Queen City, LaWans is a must visit for the food that makes you remember country dinners

LaWan's

Just Oxtails

Houston dpeends on the tastes of Just Oxtails

Legandary Food Servicee Company

Gourmet Companies

Valerie Goldston leads Gourmet Companies into a future of grwoth with a variety of food services concepts including institutional service and the new Mrs. Winer’s Chicken.

New channel features Black ehefs

CleoTV brings the heat

It is a refreshing break for African-Americans to see the normalcy and creativity of Black life expressed through the kitchen.

Chefs like Jernard Wells, JJ Johnson and Bren Herrera bring their love for food and for people to the screen in an exciting and relxxing cornucopia of flavor.

Tune your remote control to New Soul Kitchen, Just Easts and Culture Kitchen on CloeTV. The channel for millenials has reverance for Black food and the communities that nurture it.

Tastes of Treme

Eighty Years of Soul

Dooky Chase has history in every bite as the restaurant fed the civil rights leaders of the Deep South and endured urban renewal and hurricanes.

M2 launches in Oakland

18th NBBM Founder John William Templeton helps open M2 with Oakland African-American Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, Aug. 4
Hot pastrami from Fillmore Street Cafe as we practice 31 Ways 31 Days
Red Bay Coffee has snared the prime retail space in the San Francisco Ferry Building
Scroll To Top