Bay Area's Black Restaurant Week rolls out a delicious list of specials
Lobster tacos, pork chops, oxtails, curried goat, crawfish, loaded mac and cheese — you know you're going to be eating well at Black Restaurant Week.
This year, the national event is being celebrated in the Bay by dozens of restaurants, bakeries, pop-ups, food trucks and virtual kitchens. It runs from now through May 28.
According to the Atlanta-based founders, “The odds are continuously stacked against Blackowned culinary businesses and their survival is still in jeopardy as they face constant economic downturns due to recovering from the pandemic while currently coping with inflation.”
Here is a sampling of what Black-owned restaurants in the Bay are preparing. For the full list of participants, check out blackrestaurantweeks.com/bay-areablack-restaurant-week:
ALAMAR KITCHEN (OAKLAND) >>
Chef Nelson German has designed a $45 multi-course menu that features entree choices of SlowRoasted Pernil, a Dominican pork
shoulder and kidney bean stew; Gulf Shrimp Criolla with rice grits, plantains, peppadew peppers and a sherry-butter sauce; or Veggie Sancocho with dirty island rice, plantains, corn, sweet potatoes, okra and yucca.
Specials include Spicy African Beef Suya (can be made vegetarian) for $12.99; Grilled Whole-Fish Platter with fried plantains ($19.99); and Fufu and Egusi (green vegetable and melon soup with peppers) for $16.99.
GOLDEN SAFARI (HAYWARD) >>
COCOBREEZE CARIBBEAN (OAKLAND) >> Prix-fixe four-course meal for two, with appetizers, drinks and desserts for $65, includes choices such as Braised Oxtails, Jerk Salmon, Fried Escovitch Fish, Curry Goat and spicy Creole Pineapple Chicken.
ISLAND TASTE CARIBBEAN GRILL (SAN JOSE) >>
Enjoy discounts on dishes such as Bolt, the jerk chicken entree named after the famous runner ($14), served with plantains, rice and peas and pickled salad; Kingston, curried goat ($16), served with sides; and Rasta Pasta, with bell peppers, tomatoes and garlic in a coconut cream sauce ($12), with salad.
BOUG CALI (SAN FRANCISCO) >>
Among the specials are a Fried Catfish Sandwich, with black-eyed peas and a watermelon lemonade ($20); Smoked Shrimp Gumbo, with Caesar salad and a lavender lemonade ($25); and Lobster Tacos, with black-eyed peas and a watermelon lemonade ($23).
Highlights of deals include “Shrimp Ceviche Negro” ($14); House-made Andouille Sausage with pretzel