Black Chicago Restuarant Week

The official Black Chicago Restuarant Week makes its annual return this Sunday, February 12th. The official list comprises 29 participating restaurants, winemakers, food trucks, and dessert specialists located in the Chicagoland area. Chicago Black Restuarant Week was found in 2016 by Lauran Smith, a public relations specialist who saw the need to create a platform to highlight the “hidden gems” owned and operated by African-Americans.

These area restaurants are finally getting their city-wide shine through this incredible event. Chicago Black Restuarant Week encourages foodies from around the area to step out of their comfort zone, and knowingly support African-American restaurants. It also shows, that contrary to popular( and somewhat ignorant) belief that many black-owned restaurants and vendors are not solely located on the South Side of the city. Yes, it’s true! You can find black-owned entities as far north as Lincoln Square and as far south as Homewood.

This week of embracing and highlighting black excellence falls during the most recognized time of black culture, Black History Month. Not only that, but the presence of this week shows the city and the nation that the African-American community is not playing when it comes to reinvesting in our own communities.  We are showing that we will make efforts to put our 1.1 trillion dollars, back into the food, taste, and ambiance, that makes us a profound and unique culture.

Please note: Once you go black, you will want to come back. Sites such as Black Chicago Eats, the largest directory of black-owned restaurants,  will continue to help you support black-owned restaurants and vendors all year long.

You can also get The Haute Seeker’s review on some of the featured restaurants by checking out my archived posts. Read my review of the soulful Currency Exchange  Cafe and homestyle eatery Peaches, two restaurants that are highlighted during this year’s Chicago Black Restaurant Week.

Currency Exchange Cafe Image courtesy of Taylor Justin

Plan your week now for this highly anticipated event. Check out the full list of participating restaurants by visiting the official website here.