Black Eats Chicago Week Spotlights City's Best Black-Owned Restaurants

By Stephen Gossett in Food on Aug 2, 2016 7:19PM

Hidden Manna Cafe / Facebook

When I answer a phone call from Toure Muhammad—founder of Black Chicago Eats, a new website that spotlights black-owned restaurants, and the driving force behind the happening-now Black Chicago Eats Week—I have to quickly finish a mouthful of food so we can chat. “I hope that was from a black-owned restaurant!” he says, right on cue. (Alas, it was a Kind bar.)

But thanks to Muhammad’s efforts more people will likely be sharing his passion, especially this and next week, when he encourages diners to use his website—and their own experience and knowledge—to support black-owned restaurants.

Black Chicago Eats Week runs from now through Aug. 12. In that time, Muhammad encourages not just visits to applicable restaurants, but interactivity. His website is a starting point, he says, but he’s asking that participants use the hashtag #blackchicagoeats when they dine, discuss their experiences and find new spots, not yet on the site. (Blackchicagoeats.com launches from Beta on Aug. 12.)

“I want them to chime in about the best vegetarian, the best sandwich spots, everything,” Muhammad told Chicagoist. “I’m very excited about the concept.”

(The Tribune, DNAinfo and Eater all published stories about Black Chicago Eats earlier today. Hat tip!)

On the site, Muahmmad lists guides like "12 Classic Black-Owned Restaurants Every True Black Chicagoan Knows," which features definitive spots like Harold’s Chicken Shack, Uncle Remus, Original Soul Vegetarian and Lems Bar-B-Cue. But he wants to illustrate a deeper breadth, beyond the most prominent. He tells me takeout-only Popup Dropoff in Avalon Park (home of “Spaghedough,” a kind of turkey spaghetti) and Hidden Manna Café in Matteson (great “Southern, Louisiana-influenced creole”) are two such lesser-known gems.

Muhammad says under-exposed black-owned restaurants could strongly benefit from such efforts. “If I want Italian, I know where to go. If I want Chinese, I know where to go. We’re aware of how to get many of those authentic ethnic flavors. But that’s not necessarily the case with the places featured on Black Chicago Eats."

So put down the breakfast bar and take heed.