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First 'Taste Of Black Chicago' Will Serve Up Food From Black-Owned Restaurants

By Stephen Gossett in Food on Jul 27, 2017 4:16PM

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Imani's Original Bean Pies & Fine Foods

Toure Muhammad is molding his mission to spotlight Chicago's rich variety of black-owned restaurants into a blowout event, the first, long overdue Taste of Black Chicago.

Muhammad has been working valiantly to shine attention on the city's black-owned restaurants, specifically those on the South and West Sides, since he launched the Black Chicago Eats restaurant directory last year. (The complementary Black Eats Chicago Week immediately preceded the launch.)

But he wanted to do something bigger this summer to celebrate black people's contribution to the dining culture.

Taste of Black Chicago will bring together some 20 chefs, caterers and restaurants for the free event—which ranges from acclaimed bakeries to traditional soul food to healthy specialty vendors and beyond—on Aug. 19, outside the Mosque Maryam, at 7351 S. Stony Island. There will also be performances, food demos and kids' activities.

"It's something that people have been grumbling about for many years," Muhammad told Chicagoist. " People on the South Side had been talking about it for a long time."

Some of the confirmed vendors so far include celebrated spots such as Brown Sugary Bakery, Imani's Original Bean Pies & Fine Foods, Oooh Wee Sweet Tea and the long-running Ashburn soul-food staple Dan's Soul Food & Bakery.

Muhammad is also encouraging people to use the #blackchicagoeats2017 hashtag when they eat at black-owned restaurants throughout August for a chance to win prizes.

It's all part of Muhammad's broader mission to make sure black-owned food spots get their due. "You can easily search online and narrow by different styles of food, but I want to make it easy for people who are looking for black-owned restaurants to support... For people who demand some value be placed on how we spend money, that can help create jobs."

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Taste of Black Chicago