Black Restaurant Week Begins in Portland Today

Black-owned Portland-area restaurants are participating in the nationwide campaign Black Restaurant Week from Friday, February 24 through Sunday, March 5.

Diners can visit more than a dozen participating restaurants for specials like Ethiopian spiced mushrooms with vegan cornbread chow chow, Cinnamon Toast Crunch waffles, and more. In Portland, restaurants participating in Black Restaurant Week include Assembly Brewing, Bete-Lukas Ethiopian Restaurant, Black Star Grill, DB Dessert Company, the Drip’N Crab, Enat Kitchen, Erica’s Soul Food, Fish Fusion, Grits N’ Gravy, Jelana’s Bake Shop, Meals 4 Heels, Rush Bowls PDX, Trap Kitchen PDX, Try Me Ethiopian Cuisine, Viking Soul Food, and Waffle on a Stick. In 2016, three friends and entrepreneurs, Warren Luckett, Falayn Farrell, and Derek Robinson, founded the event in Houston; since its expansion, it highlights different regions of the U.S. throughout the year. As part of the initiative, participating restaurants can access small business grants and business development training, are given the opportunity to sell items in an online shop, and more.

CSA Share Fair highlights the benefits of community supported agriculture

If you’ve ever had questions about how CSAs work or been curious about the local farms who supply produce to Portlanders, the CSA Share Fair will provide education about the food system model. Local chefs Holly Ong (Sibeiho), Lola Milholland (Umi Organic Noodles), and Adriana Azcárate-Ferbel and Wendy Downing (Three Sisters Nixtamal) will do cooking demos and over 45 local farmers and ranchers will be onsite to answer questions. The annual event is hosted by the nonprofit Pacific NW CSA Coalition and will take place this Sunday at The Redd on Salmon from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free of charge to attend.

Zupan’s launches a beer education series

Local family-owned grocery chain Zupan’s Market is launching Beer 101, a series of monthly beer tastings and lessons that will explore the fundamentals of beer. Classes cost $40 and include six beer tastings, plus charcuterie and other beer snacks. The first Beer 101 event, which will be an overview of beer and explore its history, terminology, process, and styles, is taking place this Sunday, February 26 at 2 p.m. Events will be held at Cellar Z, the event space at Zupan’s West Burnside location, through July. Tickets for the entire series are on sale now.