Eat Your Way Through… African American Culture

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Baltimore Style has gathered the best ways to explore African American culture by simply eating good food. (Who are we kidding? Eating great food all throughout Baltimore this month and beyond!) This multi-neighborhood roundup is sure to take your taste buds on a trip around’ the diaspora. Let your palette be your guide as you explore these African American culinary delights.

Kōnōkō Jamaican Restaurant | Photo by Daryll Estep

1137 Seafood, Windsor Mill | 7216 Windsor Mill Rd B, Windsor Mill, MD 21244

Owner Chef Dante Young claims you’ll be licking the plate clean from his Shrimp Po’ Boy, Thai Chili Wings or succulent Crab Cakes at this cajun spot. Odes to Baltimore are sprinkled throughout the menu, with Old Bay as wing toppers and the restaurant’s very own passion fruit twist on teas and lemonade. Don’t half and half it at 1137—you’ll want the whole experience. 1137seafood.com

Hue Cafe & Apothecary, Owings Mills | 10210 S Dolfield Rd, Owings Mills, MD 21117

Mama Hue and Chef A invite you to experience the delight of their plant-based scratch kitchen and tea bar. Brown stew (no chicken) and Veggie Egg Foo Young served on forbidden black rice (which we’re super curious about) draw crowds from every corner of Maryland. The cafe has sandwiches, salads and raw foods if you’re in the mood for something light. Your health is an investment and not an expense at Hue, as it’s affectionately called by its regular patrons. As its regulars say, “Everything is filled with love here.” huecafeandapothecary.com

Kōnōkō Jamaican Restaurant, White Marsh | 8153 Honeygo Blvd, White Marsh, MD 21236

This Jamaican restaurant brings the heat with its lunch, dinner and happy hour menus that include ackee and saltfish, red snapper and juicy oxtail, for those of us who’d much rather have the warmer climate and cuisine of Jamrock, or Jamaica— as it’s better known—right here in our backyard. Chef Jazz and his wife, Sandy, welcome you to Kōnōkō, where you, too, can embody the one love Jamaican spirit one person, one reservation and one encounter at a time alongside them. expkonoko.com

Kōnōkō Jamaican Restaurant | Photo by Daryll Estep

Our Recipes Cafe & Catering, Arbutus | 1332 Sulphur Spring Road, Arbutus, MD 21227

Think of your granny’s recipes in a quaint little cafe on Main Street. If you’re in the mood for breakfast or brunch (we always are), then Our Recipes is a no-brainer go-to spot in Arbutus. You can’t go wrong with the Maryland-inspired Chesapeake Breakfast Bowl, Crab Shrimp and Grits or the Crab and Spinach Omelet.

Taste This, Baltimore – Charles Village | 102 E 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218

Taste This | Photo by Darryl Estep

Taste the food and take in the sights of the art around you at this Charles Village restaurant, and you might catch something painted by “Taste This” chef and co-owner Craig C. This part artist-owned and operated classic American soul food restaurant is the perfect sit-down, takeout, delivery or catering option this February…or anytime this year. All of its savory food platters consist of one meat on a bed of rice (which is optional) and two sides. Taste This even has stuffed items. Chicken and turkey wings come smothered in gravy unless YOU say otherwise. We don’t know about you, but pass the gravy, please! tastethisbaltimore.com

The Crab Queen, Randallstown | 3699 1/2 Offut Road, Randallstown, MD 21133

Seafood boils have risen in popularity over the last couple of years, and there are few Black-owned and operated seafood restaurants in Baltimore like Chef Felicia Covel Rami’s. In perfect Black Girl Magic fashion, Felicia started The Crab Queen by selling seafood boils and daily specials out of the garage of her catering kitchen during the pandemic—when everything came to a halt for her catering venture. She’s in full swing now out here in Baltimore County and hopes her business grows to include many more locations. Her doors and heart are open to all who love crab legs as much as we do. crab-queen.com

Tigi’s Ethiopian Restaurant and Market, Ellicott City | 8459 Baltimore National Pike No. 14, Ellicott City, MD 21043

Start with the Sambusa and fan your way out to Yebeg Tibs at this restaurant dedicated to foods you might find in the northeastern part of Africa commonly known as the Horn of Africa. Whether this is your first time rolling chickpeas or spiced potatoes into injera, a pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, or your 106th, you’re sure to enjoy this Howard County favorite.

Chef Bobby D Restaurant and Catering, Baltimore – Hampden | 4032 Falls Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21211

Your culinary adventure awaits with Chef Bobby D this Black History Month—even if you’re a vegetarian. We recommend trying the Chef Barbacoa Vegan Bowl with black beans, corn, coconut steamed rice, avocado, tomatoes and chickpeas. Yum! This Falls road restaurant and catering hub has a host of menu items curated by Bobby D, a native of Jamaica whose attention to detail and dishes like Jerked Chicken and Pineapple Coconut Salmon we’re glad to have right here in Baltimore. chefbobbyd.com

Grind and Wine Cafe, Randallstown | 3627 Offutt Rd, Randallstown, MD 21133

Visit this casual eatery for its beautiful ambiance and perfect pairing of good eats, coffee, pastries and spirits for you to unwind with on any day of the week. Its menu has a little something soulful for everyone including chicken and waffles, baby back ribs, fried shrimp, collard greens, yams and even tacos. Live music events including karaoke and a well-curated list of local bands tie this Baltimore County culinary and entertainment experience together for all who do themselves the favor of stopping in—not to mention their sweet staff! facebook.com/grindandwine

Fresh Out The Kitchen, Mid-Govans, Fells Point, Randallstown & Downtown Silver Spring Neighborhoods

Go visit FOTK, because when it comes to your West African favorites they’re “SENEGALICIOUS”. Senegalese cuisine, along with American favorites at multiple locations throughout Baltimore, will keep you coming back way past the end of Black History Month. Fresh Out The Kitchen is known for its flavorful, made-to-order dishes, and the staff make you feel right at home with a family-oriented atmosphere. freshouthekitchen.com

Tashes Ankh, Windsor Mill | 8045 Liberty Rd, Windsor Mill, MD 21244

This unassuming shopping center carryout hideaway in Windsor Mill serves heaping portions of Tempeh Brown Stew, Curry and Jerk for our Jamaican food -loving vegetarian Baltimore Style readers. Alternative options like Citrus and Lotus ribs grace this menu if you’re not a carnivore, but if you ar,e then you’ve got options-a-plenty, too. Don’t worry. This spot has all the American-Carribean favorites you can imagine. And the restaurant has perfected them all since being open for well over a decade. There’s nothing like a well-seasoned grill! tashesankhcaribbeancarryout.com

The Reserve Restaurant & Carryout, Woodlawn | 1724 Woodlawn Drive Suite 09 Baltimore, MD 21207

Don’t fill up on sides like saffron rice, buttered cabbage and potato salad at The Reserve. Its culinary team definitely wants you to save space for main dishes like their New York Strip, Grilled Lamb Chops and Honey-Glazed Stuffed Salmon. If you’re hosting a party or looking for a venue to host your next plated sit down dinner for up to 20 people, then this Baltimore Style Black History month favorite might also be your jam. Reserve-restaurant.com

Creole Soul Restaurant, Remington | 301 West 29th Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21211

Chef Que, who believes that some of life’s heaviest problems can be solved over a warm blanket, a good pot of gumbo and heartfelt conversation, invites you to add a little spice to your life and food for your soul by popping into R House, a popular food hall located in Remington for seasonal and local fare at Creole Soul. A short Baltimore Style history lesson: Creole food was created in New Orleans with European, African and Native American roots. Creole Soul right in the heart of Baltimore City is the perfect fusion between the delicious dishes of the deep south and rich creole tradition. creolesoulrestaurant.com

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