Join us for the month of February as we celebrate Black History Month. Each week we will feature a Black culinary innovator who, through their contributions to the food industry, changed the landscape of the culinary world. All features will be available at both lunch and dinner service.
Monday, February 3 – Sunday, February 9
Innovator: Thomas Downing: Oyster King of New York
Featured Dish: Oyster Pan Roast
Thomas Downing began his career as an oysterman, selling oysters on the streets of New York. Over the years he elevated the status of the oyster and dominated the industry. In 1825 he opened Thomas Downing Oyster House, which would go on to become legendary. His menu raised the bar for oysters in fine dining setting the path for their placement on menus across the world in fine dining establishments.
Monday, February 10 – Sunday, February 16
Innovator: Leah Chase: Queen of Creole Cuisine
Featured Dish: Crawfish Étouffée
Leah Chase was the Executive Chef and owner of Dooky Chase’s restaurant in New Orleans, one of the most historic restaurants in America. Chase was an accomplished cookbook writer and appeared on numerous cooking shows throughout her career. She was inducted into the James Beard Hall of Fame and honored with a Lifetime Achievement award in 2000 by Southern Foodways Alliance.
Monday, February 17 – Sunday, February 23
Innovator: Edna Lewis: Grande Dame of Southern Cooking
Featured Dish: Hoppin’ John
Edna Lewis spent more than 75 years in the culinary world, where she was hailed as an esteemed chef of Southern cooking. During her career, she published three acclaimed cookbooks and won multiple James Beard awards. Her most famous cookbook, “In Pursuit of Flavor” is featured at the Smithsonian Museum of African American History.
The Entire Month of February
Innovator: John Young: Buffalo’s Wing King
Featured Dish: Breaded Buffalo Wings
John Young, Buffalo’s original chicken wing pioneer, opened Wings N’ Things in Buffalo, New York in 1961. Over the years, he launched several soul food restaurants across Buffalo and beyond. However, his legacy is forever tied to his breaded wings with his version of a mumbo sauce, a signature creation that made him unforgettable and is still available to purchase today.
Innovator: Nathan “Nearest” Green: The Original Jack Daniels
Featured Drinks: Nearest’s Old Fashioned and Uncle’s Kentucky Mule
Jack Daniel’s, the most famous whiskey, was originally created by Nathan “Nearest” Green. Green, a former slave, taught Jack Daniel the techniques for distilling in the 1800s. Green was then hired as the first master distiller for Jack Daniels and became known to all as Uncle Nearest. In 2017, Uncle Nearest Inc. created by Green’s descendants, created a whiskey to honor Green’s legacy.