Milwaukee Dining Events Honor Black History Month
Food-focused events include tasting dinners, wine pairings and pop-ups.
Milwaukee Wine Academy class. Photo courtesy of MWA.
Milwaukee’s diverse food scene is a year-round lesson in Black and African-American culture. Whether through backyard barbecues, soul food brunches, vegan eats or Ms. Shea’s famous caramel cake, each delicious dish is preceded — and influenced — by hundreds of years of heritage and history.
Every February, Black History Month invites us to pause, reflect, and, yes, savor these traditions, honoring the contributions of African American chefs and restaurateurs, while acknowledging that this history is still being written.
A lineup of food-focused events are already set for the upcoming month — ranging from tasting dinners and wine pairings to pop-up markets and more — each offering a unique way to celebrate the flavors and traditions that continue to shape our city.
Schneider’s Pop-Up Shop
Schneider’s Food & Drinks, 3717 N. 76th St., will host a pop-up food shop every Sunday in February at 3 p.m., featuring dishes from local vendors including Junior’s Smoked BBQ, Grandma’s Hands, Ms. Dee’s Delights, A Minor Treat and Rome’s Kitchen.
Menu items will vary each week, but visitors are likely to find smoked meats, soul food and a selection of desserts on any given day.
Milwaukee Wine Academy
Milwaukee Wine Academy, led by Tim Cole and Jeffrey Coleman, is gearing up for two events in February.
The first will highlight wine from Black winemakers through a guided tasting experience, enhanced with storytelling, interviews and music. The Feb. 16 event, held in partnership with HYFIN, will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Radio Milwaukee, 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave. Registration can be completed online.
On Feb. 19, Milwaukee Wine Academy will provide pairings for a five-course dinner at The Pasta Tree. The meal, featuring dishes like collard greens caesar salad and braised short ribs, is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lower East Side restaurant, 1503 N. Farwell Ave. Reservations can be booked online.
Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market
Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market, held weekly at 5305 W. Capitol Dr., will celebrate African American culinary traditions with an interactive event on Feb. 22.
Local food businesses are invited to participate in the day’s programming, including cooking demonstrations, hands-on classes and lessons on the history of African American cuisine.
Relevant businesses that wish to be involved should email Venice Williams, executive director of Fondy, which operates the market, at venicewv@gmail.com
Immersive Black History Month Experience
Ubuntu MKE will present a communal meal and conversation featuring local leaders like Yollande Tchouapi, Venice Williams, Umari Castello, Stacia Thompson, Shannon Sims and Jennifer Bartolotta.
The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Mount Mary University, 2900 Menomonee River Pkwy, with proceeds benefiting Milwaukee African Women Entrepreneurs.
Tickets can be purchased online.
African American Heritage Tasting Dinner
Marquette University‘s Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education will host its annual African American Heritage Tasting Dinner on Feb. 23, featuring dishes from Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon and South Africa.
The dinner, held in partnership with Ubuntu MKE, will take place at The Ivy House, 906 S. Barclay St., with programming beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets are not yet available for purchase. To be notified, sign up for the mailing list at law.marquette.edu/lubar-center.
Supporting Black-owned businesses is an ongoing way to uplift the community, beyond special events or the 28 short days of February. MKE Black offers an online directory, featuring everything from museums to sports bars, to help connect consumers to local businesses.
Existing members must be signed in to see the interactive map. Sign in.
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