Celebrating Black History Month Through Food

By Christina Mitchell with additional reporting by Candace Sims

sf|noir launched their 9th annual Black History Month Celebration with the sold out Shrimp and Grits Taste Off on Wednesday, February 24 at the Museum of the African Diaspora. Seven Bay Area chefs offered their own interpretation of the dish: Mark Goodger of The Front Porch, Dean Dupuis of Picán, Peter Jackson of Miss Pearl’s Jam House, David Lawrence of 1300 on Fillmore, Michele Wilson of Gussie’s Chicken and Waffles, Robert Dorsey of Blue Oak Cafe at the Oakland Museum and Bryant Terry, author of the cookbook Vegan Soul Kitchen.

Some dishes were hearty, while others were much lighter. Most of the chefs used their creative mastery to combine butter, cream and cheese in their grits. There was a pan-fried grits cake, and several added additional flavor with bacon or chicken sausage. One version was completely vegan, made with tempeh instead of shrimp.

With a full house, the food samples began to run out after the first hour. Most of the chefs have Shrimp & Grits on their restaurant menu, yet the samples at the event weren’t always of the same quality. At the restaurant, the dish is prepared to order, while it was prepared off site and kept warm at this event.

Without an official ballot, an informal poll was conducted and people were not shy about sharing their preferences. While some people preferred the traditional versions, others favored the more creative plates. After questioning more than half of the crowd, there were definitely two front runners: Robert Dorsey of the Blue Oak Cafe at the Oakland Museum (set to open May 2010) and David Lawrence of 1300 on Fillmore.

The SF Noir Food and Wine Gala on Saturday, February 27 provided an excellent showing of some of the lesser known wineries in Bay, combined with our black food luminaries in the area. Wine novices could come and get an education on different varietals and wine snobs would also not be disappointed. This was definitely an event that catered to all types, and there was a great, diverse crowd at the event.

Food and Wine Gala, (c) 2010 Candace Sims

Chefs from Gussie’s Chicken and Waffles, 1300 on Fillmore and Henry’s were at the event. Gussie’s served nicely seasoned and juicy fried chicken, along with Red Velvet and Kahlua Cupcakes, while 1300 on Fillmore offered Bleu Cheese Grits with Tomato Marmalade.

Chef Eddie Blyden of Henry’s served a refreshing lettuce wrap with black eyed pea salad and watermelon radish, which paired nicely with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Handley Cellars. The friendly owner of New Orleans Bill’s Creole Potato Salad provided samples and made sure everyone knows it’s available in local Lucky Supermarkets.

Representatives from Alameda’s Rosenblum Cellars poured two lovely Zinfandels, both with a good spice. Miguel “The Mayor of Rosenblum” was holding court and entertaining everyone while pouring. They are stocked in many East Bay restaurants, including Miss Pearl’s Jam House and Kincaid’s. Diablita, a Black-owned winery in Healdsburg, poured an excellent Cabernet/Merlot blend that would make many certified “Merlot Haters” rethink their position. They are served at Picán and Scott’s Seafood Restaurant.

A pretty good Pinot Noir, with a delightfully unexpected kick, was poured by Heart O’ The Mountains, a family-owned winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Alfred Hitchcock owned the estate in the 1930s and was known for inviting stars like Princess Grace Kelly, Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint to the estate for parties.

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