Restaurants around New Jersey are coming together this week in celebration of African cuisine, and capping it all off with a giant food festival in Newark.
The first-ever New Jersey African Restaurant Week runs now through Sunday with 23 different eateries taking part, some with special menus and deals, stretching as far north as Hackensack all the way down to Trenton. The end of the week will be celebrated with a festival outdoors at Bisrate Gebriel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Newark, taking place Saturday and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. and feature vendors selling food, art, clothing and other goods as well as musical performances.
“It becomes a community affair, for people to get to come and experience foods they might not have tried before,” African Restaurant Week CEO Akin Akinsanya said. “And get to know all the people on the culture.”
Jollof and Grill, Burkindi Restaurant, Mimi African Restaurant, 9ja Buka, Afro Oasis Restaurant, Mama G African Restaurant, Afro Taco, Vonda’s Kitchen, Lagos Spot Nigerian Restaurant — all in Newark — are all taking part in the restaurant week.
Simply Southern Comfort Food in Belmar, Aso Rock in East Orange, JERK’D in Hackensack, The Grind Shop in Jersey City, HLS Juice Bar and Grill in Maplewood, Sweet T’s Southern Eatery and Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant in Montclair, Olaide’s Kitchen in Parlin, Asanka Delight African Cuisine in Somerset, Abuja International Nigerian Restaurant and Taste of Flava in Union and Neguess Creole Restaurant in Vauxhall are participating as well.
Many different countries have their cuisines represented at the event, including Nigerian, Ethiopian, Guinean, Cameroonian and Ghanian food among others.
Tickets for admission are $15 for Saturday or Sunday individually, and $25 for both days and can be purchased here — food and goods are available for purchase at an additional cost at the event. Anyone that posts a picture at any of the participating restaurants and tags New Jersey Restaurant Week will receive a free ticket to the weekend festival.
The event began in New York back in 2013 and added a festival component in 2017, which inspired this weekend’s celebration.
“It started as a way to kind of promote the culture, the local businesses,” Akinsanya said. “Put more focus on the cuisine, you know, put it on the foodie map.”
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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.
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