PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Africatown, in Southwest Philadelphia, is hosting its first Restaurant Week. Running through Sunday, Africatown Restaurant Week is a celebration of African and Caribbean cuisine.
A dozen businesses along and near Woodland Avenue are participating, including African Small Pot Restaurant (6133 Woodland Avenue).
“I have cassava leaf, potato greens, egusi soup and fufu,” said owner Abdarahmane Diop, enumerating several West African staples.
Youma Ba, owner of Youma African Cuisine (4519 Baltimore Avenue), says she hopes Africatown Restaurant Week will bring communities of all sorts together — and maybe they’ll learn something.
“Maybe we think we are different, but as we sit to eat, we understand that we are all one human race,” said Ba, who is originally from Senegal.
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Africatown is a community development corporation initiative promoting economic growth among small businesses owned by immigrants from African and Caribbean nations.
The African Cultural Alliance of North America, Inc. and other CDCs have been providing technical assistance to these businesses along the area’s commercial corridors, and events like Restaurant Week are meant to give an additional boost.
For a list of participating restaurants and special deals go to PhilaAfricatown.org.