A Taste of Ethnic Boston returns to Big Night Live, 110 Causeway Street Boston, MA 02114 on July 30, 6:00 – 9:00 PM. Attendees from across the state as well as visitors will gather with anticipation and excitement for a number of exquisite culturally diverse culinary dishes. More than 800 enthusiasts and tastemakers will be attending, ready to guide you on a culinary adventure at Get Konnected’s 10th Annual A Taste of Ethnic Boston Food Festival.
Founded in 2008 as a diversity, equity and inclusion social impact venture, Get Konnected is Boston’s award-winning nationally recognized premier cross-cultural and inclusive business networking event series. Their mission is to “curate meaningful cross-cultural business and social connections, enrich professional development, facilitate business and career opportunities, and make Boston a more welcoming and inclusive city.”
“The event serves as a perfect opportunity to highlight the hidden gems of restaurateurs and food startups that are not often seen in glossy magazines or on local TV food shows but whose cuisines are just as exotic and exquisite,” says Colette Phillips, CEO of Colette Phillips Communications and founder of Get Konnected! “That’s why A Taste of Ethnic Boston was created, to show that you can experience the whole world as well as different cultures through food right here in Boston.”
In addition to eating delicious food, attendees are supporting Greater Boston’s best BIPOC restaurants and businesses. Get Konnected is celebrating with more restaurants and more opportunities for small minority-owned packaged food and beverage businesses to showcase their products to a new and expanded audience. This year, A Taste of Ethnic Boston will showcase the 25 Top Ethnic restaurants and the 10 Top Chefs of Color in Greater Boston, some of whom will be participating in the festival. For the first time, BIPOC businesses who sell pre-packaged products will also be featured.
The culinary adventure that attendees will embark on consists of African (Cape Verdean, Ethiopian, Nigerian); Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese); Caribbean, and Caribbean-Fusion, Dominican, Indian, Middle Eastern (Afghani), and Southern Soul Food. Some of the restaurants featured this year are returning favorites like Merengue, Grace by Nia, Pho Le Cesaria and ZAZ. Some of the newer restaurants include Love Art Sushi; Park54; Blue Nile and Nzuko.
Each year a percentage of the proceeds from this event goes to a local nonprofit. This year “A percentage of the proceeds will go to the GK Fund, a social impact fund that provides micro-grants of $10,000 to BIPOC-owned businesses in the Commonwealth,” Phillips said. “This is the only multicultural food festival in Boston dedicated to showcasing neighborhood BIPOC-owned and operated restaurants, which are often overlooked by mainstream media.” Phillips stated, “That’s why Get Konnected! founded A Taste of Ethnic Boston 10 years ago.” She also expressed her gratitude for A Taste of Ethnic Boston’s media sponsors. “We’re also honored to have the Bay State Banner as one of our media sponsors, along with Meet Boston, Big Night Live, Boston Beer, and NBC10.”
This event allows cultures to not only shine in their own right, but also to cross and interact with other sources of inspiration. “I think it is a great idea to have because it brings people in different cultures together. It gives you the opportunity to meet new people and explore new identities,” said Laurette NduKwe, owner of Nzuko.
Nzuko, which means gathering in Nigerian, encapsulates the spirit of the event. “There is a gathering of different people and cultures where we can just talk about food. It doesn’t have to be political or anything like that. It’s just about the food and the company you keep.”
Nzuko offers the tastes of the Caribbean with the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. The healthy flair of the restaurant comes from Ndukwe’s experience with gastrointestinal struggles and how food can not only relieve that, but also how it affects the mind and stress levels, among other things.
“I’m really excited to participate to be part of something like this. I was 13 when I came in 1961. I understand community but this is different. This brings together different communities, and thats what makes it special,” said NduKwe.
