NEW YORK — Step into Native Restaurant and Lounge in Bushwick, celebrating the vibrant flavors of West Africa.
“It’s super spicy, but definitely worth it. The flavors are an explosion in your mouth,” says general manager Fatima Barry of the menu.
CBS New York is a proud partner of Juneteenth NYC, which is hosting its first restaurant crawl to spotlight Black-owned businesses serving unique flavors.
The stunning establishment celebrated its first anniversary earlier this year, a milestone for the Black- and women-owned business.
“I remember what I brought up where a lot of our first generation kids here weren’t that proud to say that we knew our African culture or our background because we were bullied a lot. Now fast forward, over twenty years later, a lot of African Americans are embracing their African culture. They want to know where their roots come from, with all these websites like Ancestry.com,” Barry recalled.
A look behind the scenes is enough to see the symbolism on the plate. The restaurant features some signature red dishes, such as jollof rice, a nod to the tradition of eating red foods during the holidays.
“It’s the bloodshed, you know, of our ancestors being enslaved. That’s why we celebrate red food when it comes to Juneteenth,” Barry explained. “Most West African countries have red in their flag. And that is a symbol of resilience, pride.”
There is also a red hibiscus flavored cocktail on the menu for the occasion.
“When you think about hibiscus, it comes from West Africa, the Yoruba people and all that, a tribe native to Nigeria,” Barry said.
The restaurant is owned and operated by daughters of immigrants from West Africa, first-generation Americans who want to use their food to empower, educate and remember.
The Juneteenth restaurant crawl kicks off in NYC on Friday.
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