A brand new restaurant that celebrates the diverse and rich background of immigrant food has opened a quarter block from the White House in Washington D.C, with the unique offering striving to “create a space for advocacy, change and community.”
Opened by award-winning chef Enrique Limardo of restaurant Seven Reasons, Immigrant Food offers a casual dining experience with a message of positivity and inclusiveness. Located at 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, less than a block from the White House, the restaurant celebrates the tastes of diverse people that have made the US their home and brought their culture to the country over the ages.
“Our restaurant celebrates America’s story – the story of immigrants, the special mix of people and cultures that made America great, again and again,” said Schechter, co-founder of Immigrant Food and author of the concept. “At a time when change seems so difficult, we wanted to create a restaurant that’s a fusion of food and advocacy. Let’s call it gastroadvocacy.”
The restaurant boasts a four-part mission; to offer customers delicious fusion dishes, to celebrate America's immigration heritage, to open its doors to immigrant service organisations, and to become an advocate in the immigration debate. As well as a food menu, it offers an “engagement menu”, with suggestions of how customers can contribute and volunteer to help immigrant organisations.
The company has also created Think Table, an online platform where people can understand immigration facts, learn why immigration is important to America’s future and connect with leaders and innovators striving for change.
The restaurant serves fusion bowls, including “Viet Vibes” which is inspired by immigrants from Vietnam and the Caribbean Islands, and includes adobo spiced chicken, kale, spicy rice noodles and peanuts, the “Greco Milano”, inspired by Italian and Greek immigrants, and includes spice-rubbed tea, arugula, pumpkin spaghetti and yogurt, as well as a range of “fusion mylks” inspired by destinations all over the world.
“Immigrant Food’s dishes reflect how we see America at its core: diverse, nourishing and welcoming. This restaurant embraces those values,” said Chef and Co-Founder Enrique Limardo. “It was a wonderful challenge to find bridges between the incredible food of Mexico and India or El Salvador and Ethiopia. It took a lot of experimenting, but people are going to smile at these new twists on familiar tastes they know and love.”
According to the restaurant, response to the idea has been incredibly positive, with customers enjoying the dishes while praising the positivity of the message.
More information is available at the official Immigrant Food website.
