Seacoast Indonesian and BIPOC fests to celebrate diverse food: What you need to know

Mr. Seacoast Eats (a.k.a. Eric Levi Levin) often posts thought-provoking questions on his Seacoast Eats Facebook group page for us all to weigh in on. Past pithy questions include “What’s your favorite condiment?” (Hellman’s Mayo for me) and “Would you go to an old school drive-in restaurant?” (Yes) or “Cool food on a hot day. What’s your choice?” (Caprese salad). All great fun.

I love seeing the answers, especially when the question is about local restaurants like “Who has celebrated their birthday in a local restaurant this year? Where did you go?”  But one recent post was more thought-provoking than most for me.

“Fill in the blank with something food/beverage related. Seacoast _______ Festival!”

The answers ran from the familiar (and in some cases already existing) like Seafood, Strawberry, Food Truck, Chili and Chowder to the very specific like Sweet Corn, Cereal and Kumquat. Other ideas are Grilled Cheese, Hot Dog and Garlic. All great ideas.

Me? I chimed in with “World Cuisine Festival - to celebrate all the wonderful people who have brought the food from their cultures to the Seacoast. Indian, Greek, Mexican, Lebanese, Thai, Indonesian, Laotian, Cambodian, Nepalese, Chinese, Japanese, Jamaican ... so many!” Readers, I’m proud to say that I got 4 “likes” and 3 “hearts” for that.

Although another suggestion – a Gin Festival was appealing, too. Let’s have both in one.

As I added more and more countries to my post, I thought about all the wonderful cultures represented in Seacoast restaurants and how when I moved to Exeter 20 years ago, there weren’t nearly as many. I remember when Durbar Square moved into Portsmouth. “A Nepalese restaurant right downtown?!” They are thriving.

Just as I was fantasizing about getting someone to organize a World Cuisine Festival, two wonderful festivals popped up on my social media feed and into my emails. 

Somersworth Indonesian Mini Festival

On Saturday, Aug. 21, from 1 to 6 p.m., the Somersworth Indonesian Mini Festival will take place at 156 High St., Somersworth. The festival is free. A press release reads:

"Celebrate the Indonesian Independence day with Indonesian Community Connect as they host the 8th annual of Somersworth Indonesian MINI Festival. The festival is in the parking lot of the location for the first phase of the organization’s Little Indonesia Cultural Center Project. Enjoy crafts, souvenirs, fashion, merchandise and entertainment throughout the day with traditional dances, music, games and of course, the best Indonesian cuisine in town. The event will follow CDC guidelines in keeping everyone to stay safe and healthy. Please wear your mask and practice social distancing.

'Our vision is big':Little Indonesia Cultural Center opens in Somersworth

For more information, visit Indonesian Community Connect on Facebook at @icc_indonesianconnect.

BIPOC Fest: A Celebration of Food, Culture and Community

On Sunday, Sept. 26 starting at noon, the  BIPOC Fest: A Celebration of Food, Culture and Community will take place at the Vida Cantina parking lot, 2456 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth. Admission is a $10 suggested donation that will benefit participating non-profits.

Vida Cantina Chef David Vargas is bringing together some of the region’s best BIPOC restaurateurs and chefs. The restaurant's Facebook post about the festival says, “As long as black and brown people are marginalized, ignored or blocked from the same rights and privileges enjoyed by white citizens, our democracy cannot succeed. By bringing people together under one sky, we hope this event will initiate and perpetuate conversation about the important threads of equity and social justice that holds the fabric of our community together. BIPOC Fest will connect us through food and will highlight the many cultures that make up the Seacoast.”

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It says attendees will enjoy food, drink, meet the leaders behind some great non-profits, hear guest speakers, dance to live music and much more.

Festival restaurants to try anytime

Participating restaurants include (and where they are headquartered so if can’t make it on this day, you can go explore and support BIPOC restaurants in the area):

Rose's Spring Rolls from the Kittery Food Truck Pod (rosesspringrolls.com)

La Casita at the Kittery Circle with Cuban and Puerto Rican food (lacasitaonthecircle.com)

One Love Cuisine, Jamaican and Caribbean food in the food court at Fox Run Mall (onelovecuisinellc.com)

809 Taste, Dominican food also found in the Fox Run Mall  (www.facebook.com/809taste)

Vida Cantina, Modern Mexican  Cuisine (vidacantinanh.com)

Ansanm, recent Top Chef competitor and Greenleaf chef Chris Viaud’s Haitian cuisine in Gilford (ansanmnh.com/)

Jook a Chicken Joint in Dover, the “alter ego” of The Sassy Biscuit Co. (jookchickenjoint.com)

Tulsi Indian Cuisine in downtown Kittery. (tulsiindianrestaurant.com/)

Lin’s Little Kitchen from Linda Theth serving dishes from southeast Asia including Laos and Cambodia in Newburyport (linslittlekitchen.com)

You’ll also have the opportunity to meet and speak with representatives from these organizations:

Indigenous New Hampshire, indigenousnh.com/: “A grassroots movement of community members of diverse cultural backgrounds, working to re-frame NH’s heritage through a decolonial lens.”

Black Heritage Trail of NH, blackheritagetrailnh.org/: An organization dedicated to telling the little known stories of Blacks in New Hampshire. Mission: The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire promotes awareness and appreciation of African American history and life in order to build more inclusive communities today.

Occupy NH Seacoast, facebook.com/OccupyNHSeacoast/: A local group working to promote social and economic equality worldwide.

BLM Seacoast, https://blmseacoast.com/: “Our purpose is to dismantle anti-Blackness, fight against racial injustices and police brutality in the Seacoast of NH, MA, ME.”

Indonesian Community Connect in Somersworth.

NH Minority Business Coalition

Seacoast African American Culture Center, saacc-nh.org: The mission for this organization founded in 2000 is to “celebrate the lives and achievements of Black people with emphasis on the unique story of African Americans in the Seacoast region, and to infuse all people, especially young people, with knowledge of and appreciation for the history and culture we all share.”

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Rachel Forrest is a former restaurant owner, reviewer and Seacoast resident, who now lives in Austin, Texas and Belize. She can be reached at rforrest@gannett.com.

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