(LEX 18) — Soulfeast is a 10-day celebration highlighting Black farmers, chefs, and restaurants. Where Kentuckians can come and enjoy good food
From growing the ingredients to cooking the food that ends up on a plate, Soulfeast is taking the time to spotlight black farmers, chefs, and restaurants. One way is to highlight restaurants that people are unfamiliar with. "A lot of people find out about these restaurants, even though they are operating all year around," Martina Barksdale, the co-founder of Soulfeast Week, says. Soulfeast week is a chance for all Kentuckians and people in the region to come out.
Moody Mike's was one of those restaurants. They started in 2020 when they were cooking in an incubator kitchen and grew enough to get their restaurant. The help of Soulfeast helped spread the word of Moody Mike's. "Most people didn't know what Moody Mike's was. Now people have more of an idea about what Moody Mike's actually is," said Antoine Harris, the Co-Owner of Mood Mike's.
Antoine Harris is the co-owner and has participated in the festival for two years. It has helped grow the business and formed a family-like environment with other restaurant owners. "With all the restaurants coming together and creating," said Antoine, "like a big family coming together just creating different food dishes and having a good time."
Soulfeast would not be anything if it weren't for businesses like Moody Mike's, where Antoine started from scratch and built himself up. That is what Martina is trying to create: "I'm passionate about the food and beverage and the craft of it. We want to be part of the ecosystem from farm to table."
Soulfeast Restaurant Week is a small part of the celebrations, as Soulfeast goes from June 14 through the 23rd.
Visit www.soulfeastweek.com for more information.
