Sake Week and Soul Food Week Cometh
Soul food is good. Sake is good. They're both even better when stretched over the course of a week and enjoyed en masse. Big Jones is cooking up its first ever Soul Food Week, set to run January 11 through January 18, while Roka Akor brings back its famed Sake Week between January 12 and 16. Get hungry, get thirsty.
The down-home cooking of the South that has come to define entire regions of American cookery steps into the deserved spotlight at Big Jones as part of the restaurant's first ever Soul Food Week. While the Andersonville keystone is revered for its steady supply of authentic, time-tested Southern recipes, Soul Food Week hones in on the classic soul food restaurants around town as a showcase for culinary compatriots. From January 11 until January 18, lunch and dinner menus will be transformed into a soulful medley of regional staples, like fried chicken, shrimp shack platters, black-eyed pea fritters, collard green sandwiches, oxtail dumpling soup, and more. Additionally, the week culminates with a special dinner featuring recipes from Adrian Miller's book, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine. Miller will be in attendance for the occasion, wherein guests can purchase books and have them signed. Starting with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m., the menu includes corn flake fried chicken, mac & cheese, candied carrots, and banana pudding with meringue. In line with traditional African American foodways pastimes, the dinner costs a very reasonable $30 per person. Call to make a reservation.
A world away from Southern soul food, Roka Akor is celebrating sake with a full week devoted to Asia's signature quaff. Sake Week is back for seconds, running from January 12 through January 16, served as an homage to the rice-based spirit via special tastings, history tutorials, and more. Tenzing Wine and Spirits' Sake Portfolio Manager Tona Polamino will lead guests through tastings and history lessons during lunch service Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from noon until 2:00 p.m., and during dinner service Wednesday and Thursday from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. For just $15, guests get to sample eight different sakes, with a portion of proceeds benefitting Editha House. Once guests select their favorite sake from the tasting, they get to enjoy a glass of said sake over lunch or dinner. All featured bottles will also be 25% off throughout the week. Sakes include Shichi Hon Yari Junmai, Mizbasho Junmai Ginjo, Narutotai Nama Genshu, Fuku Chitose Happy Owl Yamahai Junmai, Evoluzione Crazy Milk Nigori, and Tamajiman Junmai Daiginjo.
- Matt Kirouac