An invite into the global kitchens of Boston

CUISINE TO ETHNIC FOOD, BOSTON’S FOOD SCENE IS MORE THAN CHOWDER AND LOBSTER ROLLS. SOME RESTAURANTS IN GREATER BOSTON ARE CATCHING SOME OF THE NATIONAL FOODIE SPOTLIGHT, COMFORT KITCHEN AND UPHAMS CORNER. NOMINATED FOR A JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AWARD, AND BISTRO 77 81IN WALTHAM, IS LANDING ON EBONY EATS 45 LIST. WELL, THE CITY IS HOME TO A DIVERSE ARRAY OF CULTURES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, OFFERING ETHNIC CUISINE FROM AFGHANISTAN TO ASIA, THE CARIBBEAN TO CAPE COD. NOW, MOST MAY NOT RECEIVE CRITICAL ACCLAIM FROM NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS, BUT THEY ARE A PART OF THE ESSENTIAL FOOD ECOSYSTEM IN BOSTON. THE 10TH ANNUAL GET CONNECTED, A TASTE OF ETHNIC BOSTON, BRINGS KITCHENS FROM ALL DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY TOGETHER FOR A CELEBRATION OF ALL THE CULTURES AND FLAVORS OF BOSTON AND ITS DIVERSE RESIDENTS. JOINING ME NOW IS MARTHA SHERIDAN. SHE’S PRESIDENT AND CEO OF MEET BOSTON AND PARK 54 RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE CO-OWNER TASHA HULL. HI. WELCOME TO YOU BOTH. GREAT TO BE HERE. GOOD TO SEE YOU. FOOD IS SUCH A GREAT CONNECTOR. MARTHA, MEET BOSTON IS ONE OF THE SPONSORS OF THIS EVENT. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR MEET BOSTON TO BE A PART OF SHOWCASING THESE RESTAURANTS? WELL, WE’RE ON A MISSION AS YOU SAID, TO TELL THE WORLD THAT BOSTON IS MUCH MORE THAN CHOWDER AND LOBSTER ROLLS. AND WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT DIVERSE ETHNIC RESTAURANTS ACROSS THE 23 NEIGHBORHOODS OF BOSTON. AND THIS EVENT DOES SUCH A GREAT JOB OF SHOWCASING THEM. AND WE WANT TO HELP ELEVATE THESE RESTAURANTS AND LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT WE HAVE AMAZING CUISINE HERE IN BOSTON. SO TELL ME HOW BOSTON MEET BOSTON PROMOTES ETHNIC RESTAURANTS AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE TOURISM ECOSYSTEM IN THE CITY. WELL, WE HAVE A VERY, VERY ROBUST WEBSITE. WE HAVE A SECTION ON THE WEBSITE THAT IS DEDICATED TO OUR CULINARY ASSETS HERE IN BOSTON. WE FEATURE THEM THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH A LOT OF THE DIVERSE RESTAURANTS IN THE CITY TO REALLY ELEVATE THEIR PROFILE AND GET PEOPLE TO VENTURE OUTSIDE OF THE CENTRAL CORE TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS IN BOSTON. TASHA, LET ME TURN TO YOU. YOU I HAVE BEEN TO YOUR SPOT PARK 54 RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE. SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK IT’S IT’S OFF THE BEATEN PATH BECAUSE IT’S IN IT’S IN HYDE PARK. I DON’T THINK IT’S OFF THE BEATEN PATH, BUT YOUR RESTAURANT’S NAME REPRESENTS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF BOSTON HISTORY. TELL US ABOUT THAT AND WHY YOU CHOSE IT. UM, SO MY BACKGROUND, I’M A SPECIAL EDUCATION HISTORY TEACHER FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND THE NAME CAME UP WHEN WE DECIDED TO OPEN IN HYDE PARK. WE WANTED TO GIVE GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. SO PARK OBVIOUSLY CAME FROM HYDE PARK AND 54, UM, CAME FROM THE 54TH REGIMENT. SO THE 54TH REGIMENT, UM, A GROUP OF FREE BLACK MEN THAT FOUGHT FOR, FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR AND THEY WERE FROM REEDVILLE, WHICH IS NOW KNOWN AS HYDE PARK. SO AGAIN, TYING ALL OF THAT IN TOGETHER TO I THINK THERE’S A GREAT MONUMENT DEDICATED TO THE 54TH IN READVILLE. ABSOLUTELY GREAT, GREAT HISTORICAL CONNECTION. SO ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN BRINGING TOGETHER BUSINESSES OWNED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR IS THAT SOME OF THE BARRIERS THAT MANY HAVE HAD TO OVERCOME TO OPEN THESE ESTABLISHMENTS YOU OPENED TWO YEARS AGO ON JUNE 10TH. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACED IN OPENING AND NOW MAINTAINING A BUSINESS? UM, SO LUCKILY FOR US, UM, THE MAIN CHALLENGE WAS ESTABLISHING ALL OF OUR LICENSES, ESPECIALLY A LIQUOR LICENSE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. UM, FORTUNATELY FOR US, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, GREAT, GREAT REPRESENTATIVES IN CITY HALL RIGHT NOW THAT HELPED US ALONG THE WAY. UM, AND SO WE BECAME THE SIXTH, UH, I BECAME THE SIXTH PERSON OF COLOR TO OWN A FULL LIQUOR LICENSE IN THE CITY. UM, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD TO PURCHASE THAT FROM SOMEONE WHO ALREADY OWNED IT, BUT I THINK OUR CITY OFFICIALS RIGHT NOW ARE TRYING REALLY HARD TO OPEN UP THAT THAT PROCESS, THAT PROCESS FOR MORE BIPOC BUSINESSES, MAKE IT MORE INCLUSIVE. UM, THAT WAS REALLY MY ONLY CHALLENGE. UM, AND WE’VE HAD GREAT SUPPORT. LIKE YOU SAID, YOU’VE BEEN THERE. UM, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY HAVE COME. WE’VE HAD PEOPLE THAT COME TO VISIT US ON THE WEEKEND. UM, FROM RHODE ISLAND, FROM CONNECTICUT, THAT HAVE HEARD OF OUR RESTAURANT. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE FOOD. THERE’S GOING TO BE SO MANY TYPES OF FOOD AT THE EVENT. TELL US WHAT PARK 54 SPECIALIZES IN AND WHAT YOU MIGHT BE SERVING ON TUESDAY EVENING AT THE EVENT. SO WE SAY SOUL FUSION. UH, MY ETHNIC BACKGROUND IS I AM FROM TRINIDAD, SO WE HAVE WE ARE SERVING SOME OXTAIL RASTA PASTA. UM, AT THE EVENT, WAS IT CALLED OXTAILS OXTAIL RASTA PASTA? OKAY. GOT IT. UH, WE’RE ALSO DOING A VEGETARIAN VERSION. YES. FOR THOSE WHO DON’T EAT MEAT. AND WE ARE GOING TO DO ONE OF OUR SPECIALS, THE LOBSTER, SHRIMP, CRAB AND GRITS. I CAN’T WAIT, MARTHA. A TASTE OF ETHNIC BOSTON IS NOT JUST ABOUT FOOD. THERE’S ALSO SOCIALIZING. THERE’S A SOCIAL PURPOSE AND A NETWORKING ASPECT TO IT AS WELL. TRUE. ABSOLUTELY. IT’S ABOUT GATHERING PEOPLE TOGETHER. OF COURSE, FOOD IS A GREAT CONNECTOR. SO THERE’S THAT ASPECT. WE’LL ALSO HAVE SOME VENDORS THERE THAT MAKE PRODUCTS RIGHT HERE IN BOSTON. DIVERSE VENDORS. SO YOU CAN PURCHASE THAT. AND WE ALSO HAVE A SOCIAL COMPONENT WHERE WE ARE RAISING FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE GET CONNECTED. UM, GRANTS TO BIPOC BUSINESSES. SO REALLY A WELL-ROUNDED EVENT THAT’S GOING TO GOING TO COVER A LOT OF AREAS. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US. TASHA AND MARTHA, WE WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY A TASTE OF ETHNIC BOSTON WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY NIGHT FROM 6 TO 9 AT BIG NIGHT LIVE ON CAUSEWAY STREET IN BOSTON. YOU CAN FIND OUT HOW TO GET YOUR TICKETS ON OUR WEBSITE AT WCVB.COM. SLASH CITYLINE NOW. EARRINGS ARE A FASHION ACCESSORY, BUT THERE’S ONE TYPE THAT REPRESENTS MUCH MORE THAN THAT TO WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD THE PLAY THAT EXPLORES THE HISTORY OF HOOPS. THAT’S WH

CityLine: An invite into the global kitchens of Boston

Get Konnected Taste of Ethnic Boston returns to Big Night Live

Updated: 12:32 PM EDT Jul 28, 2024

Boston’s food scene is more than chowder and lobster rolls, boasting ethnic cuisine to satisfy the worldliest palate. Martha Sheridan, President & CEO of Meet Boston and Tasha Hull Co-Owner of Park 54 Restaurant and Lounge in Hyde Park talk about A Taste of Ethnic Boston, the foodie feast happening on July 30 at Big Night Live.

NEEDHAM, Mass. —

Boston’s food scene is more than chowder and lobster rolls, boasting ethnic cuisine to satisfy the worldliest palate. Martha Sheridan, President & CEO of Meet Boston and Tasha Hull Co-Owner of Park 54 Restaurant and Lounge in Hyde Park talk about A Taste of Ethnic Boston, the foodie feast happening on July 30 at Big Night Live.