Downtown Wichita restaurant celebrating Black History Month through its menu

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - A downtown Wichita restaurant is honoring Black History Month through its food. During the month of February, PourHouse is serving up dishes made famous by Black chefs. Specifically, the restaurant is offering four meals from four different chefs throughout the month.

“They bring a lot of culture to our dishes. They make it less boring, I feel like,” said PourHouse Chef Cecilya Webber. “I like the way they cook.”

Featured chefs include Edna Lewis, Andrea Drummer and Hercules Posey with a mystery chef and dish featured during the last week of February.

“This week, we are finishing off with Chef Lewis. Hers is a sautéed chicken and hominy casserole,” Webber said. “It will be served with a side of vegetables.”

Webber recognizes the chefs’ contributions to Black History Month, including what Lewis overcame to leave the impact she did.

“She came from a family of slavery. She was the first one in her family that got out of it,” Webber said.

An admired chef and cookbook author in a career that spanned several decades, Lewis died in 2006, two months shy of her 90th birthday.

For those at PourHouse, the efforts to honor the influential chefs is just one way to celebrate Black History Month and to remind others of its importance.

PourHouse diner Cole Seyfert was among those who ate at the restaurant Tuesday and sampled Lewis’ sautéed chicken dish. He also discussed the value of raising awareness during Black History Month.

“Doing everything we can to be the change that we want to be for tomorrow,” Seyfert said.

For those interested in trying other dishes at PourHouse this month. Wednesday marks the first day you can try Drummer’s dish, stuffed French toast with friend chicken. PourHouse will serve that dish for the next week, followed by Posey’s mac and cheese dish, available for the third week of February before the restaurant features the surprise chef and dish for the last week of Black History Month.

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