Mark those calendars. Houston Black Restaurant Week is back for its second annual year, with even more events and dining steals for Bayou City food lovers. In fact, the event was such a success last year that this year's festivities will actually run for two weeks, April 17-30.

“Last year, over $50,000 was generated back into the Houston economy,”  Warren Luckett, Houston Black Restaurant Week Chair, announced in a press release last week. “We want to continue to keep our black businesses thriving. Extending Black Restaurant Week to two weeks, economically, will help bring in more revenue and support to the community and the participating restaurants that need it.”

The money raised this year will benefit local nonprofit Blue Triangle, which is in desperate need of a renovation for its community commercial kitchen. Participating restaurants include:

• Kitchen 713
  
• Dolce Ultra Lounge
  
• Etta's Little Kitchen
  
• Prospect Park
  
• Ray's BBQ Shack
  
• The Turkey Leg Hut
  
• UnWine
  
• Scrappy Brown's
  
• Lucille's
  
• Phil and Derek's
  
• Cafe Agubu

Restaurants will feature menus at a fixed price, including brunch, lunch and dinner options in the $15-$25 range at casual eateries and in the $35-$45 range for fine-dining establishments.

As for the events taking place during HBRW, there are a few to choose from:

• Aroma will offer educational restaurant consulting via a series of panels with industry leaders and talent.

• For $20, you can indulge in Nosh, "a best bites-themed showcase featuring African and African-American Caterers in the Houston area."

• There's also pop-up dining experiences via Art of Flavor and the bartending competition Power of the Palate, which will craft concepts using fresh produce from local black farmers.

• This year will also feature a new food truck park featuring live DJs called Soundbites.
  

More info can be found online at houbrw.com.

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