Chopd & Stewd Festival: Houston’s West African Diaspora Celebration 2023 Recap
Last updated on November 14th, 2023 at 08:25 pm
Chopd & Stewd Festival is a new Black food festival celebrating the West African diaspora in downtown Houston, TX.
It’s an all-day celebration right before Nigerian Independence Day, encouraging attendees to connect or reconnect with their West African roots.
Chopd & Stewd Festival was presented by Chef Ope Amosu, the owner of the fast-casual West African restaurant, ChòpnBlọk.
Located in POST Houston, festival attendees experienced:
- some of the best food and drinks from Houston’s culinary community
- a food & wine masterclass and plant & wellness workshops
- yoga & an Afrobeats dance off on the Skylawn (rooftop)
- the Òrékê Market featuring small businesses & local vendors
- a performance by Wale
- and more
Note: This is not a sponsored post nor am I affiliated with this festival or its organizers.
Chopd & Stewd: The Recap
What I Ate at Chopd & Stewd Fest
Of course, I’m starting with the food. I really appreciated all of the vegetarian & vegan options.
And the portions were generous.
Doubles from Kuji Kitchen
Build your own acai bowls from Thrive Juices
Vegan banana pudding cupcake from Lucy Pearl’s
Vegan efo riro from Onyinyechukwu Akpa. Curry goat & curry chickpeas with coconut rice from B.I.T.E. Kitchen
Chef & Restaurant Lineup at the Culinary Village
I was only at the festival for a few hours, so I’m unable to confirm if this was the final lineup, but these are the chefs and restaurants that were scheduled for the Culinary Village on the POST Houston Skylawn (rooftop):
1 pm – 6 pm CT
- Keisha Griggs (Kuji Kitchen)
- Khalieb Rufael
- Thrive Juices
- Mason Leverett (B.I.T.E. Kitchen)
2 pm – 8 pm CT
- Brooklyn Suya
- Greg Gatlin (Gatlin’s BBQ)
- Lucy Pearl’s
- Gumbo Xpress
- Onyinyechukwu Akpa
3 pm – 9 pm CT
- Joseph Boudreaux (Boo’s Burgers)
- Courtney Lindsay (Mo’ Better Brews)
- Shade Ojelade (ShadeEats)
- Shannen & Stacey Tune (Craft Burger)
6 pm – 9 pm CT
- Reginald Scott (The Smoke HTX)
- ChòpnBlọk
- Yemi Thomas
Shopping at the Òrékê Market
Besides the food, this was my favorite part of the festival because I was able to shop with so many Black owned businesses in one place. Many of these businesses are local to the Houston area.
The Òrékê Market showcased small businesses and vendors selling jewelry, books, home goods, candles, coffee, beauty products, snacks, etc.
I haven’t found an official vendor list for the Òrékê Market but many vendors posted on Instagram using #ChopdAndStewdFest.
Related post: More Black food festivals to put on your travel list
About Chef Ope Amosu
Ope Amosu is the chef & “Blọk Captain” behind the fast-casual West African restaurant, ChòpnBlọk (also located in POST Houston).
Amosu hosted private dinners and pop ups to test out his fast-casual concept without spending too much time or money starting a food truck.
He has been featured:
- in Taste The Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Season 2, Ep. 5) on Hulu
- as a guest judge on Bravo’s Top Chef (Season 19, Ep. 7)
- on the PBS show, No Passport Required with Marcus Samuelsson (Season 2)
Related post: Honeyland Festival 2023 - New Black Food Festival in the Houston area
Stay connected with Chopd & Stewd Festival
Website: chopdandstewdfest.com
Instagram: @chopdandstewdfest
TikTok: @chopdandstewd
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