Eatonville Night at Busboys and Poets

Celebrate the life, legacy, and birthday of Zora Neale Hurston at a special Eatonville Night at Busboys and Poets Anacostia.

Inspired by the beloved DC restaurant Eatonville, this evening brings together food and folklore in the spirit Hurston championed—where storytelling lives at the dinner table. Rooted in Eatonville’s celebrated Food and Folklore tradition, the night honors history, community, and shared experience through rich stories and soulful cuisine.

Guests will enjoy classic Southern dishes connected to Hurston’s life, work, and hometown of Eatonville, Florida—the first incorporated Black municipality in the United States.

Four-Course Dinner | $45 per person

Welcome Course (family-style)
Honey cornbread muffins

Starter (choice of one)
Fried green tomatoes with avocado and micro-greens salad, basil oil, saffron aioli
Hushpuppies with sautéed rock shrimp, Cajun cream, roasted tomato purée

Entrée (choice of one)

Southern Fried Chicken — two-piece bone-in, Eatonville mac & cheese, collard greens
BBQ Pork Baby-back Ribs — Cajun fries, coleslaw
Catfish & Grits - jalapeño-gruyere heirloom grits,cider-braised collard greens, tomato butter
Vegan Jambalaya (vegan)

Dessert
Pear Tart

Beverages
Lavender Lemonade
Sweet Iced Tea

The evening also features a special storytelling conversation with Busboys and Poets & Eatonville Founder and CEO Andy Shallal and cultural strategist, journalist, and playwright Michon Boston, exploring the power of narrative, heritage foods, literature, and community.

Come eat, listen, remember, and gather—just as Zora would have wanted.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Busboys and Poets