On Thursday, August 18, Taste of Black Cleveland returns to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for “The Food Showcase 4.0.” The affair comes from a partnership between the Cleveland NAACP, The Real Black Friday, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Aramark and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Participants and chefs from Cleveland’s top Black-owned eateries will prepare three of their signature dishes for guests to sample. Attendees will vote on their favorite items based on quality, variety and presentation. Local Black mixologists will prepare cocktails and compete for the People’s Choice drink.

All proceeds from the Taste of Black Cleveland will be used to cover the event costs as well as to benefit the Cleveland NAACP and The Cavaliers Community Foundation.

To purchase tickets ($45/$85) or to see a list of participating chefs and restaurants, click here.

This article appears in Jul 27 – Aug 9, 2022.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.