Eatonville Night @ Busboys and Poets
Date and Time
Jan 10, 2026 6:00 pm
Location
Anacostia
2004 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, District of Columbia, 20020
Jan 10, 2026 6:00 pm
Anacostia
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.
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)
Fried chicken — two-piece bone-in, Eatonville mac & cheese, collard greens
BBQ pork baby-back ribs — Cajun fries, coleslaw
Jambalaya — chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp
Cajun mushroom loaf (vegetarian) — garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed Brussels sprouts, chipotle glaze
Dessert
Pear cobbler
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.
