Bloodroot (restaurant)
Bloodroot is a vegetarian restaurant and feminist bookstore in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was established in 1977 by the Bloodroot Collective with radical and lesbian feminist principles.
Maria McGrath describes the business as "a lesbian hang-out; a center of feminist activism and culture; a training ground for female cooks and businesswomen; and an exemplar of re-conceived capitalism based on egalitarian producer and consumer interactions,"[1]
[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
History
Bloodroot Collective
Selma Miriam (then Selma Bunks), Samn Stockwell, Betsey Beavan, Noel Furie (then Noel Giordano), and Pat Shea met through the Westport chapter of the National Organization for Women and consciousness raising groups in the 1970s.[1][15] In 1975, Miriam, Stockwell, Shea, and Beavan operated a cooperative exchange group out of Miriam's house, eventually forming the Bloodroot Collective in 1977. Stockwell left and Furie joined the collective soon after it was formed.[16]
In 2010, Furie and Miriam donated their personal papers and Bloodroot's organizational papers to the Yale University Library.[17]
Operations
Bloodroot is located at 85 Ferris Street in a residential area. This has helped the rent stay affordable, according to Miriam.[18] Because foot traffic outside of Bloodroot isn't very busy, the restaurant has always relied on word of mouth and other forms of advertising to sustain it.[14]
Bloodroot serves seasonal vegan and vegetarian food. Miriam states that their purpose is not to serve health food, but "really delicious ethnic food that tastes like comfort food."[18] Furie describes the food as a "wonderful ethnic exchange,"[19] because they serve dishes from all over the world.
The restaurant operates by self-service. Customers place their order and pay, find a place to sit, and are called to the counter to pick up their meal when it's ready. When finished, customers bus their own dishes.[20]
The restaurant had women-only nights.
Philosophy
Bloodroot was founded because the collective members wanted "a women's center and a way of living that would be self supporting and not dependent on grants and fundraising," and "honest, satisfying work."[21]
Events
Furie and Miriam participated in Slow Food Connecticut's Heirloom Tasting Feast in 2004, 2006, and 2008.[22][23][24]
Reception
Vegetarian Times writer Jim Mason described the restaurant as "a gourmet vegetarian restaurant for real"[21] with an "every-changing menu of dishes from its collective kitchen."[21] In 1985, Hartford Courant's Northeast Magazine restaurant reviewers, Jane and Michael Stern, rated Bloodroot as 2/3 stars, noting that the soups are "especially outstanding"[20] and that the atmosphere "reminds... [them] of a beatnik coffeehouse."[20] In 1997, Bloodroot was again reviewed in Northeast Magazine, this time by Bill Daley. He gave Bloodroot 3/4 stars, saying it "offers sturdy, homey fare that transcends ideology. Foodies of all stripes can rejoice."[25] Frank Cohen describes the restaurant as "attractive, homey, upbeat, quirky, and full of interesting knickknacks and ideological postings."[26]Food critic Bill Daley picked Bloodroot for best vegetarian restaurant in his 2000 Special Restaurant Guide.[27]
Connecticut Magazine's yearly experts' picks for the top vegan/vegetarian restaurants in the state has featured Bloodroot from 2015 to 2019.[28]
In popular culture
Bloodroot, Furie, and Miriam were the subject of the Douglas Tirola's 2019 documentary Bloodroot.[29] It premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival in April 2019.[30] Confectionery!, a vegan candy shop in New York, sells Furious Vulva bonbons and Selma's Peppermint Patties, named after Furie and Miriam.[31]
Sanguinaria Publishing and cookbooks
In 1980, the Bloodroot Collective prepared to publish their first cookbook through Crossing Press, but the press disliked the title. The Collective decided to create Sanguinaria Publishing in order to publish The Political Palate: A Feminist Vegetarian Cookbook (1980).[1] It contains recipes along with excerpts of works by feminist poets, theorists, and authors.[32] Other cookbooks include The Second Seasonal Political Palate (1984) The Perennial Political Palate (1993), and The Best of Bloodroot (2007).
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 McGrath, Maria (2016-07-02). "Living feminist: the liberation and limits of countercultural business and radical lesbian ethics at Bloodroot Restaurant". The Sixties. 9 (2): 189–217. doi:10.1080/17541328.2016.1245910. ISSN 1754-1328.
- ↑ miller, mev (1993). "feeding a hunger". off our backs. 23 (10): 19.
- ↑ Ketchum, Alexandra (2016). "Counter Culture: The Making of Feminist Food in Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses". Cuizine: The Journal of Canadian Food Cultures. 7 (2). doi:10.7202/1038477ar. ISSN 1918-5480.
- ↑ Westbrook, Sorrel (2018-05-31). "Women of Ends". Daily Nutmeg. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
- ↑ Guinness, Meredith (March 15, 2017). "Bloodroot Of Bridgeport Celebrates 40th Birthday With NY Times Feature". Lifestyle. Bridgeport Daily Voice. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
- ↑ Rao, Tejal (March 14, 2017). "Mixing Food and Feminism, Bloodroot Is 40 and Still Cooking". New York Times. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
- ↑ Drews, Marie (Summer 2007). "Food: My Feminist Issue". Rhizomes. 14. ISSN 1555-9998.
- ↑ Hochman, Anndee (1994). "Running a Restaurant, Sharing a Vision". Everyday Acts & Small Subversions: Women Reinventing Family, Community, and Home. The Eighth Mountain Press. pp. 31–36. ISBN 9780933377257. Search this book on
- ↑ Pierce, Lisa (17 Nov 2002). "A Vegetarian Spot Where Feminism Is a Main Course". New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast) ed.). p. 21.
- ↑ Backalenik, Irene (26 June 1977). "Feminist Food for Thought: 'This must be a place that is for women'". New York Times. p. 12.
- ↑ Pofeldt, Elaine (July 20, 1987). "The Business of Conviction". Hartford Courant. pp. B1–B2.
- ↑ Carr, Bonnie (March 27, 1977). "New Feminist Eatery Aims to 'Warm Belly and Mind'". Bridgeport Post. p. D15.
- ↑ Condon, Garrett (October 16, 1991). "Vegging Out". Hartford Courant. pp. E1–E2.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Meyers, Joe (2016-11-20). "Famed Bridgeport vegetarian restaurant approaches 40th anniversary". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 2019-05-31.
- ↑ Beaven, Betsey; Furie, Noel; Miriam, Selma; butterbaugh, laura (1997). "interview: One-Stop Shopping: Food and Feminism At Bloodroot". off our backs. 27 (11): 12–16.
- ↑ Caldera, Mary; Baxivanos, Kristin (2014). "Guide to the Bloodroot Collective Records". Yale University Library. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
- ↑ Cuda, Amanda (2010-04-05). "Bloodroot Collective donates records to Yale Library". StamfordAdvocate. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Jebian, Wayne (January 10, 2013). "...And A Veggie New Year". The New Haven Advocate. pp. 7–8.
- ↑ Nixon, Amy Ash (August 28, 2003). "Values A La Vegetarian". Hartford Courant. pp. G1, G5.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Stern, Jane; Stern, Michael (April 7, 1985). "Bloodroot". A Matter of Taste. Northeast Magazine. Hartford Courant. p. 26.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Mason, Jim (November 1983). "Bloodroot". Vegetarian Times. pp. 50–51.
- ↑ Giuca, Linda (August 5, 2004). "A Tasting Feast of Organically Grown Heirloom Tomatoes". Food Notes. Hartford Courant. p. G2.
- ↑ Morago, Greg (August 3, 2006). "Killer Tomatoes". Hartford Courant. p. G3.
- ↑ Giuca, Linda (August 7, 2008). "Heirlooms from the Farm". Food Notes. Hartford Courant. p. G2.
- ↑ Daley, Bill (October 26, 1997). "Bloodroot". A Matter of Taste. Northeast Magazine. Hartford Courant. p. 21.
- ↑ Cohen, Frank (June 2014). "Bloodroot". Hartford Magazine. Hartford Courant. p. 105.
- ↑ Daley, Bill (July 16, 2000). "Special Restaurant Guide". Northeast Magazine. p. 8.
- ↑ See Staff (Jan 6, 2016). "Best Restaurants in Connecticut 2016: Experts' Picks". Connecticut Magazine. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019. Staff (Dec 27, 2017). "Best Restaurants 2018: Experts' Picks". Connecticut Magazine. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019. Staff (Dec 26, 2018). "Best Restaurants 2019: Experts' Picks". Connecticut Magazine. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019. Staff (Jan 4, 2017). "2017 Best Restaurants: Experts' Picks". Connecticut Magazine. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019. Staff (Jan 1, 2015). "Best Restaurants in Connecticut 2015: Experts' Picks". Connecticut Magazine. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ↑ Cuda, Amanda (2019-04-10). "Documentary spotlights iconic Bridgeport restaurant". Connecticut Post. Archived from the original on 2019-05-06. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
- ↑ Harvey, Dennis (2019-04-27). "Film Review: 'Bloodroot'". Variety. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
- ↑ Moynihan, Ellen (Feb 9, 2019). "Not your mother's chocolate: East Village shop makes vegan treats". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2019-05-31. See: "Selma's Peppermint Patties". Lagusta's Luscious. Archived from the original on 2019-05-31. and "Furious Vulvas". Lagusta's Luscious. Archived from the original on 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2019-06-01. for more information on their namesakes.
- ↑ "Newsbriefs". Women's Studies Quarterly. 9 (4): 42–44. Winter 1981. ISSN 0732-1562.
External links
- Official site
- Bloodroot Collective Records at Manuscripts and Archives in the Yale University Library
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