Fund a Nigerian Food Pop-Up in Fishtown!

My name is Adesola and I am a queer, black nonbinary multimedia artist who was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Professionally, I am a visual storyteller and food activist with over 15 years of food industry experience.

For the last decade, I have called Philadelphia my home, though I spent many of my formative years in eastern North Carolina and I’m still a southern girl at heart–just add whiskey.

During my time in Philadelphia, I’ve helped open several popular restaurants and continued my work empowering industry professionals as well as bringing a spotlight to marginalized folks. You can also usually find me trying to emulate Animal from The Muppets in the post-punk band Full Bush.

My passion for food was born in hot Lagosian kitchens on Saturdays, as I listened to my mom loudly singing Christian hymns while doing the fine dance of cooking multiple complicated meals at once. Massive pots of the spiciest soups, reduced tomato stew in fresh chicken stock in preparation of fluffiest rice, while the sweet smell of fried plantain filled the room. It was a day of fun, of discovery, and of bonding with my mother–while trying not to burn my tongue from stuffing my mouth with hot ass plantains.

Being in a kitchen with the family meant a lot of fun people would come together to roast each other, tell stories, share their recipes, and drink lots of beer. Wahala is meant to echo the same feelings as we invite folks to share in my world for a moment.

The impact of these memories combined with my lived experience as a resident of Fishtown for over ten years has inspired me to host a Nigerian food pop-up at Martha located in the Kensington neighborhood on SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2022.

Fishtown is missing so much in the way of food diversity, but the potential here is endless. It’s my goal for this pop-up to light the spark. It will be the start of a series of pop-ups that highlight other cultures, their food, and their people. Diversity is the heartbeat of Fishtown and the people who bring life to this neighborhood must not be forgotten.

The small six-course menu will feature savory snacks such as cinnamon & nutmeg fried cookie, crispy & golden bean fritters, a nutty, spicy soup served with fufu, and more. The cocktail menu will be curated by Shaq Armstrong, current bartender at Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The talented Armstrong will be creating cocktails influenced by the ingredients in the West African dishes that will be presented in September.

In order to bring this phase of the dream to fruition, I need to raise $2,000 dollars by AUGUST 30TH . I hope that you will support the journey. I look forward to keeping you posted with updates a long the way.

Out of the many turbulent things that happened in my childhood, coming together to eat and cook was always a safe haven. A small piece of time to enjoy the simplest joy and pleasure with those you care about.

We hope this night will be a time when everyone can let loose and be a little cheeky. Be adventurous, and let’s cause some Wahala.