The Laramie International Flavor Festival made an appearance downtown for the second year, with over 20 restaurants offering specials that were inspired by over 40 international students and community members from around the world.
From April 4-8, the Laramie International Flavor Festival brought special dishes to the community inspired by the stories of those whose heritage lies within other places in the world. Ali Grossman, the co-chair of the festival, told the Laramie Boomerang “one of the best ways to learn more about your neighbor’s heritage is to start a conversation about food.”
Restaurants that line the streets of downtown were excited to feature unique specials on their menus during the festival; Malaysian chicken wings, Austrian wienerschnitzel, Aussie lamb, Japanese fruit sandwiches, Jordanian shawarma, and Ukrainian borscht were just a few dishes that were available for patrons to try.
The Laramie Main Street Alliance is partnered with University of Wyoming International Students to help encourage more participation of international people within the community.
The Crow Bar had two flavor ambassadors, Ed Ficenec, and Penelope Shihab. Ficenec told the main street alliance, “as a young man, I bussed tables at a Czech restaurant in Omaha called the Bohemian Cafe- they served all the foods of my Czech heritage. I can’t wait to see how Crowbar pulls off this Czech pizza.”
Shihab, a Jordanian flavor ambassador, said “Middle Eastern cuisine is renowned for its rich flavors and aroma, evoking vivid memories of the region’s past. Jordan has some of the most iconic and beloved dishes, still enjoyed today.”
Chalk n’ Cheese had international butter boards and wine pairings, with a special five dollar pairing on Friday of Biscotti and Prosecco.
Duangdaophet Keobounphanh, otherwise known as “Jina”, a UW Political Science major and Laos flavor ambassador for Night Heron Books said, “I learned how to cook Lao food from watching my grandma and mom prepare it. Most of the time, we cook using our feelings rather than exact measurements, which may sound strange but is true.”
The cuisine that was featured at Night Heron that was inspired by Jina included vegan papaya salad, Laotian chicken noodle soup, Bison Laab, and Impossible Pork Laab.
