A Great Story To Celebrate Pride Month

For 47 years, a lesbian-owned restaurant has put politics on the menu

I wanted to share this story from The Washington Post that I ran across the other day. It’s a perfect demonstration of the intersection of food and politics. This is what The American Table is all about!

From The Washington Post: Diners Liz Seaman, left, with her daughter, Tierney Latham, and Debra Mahony are longtime patrons of Bloodroot cafe in Bridgeport, Conn. (Penny De Los Santos)

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood in coastal Connecticut is a revolution disguised as a restaurant — or maybe the other way around.

A sign on the side of the building facing the street clearly states Bloodroot’s ethos: “a feminist restaurant and bookstore with a seasonal vegetarian menu.” A calico cat named Gloria Steinem keeps a watchful eye over the dining room; her late sister was named Bella Abzug. Since 1978, diners have stepped over the threshold to find themselves enveloped by the inclusive yet pro-female culture created by the Bloodroot Collective, a group of feminist and lesbian activists from the Bridgeport community seeking to put women’s issues at the center of the plate.

- Quote from Kristen Hartke’s article in The Washington Post