International Pop-Up Dinner
Thank you for supporting our immigrant caterers and restaurants. We will be continuing our International Pop-Up Dinners as part of Festival of Nations events. We will be featuring some of your favorite festival vendors overs the summer. For more information about Festival of Nations and the upcoming events and activities, visit the Festival of Nations website at www.festivalofnationsSTL.org.
Pop-Up Dinner: Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Caterer: Falafel Saha (Syrian)
Pickup Time: 4:30 pm to 6 pm
(Note: pickup time has changed)
Place Order by: 6 pm on August 23
(ordering may close early if sold out)
Cost: $20 for dinner as published.
The caterer will receive $17 of each meal purchased. The balance will underwrite paper goods and credit card and other service fees. IISTL is not charging the caterer or the purchaser a fee for participation.
This Week's Caterer
Syrian: Falafel Saha
Offering hand-crafted traditional Syrian food at the U City Farmers Market on Sat mornings. Menu includes falafel, hummus, and tabouleh and more!
Contact information for Falafel Saha:
Facebook: @SahaFalafel
Meal includes:
Chicken Dinner:
Salad: Tobouleh (a finely chopped salad made with parsley, tomato, bulgur. Mixed with lemon juice and olive oil)
Main Dish: Chicken Shawarma sandwich (wrapped in pita, chicken, pickles, mayonnaise) served with fries.
Dessert: Baklava (a rich sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped walnuts and held together with ghee)
Vegetarian Option:
Salad: Tobouleh (a finely chopped salad made with parsley, tomato, bulgur. Mixed with lemon juice and olive oil)
Main Dish: Falafel sandwich (wrapped in pita, Middle Eastern falafel is a deep-fried patty made from ground chickpeas, draped with tahini sauce) served with Hummus (a dip of chickpeas, garlic, lemon, tahini, and olive oil, served with pita bread)
Dessert: Baklava (a rich sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped walnuts and held together with ghee)
Extras:
Baklava – $7 for six pieces or $12 for one dozen
Ordering Closed
Additional Information
Order Confirmation: You will be emailed an order confirmation after submission from no-reply@iistl.org. If you do not receive a confirmation or have trouble ordering, please email Jacquelyn at ballardj@iistl.org. We have changed to a new ordering system and want to make sure that you have a good ordering experience. Thank you!
Pick up location is in our parking lot off of Louisiana, at our gym entrance. (signs will be posted) Please remain in your vehicle. A volunteer will ask you for your name and then will bring your order to your vehicle. All individuals will be wearing masks and gloves. Also, pop your trunks and food will be placed there.
Cancellation for a refund is Monday before dinner at 6 pm. Please email ballardj@iistl.org to cancel your order.
Previous Caterers
Albanian: Arber Cafe
At Arber we are passionate about our culture and the food we make. We want to share this passion with you! Cook and co-owner Limoza Hoxha has created a menu that includes traditional Albanian dishes with ingredients predominantly found in Albania’s southern region. This region cultivates many of the flavors that we incorporate into our dishes.
Contact information for Arber Cafe:
Text or Call: 314-833-6622
Facebook: @Arbercafestl
Instagram: @arber_cafe_stl
Email: arbercafestl@gmail.com
Argentinian: TANGO Argentina Food
Stella and Hector Aberastury, owners of TANGO Argentina Food, immigrated from Argentina with their two children in 1995. They started selling empanadas in early 2000 at local festivals and fairs (including the Festival of Nations) to share their food and culture with the St. Louis area.
Each empanada is made with imported spices and dough from Argentina, using old family recipes. Stella and Hector close each empanada by hand (“repulgue”) and deep fry it to perfection.
They have a brick-and-mortar location in St. Charles county, where you can get their empanadas (as well as imported sweets from Argentina, including alfajores and dulce de leche) Tuesday through Saturday, 4 pm to 9 pm.
Contact information for TANGO Argentina Food:
Text or Call: (636) 757-3076
Facebook: @tangoargentinafood
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tangoargentinafood/
Twitter: @tangoargfood
Bosnian: Taste of Bosnia
Elvira, owner of Taste of Bosnia, is from Bosnia. She was 17 years old when the war started, and her family had to leave their home. With her sister and parents they went to Germany as a refugee. They lived there for almost 5 years, when she got married in 1994. In 1997, Elvira moved to St. Louis with her husband and his family. She currently lives in South County with her husband and two children.
In Bosnia, Elvira was going to culinary school and her dream was always to have her own restaurant. She started her catering business -Taste Of Bosnia in February 2020 and is has opened a restaurant in South County in June 2021. Elvira is focused on making traditional, authentic Bosnian food as made by our grandmas with a twist that will satisfy the taste and needs of today’s consumers.
Contact information for Taste of Bosnia:
Text or Call: 314-329-6223
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tasteofbosnia/
Instagram: @tasteofbosniarestaurant
Brazilian: Samba, Inc.
After moving to the United States in l985, Moacyr worked in restaurants in Chicago such as Alfo’s and Carlos & Carlos. Also, cooking part time with catering companies, he continued to be involved in the food business and became a chef via years of experience.
Moacyr moved to St. Louis in 1993 and started preparing Brazilian food for events and festivals.
Currently, he provides catering services under the name Samba Inc.
Contact information for Samba, Inc.:
Call: 314-477-6226
Egyptian & Syrian Food: Mira
Duaa Alzateri came to St. Louis as a Syrian refugee in 2016 and is the mother of five children. Duaa came to St. Louis from Egypt. Her husband used to have a restaurant in Egypt featuring Syrian and Egyptian food. She started her catering business, Mira, in 2017 with IICDC support and assistance.
Contact information for Mira: https://www.facebook.com/Mira-food-llc-10049062464378
Indian: Saeed Food
Contact information for Saeed Food
Call: 314-828-9920
Iraqi: Baghdad Nights
Rana Ali the owner of Baghdad Nights. Came as refugee to St. Louis with her family in 2010. Rana has the passion of cooking food and decided to bring Iraqi’s food flavor to the community. With IICDC assistant Rana was able to open her catering business in 2019. If you like the Iraqi food and wants to place an catering order please visit Baghdad nights Facebook page
Contact information for Baghdad Nights
Call: 314-401-1780
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057151882104
Laotian and Thai: Ma Yim Bakery
In Lao and Thailand, food forms a central part of any social occasion, and it often becomes the social occasion in itself or a reason to celebrate. This is partly due to the friendly, social nature of Laos and Thai people, but also because of the way in which food is ordered, served, and eaten. Family and friends unite and share through food.
Lao and Thai Isan meal includes five main flavors: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy.
Contact information for Ma Yim Bakery:
Call: 314-502-9140
Facebook: @Ma-Yim-Bakery
Instagram: @Ma-Yim-Bakery
Middle Eastern: Sedara Sweets & Ice Cream
George and his wife Esraa, a refugee from Iraq started the business a couple of years ago because she wanted to bring a taste of the Middle East to St. Louis, in particular, our artisan sweets and baklava that can be found no where else in the St. Louis area. We hope to share the flare of our world and the passion and flavors of the Middle East with you.
We take pride in strive to give the people of St. Louis the absolute best in Middle East and cuisine and sweets, Using food to build bridges of cultural understanding and open new avenues of cultural expression.
Contact information for Sedara Sweets & Ice Cream
Text or Call: 314-338-0117
Facebook: @SedaraSTL
Instagram: @sedarastl
Puerto Rican & Venezuelan: VeneRican Catering
Owners Henry and Lourdes immigrated to St. Louis from their respective countries Venezuela and Puerto Rico in 1996. They met in 1997 and got married the following year. While Henry worked at a pizzeria, Lourdes would do small catering jobs for friends and family events. In 2008 they opened a pizzeria in St. Peters, MO and the following year opened VeneRican Catering. Lourdes love for cooking and her desire to share a little more of their culture inspired her to join the Festival of Nations in 2017. VeneRican Catering offers Venezuelan and Puerto Rican food for any event, big or small.
Contact information for VeneRican Catering:
Call: 314-378-7421
Email: Larias.venericancatering@gmail.com
Turkish: Sheesh Restaurant
Contact information:
Website: https://sheeshrestaurant.com/index.html
Call: 314-833-4321
Facebook: Sheesh Facebook
Email: info@sheeshrestaurant.com
West African & East African: House of Jollof
House of Jollof provides a unique twist on West African, East African, and American fusion. We offer the healthiest, most nutritious, most flavorful, inclusive, and unifying menu for everyone —from rice bowls and salads to wraps and sides for meat lovers, vegans, and vegetarians alike. We also pay close attention to each indigenous African spice that goes into our cooking, creating swirls of flavor to create one-of-a-kind dishes that really pack a punch. From marinated fish and spicy chicken to authentic jollof rice and a waakye wrap, you’re sure to find a dish you’ll love.
Contact information for House of Jollof:
Facebook: @houseofjollof
Instagram: @myhouseofjollof
Call: 314-384-9153