Get ready for Global Eats! This month, we invite you to join us at Lee’s Kitchen, a Jamaican-Soul food restaurant with two Raleigh locations, as well as a food truck.
Lee’s Kitchen is owned and operated by Peter Ellison and Charles Burgess. Ellison moved to Raleigh nearly 35 years ago, originally from Jamaica. Burgess is originally from Brooklyn and moved to Raleigh before Ellison
Being from Jamaica, Ellison grew up eating one of the world’s most culturally diverse cuisines. Since 1509, the culinary techniques and ingredients of the Spanish, English, East Indians, West Africans, Portuguese, Chinese, French and Dutch have influenced Jamaican cuisine as we know it today.
With such a diverse array of ingredients and spices, Jamaican cuisine can be tailored to anyone’s dietary preferences. The diversity of ingredients and different influences has developed many signature dishes like oxtail, chicken (jerk or curry), brown stew, and ackee and saltfish. No Jamaican meal is complete without the signature dish of rice and peas.
Burgess grew up with a different culinary background, southern soul food. This shines through on the menu, and you’ll find southern staples like candied yams, mac and cheese, collard greens and a variety of barbequed meats.
Before opening Lee’s Kitchen, Ellison and Burgess worked in the food industry but desired to run their own business and give back to the community. The result is a local staple that fuses the diverse Jamaican and Southern culinary styles. Since the first location on Capital Boulevard opened, Lee’s Kitchen has opened a second restaurant on Raleigh Boulevard and attend many community events with their food truck.
Lee’s Kitchen also strives to give back to the community. Ellison and Burgess are involved with Second Chance, a program that employs rehabilitated women leaving prison. They also participate in YMCA charity events and donate to breast cancer research.
Join Global Eats on November 15 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm at Lee’s Kitchen located at 1100 Raleigh Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27610. Tickets are $6 for samples of Jamaican dishes!
About Global Eats
Global Eats exposes people to locally owned restaurants offering ethnic cuisine. Join us for monthly Global Eats events on the third Tuesday of each month. Global Eats is a partnership between Shop Local Raleigh, Tabletop Media Group and Stacey Sprenz Photography.
