Nigerian Chef, Tunde Wey, from Revolver in Detroit popping up at Toki Underground Sun. Dec. 7th

Urban Innovation Exchange: Peter & Tunde, revolver from DETROIT LIVES! on Vimeo.

Maybe the best pitch email I’ve ever gotten:

From an email:

“my name is tunde wey, and im a chef/ restaurateur (revolver) out of detroit. im on a haphazard tour of some interesting cities, bringing joy to all– in the form of a nigerian goat dinner.

DC (december 7 @ toki underground) [Buy a seat ($55 at Toki 1234 H St, NE) and check the menu at that link]

i understand why you might immediately dismiss my project as wasteful, unimportant, uninventive even… we all know nigerian cuisine is in the same pedestrian culinary category as burger and french fries.

of course people are tired of eating nigerian food; its ubiquitous, not sexy anymore and passé. nigerian cuisine is way past its heyday– which was sometime in the early 1900’s when everything nigerian was moving from hipster cool to mainstream vogue?

but i have a different angle.

you see, despite nigerian cuisine being more overexposed than the kardashians– with our boring plantains, stewed cowfeet, peppered goat head, silky palm oil, sweet coconuts and smoked crayfish– there is still at least one thing folks don’t know about nigerian fare: EVERYTHING!

In closing… help a nigerian today because one nigerian helped is one less nigerian sending you fraudulent emails (oops… i feel like i shouldn’t end the message this way… oh well)”