Visitors sampled food from international cuisines at the opening of Nibble Kitchen in Bow Market, on December 3.

By Shira Laucharoen

At long last, the much-anticipated Nibble Kitchen finally celebrated its grand opening on December 3 in Union Square’s Bow Market. The first restaurant nationally to be opened by an arts council, the Somerville Arts Council, Nibble Kitchen rejoices in the spirit of international eats and features a rotating menu of global cuisines. Mayor Joseph Curtatone was present during the revelries and led a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Nibble Kitchen originally grew out of the ArtsUnion initiative, a project launched in 2005 by the Somerville Arts Council with the intention of spurring economic development in Union Square. From there, the broader Nibble program was introduced, giving rise to tours of Union Square’s international markets, cooking classes, a Nibble blog, and a book.

Nibble was created with the intention of promoting diversity through culinary-cultural exchange, supporting chefs from Somerville’s immigrant communities and developing an authentic food experience. While Nibble gave entrepreneurs a chance to sell their wares in markets and festivals, there was still the difficulty of not having a permanent home.

Venezuelan arepas from Carolina Garcia and Carolina Salinas were served during the opening.

“The challenge was that it was tough being nomadic, and the audience doesn’t know exactly where you’re going to pop up,” said Rachel Strutt, cultural director of the Somerville Arts Council. “We started dreaming, dreaming and then scheming, how to open up a real brick and mortar restaurant. We started looking for spaces and writing mission statements, and we met the guys at Bow Market, and they liked the concept.”

During the opening, guests had the opportunity to try bite-sized samples from the chefs’ menus. Carolina Garcia and Carolina Salinas, both from Venezuela, offered their arepas in two varieties, the Reina Pepeada, with chicken and avocado, and the Best Buddies, with plantain and mozzarella. Rob Lemos served acarajé, a black-eyed pea fritter filled with salsa and peanut sauce, from his native city of Salvador, in Brazil. Meqdes Mesfin prepared an Ethiopian beef stew, fir fir. Afruza Akther presented a ghugni salad from her homeland of Bangladesh, combining chickpeas, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Visitors were also brought a hot Bolivian peanut drink, chicha de maní, brewed by Sandra Suarez.

For many of the chefs, cooking gives them a way of connecting to their cultures and heritages, using food as a way of telling stories, said Strutt. Mesfin learned to cook from her grandmother, whose life was impacted by the aftermath of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia during World War II. Facing scarcity, her grandmother had to “be creative and start from scratch,” but “always had a solution,” an approach that Mesfin learned from. Lemos said that in his native country of Brazil, the kitchen was always a special place for his family to gather.

Volunteer Clarissa Alvarez and kitchen manager Aly Lopez prepared food in the kitchen.

“Because food is an expression of culture, there is a lot of history. My focus as a chef is to focus on food identity,” said Lemos. “Acarajés have an identity and a background. I feel the power to express myself, as the food and ingredients evolve into music and performance.”

In Somerville, it can be harder for immigrants to enter the economic landscape and launch their own business, said Strutt. Individuals may encounter language barriers, financial barriers, or just find challenges in navigating the system. Nibble assists new entrepreneurs in understanding the scene, giving them an opportunity to cook in a professional setting, before they may open their own storefronts. Garcia and Salinas were able to proudly open their own restaurant, Carolicious, which serves arepas, this past August.

Curtatone affirmed the sentiment that Nibble will play an important role in promoting diversity within Union Square, as food continues to draw people together and unite cultures. The restaurant represents a way of preserving multiculturalism and Somerville’s commitment to honor immigrant communities, he said.

“It’s an opportunity to break down each other’s barriers,” said Curtatone. “Food is a common language.”

Mayor Joseph Curtatone led a ribbon cutting ceremony outside of the restaurant.