Conflict Kitchen Closing Schenley Plaza Eatery, But Continuing Mission

In announcing that the Conflict Kitchen takeout restaurant in Oakland’s Schenley Plaza will close after May 31, the people behind it cited not an ending, but “a new phase in the life of the project.” 

While they won’t be serving from that kiosk rotating menus of foods from peoples and countries in conflict with the United States, they look to still start conversations and perhaps arguments as they continue a mission of serving up diverse food for thought.

Founder Jon Rubin and his co-director, Dawn Weleski, both said Friday that they had no additional comment on Thursday night’s closing announcement. The project started seven years ago and caught national and international attention for how they research each featured country and cuisine and incorporate interviews and other information into the food’s packaging. 

Scott Roller, spokesman for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy that operates Schenley Plaza, said that while his group will miss Conflict Kitchen, it’s happy to announce that it will partner with Conflict Kitchen’s head chef Robert Sayre in a new restaurant in that kiosk called Mesa that will feature New Mexican food —  a  “vibrant mixture between Spanish, Native American, Mexican and cowboy chuckwagon style cuisine” when it opens in June... Read the full article