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News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

3rd Annual “Plate of Nations” Event to Celebrate MLK’s Global Cuisines

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Plate of NationsPlate of Nations 2 March 24 – April 6, 2013

Attention Seattle foodies! Hankering for simmering Somali goat stew or Lao papaya salad with Blue Crab? What about Vietnamese Claypot fish and Ethiopian dry-cooked lamb? Or how about Okonomiyaki Japanese cabbage pancakes with hazelnut risotto cakes? MLK Jr. Way South, home to some of Seattle’s best, independently-owned ethnic eateries, has all of these exotic, tasty dishes and more to offer during the Third Annual Plate of Nations event.

Plate of Nations offers a culinary tour of several continents. During this two-week event, ten MLK restaurants will offer special $15 and $25 sharable meals.

Participating restaurants include Original Philly’s (American East Coast, Café Ibex (Ethiopian, Bananas Grill (Mediterranean and Middle Eastern), Rainier BBQ (Vietnamese), Karama (Somali/East African), St. Dames (global vegetarian), Thai Palms (Thai and Lao), Olympic Express (Southeast Asian/Cham Vietnamese Halal), Deo Valente (NY Little Italy American), and Joy Palace (Cantonese). This year a “passport” invites diners to earn stamps for sampling the global cuisines of all 10 restaurants and to become eligible for prizes.

PlateOfNationsLOGO  Plate of Nations was launched in 2011 by the MLK Business Association to create a festive event where MLK restaurants can showcase some of their favorite dishes with special menus that invite customers to experience their cultural traditions. Last year the event drew food adventurists from eight states, nine Washington cities and twenty Seattle neighborhoods – 90% of whom said they came to the MLK in the Valley area specifically for Plate of Nations.

Plate of Nations 2013 is sponsored by the MLK Business Association, City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development, Vulcan, Rainier Valley Community Development Fund, and HomeSight. The Office of Economic Development’s Only in Seattle initiative provided funding for Plate of Nations.

“Plate of Nations is an opportunity for people to connect with their neighbors, support local businesses and celebrate what makes this area unique,” said Pearl Leung, Senior Community Manager at Vulcan. “Neighborhood events like this are key ingredients for strong, vibrant communities and Vulcan is proud to be a supporter.”

The MLK Business Association (MLK BA) is a non-profit organization established in 2008 to serve the businesses along Martin Luther King Jr. Way South in Seattle. Its vision is to “build a strong, vibrant, and culturally diverse business community that is a destination second to none in the Pacific Northwest.” You can also see more on our website

http://www.plateofnations.com/

U.S. Dept. of Commerce announces innovation competition

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Seattle communities project provides online resources for neighborhood groups 
City of Seattle
Neighborhood groups now have a place where they can go to get information to actively engage their community members using online tools. The new Seattle Communities Online portal includes features like “Neighborhoods on the Net,” a list of blogs, wikis, websites, Facebook pages, and Twitter feeds associated with specific communities and neighborhoods in Seattle.

Prosperity Partnership investigates creation of integrated energy efficiency center 
Prosperity Partnership
Seattle-based Prosperity Partnership wants to optimize the Puget Sound region’s capacity to sell energy efficiency goods and services to the world. This week, the Partnership announced next steps toward the formation of an integrated energy efficiency center for the region.

Bring innovative ideas to market for the i6 Challenge 
The White House
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship today announced the i6 Challenge. The Dept. of Commerce will award up to $1 million each to six winning teams with the most innovative ideas to drive technology commercialization in their regions.

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