Let's Talk Politics at the Dinner Table

Conflict Kitchen, a restaurant in Pittsburgh, changes it's entire menu and theme every six months.  This restaurant "only serves food from countries with which the United States is in conflict." The current menu features food from Venezuela and past iterations have focused on Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Afghanistan. Founders Dawn Weleski and Jon Rubin realized that there were no restaurants in Pittsburgh serving food from countries that the United States was fighting with and they sought to fill that void. The idea of making a profit based on conflicts between the United States and other nations initially appears insensitive. Conflict Kitchen, however, does more than just serve food, it seeks to inspire conversation and debate.  

http://conflictkitchen.org/photos/

To get a job as a server you must be capable of "interacting with our customers on topics related to our country of focus. A keen interest in international politics, food, and culture is mandatory." Conflict Kitchen hosts many events "that seek to expand the engagement the public has with the culture, politics, and issues at stake within the focus country." An article in "The Daily Beast," focuses on a particular event called "The Two Koreas" in which food from North and South Korea was served. At the event "diners were divided by a culinary border but still allowed to converse and share the meal that was assigned to them." Careful thought goes in to the items on the menu to make sure that the food is accessible and appealing to an American audience while still being authentic to the chosen country. Wrappers might feature news articles or interviews from the current focus country.  

http://conflictkitchen.org/photos/

I have always viewed food as a universally uniting factor, something that connects people across different cultures and around the world.  What better way to make a foreign country more accessible, it's culture less "other," it's citizens more human, than by offering people an actual taste of their cuisine?