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Bloodroot Of Bridgeport Celebrates 40th Birthday With NY Times Feature

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — They had no trained chefs, no wait staff and their restaurant sat in a former machine shop at the dead end of a residential street in Bridgeport, of all places.

Selma Miriam, left, and Noel Furie are the remaining two members of the Bloodroot Collective that opened Bloodroot in 1977.

Selma Miriam, left, and Noel Furie are the remaining two members of the Bloodroot Collective that opened Bloodroot in 1977.

Photo Credit: Meredith Guinness
Bloodroot founders Noel Furie, left, and Selma Miriam in the earlier days of the restaurant/bookstore that's celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Bloodroot founders Noel Furie, left, and Selma Miriam in the earlier days of the restaurant/bookstore that's celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Photo Credit: Facebook

But somehow Bloodroot, a most unusual vegetarian/vegan restaurant and feminist bookstore, has endured and will celebrate its 40th anniversary next week.

Perhaps the reason is the delicious and ever-changing menu, which is featured Wednesday in a story about owners Selma Miriam and Noel Furie and the restaurant’s fascinating history in the New York Times Food section.

Over the years, Bloodroot has gained a fierce following, with many feminists and vegetarians from across the country making a pilgrimage or pitstop to the legendary eatery.

In order to accommodate all the fans who want to help celebrate Bloodroot’s birthday, the restaurant is hosting a series of special events throughout March and April.

The official celebration dinners will take place on March 21, 22 and 23, with each evening featuring champagne and a raffle. Reservations are required.

In addition, Bloodroot is drawing attention to other great vegetarian restaurants across Connecticut, which will be cooking up some of their specialities and menus. Upcoming events include: Jamaican vegan delicacies from Hartford’s Fire and Spice and Bridgeport’s Shondal on April 2; Claire’s Corner Copia of New Haven on April 5; and Fairfield’s Catch a Healthy Habit on April 12.

Related art exhibitions include Furie’s photography from March 19 to 26, a selection of Myriam Fougere’s sculpture and ceramics from April 11 to 16 and Sudie Rakasin’s oil paintings from April 25 to 30.

At 4 p.m. on March 26, Bloodroot will host a conversation with renowned Australian feminist Sheila Jeffreys, author of “The Spinster and Her Enemies,” “Anticlimax” and “Lesbian Heresy.”

To reserve your space at these events, call Bloodroot at 203-576-9168. To view the full list of activities, visit the website

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