By Katie Watkins

Lakeview restaurant Southport and Irving launched a new Unity in Diversity dinner series that features the traditional dishes of different ethnicities. Each month, a guest will be invited to share their favorite family recipes. Chef Berta Navarro kicked off the first dinner on February 23, cooking her grandmother’s recipes from Jalisco, Mexico.

“We love celebrating flavors and cuisines from around the world,” said general manager Ardit Dizdari. “It shows that no matter where you are from and how different your rituals are, you still sit at a table with friends and/or family and share a meal.”

Dizardi will help his mom, Myzejen, cook Albanian recipes for the second dinner on March 23. “My love for food and cooking comes from watching my mother and grandmother cook when I was a little kid, and they forced me to help out,” Dizardi said. “We will bring some of the recipes that we cook in my home town, and food we make for gatherings and celebrations.”