Mexican Food And Ideas Festival, Sobremesa, Comes To NYC This Friday

The Jaime Lucero Mexican Studies Institute at CUNY is hosting a Mexican food and ideas festival, Sobremesa, which will be taking place this Friday, May 20, at The Great Hall of the City College of New York.

The intention of the festival is to "encourage conversations about fields-to-table culture, fair-food movements and gastronomic explorations within Mexico and the United States," according to the event website. Admission is free; however, there is an online registration to get a ticket for the event. There will be talks, workshops, and a pop-up market for guests to enjoy.

The day will begin with a Mexican-style breakfast catered by Doña Irma, followed by an opening ceremony. Luz Calvo and Catriona Esquibel, authors of Decolonize Your Diet, will deliver a keynote presentation titled "Reclaim Your Culture Through Food."

Other presentations include "Discovering My Roots Through Food" by NYC chef, cookbook author, and The Daily Meal Council member Zarela Martinez; "The Future of the Tortilla in New York City" by journalist, culinary tour expert, and Mexican cookbook author Lesley Téllez; and a panel titled "The Central and Unrecognized Role of Mexicans in the Food Industry in New York City," which will be moderated by Gonzalo Gout.

The Mexican pop-up market will feature eats from La Miscelanea, an East Village Mexican Deli which will offer cafe de olla, aguas frescas, tortas, candies and other Mexican products. La Newyorkina, maker of artisanal, small-batch Mexican frozen treats and sweets, will be serving pastel de tres leches ice cream. Tortillería Nixtamal, a tortilla maker located in Corona, Queens, will have tortillas, chips, and salsa for guests to taste.

Think you know authentic Mexican food? Check out our roundup of 11 "Mexican" foods you won't find in Mexico.