Savory Scents and Stories from Brooklyn Bowl of ‘Zole

The first sign of Bowl of ‘Zole’s triumphant homecoming wasn’t the banner ushering guests into the spacious 5 2 A Venue at Industry City. Rather, it was the breeze drifting down the sidewalks in Brooklyn, redolent of chiles, hominy, and a melange of savory broths. The scent beckoned to a night both festive and meaningful as Bowl of ‘Zole teamed up with community partner City Harvest.

Connoisseurs truly attuned to the food and beverage scene turned out for NYC’s most underrated food festival. The mood was celebratory as attendees entered raffles, plucked tasting bowls from tables, and danced to DJ Benofonte, Oscar Leon Bernal, and Felipe Mendez-Candelas’ euphoric beats between bites and sips.

The all-inclusive event featured over 120 vibrant expressions of agave spirits and beverages from an illustrious list of brands including Del Maguey, Los Siete Misterios, Lot001, Cruz del Fuego, and Monopolio. Tequila, mezcal, sotol, and Topo Chico sparkled alongside the evening’s star of tantalizing interpretations of classic and contemporary pozole from more than 20 of New York City’s top chefs.

Award-winning and up-and-coming chefs stepped up in Brooklyn to present their renditions of the brothy stew and donate ample batches to City Harvest, New York City’s largest food rescue organization feeding nearly 1.2 million New Yorkers.

While pozole is typically made with pork and hominy garnished with a medley of shredded cabbage, radishes, onions, cilantro, and lime, chefs at Bowl of ‘Zole showcased a multitude of flavors, from the deeply traditional to thrillingly inventive. 

Familial inspiration infused many of the pozoles at the bustling festival. Felipe Mendez-Candelas of the Michelin Guide-recommended La Superior worked behind a marigold-filled table lined with alluring soft pink tequila cocktails. He deftly ladled a rojo seafood pozole into tasting bowls and finished each with skewered shrimp and chicharron, recounting, “This recipe is inspired by my uncle’s recipe.”

“It wasn’t vegan when she made it, but this was my mother’s recipe,” Jajaja’s chef mused as he tweezered precision-cut vegetables atop Mama’s Pozole, a vegan pozole verde made with jackfruit and shiitake mushrooms. Mom’s influence spilled over into Carlos Salazar’s pozole, too. The Mayahuel chef handed out Pozole de Tres Chiles, its broth a sweet and spicy harmony of guajillo, costeño, and puya chiles. 

As chefs channeled their families’ culinary traditions into bowls of pozole, there was also a laser focus on the methods and ingredients that define the famous Mexican stew. 

Luis Arce Mota of La Contenta meticulously prepared each element of his Classic Pork Pozole individually to assemble on-site for impeccably composed portions. He cooked the hominy for hours separately from the pork for tender kernels without overcooked meat. He carefully selected a blend of chiles, striking a balance of heat and flavor in a full-bodied broth.

Cosme Aguilar revealed that, for his Pork Pozole, “using a whole pig’s head sets Casa Enrique’s pozole apart.” Mesa Coyoacan’s Iván Garcia incorporated pig’s head into his traditional pork pozole, too, and used corn from fellow Michelin Guide-recognized and festival participant, Sobre Masa.

Sobre Masa’s Zach Wangerman showcased a pork pozole with his renowned tortillas as accompaniments. He detailed that he sources Mexican chiles for his pozole to ensure standards of flavor and quality just as he imports heirloom corn from Mexico to achieve remarkable tortillas. Similarly, Tomas de la O echoed the importance of top-notch ingredients and said good epazote was key for Marcela Cocina Mexicana’s pozole verde.

Henry Zamora of Tacos Güey, lauded for its carefully engineered menu, deliberately chose a heritage breed of pork for his Pozole with Berkshire Pork and Cilantro Shoots. He credited the dish’s savoriness and rich profile to the pork’s flavor and fat content. 

Pork certainly was king at Bowl of ‘Zole, but lamb (Lamb Neck Pozole from Ursula’s Eric See, Lamb Shank and Pork from Moisés López of Tobalá), chicken (Panzón’s Pozole with Smoked Chicken from Fredy Llanos), seafood (Justin Bazdarich’s Shrimp Pozole with Masa Crumble from Oxomoco, Pozole de Camaron from Julian Medina of El Fish Marisquería), and vegetarian pozole (Mijo’s Pozole Esquites from Fany Gerson) made delightful counterpoints.

Playful pozole interpretations made an impression at Bowl of ‘Zole: Arturo Jimenez of Casa Mezcal, the first mezcaleria in the United States, incorporated yellow Oaxacan mole and squash blossoms into his Pozole Mole Amarillo, while Cruz Del Sur’s Hugo Orozco presented pozole oysters, freshly shucked all night long. Also representing La Chula, another of his restaurants, Julian Medina reimagined pozole as flavor-packed dumplings in a spiced coconut broth.

As the pots of pozole emptied and the winners of giveaways from Anova Culinary were announced, Fany Gerson’s La Newyorkina paletas began appearing in hands (and swirled in a few mezcal cups) for a sweet finale. Reluctant to bring Bowl of ‘Zole to a close, the crowd danced over to Sunset Park’s Mama Tried for a lively afterparty presented by Cruz de Fuego, Flor Del Desierto, and Amatiteña.

Although the celebration in Brooklyn wrapped up the 2023 Bowl of ‘Zole Tour, the festival returns in 2024 in Brooklyn, Boston, and Denver. Be the first to know when Bowl of ‘Zole comes to a city near you by subscribing to the Food Karma newsletter and following along on social media.

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Save the date – October 19, 2023 details coming soon

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Bowl of ‘Zole Brooklyn 2022

Thanks to everyone who attended this year’s event and we can’t wait to do again next year!

Bowl of ‘Zole is Coming Back to Brooklyn!

After a successful trip to Boston, Bowl of ‘Zole is coming home to Brooklyn. Join us at a new venue for the third anniversary of this NYC Pozole Festival.

Join us in Bushwick on Thursday, October 20, 2022 to sample ten takes on pozole and over fifty expressions of agave spirits (mezcal, sotol, tequila, raicilla), plus wine, beer and hard seltzer.
ALL-INCLUSIVE VIP and ALL-INCLUSIVE early-bird tickets are on sale now.

VIP Tickets  offer early admission at 5:00 PM, and are the best way to experience Bowl of ‘Zole. Included in your entry:

• Early Access – You’ll be admitted one hour before the general public! 5PM entry for VIP only!
• All food & drink, with 10+ pozoles and more than 50 Mezcal options to sample
• Time to meet the chefs and other industry players
• VIP access gets the first bites of pozole and first tastes of the agave spirits.
• Exclusive goody bag 

General Admission  includes 6:00 PM admission to the all-inclusive event. All food & drink, with 10+ pozoles and more than 50 agave spirits (mezcal, sotol, tequila, raicilla) to sample.

Community Sponsor:

Part of this event’s proceeds and food will go to City Harvest, New York City’s first and largest food rescue organization. City Harvest will rescue 75 million pounds of food this year and deliver it free of charge to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community food programs, helping to feed the nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers struggling to put meals on their tables. Learn more. 

Entertainment:

Live DJ: Benjamin Nava, aka DJ Benofonte sharing golden-era Latin genres, world grooves and Jazz adjacent beats to the curios ear. Instagram: @djbenofonte

The partners behind this event, Arik Torren of Fidencio Spirits; Chef Danny Mena and Food Karma Projects’ founder Jimmy Carbone, wanted to bring pozole, the comforting Mexican stew, out of the shadows and into the forefront. They launched this event in Brooklyn 2020 to bring todgether chefs, mezcal producers and food lovers to celebrate all things pozole. Many experts from the world of mezcal and agave spirits will be on hand to share their knowledge on these delicious elixirs. Tickets are on sale now!

Indoor Event
21+
No Refunds

Bowl of ‘Zole featured in VinePair

Bowl of ‘Zole is Proud to Partner with City Harvest

City Harvest
Part of this event’s proceeds and food will got to City Harvest, New York City’s largest food rescue organization. City Harvest will rescue 66 million pounds of food this year and deliver it free of charge to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community food programs, helping to feed the nearly 1.2 million New Yorkers struggling to put meals on their tables. Learn more. 

About Event Curators Arik Torren & Danny Mena 

Arik Torren
Arik started his career in the restaurant business over 25 years ago.  As a front-of-house person he worked in all parts of operations but was always drawn towards beverage.  In 2004 and 2005, Arik received his Level 1 & Level 2 certification for the American Sommeliers Association.  

In 2009, Arik launched Fidencio Mezcal. His passion for educating and telling stories were the perfect complement to present Fidencio and grow the category of Mezcal.  Within the past 14 years artisanal mezcal has seen major growth and Fidencio Mezcal has been a driving force within the category.  

In 2014, Arik has launched Fidencio Spirits to import other brands to the United States. Fidencio Mezcal sparked a desire to explore more flavors, learn more stories and share them with the market. The first project was Raicilla La Venenosa. Until now, these remarkable spirits were hidden to the outside world. With the launch of the brand La Venenosa, he also launched the spirits category of Raicilla and Tutsi to the United States. In 2015, Fidencio Spirits launched Mezcal Derrumbes, A Mezcal Journey. 2017 brought us Bacanora Rancho Tepúa and Mezcal Del Amigo. In 2018 FS launched Sotol La Higuera and in 2021 the Tequila Mi Casa. The portfolio currently has 36 expressions with 16 different Maestros, 26 unique varieties of agave and sotol coming from 11 different states in Mexico, clearly telling a story and sharing a passion.  

Danny Mena
Mexico City-born Danny Mena began at New York landmarks Blue Hill and The Modern before opening Hecho en Dumbo in 2010 and La Lonchería in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood in 2017.

In his new book, Danny Mena mixes recipes inspired by Mexico City street food, local eateries, and multi-starred restaurants, combining regional traditions and global trends. Each recipe is inspired by a different Mexico City restaurant, and in more than 100 dishes, Danny Mena shows American home cooks the depth and diversity of true Mexican cooking in the capital city

Press and Related Media

The New York Times: “A new food festival on Saturday will feature 100 mezcals to sample, along with pozoles from the chefs Ivy Stark, Danny Mena, Gonzalo Rivera, Julian Medina, Hugo Orozco, Luis Arce Mota, Chai Trivedi, Fernando Navas, Ivan Garcia, Cosme Aguilar and Fany Gerson. Red pozole, matzo ball pozole, oyster pozole and pozole ramen are a few of the bowls that will be served. It’s engineered by Jimmy Carbone of Food Karma with Arik Torren, an owner of Fidencio Spirits, and Mr. Mena.”

Timeout: “New York gains Bowl of ‘Zole festival on February 29th. The event in Williamsburg will have pozole and mezcal to try and is curated, in part, by Mena, with chefs Gerson, Ivy Stark (Casa Bocado and Time Out Market New York vendor), Cosme Aguilar (Casa Enrique) and more.”

Grub Street: 10 Excellent Things To Eat, Drink, and Do in NYC This Februray: 1. Go to a festival that’s all about pozole and mezcal. Pozole is one of of Mexico’s favorite dishes, a pork and hominy soup that inspires obsession and longing. The New York chefs Danny Mena and Fany Gerson are so obsessed they recently launched the pozole pop-up La Pozoleria, and now Mena is doing one better: He’s curating the first Bowl of ’Zole in Williamsburg, a February 29 festival dedicated entirely to pozole and, for good measure, mezcal.”

Gothamist: Best Things to Do in NYC This Week: Warm yourself up at Bowl of ‘Zole, a feast of Mexican comfort food and drinks. The star of the day is pozole, a hearty stew made with hominy, greens, and a variety of meats (with vegetarian options too, of course), prepared by 10 different chefs including Casa Enrique’s Cosme Aguilar, Toloache and La Chula’s Julian Medina, La Loncheria’s Danny Mena, and Casa Bocado’s Ivy Stark. To wash it down, there will be 50 different smoky mezcals, an ancient beverage traditionally distilled in in-ground fire pits.

Bklyner: Celebrate Pozole at Bowl of ‘Zole Festival this Saturday in Williamsburg: Chef Danny Mena and Arik Torren, both veterans of the New York City mezcal and restaurant scenes, wanted to create an event that elevated mezcal and pozole, both of which tangibly represent the regional diversity of Mexico’s cuisine. They called up Jimmy Carbone, a seasoned event producer, to help bring it to fruition. 

Brooklyn Paper: ‘Zole Models: Festival Celebrates a Meaty Mexican Stew: “There are a million ramen joints in the city, why not pozole?” asked chef Danny Mena, who runs the pop-up restaurant La Pozolería in Manhattan. “It’s d— delicious!”

Beer Sessions Radio

Episode 520: Tastes from Mexico: Mezcal and Pozole
In honor of the upcoming Bowl of ‘Zole Festival, Jimmy talks about the festival’s featured food and drink: pozole and mezcal. He is joined by one of Bowl of ‘Zole’s curators, Arik Torren of Fidencio Spirits, in addition to Leslie Vinyard of Roberta’s Pizza and Chris Crowley of Grub Street. Arik draws on his experience importing spirits as the group talks about the traditional process of making mezcal and how increased demand has affected farmers in Oaxaca. They also discuss their favorite places to get pozole in New York and compare mezcal with natural wine.

The post 2022 Recap – Brooklyn Bowl of ‘Zole first appeared on Bowl of 'Zole.

Bowl of ‘Zole 2021 Recap

Chefs and mezcal brands came together in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in late October to celebrate all things pozole and agave spirits. This festival, curated by Arik Torren, owner of Fidencio Mezcal; chef, restaurant owner, and cookbook author, Danny Mena; and Food Karma’s Jimmy Carbone, untied an amazing community of mezcal aficionados and Mexican chefs all excited to share the experience with our attendees. See more here.

The event featured delicious versions of pozole from:

• Luis Arce Mota of La Contenta
  • Vegan Pozole Verde
• Yara Herrera of Xilonen
  • Green Vegan Pozole de Calabaza
• Cosme Aguilar of Casa Enrique
• Danny Mena of La Loncheria
  • Red Pozole with Crab and Pork
• Ivan Garcia of Mesa Coyoacan
• Irwin Sánchez of Under the Volcano
  • Classic Corn Pozole
• Fernando Navas of Balvanera
• Julian Medina of La Chula Taqueria
  • Miso Pozole with Porchetta, Hominy, Cabbage, Radishes, Scallions and Chile de Arbol
• Julian Medina of Kuxé
  • Pozole de Birria with beer braised brisket & pork, maiz pozolero and pickled watermelon radish-habanero salad

Plus tastings and cocktails from these top-shelf brands:

Del Maguey

Mezcal Siete Misterios

Erstwhile Mezcal

Don Fulano

Sotol Flor Desierto

Mezcal Cruz del Fuego

Tequila Fortaleza

Mezcales de Leyenda

Mezcal Derrumbes

Raicilla La Venenosa

Bacanora Rancho Tepua

Sotol La Higuera

PM Spirits

Mezcal Bañuelos

Raicilla Bonete

Bacanora Yawee

Skurnik Wines and Spirits

Mezcal Espiritu Lauro

Sotol Coyote

Lalocura

Neta

Mal Bien

Don Amado

Minas Real

Arte Nom

Craft Distillers

Mezcal Montelobos

Mezcal Wakaha

Mezcal Vago

Tequila Ocho

Mezcal el Buho

Mezcal Los Vecinos

Mezcal Sombra

Tequila Astral

Heavy Metl

Rayo Seco

Bowl of ‘Zole is Proud to Partner with City Harvest

City Harvest
Part of this event’s proceeds and food will got to City Harvest, New York City’s largest food rescue organization. City Harvest will rescue 66 million pounds of food this year and deliver it free of charge to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community food programs, helping to feed the nearly 1.2 million New Yorkers struggling to put meals on their tables. Learn more. 

About Event Curators Arik Torren & Danny Mena 

Arik Torren
Arik started his career in the restaurant business over 25 years ago.  As a front-of-house person he worked in all parts of operations but was always drawn towards beverage.  In 2004 and 2005, Arik received his Level 1 & Level 2 certification for the American Sommeliers Association.  

In 2009, Arik launched Fidencio Mezcal. His passion for educating and telling stories were the perfect complement to present Fidencio and grow the category of Mezcal.  Within the past 14 years artisanal mezcal has seen major growth and Fidencio Mezcal has been a driving force within the category.  

In 2014, Arik has launched Fidencio Spirits to import other brands to the United States. Fidencio Mezcal sparked a desire to explore more flavors, learn more stories and share them with the market. The first project was Raicilla La Venenosa. Until now, these remarkable spirits were hidden to the outside world. With the launch of the brand La Venenosa, he also launched the spirits category of Raicilla and Tutsi to the United States. In 2015, Fidencio Spirits launched Mezcal Derrumbes, A Mezcal Journey. 2017 brought us Bacanora Rancho Tepúa and Mezcal Del Amigo. In 2018 FS launched Sotol La Higuera and in 2021 the Tequila Mi Casa. The portfolio currently has 36 expressions with 16 different Maestros, 26 unique varieties of agave and sotol coming from 11 different states in Mexico, clearly telling a story and sharing a passion.  

Danny Mena
Mexico City-born Danny Mena began at New York landmarks Blue Hill and The Modern before opening Hecho en Dumbo in 2010 and La Lonchería in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood in 2017.

In his new book, Danny Mena mixes recipes inspired by Mexico City street food, local eateries, and multi-starred restaurants, combining regional traditions and global trends. Each recipe is inspired by a different Mexico City restaurant, and in more than 100 dishes, Danny Mena shows American home cooks the depth and diversity of true Mexican cooking in the capital city

Press and Related Media

The New York Times: “A new food festival on Saturday will feature 100 mezcals to sample, along with pozoles from the chefs Ivy Stark, Danny Mena, Gonzalo Rivera, Julian Medina, Hugo Orozco, Luis Arce Mota, Chai Trivedi, Fernando Navas, Ivan Garcia, Cosme Aguilar and Fany Gerson. Red pozole, matzo ball pozole, oyster pozole and pozole ramen are a few of the bowls that will be served. It’s engineered by Jimmy Carbone of Food Karma with Arik Torren, an owner of Fidencio Spirits, and Mr. Mena.”

Timeout: “New York gains Bowl of ‘Zole festival on February 29th. The event in Williamsburg will have pozole and mezcal to try and is curated, in part, by Mena, with chefs Gerson, Ivy Stark (Casa Bocado and Time Out Market New York vendor), Cosme Aguilar (Casa Enrique) and more.”

Grub Street: 10 Excellent Things To Eat, Drink, and Do in NYC This Februray: 1. Go to a festival that’s all about pozole and mezcal. Pozole is one of of Mexico’s favorite dishes, a pork and hominy soup that inspires obsession and longing. The New York chefs Danny Mena and Fany Gerson are so obsessed they recently launched the pozole pop-up La Pozoleria, and now Mena is doing one better: He’s curating the first Bowl of ’Zole in Williamsburg, a February 29 festival dedicated entirely to pozole and, for good measure, mezcal.”

Gothamist: Best Things to Do in NYC This Week: Warm yourself up at Bowl of ‘Zole, a feast of Mexican comfort food and drinks. The star of the day is pozole, a hearty stew made with hominy, greens, and a variety of meats (with vegetarian options too, of course), prepared by 10 different chefs including Casa Enrique’s Cosme Aguilar, Toloache and La Chula’s Julian Medina, La Loncheria’s Danny Mena, and Casa Bocado’s Ivy Stark. To wash it down, there will be 50 different smoky mezcals, an ancient beverage traditionally distilled in in-ground fire pits.

Bklyner: Celebrate Pozole at Bowl of ‘Zole Festival this Saturday in Williamsburg: Chef Danny Mena and Arik Torren, both veterans of the New York City mezcal and restaurant scenes, wanted to create an event that elevated mezcal and pozole, both of which tangibly represent the regional diversity of Mexico’s cuisine. They called up Jimmy Carbone, a seasoned event producer, to help bring it to fruition. 

Brooklyn Paper: ‘Zole Models: Festival Celebrates a Meaty Mexican Stew: “There are a million ramen joints in the city, why not pozole?” asked chef Danny Mena, who runs the pop-up restaurant La Pozolería in Manhattan. “It’s d— delicious!”

Beer Sessions Radio

Episode 520: Tastes from Mexico: Mezcal and Pozole
In honor of the upcoming Bowl of ‘Zole Festival, Jimmy talks about the festival’s featured food and drink: pozole and mezcal. He is joined by one of Bowl of ‘Zole’s curators, Arik Torren of Fidencio Spirits, in addition to Leslie Vinyard of Roberta’s Pizza and Chris Crowley of Grub Street. Arik draws on his experience importing spirits as the group talks about the traditional process of making mezcal and how increased demand has affected farmers in Oaxaca. They also discuss their favorite places to get pozole in New York and compare mezcal with natural wine.

The post 2021 Recap – Bowl of Zole first appeared on Bowl of 'Zole.

Bowl of Zole 2020: Recap

The first ever Bowl of ‘Zole was a big success thanks to the incredible chefs, distinctive spirits, and enthusiastic guests. Our event curators are thrilled to have shined the spotlight on some of the best flavors Mexico has to offer – pozole and mezcal! Event recap below.

10 Pozoles and 100 Mezcals

Pozole

For far too long pozole has been relegated to the back corner of the menu behind the tacos, ceviches, and guacamole. With this event, we honored this great Mexican stew that warms the heart and soul. 

Chefs and Dishes Included:

Ivy Stark,Casa Bocado
Pozole Rojo with Braised Beef Short Ribs

Danny Mena, La Loncheria
Vegetarian Pozole Verde from Guerrero, spiced with pumpkin seed & chile serrano

Gonzalo Rivera, La Esquina
Vuelve a la Vida Pozole: Maine lobster, clams, mussels, organic hominy, fennel, toasted sesame & Chile de árbol oil, smoky hoja santa broth.

Julian Medina, Toloache
Pozole Verde: Heirloom hominy, green curry-coconut milk broth, thai basil, lemongrass salsa macha, bean sprouts.

Julian Medina, La Chula
Pozole Ramen: Pork-Chile guajillo broth, hominy, cabbage, scallions, radishes & pico de gallo.

Hugo Orozco, Las Santas
Oyster Pozole: Colima style pozole seco, blue point oysters, oregano, Chile de árbol mignonette & ibérico crumbs.

Luis Arce Mota, La Contenta
Pozole Rojo con cabeza de puerco, Sinaloa style

Chai Trivedi, Kitsch, Indigo Williamsburg
Mazto Ball Pozole

Fernando Nevas, Balvanera
Pozole Rojo with radishes, avocado and fresh oregano

Ivan Garcia, Mesa Coyoacan
Pozole Garibaldi: Shredded Pork, hominy corn, chiles, guajillo broth, lettuce, radish, oregano and tostada. 

Cosme Aguilar, Casa Enrique
Pozole Rojo Hominy pig’s head soup, oregano, radish, onion, lettuce, and avocado.

Fany Gerson, La Newyorkina
Paletas: Strawberry Lemonade, Spicy Mango, Berry and More. 

Mezcal

Bringing together top importers, this event feature 100 distinct bottles of mezcal. Guests got to know this flavorful and smoky agave spirit, distilled using in-ground fire pits. 

Brands Include:

Del Maguey

Mezcal Ilegal

Tequila Fortaleza

Mezcal Wahaka

Mezcal El Buho

Mezcal Los Vecinos

Mezcal El Silencio

Skurnik Wines and Spirits

Mezcal Mayalen

Mezcal Siete Misterios

Priess Imports: Mezcal Espiritu Lauro and Sotol Coyote

Mezcal Montelobos: Mezcal Montelobos and Ancho Reyes

Back Roads Imports: Mezcal Bañuelos, Raicilla Bonete, Bacanora Yawee

Sampson and Surrey: Mezcal Vago and Tequila Ocho

Haas Brothers: Mezcal Don Amado, Mezcal Mina Real, Tequila Arte Nom

Mezcales de Leyenda: Mezcales de Leyenda, Mezcal Peleton de la Muerte, Sotol Fabriquero

Fidencio Mezcal: Mezcal Fidencio, Mezcal Derrumbes, Raicilla La Venenosa, Bacanora Rancho Tepua and Sotol La Hiuera

Sombra: Mezcal Sombra and Tequila Astra

Laika Spirits: Sotol Flor Desierto, Mezcal Cruz del Fuego

Plus Craft Beer and Wine

VOS Selections – Baja Wine

Monte Xanic

Micheladas by Just Add Beer

Allende Beer

Bowl of ‘Zole is Proud to Partner with City Harvest

About Event Curators Arik Torren & Danny Mena 

Arik Torren
After 20 years of front of the house experience in the restaurant business, Arik launched his own mezcal brand Fidencio Mezcal in 2009. Now in 2020, his portfolio, Fidencio Sprits offers Traditional Mexican Spirits made by 19 Maestros, from 24 species and 10 states…and counting. 

Danny Mena
Mexico City-born Danny Mena began at New York landmarks Blue Hill and The Modern before opening Hecho en Dumbo in 2010 and La Lonchería in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood in 2017.
In his new book, Danny Mena mixes recipes inspired by Mexico City street food, local eateries, and multi-starred restaurants, combining regional traditions and global trends. Each recipe is inspired by a different Mexico City restaurant, and in more than 100 dishes, Danny Mena shows American home cooks the depth and diversity of true Mexican cooking in the capital city

PRESS – Bowl of ‘Zole

The New York Times: “A new food festival on Saturday will feature 100 mezcals to sample, along with pozoles from the chefs Ivy Stark, Danny Mena, Gonzalo Rivera, Julian Medina, Hugo Orozco, Luis Arce Mota, Chai Trivedi, Fernando Navas, Ivan Garcia, Cosme Aguilar and Fany Gerson. Red pozole, matzo ball pozole, oyster pozole and pozole ramen are a few of the bowls that will be served. It’s engineered by Jimmy Carbone of Food Karma with Arik Torren, an owner of Fidencio Spirits, and Mr. Mena.”

Timeout: “New York gains Bowl of ‘Zole festival on February 29th. The event in Williamsburg will have pozole and mezcal to try and is curated, in part, by Mena, with chefs Gerson, Ivy Stark (Casa Bocado and Time Out Market New York vendor), Cosme Aguilar (Casa Enrique) and more.”

Grub Street: 10 Excellent Things To Eat, Drink, and Do in NYC This Februray: 1. Go to a festival that’s all about pozole and mezcal. Pozole is one of of Mexico’s favorite dishes, a pork and hominy soup that inspires obsession and longing. The New York chefs Danny Mena and Fany Gerson are so obsessed they recently launched the pozole pop-up La Pozoleria, and now Mena is doing one better: He’s curating the first Bowl of ’Zole in Williamsburg, a February 29 festival dedicated entirely to pozole and, for good measure, mezcal.”

Gothamist: Best Things to Do in NYC This Week: Warm yourself up at Bowl of ‘Zole, a feast of Mexican comfort food and drinks. The star of the day is pozole, a hearty stew made with hominy, greens, and a variety of meats (with vegetarian options too, of course), prepared by 10 different chefs including Casa Enrique’s Cosme Aguilar, Toloache and La Chula’s Julian Medina, La Loncheria’s Danny Mena, and Casa Bocado’s Ivy Stark. To wash it down, there will be 50 different smoky mezcals, an ancient beverage traditionally distilled in in-ground fire pits.

Bklyner: Celebrate Pozole at Bowl of ‘Zole Festival this Saturday in Williamsburg: Chef Danny Mena and Arik Torren, both veterans of the New York City mezcal and restaurant scenes, wanted to create an event that elevated mezcal and pozole, both of which tangibly represent the regional diversity of Mexico’s cuisine. They called up Jimmy Carbone, a seasoned event producer, to help bring it to fruition. 

Brooklyn Paper: ‘Zole Models: Festival Celebrates a Meaty Mexican Stew: “There are a million ramen joints in the city, why not pozole?” asked chef Danny Mena, who runs the pop-up restaurant La Pozolería in Manhattan. “It’s d— delicious!”

Beer Sessions Radio

Episode 520: Tastes from Mexico: Mezcal and Pozole
In honor of the upcoming Bowl of ‘Zole Festival, Jimmy talks about the festival’s featured food and drink: pozole and mezcal. He is joined by one of Bowl of ‘Zole’s curators, Arik Torren of Fidencio Spirits, in addition to Leslie Vinyard of Roberta’s Pizza and Chris Crowley of Grub Street. Arik draws on his experience importing spirits as the group talks about the traditional process of making mezcal and how increased demand has affected farmers in Oaxaca. They also discuss their favorite places to get pozole in New York and compare mezcal with natural wine.

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