NYC To Play Host To Puerto Rican Chefs At New Food Festival

New York City is often said to be a place where one can sample many — if not all — of the vast array of cuisines the world has to offer. One cuisine that many believe the Big Apple needs to see more of is Puerto Rican. Meets NYC is looking to change that with the Puerto Rico Meets NYC festival. Over the next five days, various esteemed New York chefs will play host to some of Puerto Rico's top culinary players. And yes, there will be rum.

"Puerto Rico is having a serious culinary moment," said Meets NYC founder Marie Elena Martinez in a statement. "The on-island chefs are not only talented, but also dedicated to changing the dialogue around local ingredients, allowing their cuisine to shine as a result."

New York chefs include JJ Johnson (the Cecil), Camille Becerra (Navy), Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin) and more. Chefs visiting from Puerto Rico include Pedro Alvarez (Alcor Foods), Mario Pagán (Sage Steakhouse Bistro, Laurel, Lemongrass) and Roberto Treviño (Budatai, Casa Lola, El Nosh), among others. The series will feature dinners, including one at the James Beard House, where New York City and Puerto Rico mix and mingle on your plate. The closing event on Sunday, October 4, features an al fresco lunch highlighting Puerto Rico specialties like alcapurrias (fritters), lechón (roasted pork), mofongo (mashed plantains) and more. Tickets to all the festivals' events can be found here.

Food Republic readers can get a 30 percent discount on the Lechon Asado Block Party at Robera's Garden on Sunday by using the code LECHON30.