Collab Dinner: Masa and Mar: Foods from the Mexican Pacific

Featuring Rising Star Chefs Alam Méndez and James Beard Award Semifinalist® José ContrerasFrom tlayudas to tamales, tortillas to tetelas, Mexico's street food culture is fundamentally inseparable from corn. Featuring two of the country’s rising voices—chef Alam Méndez, co-founder of Washington, D.C.’s acclaimed Apapacho Taqueria, and James Beard Award semifinalist® José Contreras of Tucson’s Amelia's Kitchen—this collaborative menu anchors itself in the vital relationship between heirloom corn and the coast. Drawing inspiration from the Pacific shores of Oaxaca up to the Sea of Cortez in Sonora, the chefs will showcase how traditional masa serves as the structural canvas for regional coastal ingredients. The dishes pair foundational corn preparations with fresh seafood and wild greens, highlighting deeply personal recipes rooted in their respective upbringings. To round out the experience, the dinner will be paired with artisanal Mexican spirits from Mijenta Tequila, reflecting the equally rich and evolving landscape of Mexican beverage culture. https://www.jamesbeard.org/events/dinner--masa-and-mar