Oy Caramba! Meet the Chefs Serving Up El Ñosh at Puerto Rico Meets NYC

Ever wondered what a Puerto Rican and Jewish food mashup would look and taste like? If you answered “yes,” you’re in good company; namely that of chefs Roberto Treviño and Eric Greenspan, two culinary superstars who teamed up three years ago to create El Ñosh, a Latin and Jewish food fusion pop-up that has wowed foodies from coast to coast. 

RELATED: El Ñosh Comes to NYC

If you haven’t heard of or tried the duo’s whimsical creations, now’s the time. Treviño and Greenspan are hosting an El Ñosh Pop-up Dinner October 3rd at New York’s Hotel Americano as part of the much anticipated Puerto Rico Meets NYC festival. The first ever Puerto Rican iteration of the five-day event – last year’s Meets NYC franchise brought chefs from Baja, Mexico to New York – will pair eight of Puerto Rico’s finest chef talents with big name chefs from the Big Apple. The Treviño/Greenspan collaboration is among the most creative, and dare we say, delightfully wacky. 

We spoke to Treviño and Greenspan about how they met, what they look forward to cooking at Puerto Rico Meets NYC, and where they found the chutzpah (aka cajones, aka nerve) to “Latinize” and “Jewify” iconic cultural foods. Here, in advance of the Jewish holidays, is what they had to say. Hag Sameach! [pagebreak]

The Latin Kitchen: It requires a bit of chutzpah to take Jewish classics like kugel and matzo brei and turn them into tres leches and plantain dishes. How did you meet and where did the inspiration for El Ñosh come from?

Roberto Treviño: Greeny and I met on the set of Next Iron Chef. We looked at each other like “Hey I cook man! What’s your story?” By chance we shared the kitchen stadium island on the show so it was kind of destiny. The inspiration for El Ñosh is just a real love of food and a fun take on both our cultures. Truth is the combination really works and we’ve developed some legendary flavors. 

Eric Greenspan: The producers of Next Iron Chef thought it would be a good idea to put us next to each other. Little did they know the calamity that would entail. So years later, we wanted to do an “unsanctioned” event at South Beach Food & Wine in 2012 or 2013. What better idea for the Miami area that would highlight our culinary traditions?

TLK: As co-creators of your dinner’s 5-course PRMNY meal, what was your process for developing the menu?

RT: For the development of the menu we’ve always had the same approach. Greeny sends me five Classic Jewish dishes and says “Latinize” them, and I send him five classic Latino dishes and say “Jewify” them. We get on the phone and go through the items with pure creative mishegas (craziness) until it’s perfectly “El Ñosh!”  

EG: Super organic process. Been working for years.

TLK: Eric, do you cook for Rosh Hashanah? If yes, will there be any Mexican or Puerto Rican dishes or ingredients on the table?  

EG: I try not to cook for the holidays. It’s my time to take off. But an apple and honey buñelo would be delish.  [pagebreak]

TLK: Roberto, pork plays a big role in Latin food and it’s on the menu in all of your restaurants. Kind of interesting to go from serving chicharrones to making meals with matzoh. What have you learned from your collaboration with Eric?

RT: Pork in Latin America is such a huge element in so many dishes that it would be hard to not serve it in Puerto Rico. We certainly don’t do pork dishes for “El Ñosh” but have been inspired to do things like corned beef Carné Frita that would traditionally be made with pork and Kishka Mofongo where we replace the chicharrón with the kishka. I think my collaboration with Greeny really solidified the fact that Jewish and Latino families share the traditions of getting together and celebrating the food that makes them who they are.  

TLK: What can we look forward to enjoying at your dinner in terms of food, drink, atmosphere, and antics?

RT: Well, for starters the assorted noshes. We’ll serve our world famous Pastrami & Pickle Croquetas, Criollo Bialys, smoked white fish & coconut, an everything Toston & Malta Egg Cream, plus tons of Puerto Rican rum and even some kind of rum Slivovitz! 

EG: I’m super excited about the Gandules Hummus and the Brisket Carne Frita. The assorted nosh to start we will improvise.

RT: As far as Greeny (El Torro) and me (The Knish), we aim to do what we do best and have a blast… or it wouldn’t be El Ñosh. 

EG: Antics happen off the cuff so I can’t call it right now… Put on the lucha libre masks and see what happens.

TLK: What do you hope that diners take away from your dinner in terms of their perception of Puerto Rican food?

EG: I hope they will realize that not only does Puerto Rico have its own culinary identity but it can be sophisticated enough to stand up to the torment that El Ñosh creates.

RT: I really hope the PRMNY’s guest can capture the spirt of la comida Puertoriqueña and want to visit the island, but also to take note that great chefs are doing great food in Puerto Rico. As far as “El Ñosh,” we want to entertain and give a Vaudevillian culinary experience. 

TLK: Where will you both be eating in NY when you’re not prepping for or recovering from your PRMNY dinner? 

RT: Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery and going for beers and taquitos at Barrio Chino. OY Caramba! 

EG: Katz’s Deli. For sure.