We had the good fortune of connecting with Zack Wangeman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zack, what inspires you?
Making an impact in my hometown by adding value to Mexican ingredients and the producers behind them.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started my career when I was 17 in pastry. As soon as I left Oaxaca, I had the goal to learn from the best to one day move back to Oaxaca and be able to offer my community something new. I worked in pastry for 10 years, in some very cool places like Celler de Can Roca and Per Se.

Eventually, I began to miss the food from Oaxaca and started cooking it while I was living in NYC. Finding it difficult to cook for just one person, I would make large batches of mole and share them with my friends. Eventually, I started selling it, which slowly evolved into a restaurant. I still wanted to support my community in Oaxaca. We do that at Sobre Masa by doing our best to represent the products of Mexico and their producers. For too long, Mexican cuisine has been undervalued in the USA. We work with some very amazing products, especially corn, and try to have fun with them and share their stories. Hoping that one day they will receive the respect they deserve.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take the ferry from Brooklyn to Fidi, rent a bike and bike around central park. Have Thai food for lunch at Wondee Siam. be back down to the east village go the Russian bath houses. Grab a cocktail and some Mexcal at the cabinet. Then maybe have a light dinner and wine at La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels. Finish for a second dinner in k town at Kunjip. Take the 34th street ferry to long Island city to finish the night at Dutch kills.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Felipe Donnelly from colonia verde one of my biggest mentors. Tamoa our Mexican corn importers

Website: https://sobremasa.com/

Instagram: @sobremasanyc

Image Credits
Diana Wangeman Adam Friedlander

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