More than two decades ago, Pittsburghers were hard pressed to tell the difference between a cachapa and a chalupa. Nic’s Mexican roots gave him the courage to put down the first Mexican grocery store in Pittsburgh. A farmer by heart, Nic paved the way for adventurous chefs. He took chances, worked hard, and in true Pittsburgh-fashion, carved out his own path in our region’s culinary world. His store, Reyna Foods, manufacturers corn tortilla chips, corn and flour tortillas and tamales. Reyna’s products are supplied to supermarkets, food service distributors, restaurants and other retail locations. During his talk, Nic will share his perspective on what Pittsburgh was and is today.

This week’s talk will take place at Smallman Galley--a boutique restaurant and food incubator in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Come early to enjoy their brunch, have a drink and learn more about the space. The featured speaker will begin at 2pm.

(Please note: brunch is not included with admission).

Beyond The Menu is series of gatherings, talks, and events to celebrate Pittsburgh’s food and beverage culture. With you, we’ll reflect on the industry’s growth and share ideas about what it means to have a thriving food culture in a major metropolitan region. Most importantly, we want to tell our stories, learn from others and determine how we can continue improving our city, while providing accessibility to all. During each event, we will be crowdsourcing through Twitter to establish a Manifesto for what Pittsburgh food should be. The goal is to provoke conversations about who’s left out, how we can affect change, and where we might go in the future through innovation and collaboration.

The series is in collaboration with MIT Enterprise Forum, Thrill Mill, Smallman Galley, First Course, Shift Collaborative, AlphaLab Gear and other leaders in the food entrepreneur and culinary sector. New Sun Rising is the 501 c3 fiscal sponsor for Beyond the Menu. Flaherty & O’Hara is the presenting sponsor. The event is also part of the City of Pittsburgh’s signature Bicentennial Events happening in 2016.