Crying in one’s beer is a decidedly American and largely country-western trope, a sad one at that, but as Hispanic Heritage Month kicked off on Sept. 15 (until Oct. 15), timed almost perfectly with Mexican Independence Day (Sept. 16), Wendy Lopez was feeling emotional in an altogether different way, struggling to find the right words to communicate the joy inherent in sharing her culture with guests at Reyes Mezcaleria , where she is both chef and partner.

“We want to show people the nuance of Mexican food and its stories,” says Lopez, who was born in Michoacán. “The grandmothers and their cooking, just like Italian food, or Spanish food. Our lineage, our food, runs deep.”

So deep, in fact, that Lopez herself has yet to taste it all. But in eight years open, she believes that she and h

See Full Page