El Merkury
5-Course Mayan Heritage Dinner Event
Chef Sofia Deleon was born and raised in Guatemala and moved to the U.S. for college. Starting in 2017, she began to envision a celebration of Central American street food and launched a series of pop-ups that ultimately became, in 2018, the brick-and-mortar establishment on Rittenhouse Square that is El Merkury. Its menu is inspired by what the Mayans used to eat, with an emphasis on corn, chiles, chocolate, and beans. Here, you’ll find delectable pupusas, tostadas, taquitos, and the Guatemalan empanadas known as dobladas. And don’t forget what may well be the world’s best churros! No wonder El Merkury received Best of Philly accolades in 2018 and 2021. Indeed, El Merkury has proven to be so popular with Philadelphia diners that Chef Deleon has just opened a second location, which is both a restaurant and food market, in the Reading Terminal.
About the Host:
Sofia Deleon
Executive Chef/Owner
A Guatemala City native, Chef Deleon moved to the US to study food marketing; undergrad at Michigan followed by an MBA in Food Marketing at Philadelphia's St. Joseph's University. In 2017, she took her passion for food into the kitchen by hosting a series of pop-ups celebrating Central American street food. And, after "proving the concept", she opened her brick-and-mortar, El Merkury, in Rittenhouse Square in 2018.
The Lineup
Each course will be plated individually.
-
Pinto, Black Bean, & Roasted Jalapeno Soup
with tortilla crisps, avocado, and queso fresco
-
Mini Corn Dobladas
stuffed with chorizo and potatoes in a cilantro pumpkin seed sauce
-
Roasted Hearts of Palm Salad
with carrots, avocado, kale, toasted pepitas, and thyme vinaigrette
-
Cobanero Chile Crusted Chicken Thighs
with masa tamalitos
-
Cardamom Sugar Churros
with rum zabaglione sauce
El Merkury
2104 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Event FAQs
- Do I have to bring printed tickets to the event?
- No tickets are needed.
- What does the ticket price cover?
- The ticket price covers the full cost of the meal.
- What dietary restrictions/food allergies can be accommodated at this event?
- At this event the chef will provide substitutions for critical food allergies/dietary restrictions but will not make menu adjustments based on food preferences (e.g distaste for specific ingredients/flavor profiles). If you have restrictions/allergies, please make sure to Update Your Dietary Restrictions within your Account Info before or after you purchase tickets, or email us at [email protected] after you purchase tickets to let us know.
- Do guests need to be of a certain age to attend this event?
- Yes. All attendees must be 21+ to gain entry.
- Can I bring guests/non-members to this event?
- Yep! For this event, guest tickets are $75 + tax & tip, and you can bring up to 3 guests. Please note, guests are not allowed to attend unaccompanied by a member.
- What is the event ticket cancellation/refund policy?
- Restaurants purchase the food for our events 14 days before the event date, at which point we are on the hook for the cost of your ticket. As such, we are not able to offer refunds (or credits towards future events) for any cancellation requests submitted within 14 days of the event date. We will, however, issue full refunds for all cancellation requests submitted at least 14 days before the event date. All cancellation requests must be submitted via email to [email protected].
- What must I bring to the event?
- Please make sure to bring a government-issued photo ID. Additionally, please note this restaurant is BYOB, so make sure to bring your own wine and/or beer if you'd like!
- What qualifies as valid proof of vaccination?
- To verify that you are fully vaccinated, and gain entry to the event, you must present to our event lead any one of the following forms of proof: your original physical vaccination card, a clearly legible photo of your original vaccination card, or the CLEAR Health Pass App. Please note, you will be only be considered “fully vaccinated” if it has been at least 14 days since you've received either (a) a second shot of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, or (b) a single shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. More questions about this? Contact us at [email protected]
- Does this restaurant serve alcoholic beverages?
- This restaurant is a BYO establishment, so please feel free to bring your own alcoholic beverages.
