Contemporary Latin market La Cosecha will open this summer in the Union Market District. The market at 1270 4th Street NE will host over 20,000 square feet of culinary, retail, entertainment and community space and more than a dozen businesses.
La Cosecha, which means “the harvest” in Spanish, will be a central gathering place celebrating Latin American arts, culture and heritage. The La Cosecha community will be comprised of artisans, businesses and entrepreneurs delivering authentic foods, flavors and craftsmanship to the nation’s capital. Fusing education and experience, La Cosecha will bring a collection of first-to-region restaurants, retail, cultural programming and pop-ups to Washington.
“We are excited to open the doors of La Cosecha this summer, establishing an international stage for the beautiful, rich cultures of Latin America,” said Jodie W. McLean CEO for EDENS Development, the group behind La Cosecha.
“We’ve been inspired by the support and enthusiasm of both the Latin American embassies and the wider Latin American community who have been instrumental and instructional in guiding our attempt at bringing forth an authentic, sophisticated representation of the rich heritages, cultures and experiences of their home countries.”
La Cosecha partners include a gastronomical rainbow:
Internationally renowned chef Juan Manuel Barrientos will bring the second U.S. outpost of his luxury elcielo restaurants to D.C., offering his innovative take on cuisine from his native Colombia. Originally based in Medellín, elcielo first opened 14 years ago. The second location in Bogotá is continually ranked in the top 50 ranking of Latin American restaurants.
“Bringing elcielo to La Cosecha is a privilege,” Barrientos says. “The D.C. area has a large multicultural population from all over the world, and I’m proud of our food heritage from Colombia that we want to share with Washington.”
Amparo comes from Mexico-born, longtime D.C. local Christian Irabién, who has spent the previous five years cooking with Chef José Andrés and Chef Cathal Armstrong where he discovered his love of fine dining and combining it with the traditional flavors he grew up with. Following a wildly successful pop-up last summer, he brings the eatery (named for his mother and grandmother) to La Cosecha, offering a modern-day take on Mexican cuisine alongside a mezcal-heavy beverage program. “We want to challenge the stereotypes around what Mexican food can be and want Amparo to be a place not just where people eat, but also experience as a hub for Mexican culture,” Irabién said.
Bolivian native Chef Sebastian Quiroga is behind the plant-based fine dining experience at Ali Pacha, which means ‘the plant universe’ in the Aymara language. Hailing from Le Cordon Bleu London, Astrid & Gaston in Lima and both Relae and Studio in Copenhagen, Quiroga pairs traditional Bolivian ingredients with modern culinary techniques to create artistic, sustainable vegan dishes. Ali Pacha was named one of the five most exciting Latin American restaurants to watch in 2019.
The signature fare from Venezuelan chef Federico Tischler’s White Envelope Arepa + Ceviche Bar – a new concept from the Baltimore favorite – is inspired by the cultures, geographies and individual people that have influenced the chef’s career and personal taste over the years. White Envelope will feature a menu that mixes traditional preparations and recipes with modern adaptations, combining local products with global flavors.
Grand Cata owners and co-founders Pedro J. Rodriguez and Julio Robledo will open Grand Cata’s second D.C. location, a new grocery-wine bar concept for La Cosecha, It features a curated selection of classic and sustainable natural wines from Latin America in addition to artisanal gastronomic products from the region. “La Cosecha is the perfect next step for Grand Cata as a natural meeting point of the diverse Latin American cultures in the nation’s capital,” say Rodriguez and Robledo. “We love connecting and telling our story through the products from our home countries. We think of ourselves as Latin American ambassadors of the culture and we love to share this with everyone.”
The sibling duo behind D.C.’s popular Peruvian Brothers – Giuseppe and Mario Lanzone – were born and raised off the coast of Lima, pursuing separate professional paths (including Olympic rowing for Giuseppe) for more than a decade before teaming up for their culinary venture. With their first brick-and-mortar location and the expansion of the business, they’ll bring Peruvian-style sandwiches, empanadas, desserts and hot sauces to the market. Designed in collaboration with Gensler, La Cosecha will feature beautiful concessions and gathering spaces, including a private event space, reflecting some of the most intriguing aspects of Latin American architecture and interior design. “Growing up in Colombia, I drew on my experiences of being at the plaza for market day and holidays,” says Gensler Principal Design Director Walter Trujillo.
Future Plans
Future La Cosecha retail partners include a coffee shop, mezcaleria, books + paper boutique and more, adding to an already rich cultural district that has hosted the annual James Beard Foundation Sunday Supper fundraiser at Union Market, as well as world-renowned artists Yoko Ono and Mr. Brainwash.
The market boasts partnerships with Latin embassies, cultural and diplomatic leaders and strategic stakeholders from the Latin community. Cultural opportunities for the larger community will include art exhibits, film screenings, live performances, media lab space and outdoor activations throughout the year.
La Cosecha’s Culinary Immersion Studio will offer artists, chefs and the public the opportunity to dive head-first into Latin American kitchens, sampling cuisines that can only be shared through hands-on experience.
As part of its community outreach, La Cosecha will work in tandem with the Carlos Rosario School, which has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of immigrants in D.C. by investing in and supporting their development and skills. The complementary Carlos Rosario Culinary Arts Internship Program will provide internship job placement opportunities, work experience and exposure via La Cosecha’s retail partners.
La Cosecha is slated to open in June 2019. For more information, visit www.lacosechadc.com and follow @lacosechadc on social media.
