A delicious new restaurant concept is currently gearing up to debut its first-ever space in Lower Manhattan later this year.
Sohogozo is a brand new bar and restaurant concept from owners Alex Watanabe and Marcelo Baez. Alex Watanabe is a well-established hospitality professional who has been a force behind some New York’s best known spots like Her Name Was Carmen and Felix. Alex is especially skilled at drawing young, affluent professionals to his enterprises and his years of experience have given him the ability to turn any venue into a successful story.
Marcelo Baez meanwhile has been working in NYC nightlife and hospitality for over 17 years. Catering especially to the Latin American community and their admirers, Marcelo has been involved with recognizable concepts like Papatzul, Hecho En Dumbo, and Fontana’s, among many others. He has served in many different roles over his life, but he specializes in dinner and bar service.
Now, Marcelo and Alex are gearing up to develop a brand new space of their own at 91-93 Baxter Street. Their new concept, Sohogozo, will be replacing the popular Italian restaurant Forlini’s that previously occupied the space. Forlini’s was something of a New York icon, having been established at the space since the 1950’s. A popular fixture among judges, lawyers, and celebrities alike, New Yorkers were devastated to learn that Forlini’s was closing its doors in April.
Thankfully, the space won’t remain vacant for long, as Marcelo and Alex have an exciting new project planned for the space. Sohogozo invites guests to “come for the tasty Mexican-Japanese cuisine, stay for the cocktails and friendly ambience,” and endeavors to provide a one-stop destination for great food, drinks, and all-night fun. The team has brought on a world-renowned chef and mixologist to bring the idea to life, but they have yet to officially announce their names.
For the menu, Sohogozo will be serving a bold assortment of Mexican-Japanese fusion dishes like Tlapeño ramen, birria ramen, al pastor rolls, esquite and stuffed avocado, and battered shrimp teriyaki tacos. Sohogozo will also serve exciting new desserts like their tempura pear, and are preparing a state-of-the-art mixology program to produce delectable new fusion cocktails.
Before launching their new space though, Alex and Marcelo need to meet with the community board in order to acquire a new liquor license for the space. Once they have acquired the necessary license, they will be able to share more details and launch Sohogozo’s relevant social media channels.
