Four Dishes Worth Eating at Paella Rave Vol. 4 in Brooklyn 2026
On June 13, 2026, Paella Rave Vol. 4 brings a one-day-only food, cocktail, and music event to Dead Letter No. 9 in Brooklyn. Chef Eduardo Cuenca of Arroces Street Paella and Chef Christopher Martin of Cmarty’s Jerk built a four-dish menu just for this collaboration. Their cooking blends Spanish paella technique with Jamaican jerk flavors in a way that feels specific to Brooklyn right now. The menu exists for a single afternoon and evening, then disappears.
These four dishes come from tips that 8it tracks across trusted food sources. The team watches critics and writers at places like Eater, The New York Times, and The Infatuation. They also follow chefs, DJs, and known food lovers who move between events, pop-ups, and parties. When the same names and dishes keep surfacing, 8it flags them, confirms details with organizers, and publishes the most reliable version in the app. That is how this Paella Rave menu landed on your radar before it sells out.
Caribbean-Spanish Collaboration at Dead Letter No. 9
Chef Cuenca brings socarrat-focused rice technique and a deep paella playbook to the event. Chef Martin adds jerk marinades, smoke, and spice that come from years of cooking Jamaican food across New York. Together, they built a menu that reflects Brooklyn’s layered immigrant food history, where Spanish rice cooking meets Caribbean heat on the same plate. This collaboration exists for one volume of Paella Rave, not as a permanent restaurant menu, which makes it a short-lived moment for people who track food closely.
Hennessy Ready-to-Serve Pairings for Each Dish
Hennessy introduced its first Ready-to-Serve cocktails in the U.S. in June 2026: Henny Rita, Henny Berry, and Henny Iced Tea, all built on Hennessy VS. This event is the second New York activation for those cocktails and the first that welcomes walk-in guests. Each of the four dishes below comes with a specific Hennessy pairing chosen to match its flavor profile. You get a full plate and a ready-poured cocktail that were designed to work together.
1. Jerk Chicken Paella – Arroces Street Paella x Cmarty’s Jerk
8it Recommendation: The Jerk Chicken Paella is the centerpiece of the Paella Rave Vol. 4 collaboration—Chef Eduardo Cuenca’s socarrat-crusted rice base meets Chef Christopher Martin’s jerk-marinated chicken for a dish that exists nowhere else in Brooklyn.
Pair with Henny Iced Tea. The cocktail’s light citrus and tea backbone cuts through the smoky, allspice-forward jerk marinade. It also keeps the rice’s caramelized crust from feeling too heavy over a full portion.
2. Jerk Pulpo à la Gallega – Arroces Street Paella x Cmarty’s Jerk
8it Recommendation: This dish takes the Galician tradition of tender octopus and layers in Cmarty’s jerk seasoning. It is served over Smoked Confit Fingerling Potatoes and finished with a bright Salsa Verde—a cross-Atlantic fusion with no direct precedent in Brooklyn.
Pair with Henny Rita. The cocktail’s lime-forward tartness mirrors the citrus notes in the jerk rub and brightens each bite. The acidity also cuts through the richness of the smoked confit potatoes.
3. Scallop Crudo – Arroces Street Paella x Cmarty’s Jerk
8it Recommendation: The Scallop Crudo with Smoked Mango Sauce and Pickled Berries is the sleeper hit of the menu. It is a masterclass in balance—sweet, smoky, and acidic—designed to be the perfect light opener for the heavier rice dishes.
Pair with Henny Berry. The cocktail’s berry sweetness plays directly against the acidity of the pickled berries on the plate, while the cognac base complements the tropical profile of the smoked mango sauce.
4. Escalivada Toast – Arroces Street Paella x Cmarty’s Jerk
8it Recommendation: This features Smoked Stracciatella cheese and Lemon over traditional Escalivada (smoky grilled vegetables). It is the “industry favorite” dish on the menu—technical, high-quality, and incredibly refreshing.
Pair with Henny Rita. The lime in the margarita and the fresh lemon on the toast provide a double-hit of citrus that cuts right through the creamy richness of the smoked stracciatella.
Six-Hour Music Program Behind the Plates
The food and cocktail pairings unfold across a six-hour music program that shapes the full experience. The event runs from 2 to 8 PM and features Smurfoudirty, DJ Gravy, Bea Trinidad, and David Kent. The lineup moves from afternoon dancehall and reggae into evening house, mirroring the shift from first bites to last plates. Dead Letter No. 9 in Brooklyn anchors everything in one room, where the party feels equal parts food event and music session.
What You Need Before You Go
Entry is restricted to guests 21 and older, so bring valid government-issued ID. The event runs 2 to 8 PM on June 13, 2026, at Dead Letter No. 9 in Brooklyn, New York, and the menu exists for that single day. Open the 8it app, find Paella Rave Vol. 4, and tap “Add it to your list” to save the event and each dish before they are gone. Use the Add to Calendar feature inside 8it to lock the 2 PM start time into your phone so you do not miss the early plates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Paella Rave and how often does it happen?
Paella Rave is a recurring event series co-hosted by 8it and Arroces Street Paella that combines an exclusive food menu with a multi-hour DJ music program. Vol. 4 is the second installment, which shows that the series returns on a periodic basis rather than as a one-off. Each volume features a distinct chef collaboration and menu, so every event feels different. The series is not announced far in advance, which makes tracking it through 8it’s Pop-Ups and Drops section the most reliable way to catch future volumes before they sell out.
Are Hennessy Ready-to-Serve cocktails available outside the event?
The three Hennessy Ready-to-Serve cocktails featured at this event are available at select retail locations. This collaboration represents one of the first venue-specific pairings for those drinks in New York City. Retail availability depends on your area and current distribution.
How does 8it track limited-time events like Paella Rave?
8it monitors trusted food media outlets including Eater, The New York Times, and The Infatuation, along with chef and industry networks, to spot events before they reach broad coverage. When an event like Paella Rave Vol. 4 is confirmed, 8it adds it to the Pop-Ups and Drops section of the app with dish-level detail, exact timing, and direct calendar integration. Users can save the event to a personal list and share it with friends without leaving the app.
What makes Caribbean-Spanish fusion relevant in Brooklyn right now?
Brooklyn’s food landscape reflects decades of overlapping Caribbean and Latin immigrant communities. Chef collaborations like the Cuenca and Martin pairing formalize what has long been an informal exchange in home kitchens and neighborhood spots. Event-based menus let chefs test fusion ideas that might feel risky on a permanent menu, so pop-ups become the main place where this kind of cooking appears. These events are usually announced with short lead times and limited capacity, which makes dedicated tracking through a platform like 8it the most practical way to reach them.
Why 8it Finds These Short-Lived Series First
Paella Rave Vol. 4 will not hit Eater’s calendar until after it happens. It will not show up in a Times roundup until the collaboration is already over. 8it is the only platform that pulls the full menu, the Hennessy pairings, the music lineup, and dish-level detail into a single map-based view before the event sells out. The app’s Pop-Ups and Drops section exists for limited-run collaborations, exclusive menus, and recurring series that disappear fast and reward people who move quickly. Try 8it for free and add Paella Rave Vol. 4 to your list before June 13.
