What started as a homesick craving has grown into a seasonal food pop-up in Livingston Manor. Sueños, the tamale-focused project from partners (in business and life) David Perez and Steve Snipes, is now in residence all summer, serving a rotating menu of Mexican bites in the backyard at Sunshine Colony, a coffee shop and bar known for natural wine, craft beer, and cocktails.
Originally from Los Angeles, Perez missed the flavors of his childhood and began cooking in earnest during the pandemic. Though he spent nearly two decades working in theater and comedy, Perez previously worked as a line cook and waited tables, and now draws on those early experiences to bring tamales and salsas to life. Snipes, whose family has run a diner on Long Island for generations, is making his first foray into food service.
After early pop-ups at The Junction and Sunshine Colony, Sueños landed a full-season residency at the latter. Service runs through the end of October: Tuesdays and Fridays from 5–9pm, Saturdays from 12–9pm, and Sundays from 10am–2pm.
Tamales ($7) rotate weekly, with recent offerings including pork, poblano and cheese, and broccolini with epazote. The menu also features a chips and salsa trio ($10), peanut tomatillo tostado ($9), and quinoa salad ($10). On Sundays, the spread expands to include pan dulce (prices vary) and plates of chilaquiles ($11), with the option to add eggs (+$2).
The setting—picnic tables, natural wine, and backyard hospitality—matches the spirit of the food. For Perez and Snipes, who now live full-time in the area, Sueños is both an offering and an experiment: a way to share something beloved in the place they now call home.
