My Dad (from Peñuelas) is constantly asking me when I plan on opening my own Mexican Puertorrican restaurant in SF. Reading what and how you wrote this, has me super emotional. The accessibility to the proper ingredients, knowledge and understanding of Puertorrican cuisine is overwhelming but also something worth the fighting to bring to the mainstream food industry. My Mom (Mexican) learned to cook signature dishes taught by my Abuela (Mama Lula) so we could proudly pass on the legacy. I have family members in Mexico who request my Mom roast Pernil for the holidays. I was raised in San Diego surrounded with most Puertorrican restaurants actually being a fusion of Cuban or Caribbean. The sad part was how often these restaurants actually went under so fast because like you mentioned the cost to maintain a restaurant is a financial strain.
This is one of the most powerful articles I have felt resonate with me. Literally wiping tears on Muni as I read this!!
As a diasporican living in SoCal I'm lowkey jealous that you have as many restaurant options as you do up north. Of course I understand the desire for there to be more, there should be more.
In the LA area there's one brick and mortar restaurant, a food truck, and a chef's pop up that appears at Smorgasburg and other locations here and there. And that's...about it. I think there's a caribbean/latin fusion restaurant that serves some Puerto Rican dishes out there too but it's not purporting to be a Puerto Rican place. womp womp
I know that this is easier said than done but I still have to ask... would YOU be willing to open a restaurant near you?. "La Casa de Mami by Illyana Maisonet". Shit!... I'll make the trek from my boring dispora hole in the South just to have a taste of your food 😎.
Brown on brown on brown is f-ing delicious! Sprinkling some edible flowers on my Spam fried rice, “How you like me now?” 😏😐😉
My Dad (from Peñuelas) is constantly asking me when I plan on opening my own Mexican Puertorrican restaurant in SF. Reading what and how you wrote this, has me super emotional. The accessibility to the proper ingredients, knowledge and understanding of Puertorrican cuisine is overwhelming but also something worth the fighting to bring to the mainstream food industry. My Mom (Mexican) learned to cook signature dishes taught by my Abuela (Mama Lula) so we could proudly pass on the legacy. I have family members in Mexico who request my Mom roast Pernil for the holidays. I was raised in San Diego surrounded with most Puertorrican restaurants actually being a fusion of Cuban or Caribbean. The sad part was how often these restaurants actually went under so fast because like you mentioned the cost to maintain a restaurant is a financial strain.
This is one of the most powerful articles I have felt resonate with me. Literally wiping tears on Muni as I read this!!
A great read as always!
As a diasporican living in SoCal I'm lowkey jealous that you have as many restaurant options as you do up north. Of course I understand the desire for there to be more, there should be more.
In the LA area there's one brick and mortar restaurant, a food truck, and a chef's pop up that appears at Smorgasburg and other locations here and there. And that's...about it. I think there's a caribbean/latin fusion restaurant that serves some Puerto Rican dishes out there too but it's not purporting to be a Puerto Rican place. womp womp
I know that this is easier said than done but I still have to ask... would YOU be willing to open a restaurant near you?. "La Casa de Mami by Illyana Maisonet". Shit!... I'll make the trek from my boring dispora hole in the South just to have a taste of your food 😎.