Ropa Vieja Quesadilla

This was a Mexican twist on a Cuban favorite. Pretty good even though the cheese and tortilla are unwelcome element. I will forgive the crime.
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Ropa Vieja - Tostones Filled with Ropa Vieja

These were excellent. The savory tostone along with the perfectly cooked ropa vieja (shredded flank steak cooked with tomatoes). Pretty good on my Cuban scale.
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Ropa Vieja Grill

We have heard good things and hope this place lives up to my Cuban standards.
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Puerto Rican Parking + Traffic

As long as I can remember my mom has called parking backwards "Puerto Rican Parking". In Orlando where I went to high school, there is a large Puerto Rican population and I saw lots of examples.
In addition to seeing it done everywhere, the guard at the visitor booth of my client made me do it for "fire safety" reasons. It is crazy and I am not good at it. I get dirty looks from the other boricuas when I have to do it more than once.
I think traffic here is worse than Miami - they park wherever they want and the potholes are huge. I have a jeep that is helping a bit but it is bumpy. I think I saw a family living in one.
Day 2 has me knowing the traffic better and driving more aggressively. By the time I get to Friday, I will be wearing tank tops and yelling "mira" at hoochies like the locals.
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Marriott Breakfast

Any day chock full of meetings calls for a good breakfast and this guava french toast fit the bill. The buffet is a whopping $32 and looks like standard mouthbreather fare. This was much better and with a cup of Puerto Rican coffee, it made it great.
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Puerto Rico Day 3 - Return of the Boricua

This is my first morning of having to wake up early to get dressed like a professional for a full day of meetings. I may even wear pants. Anyway, the view of the city may not be as nice as the view of the ocean but it will do.
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Wilo....

Here is the man behind Paya and several other restaurants in San Juan. He knows his stuff and lived up to his reputation
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Paya - Chorizo with Manchego

This was the best chorizo I have had in a long time. It wasn't overly spicy which told me they weren't hiding anything in the sausage making process. Pairing it with manchego made a nice balance.
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Paya - Inside of Corned Beef Egg Roll

This egg roll was filled with a corned beef has that tasted good with a plum sauce. More Asian than Puerto Rican on the fusion side but very good nonetheless.
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Paya - Gouda Guava Balls

This was the best dish we had. They were fried balls of edam cheese with guava paste in them. Really a nice take on a traditional dish.
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Paya - Grouper Cracklings

This sounds odd but these nuggets were excellent and were light on the inside making for a nice balance.
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Paya - Fried Yuca

Fried yuca was cut in pretty triangles and a nice churrasco sauce. The first tapas plate was a good start.
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Paya

After a painful 90 minute trek, we made it to the restaurant with no address. Wilo Benet is a famous chef but he doesn't like to have people find it. We ordered a bunch of tapas and have a big appetite.
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El Meson - Boricua Special

Not bad for $5. I get a bocadillo which is a ham and cheese on sweet bread, a quesito which is a cheese pastry, and a cortado which is a strong coffee with milk to make it seem less like crack that keeps you awake.
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El Meson

I had to get some breakfast and I looked for the longest line with the locals. Shockingly there was no line at Sbarro so I went with this joint. If there is one constant in Latin culture, it is food.
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Puerto Ricans Love Sizzler

I drove to the mall and in my 5 mile trek I saw 4 Sizzlers including this one. With such value items as a steak with tire marks, how could you resist the draw of the sizzle.
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Puerto Rico - Day 2

My only morning off starts with a strong coffee and a walk around the Plaza de las Americas. It is a huge 3 story mall with typical stores but also with some in Spanish that have various glittery short skirts.
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Ummo Dessert

This was a layered dessert with crackers, dulce de leche, and homemade meringue. It was unusual but a very good complement to my belly full of meat. This restaurant was a nice introduction to Puerto Rico.
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Ummo Churassco Steak

The entree was almost too much after the cheese but it was perfectly cooked and was delicious with the chimmichurri sauce. One would have been plenty for 2.
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Ummo Meat Grill

This is where the meat will come from. It looks like these guys cooking are able-bodied and official. Coals plus meat equals good.
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