Su Casa in Dorado, P.R., where Alfredo Ayala serves local dishes. The New York Times. All Rights Reserved. There was always an open pot simmering on the stove for anyone who wanted to drop in to eat. But the true character of Puerto Rico's cooking remains largely a secret because it has been for the most part kept at home.
Serious restaurants serving Puerto Rican food are scarce in the United States.
Some chefs explained this underrepresentation by noting that the Puerto Rican clientele are hard to please because they often find restaurant dishes lacking and expensive when compared with what is served at the family table. And the reality is that even though there are many Puerto Ricans here, Puerto Rico is very accessible to them. When Puerto Ricans crave their food, they think beyond the tostones and fritters, the rice and beans, the roast pork shoulder and other staples commonly associated with their cuisine. Or pasteles, the tamale-shaped packets made up of a paste of grated plantains, pork, garbanzo beans, olives and raisins wrapped in plantain leaves. Mr. Garcia, who was born in Cuba but spent part of his childhood in Puerto Rico, found the restaurant business particularly difficult on the island, where he closed a restaurant after only eight months.