La Morovena

They are now located on south 8^th street & Greenfield. I decided to come here after a family member said the food was great. Besides, I needed to feed my starving college daughter who was craving Puerto Rican food and this was the closet place.
Where do I begin. We walked in and there was no one at the counter. A customer actually yelled that there was a customer. We were not greeted and simply asked what did we want to order. See, here’s the thing … I really don’t care what the restaurant looks like as long as it’s clean and this place was clean. What I do care about, however, is great customer service and geez did this place lacked in that! The menu did not state if the entrees came with the usual of rice, beans, salad & tostones. So when I asked she looked at me and did this hand, neck and eye gesture like if I was stupid for even asking. As we waited for our food a man came in asking us for money for food. We gladly helped him out and he got himself a pastelillo. Let me not forget about the man who came from outside, into the kitchen and to the front to fry whatever it was he put in the fryer. Ewe! He didn’t even wash his hands or had gloves on and who was that anyway! Gross!
Our food is ready and time to pay. I must admit I was a bit nervous on asking if they take credit cards. I didn’t want to look «stupid» again. So when I asked she shrugged her shoulders. Yes they accept credit cards.
In the car so anxiously to try the alcapurrias. Nothing spectacular here. To me no flavor, but my dad disagreed. However, I can appreciate that they were made fresh. My daughter said the food was good or maybe it was because she was just starving. We’ll never know.
Can’t fathom the not so cool customer service and for me that was enough to NOT visit nor support this establishment again.

«Yay! I’m a fan…» of Unilocal. Even though I’ve bicycled past here I don’t know how many times, I wouldn’t have stopped in if it weren’t for Carrie’s Unilocal review. How did I ever eat out before Unilocal and Internet technology? Wouldn’t have stopped in, heck, I don’t usually even slow down right around here, it doesn’t look like an inviting restaurant. When we pulled up there were some sketchy idle types loitering in front, not unlike in many of the poorer parts of San Juan. As we tentatively mosied up to what seemed to be the door, the guttersnipes I took for vagrants all got up to come inside to get back to work. Just like Puerto Rico.
Somewhere coming into Fajardo on route 3, we found a roadside vendor selling these pastelillos, the first time we encountered the Puerto Rican version. I had a lobster one, and it was so good I finished it before the Chief of Staff even got started, which kind of shocked the woman selling them. Although they were pretty big I rapidly had four more, she had four different fillings. Puerto Rico was some of the best eating I’ve done around the world, it’s hard to compare to my first experience with Puerto Rican style pastelillos, but La Morovena comes close. Maybe it’s unfair, because the noxious truck exhaust fumes from Windlake are a little different from the ocean air of Fajardo and environmental context has a lot to do with my tastes. La Morovena doesn’t have seafood pastelillos, they do have chicken, pork, ground beef and cheese.
Although they list themselves as a «Spanish restaurant» on Facebook, this is an authentic Puerto Rican take out only restaurant (they speak Spanish, the food is Puerto Rican, just trying to be clear and accurate here), and the service is authentically Puerto Rican as well (friendly, slow and inefficient, you will have to stick your head in a window and shout, repeat yourself a few times). Mofongo’s distant ancestor is fufu and the pounded grain staples of Sub-​Saharan Western Africa, arroz con gandules is Puerto Rican rice, alcapurrias are another fried plantain thing, and these are all very good here. Dinners are delicious, try the carne or pollo frita. They call their Cuban sandwich «Jamon, Huevo y Queso,» and it’s also some pretty good eating. If they could only add parcha with good rum and an ocean view, I’d add another star.
No bike rack, but I bring my bike half in the door where I can see it, and they haven’t complained about it.

I heard about this small south side takeout place from a friend that really knows food. So when he said it was good, I had to check it out.
I called ahead because I heard they can be busy even outside of usual peak times. And I opted to go a la carte to try more things.
The pastelillos are light and flaky, golden fried pockets of delicious roasted chicken. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and tender. These were an excellent start to the meal and my only wish was that the pastry to chicken ratio was a bit more proportional. The pockets were a bit large given the amount of meat and held quite a bit of air.
I’ve never had alcapurrias and I would equate them to a fritter (albeit a Puerto Rican one). Small chunks of delicious plantain and little cubes of seasoned and fried pork were wrapped snuggly in masa dough comprised primarily of green banana and then deep fried to a very crispy golden brown.
Tostones are a very common side dish in Puerto Rican cooking and the La Morovena version is good. They are typically best served hot so I tasted those first. I found myself wishing they would have been served with a side sauce reminiscent of remoulade or chipotle mayo. Or ketchup even. I just made a mental note to ask next time.
Arroz con Gandules or Puerto Rican rice was my favorite dish. I ate this much later in the day and it didn’t dry out at all. But it wasn’t overly wet. They found that perfect little line between the two. There were plenty of pieces of pork, pigeon peas and peppers.
For my first visit this was a pretty good one. They are a condiment away from one more star.