Papi has been on my list of places to hit in Portland for a while now, and when we finally made it back to Portland after 9 years, it's the first place we headed towards once we checked into our hotel.I can't express how happy this place made me. We fortuitously got 2 seats at the bar right in front of bartender-owner LyAnna and right before we had a chance to have a conversation, it was clear that she put heart and soul into the beverages and is very proud of Papi. The ambiance takes you back to PR, not in a kitschy way, but the decor really reflects the feel of what it's like to visit an establishment in Puerto Rico. Music selection was dope. Pernil was juicy and tender, the arroz con gandules was tasty, and a small salad balanced the plate out. The 4 drinks we tried all knocked it out of the park. La-Factoría-who? There's a conscious effort to elevate latinx spirits, and demonstrate boricua culture through the writings in the menu. I'm so sad something like this doesn't exist closer to Boston but am glad it has a home in Portland.Salud!
