El Rinconcito Latino

Home Is Where the Manteca Is: A Visit to Piñones in Puerto Rico | Bon Appétit

"A beloved family-run roadside kiosk in Piñones that epitomizes chinchorro culture, with loud salsa music, a sunlit ocean view, and the typical glass vitrine displaying very-recently fried foods cooked in manteca (lard). Signature items are the oversized bacalaíto — a golden-brown, grease-soaked cod-and-flour pancake best enjoyed by tearing off the ultra-crispy edges — and the alcapurria, a dark-brown oblong fritter of green plantain and taro (or the rarer yucca) stuffed with ground beef or crabmeat and often finished with hot sauce. Guests wash everything down with ice-cold Medalla beers; the overall experience is communal and ritualistic, a comforting local tradition that drew people back to Piñones soon after Hurricane Maria." - ByLaia Garcia