Qype User (march…)
Yelp
Since I've had pupusas in El Salvador and Honduras, when I heard there was a pupusería in Portland, Maine, I just had to mosey on down south to check it out. Am very glad I did.
For those not in the know (and most who are informed are either Central American or gringos who go adventuring in this part of the world), a pupusa is a round patty of masa that is filled with maybe cheese, maybe meet, or maybe a combination of the two. It is very different in Salvador or Honduras, but the pupusas I had in Portland, Maine, were a good effort at reconstructing the original dish. Or maybe I was nostalgic for some good Central American cooking
This time I was not concerned about the santitation and in fact, while the exterior of Tu Casa is very modest and simple Maine, the interior is clean and cozy. The fellow at the counter did look a bit uninterested and was distant, even though I automatically ordered in Spanish. A gringa apparently can't speak the language even if she's speaking it to you but I persisted, and at one point he kind of smiled. I'm used to this, because in the US many latinos are protective of their culture and do not understand others are simply wanting to communicate normally. They are surprised when not meant with the English Only mentality.
I was pretty much the only non-latina in the place, but that was fine. There was CNN en español to watch and clearly locals stop in for a meal that resembles their home cuisine. The menu has a good variety of typical dishes besides the pupusa - such as tamales and more. Also, I recommend the jugo de marañón, which was good although it is doubtful that it was made on the premises. Not sure the marañón fruit is often imported to the US. What was fun for the language-oriented person was to read through the menu and see how many errors it had, not just in English but in Spanish. No offense meant, but it was the work of someone who was not used to writing in his or her native language. There was an impulse to take out the red pen and make corrections, but that was suppressed.
The pupusas (mine were queso con loroco) were $1.75 each and with the juice, the meal was under $6. Other dished were also inexpensive and on a second trip I plan to check them out. This could be a place to go on a regular basis, practice Spanish if you feel so inclined, and especially to get a bead on the local Hispanic immigrant population. One gets the sense that the regulars would eventually try to get to know you, even if you're a gring@. Meanwhile, if dining unaccompanied, there's always the Spanish TV and if you're lucky you'll see handyman Bob Vila, who is hispanic but doesn't know the language trying to make a sales pitch to those who do, in a heavy gringo accent with lack of noun/adjective agreement.
Lots of cultural levels in this small space. Probably as much a reason to go to Tu Casa as the good prices and Latin American menu.
