ISLAND FLAVORS: Puerto Rican Cooking at Papito Moe’s

by Ted Scheffler

One of the joys of living in New York City for so many years, for me, was being able to eat Puerto Rican food anytime I wanted to. Here in the Beehive State, Puerto Rican cuisine is a lot harder to find. Thank goodness, then, for Papito Moe’s Puerto Rican Grub - a food truck that specializes in, obviously, Puerto Rican grub!

Like me, Jesus and Kim Vasquez - owners of Papito Moe’s - were having a rough time finding food from their homeland here in Utah. That’s what gave them the idea for their food truck. Jesus says, “Frankly, we were sad that we could not find one place here that had Puerto Rican Food. We were hungry! We went through withdrawal and had to search hard and long to find the comforts of home here. At the same time, we wanted others in Utah to experience the flavors and said, ‘hey ... why not?’”

Asked to describe the food sold at his food truck, the former truck driver turned self-made chef, Jesus Vasquez, explains: “Papito Moe's Puerto Rican Grub specializes in Puerto Rican cuisine comprised of traditional street food and family recipes that bring comfort, all at the same time. It’s kind of like food for the soul. One bite will make your tongue do the bachata (a Spanish dance)! Our food is made with the freshest of ingredients; it’s authentic and rich with flavors that many in Utah have not tasted. We are the one and only place in Utah where you can find Puerto Rican food. We feel like pioneers of the Caribbean food scene. It’s an honor to be able to introduce our culture to the West, especially Utah.”

Regarding the specific foods served at Papito Moe’s, he says “Our menu consists of island favorites like mofongo (a Puerto Rican dish of deep-fried green plantains mashed together with chicharron in our house garlic sauce, stuffed with choice of protein), empanadillas ‘aka empanadas,’ fried plantains, and rice bowls. All rice bowls are served with arroz con gandules (yellow rice with pigeon peas), a choice of protein (pernil - ‘Puerto Rican pulled pork,’ boricua chicken, shrimp, or veggies), and a side of sweet or savory plantains.” The word boricua refers to a Puerto Rican person, especially one living in the United States.

To the Vasquez’, family and community are key. Jesus says, “What is so special about our food is that it is made with purpose. We consider it a privilege to serve others. We believe in family, friends, and serving the community. Our customers are like family and our community is home. For this reason, we strive to serve our community one grub bowl at a time, working with local organizations like Best Seat in the House, The Road Home, and local churches, whenever possible.”

Looking toward the future, Jesus, who’s the chef, and Kim, who handles the business end of Papito Moe’s, say that they’d like to “be the first Caribbean food chain in the West. In the next five years, we’d like to have the first or maybe the second brick and mortar location.”

It’s never easy starting a business from scratch, and teamwork is crucial. When asked about the support it took to get Papito Moe’s off the ground, Jesus and Kim say they thank “our family for believing in us. Mostly each other. When one of us was down and feeling defeated, the other was positive and helped to steer us in the right direction. As a business owner, it’s never ending. You are always learning and plowing your way through tough situations.”

To find Papito Moe’s Puerto Rican Grub, see their weekly food truck schedule which is posted on their website: papitomoes.com.