• Puerto Rico •
Secretos de Mis Abuelos
October Showcase
1334 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: +1 (412) 742-4359 |
Secretos de Mis Abuelos is the first authentic Puerto Rican food truck and restaurant in Pittsburgh. Felipe Crespo, the founder and head chef at Secretos, moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to pursue graduate studies at Duquesne University. Upon arriving in Pittsburgh, Crespo began catering Puerto Rican food and casually sharing his recipes with friends and family. His business expanded tremendously as he continued to connect with the Puerto Rican population in Pittsburgh. Ultimately, he decided to open a Puerto Rican food truck called Secretos de Mis Abuelos. After further expanding his menu and combining kitchen space with Hapa Hawaiian Grill, he recently opened a storefront for his restaurant, which is located along Fifth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh.
The Owner When asked about his inspiration for the restaurant and his recipes, Felipe gave a clear answer: his grandmother. Felipe’s grandmother assisted him with creating his recipes. Because she did not have any exact recipes, she gave him approximate amounts for each ingredient, and he used her suggestions to curate the dishes. However, he fine-tuned the ingredients over time, using trial and error to create the recipes he now uses today for his restaurant. All of the dishes reflect his childhood favorites, especially tres leches cake and chimichurri steak. Besides celebrating his culture through his love of food, Felipe loves dance and music! If he’s not cooking, he is making music and salsa dancing. Within music and dance, he particularly enjoys playing the piano and practicing other Puerto Rican instruments, because they help him connect with his Puerto Rican roots. Felipe's openness to sharing highlights of Puerto Rican culture is evident not just in the food, but also in the soundscape of the restaurant. Felipe explained that music remains one of his favorite ways to stay in tune with his cultural heritage. Salsa, bachata, and merengue take turns moving the customers’ hips and driving the pace of the kitchen equally as orders are churned out. A mix of English and Spanish echoed through the restaurant. A festive climate permeates every corner of the room; eating is a special occasion, a celebration. Another facet of Felipe's personality is his dedication to creating a community. He is in the process of starting a nonprofit called “Casa Corazón” with his mother and family friends, which will provide scholarships to underprivileged youth and fund other locally-led projects. It is evident in how he conducts his business that he has a big heart and has a deep understanding of the significance of his newest endeavor. Having lived in Florida and Chicago along with Puerto Rico, he has always belonged to a robust Latino community. He shared with us that Pittsburgh has the same elements of colorful cultures and really creative people, but they simply lack a central location to join together. This was part of his inspiration behind opening Secretos - building a home for everyone to come together. Food, especially hearty Puerto Rican food, is a powerful tool to do so. The fact that Felipe has brought these recipes with him through it all is very telling both of the quality of the food and of his dedication. The Restaurant Situated in a new uptown storefront, Secretos occupies half of a cooperative space with Hapa Hawaiian Grill. Following a fast-casual model, however, limited seating is available and the restaurant does a lot of take-out orders. Secretos’ Saturday afternoon lunch rush saw a line extending to the door and a packed house within, but the food still came out fast and delicious. The restaurant’s decor is split fifty-fifty between the two islands, and the overhead menu at the register likewise comprises two distinct but complementary halves. As Felipe, the owner, explains, both Hawaii and Puerto Rico are islands with ties to the US, the former as one of its fifty states and the latter as a protectorate. Under one roof, patrons have the chance to sample both cuisines from the common anchor space of landlocked Pittsburgh, PA. On the Puerto Rican side, a mural by Dave O’Brien depicts the colorful façades of old San Juan and the preserved rock lookout of El Morro monument presiding over crystalline waters. The work’s tropical aesthetic assists the transition to the Hawaiian half of the decoration. The Food Our members had the delightful opportunities to sample the various entrees available at Secretos de Mis Abelos. Their menu offers traditional Puerto Rican food, and they serve entrees that come with various sites: frituras de puerto rico, a la carte traditional plates and various sides and desserts. These were some of our thoughts: Chicken Jibarito The chicken Jibarito was an excellent dish. The plantain bun was flaky, firm, and savory. The chicken and mayokechu sauce melded together to be a delicious, tangy and savory flavor explosion. The almost “sweet” quality of the plantain bun complemented these elements of the dish quite well. The addition of lettuce and tomato offered a refreshing, hearty taste that brought the entirety of the sandwich together. The dish had an excellent presentation. The sandwich elements were uniformly stacked, and the Puerto Rican flag-toothpicks were fitting for the dish’s authenticity. Pernil The pernil (slow-cooked pulled pork) was pure Puerto Rican comfort food. Served over a bed of rice done right and accompanied by crispy tostones (fried plantain patties), I ended up eating the entrée in one sitting, which was no small feat. The dish was balanced in flavor, not salty or overbearing - delicious in a simple sort of way. One “secreto” I have to share is to pour the extra sauce from the side of beans over the pork. This brings all the different spices of the dish together in a wonderfully hearty way. Carne Fritas I decided to try the Carne Fritas w/ White Rice and Red Beans, and Tostones. The Carne Fritas were perfectly cooked and had a little bit of heat to them. The white rice and beans complemented the Carne Fritas very well as they tamed the heat while still maintaining its natural flavor. I particularly enjoyed the Tostones. They added a nice crisp and certain sweetness to the dish and brought everything together extremely well. Tostones with Chimichurri Sauce and Mofongo I got tostones with chimichurri sauce and mofongo without bacon bits! For starters, the tostones were amazing. They were flavorful and crispy, and the chimichurri sauce added an incredible herby flavor and some texture. There were several other sauces available to be served with the tostones, but I highly recommend the chimichurri. The tostones would be a great appetizer to split amongst a few people. For my main dish, I got mofongo, which I enjoyed. The fried plantains were my favorite part of the dish, and they tasted amazing with the rice and garlic/olive oil rub. Lastly, I got a Lilikoi Passion juice, and would suggest it to anyone! Mofongo I decided to go outside of my comfort zone on this trip. I wanted to try something that I have never eaten before. I went with the traditional Puerto Rican dish mofongo. This dish consists of mashed plantains and pork rinds. I ordered mine with carnes fritas as well. The mofongo was dense and starchy, it reminded me a lot of mashed potatoes. I had never eaten anything like that before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The carnes fritas were cooked to perfection. I paired my meal with mango nectar, which was a lovely sweet treat. After hearing Felipe talk about his favorite dish, I couldn’t help myself and bought the tres leches cake. It was DELICIOUS and I can completely understand why it is his favorite dish! Empanadas (pastelitos) I ordered two empanadas, which are also known as pastelitos. I tried one chicken empanada and one beef empanada. The texture and consistency of the chicken and beef fillings were excellent. The fillings had the perfect level of spice as well as complex flavors. My favorite part about the empanadas was the crunch on the outer edges. In addition, I tried a bite of mofongo, an authentic dish that incorporates mashed plantains and pork rinds. It was my first time tasting savory plantains, and I absolutely loved it! Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and the opportunity to experiment with authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. Jibarito When I first ordered the Jibarito, I didn’t really know what it was going to be. I opened up the container to look at it, but I was still just as confused, it looked just as it was described: a sandwich with plantains for bread. The crunch from the fried plantains and lettuce, along with the tang and hint of spice from the sauce, mixed in with the perfectly grilled chicken made the sandwich unbelievably delicious. Having this great sandwich accompanied by the greatest drink of all time… mango juice, made the trip 100% worth it. And I now know that I truly enjoy Puerto Rican cuisine. Conclusion Overall, we were delighted with the food, the comfortable ambiance, and fascinating history behind the restaurant. Secretos de Mis Abuelos is a great hidden gem located in Downtown Pittsburgh. The menu is inviting and allows everyone, ranging from native Puerto Ricans to people who have never tried Puerto Rican cuisine, to sample the island's rich cultural history and traditions. |