Humboldt Park, on the West Facet of Chicago, has skilled vital social and ethnic modifications through the years. For the reason that Nineteen Seventies, it has been a focus for the Puerto Rican group.
In 1995, in honor of the neighborhood and its Boricua residents, a bit of Division Road was designated as “Paseo Boricua.” This space is marked by two massive metallic Puerto Rican flags that arch over the road, representing a long-lasting image of Puerto Rican heritage and identification in Humboldt Park.
Nestled between these flags is La Bruquena restaurant, an unwavering group pillar that celebrates La Isla del Encanto’s flavors with dishes like arroz con gandules, lechon, and the standard Mofongo.
(Photograph by Isabella Balta)
We had an opportunity to talk with co-owner, Zoraida Rivera-Tañón.
“My life has been in these 4 blocks. From flag to flag this has been my life,” Rivera-Tanon mentioned. “It is vitally particular. The group is our household.”
Initially from Caguas, Puerto Rico, Zoraida and husband Roberto Miguel first determined to settle in Connecticut earlier than making Chicago their residence.
Once they arrived in 1987, the couple solely had $20 between them, however grit, onerous work and dedication to group is the profitable recipe that makes La Bruquena not solely a restaurant, however a cultural epicenter.
La Bruquena, 2726 W Division Road, Humboldt Park (Photos by Isabella Balta)
“We’re open for a lot of group occasions,” mentioned Rivera-Tañón. “We now have Palabra Pura which is poetry evening…in Spanish and English.” She additionally mentioned that after a month they host Colectivo Sayba, a neighborhood group who carry out bomba, a wide range of musical kinds and related dances originating in Puerto Rico. It was developed by enslaved Africans and their descendants in sugar plantations alongside the island’s coastal cities.
La Bruquena’s menu can also be a fusion of many cultures, together with Taino, Spanish, and African influences with dishes like arroz con gandules, lechon, and the standard Mofongo.
Photos by Isabella Balta
The couple was acknowledged by Alderperson Jessie Fuentes, twenty sixth Ward, in 2023, on the thirty fifth anniversary of they taking up the restaurant that was established in 1965.
The decision learn partly: La Bruquena and its house owners have served as a permanent supply of satisfaction and inspiration to Chicago’s Puerto Rican group, exemplifying the values of onerous work, high quality service, and perseverance within the face of adversity.
Sazón de Illinois is co-produced by Illinois Latino Information (ILLN), an affiliate of the Latino News Network (LNN), and CAN TV, Chicago’s hub for community-centric information, hyperlocal tales, and academic sources.
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