An authentic Puerto Rican restaurant is opening in the Warehouse Arts District, and that is music to our ears. Welcome to the Burg, WEPA!
You can’t say the name without inspiring a bit of cheer. That’s probably because it’s a word of pure jubilation in Puerto Rico.
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Jean Totti, a prolific connoisseur of St. Pete eats, and creator of the popular “What the Fork are you Eating” group, is bringing recipes from his childhood to the Sunshine City.
Recipes straight from San Juan
Totti was born and raised in Puerto Rico. His own handwritten family recipes going back three generations.
A love of food is in Tott’s DNA. As a child, he visited the public market in San Juan with his father to select fresh ingredients from the butcher and vegetable stands.
“This legacy is the inspiration for our menu,” Totti states. “Today, we are drawn to
ingredients from local markets, such as in the centuries old tradition of visiting
Santurce’s Plaza del Mercado.”
Eclectic offerings unlike any in the Burg
So what’s on the menu at WEPA!?
Diners will get to try Puerto Rican street foods like “picadera.”
In addition, traditional menu items will include Masitas de Cerdo, Mofongo, Arroz con
Gandules, Paella and Chicharrones de Pollo.
Eyeing a mid-February opening
The restaurant should be open by mid-February. Fingers crossed it’s ready for Valentine’s Day.
WEPA! Is located at 2149 3rd Avenue South. The restaurant will be open for lunch and. Dinner 7 days a week from 11am-9pm.
Visit WEPA!’s website for further details.
*All photos courtesy of Jean Totti
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