Papi Portland

Papi is a welcome respite from all the lobster and tourist knick-knacks in the Old Port in the form of Puerto Rican tostones and empanadas. As soon as you walk past the 19th-century wood-and-wrought-iron doors (which they imported from Old San Juan), you’ll hear the reggaeton pumping—the perfect background for a fun dinner at the bar. Enjoy classics like pernil, which is so marinated and so slow roasted that the pork shoulder barely stays on your fork, or the perfectly snackable sorullo: sweet corn fritters filled with cheese that you won’t be able to stop popping. Pair everything with something off their drink menu—the cocktails are good and use ingredients that range from kola nut soda and chile-spiced Pop Rocks to the locally beloved Allen’s Coffee brandy.