Edwin Vazquez

Pirilo Pizza Rustica, Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico

207 Ca. de la Tanca, San Juan, 00901

So, I chose this spot because this is the first restaurant that I've ever taken myself out on a date. That experience made me feel a sense of adventure and independence. It felt really liberating; getting out of my shell, especially here in Puerto Rico.

This spot is a well-known pizzeria here in Old San Juan, and when I came here for the first time it was during lunch hour and the place wasn’t too busy. The staff was incredibly friendly and I was able to converse with them on a more intimate level. As a Puerto Rican born in the States, I take any opportunity I can get to become more familiar with the island, my culture, and my people. It was a time where I was feeling lost. I was going through a break-up and adjusting to post-pandemic life. For me, it was a time of finding myself again and redefining who it is I wanted to be. 

I realized I couldn’t sit around and wait for someone to come and do things for me, you know? Taking myself out was uncharted territory, but this experience gave me a sense of “You got this. You can do this for yourself and not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, meet new people, and have new experiences.”

For me, it was one of the few times that I felt like I wasn’t an outsider. That afternoon, I spent a good couple of hours just conversing and learning about the staff and they equally of me. It made me feel like I wasn’t a stranger in Puerto Rico.

…

So, it's funny. I’m a creature of habit. I'm a homebody. Growing up, Chili’s was our family restaurant. Like, that was our fancy going out once a month kind of place.

My cousin loves it here too and comes with his friends.

For me, this place is an upgrade from Chili’s. It’s that one restaurant that I can always count on. I can come here with my cousin, my family, and feel like it’s our spot.

What I appreciate most about any dining experience is the flavor and service. I appreciate flavors that are deep and rich.

The whole ambiance of a place can affect the flavor center for me. So how a waiter greets us, how soon they get to us, those little things matter.

When the food comes, the service adds to how good a meal can be. Something can be really, really good but paired with bad service, it’s not as good as it could have been.

Like when we go to the hole in the walls and get served in seconds of arrival. It’s quick, boom, boom, boom. And every time, it’s the best food we ever had, like at Casita Blanca.

At the same time, the difference between Puerto Rico and the States is that rush factor. Being here makes me slow down, enjoy the air, and enjoy the ambiance.

…

For me, for Eddie Vazquez, the goal is being able to provide for my friends and family in a way that if you needed something or if you’re stressed – you have a place to come by and have a meal. You’re safe in my home.

Whether it be making you some waffles, snacks, tostones, or some bomb ass rice and beans, I got you.

The safety of being around someone who could provide for you, who can support you. That's what food means to me.

…

I think for me, growing up LOVE was my grandmother. That came from her being able to welcome us to a safe home, providing food, providing a sense of someone you can count on even if it's just listening.

Growing up, I remember the smells, the textures, the cooking techniques. But I only learned very little on how to cook from my family.

That's one thing. I give kudos to my ex. He taught me how to cook. He taught me how to be in the kitchen.

He taught me the techniques of being in the kitchen. “Do it this way. Do it that way.” It’s through that experience, that those memories from my family flow. And my dishes come out really well. The first time I tried my beans… yo.

When I cooked them, I looked at him and I was like, is that ME? I did that? This flavor is ME? I was shook.

…

My grandmother has been my one constant throughout my entire life. She's been the constant through everything.

When I’m home now and I’m cooking, I always call her for a little bit of advice. I call some friends here and there like Chris and Karilin, but my grandmother will always live on through my cooking. The love language that I have learned from her and that I am trying to practice, is that sense of “coming home to a safe home, and a warm meal.”

But back to the pizza…

It's so good. They have different flavors and themes. Take this tripleta pizza. The mayo-ketchup on it?! It’s iconic. So you know it’s going to be bomb.

Pirilo is my little way of introducing you to the basis of home, but at a nice location. Sure, it’s a pizzeria, but it’s a place where I can feel all of me, my independent adventures, where I’ve come to with family, and now where I’ve come to with friends.

It kind of reminds me that, no matter where I travel to, I am home, and I can make it special…

Was that corny?