Authentic Puerto Rican Cuisine Coming To Downtown St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Celebrating the cuisine and traditions of Puerto Rico, WEPA! Cocina de Puerto Rico (Kitchen from Puerto Rico) will be St. Petersburg's first authentic Puerto Rican restaurant.

WEPA!, which will be located in the Warehouse Arts District, will bring the flavors of the Caribbean island to St. Pete with time-honored recipes from the indigenous people and the Europeans who settled there after the discovery of the New World.

“WEPA! (pronounced Weh-pah) is a word of jubilation commonly used by Puerto Ricans,” said owner Jean Totti. “It is normally spoken.”

WEPA! is the vision of Totti, who was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His own handwritten family recipes dating back three generations inspired him.

“Working with these recipes for months, we’ve selected a range of dishes that will represent our culinary history,” Totti said.

Totti believes his passion for food was born from many afternoons by his mother’s, aunt’s and grandmother’s side in the kitchen. He used to visit the public market with his father to select fresh ingredients from the butcher and vegetable stands.

“This legacy is the inspiration for our menu,” Totti said. “Today, we are drawn to ingredients from local markets, such as in the centuries-old tradition of visiting Santurce’s Plaza del Mercado.”

Diners will be able to experience Puerto Rican street foods known as "picadera.” In addition, traditional menu items will include Masitas de Cerdo, Mofongo, Arroz con Gandules, Paella and Chicharrones de Pollo.

WEPA! is scheduled to open in mid-February.

“We are in the midst of finalizing construction," said Totti.

Located at 2149 3rd Ave. S., (facing 22nd Street South), WEPA! will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, click here.

Images via WEPA!

Masitas de Cerdo

Bistec Encebollado

Chicharronnes de Pollo

Flan de Carmelo

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