La Casa de Iris is the most well liked Puerto Rican avenue meals spot in Lengthy Seashore

Because the age of 13, Iris Negron has realized the secrets and techniques of her household's Puerto Rican meals whereas rising up in Ponce, the place she mastered the recipes by means of years of statement and follow. In 1968, she, her husband Ramon, and their rising household moved to California in the hunt for higher job alternatives and to reunite with household already dwelling within the Golden State. Negron started promoting meals at Rock of Salvation Church in Wilmington within the Nineteen Seventies, then took on catering jobs from church members in the neighborhood. Demand for her aromatic stewed hen, garlic-stuffed mofongo, and comfortable rellenos de papa grew right into a larger-scale operation, nevertheless it stopped towards the tip of the last decade as a result of well being issues that she had had

Whereas Iris' 5 youngsters grew up together with her scrumptious residence cooking, solely her daughter Maria took a deeper curiosity in studying the sacred household recipes, similar to arroz con gandules, a basis dish of rice and pigeon. Anxious that her mom's recipes have been misplaced, Maria studied them meticulously over the course of three many years, finally studying her mom's sazón (mixture of spices or seasoning). “Nothing is written or measured in our kitchen, so it’s a must to watch and study,” says Maria.

A while in the past, Maria and her son Eddie have been having lunch with Iris, when the 77-year-old chef, now retired, informed her: “In the future, I need to promote my meals in a restaurant earlier than my time is up.” Moved by their dream, Eddie and Maria opened a Puerto Rican-style avenue stand known as La Casa de Iris in 2023, working out of a purple, blue and white tent adorned with Puerto Rican flags, together with a yellow stripe emblazoned with the phrase. “The Taste of Puerto Rico”.

A colorful Puerto Rican street food stand in a Long Beach parking lot with customers waiting outside. — Patrons wait outdoors La Casa de Iris within the Catalyst car parking zone in Lengthy Seashore.

A colorful red street food tent. — The aspect of La Casa de Iris.

A cook takes stewed chicken from a metal heater. — Scooping stewed hen on the Bori cup.

Potato and flour bubbles on a metal plate. — Rellenos de papa able to be stuffed.

Throughout the week, Maria is employed within the environmental providers division at a Kaiser hospital, and her son Eddie works as a longshoreman. Mary taught Eddie and different members of the family her mom's recipes, and Eddie scraped the kitchen tools and store. For many of their first yr in enterprise, they served prospects amongst a big gathering of avenue distributors on the nook of Pacific Coast Freeway and Figueroa in Wilmington, however they didn't all the time really feel welcome there. “There have been many distributors who had been there for some time, and the power of some was not good,” says Maria.

In April 2024, they moved their colourful tent into the car parking zone of Catalyst, a hashish dispensary in Lengthy Seashore simply off the 405 freeway. Iris Negron got here to assist usher within the new opening, giving it her stamp of approval. to the road kitchen moved. “It's not precisely a restaurant, nevertheless it's a begin,” says Eddie.

All dishes are made to order, so plan a wait, as a result of the mission assertion of this household is to satisfy a dream – not make fast-food. “Puerto Rican meals has a novel taste, sazón, and it should be appropriate,” says Maria. The household labored collectively, studying to function as they went. Maria Cristina Martinez's niece manages the registry; his different niece Alexis Martinez cooks; and Edwin, Mary's older brother, acts as a gregarious host who additionally helps run the enterprise. Regardless of strolling a tightrope for every service, the meals got here out as daring because the matriarch supposed.

The menu begins with frituras (fried meals), starring pastelillos (turnovers) crammed with moist floor meat and potato, and heat, spongiosos rellenos de papa, or potato balls crammed with the identical combination. Iris Negron, a 33-year-old who bears her grandmother's namesake, rigorously kinds every ball, as guided by the hand of the aged Iris. If the potato breads at Cuban bakery Porto's are the stuff of legend, Iris Negron's rellenos de papa could also be even higher, boasting a comfortable, fluffy exterior round a number of layers of meaty seasoning.

La Casa de Iris' Puerto Rican tamales, known as pastels, are created from a combination of yucca, plantain, pumpkin and sazón. Then they’re crammed with hen, items of corn, peppers, potatoes and inexperienced olives seasoned with adobo. The pastels are tightly wrapped in banana leaves, closed in parchment paper, and wound with string into sq. lashes.

A stylish dish that comes virtually instantly from the island are known as vasos Boricuas (Boricua cups), or vasos de pinchos (skewer cups). They’re ready in a plastic cup with mayo-ketchup, arroz con gandules, crumbled chicharrón, mofongo bubbles, and a alternative of meat, guava-marinated hen, or pernil (roasted pork leg). A single skewer of meat positioned within the heart of the bowl is topped with a tostón (fried, mashed plant) and a chunk of toasted bread. The spectacle of this Puerto Rican trophy plate that’s introduced in by prospects, with its glowing autumn colours and combined textures, turns heads, like watching an Olympic torch relay. For starters, it's typically a right away order – no questions requested.

Extra basic dishes like pernil or pollo guisado – 1 / 4 of hen marinated in spices after which cooked with tomato, annatto oil, cilantro, garlic, onion and sofrito – are one other approach to expertise Iris' timeless recipes. “The form of hen stew has all my grandmother's seasonings in a single dish,” says Eddie. Forked hen swims in a mildly spicy stew and is served with arroz con gandules.

A female chef wearing a black athletic outfit works in a street kitchen. — Cristina Martinez scoops meat from a kettle.

A culinary woman prepares a Puerto Rican potato ball. — Iris Negron makes a relleno de papa by hand.

Different Puerto Rican delights embrace the delicate however spectacular jibarito, a beef or ham sandwich dressed with tomato, avocado slices, purple onion flakes, and mayo-ketchup streaks between two rising plates of fried bananas and mofongo. The mofongo d'Iris, a puree of fries, inexperienced plantains, garlic and chicharron, is bought as a aspect or an entree filled with ham, beef, or hen. The garlic-kissed mofongo is moist and pliable, with a nice grainy chunk that comes from ample chicharrón woven into it.

Within the two months for the reason that transfer to Lengthy Seashore, Puerto Ricans and different loyal prospects present up as quickly because it opens each Saturday to get a style earlier than the stand sells out. Every dish is a tribute of affection to the aged Iris Negron, whose Puerto Rican delicacies thrives in a colourful tent tucked behind a hashish store. For Maria and Eddie, that is simply step one in direction of having a everlasting restaurant. “My son mentioned to his grandmother, 'I don't have some huge cash, however I promise to do no matter it takes to do that,'” says Maria.

3170 Cherry Avenue, Lengthy Seashore, Saturday from 12pm to 5pm, or till bought out.