Sitting at the Bar With LyAnna Sanabria, Co-Founder of Papi, Portland, Maine's Haven for Puerto Rican Hospitality
Big Boricua energy has landed in Portland, and New England's bar scene is better off for it.
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Sitting at the Bar With LyAnna Sanabria
I first learned about Vermont-native LyAnna Sanabria, co-founder and beverage director of Papi, while listening to the Bartender at Large podcast. At the time, I’d already thought about doing a newsletter series focused on American drinking culture. And after listening to her passionate story about opening the Portland, Maine-based Puerto Rican bar and kitchen, I couldn’t wait to share more about Sanabria and Papi on The Tipsy Traveler.
The origin story of Papi begins with an empanada pop-up curated by Chef Ronnie Medlock. Joshua Miranda of Miranda Restaurant Group hosted Chef Ronnie at his bar, Blyth and Burrows. Legend has it that Miranda tried Chef’s pollo guisado — a popular chicken stew in Puerto Rico, and other Latin countries — and said “I could eat this everyday”. One year later, Sanabria was consulting to open Pacifico, a pan-latin restaurant in Southern Maine and Miranda came in for opening night. The rest is history.
According to Sanabria, the team behind Papi has intentionally created a space to highlight Puerto Rican fare and flare as representation matters and sofrito rules. And based on what I’ve seen and heard from afar, Sanabria has built a bar with soul, personality and deliciousness in a way that many businesses struggle to. Why? Because Sanabria oozes unapologetic authenticity — very much the Boricua way.
Reflecting on the influence of Puerto Rican culture in America
I have a particular fondness for Puerto Rican culture as it’s one that has played a significant role in my life as a kid and teenager. It’s why when I found out about Papi, it went straight to the top of my “bars to visit” wishlist.
I grew up in Belleville, New Jersey, and among the sea of cultures and nationalities I was surrounded by Puerto Rican was one of the most prominent.
Some of that exposure was through Puerto Rican friends and family, but it was mostly through popular culture in my town — especially the music. Summers were filled with Puerto Rican and other Latin music that would be blaring from either the cars that drove by, or my neighbors’ backyard barbecues. The music would be playing on the field during baseball practice; in fact, Frikitona by Plan B was the most played song on my iPod when I was 12. As a teen, house parties were fueled by Bacardi and reggaeton. And intertwined with the music was the vibrant people, food, drink (Coquito was always in my fridge around the holidays) and wepas!.
Listening to Sanabria talk about Papi on the podcast brought back so many of these salient childhood memories, and it made me realize how influential Puerto Rican culture is — even for people like myself who were just privileged enough to have been surrounded by the people — along the East Coast of America. It truly is an infectious and powerful culture.
The fact that Sanabria has built a space to celebrate Boricuas and Puerto Rican hospitality is genuinely something special. It feels as though a cocktail bar of its kind has been long overdue, but I’m just happy that it finally exists. If you find yourself in Portland, Maine, Papi needs to be number one on your bar crawl list. I’ll be going for the reggaeton and pastelitos. Hopefully I’ll see you there.
Q: What makes Papi one of the most exciting new bars in the United States? And what does this opening mean to you, and to the Puerto Rican community in general?
A: Papi is one of the most exciting new bars in the states because Papi is Puerto Rican hospitality. The beverage program is advanced, crafty, and meticulous making it an attribute to any bar scene but the exciting part comes with the food, the service, and the sazón. In the diaspora strictly elevating Puerto Rico is rare outside the places where Puerto Ricans thrive in the States. That being said, Maine from a culinary standpoint is an oceanic and agricultural jackpot and that paired with Puerto Rican chefs and bartenders is something really mesmerizing.
The opening has been a humbling experience, kind of like when you eat too much of your favorite food and it hurts so good. There has been unadulterated Boricua joy and representation in the room which was my main intention with opening. The Puerto Rican community has shown up and a phrase I keep hearing is “we’re the only ones here”, only to be able to point with my lips to at least three other Boricuas in the room. The diaspora is a spectrum and Papi has meant coming home for many here in New England. Puerto Rico has also hosted many cultures as a port for hundreds of years, whether or not by choice, they do it with grace. And the comfort food and space are an escape for others.
What can guests expect from their experience at Papi? What are they eating and drinking?
Before 9 pm one could expect El Gran Combo, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz to be playing over the orange neon lights as beef pastelitos (empanadas), alcapurrias con jueyes (crab), and sorullos make their steamy way out of the kitchen. Heavy hitters on the cocktail menu include the Flantasy Fizz, a take on a Ramos Gin Fizz with a house-made flan syrup, Ron del Barrilito rum and Palo Cortado sherry which are served fizzed with a sharp caramel shard.
The Papi Douro is a guava sour with Armagnac, pink peppercorn, and mulled port served with pasta de guayaba on a stick. The Corillo has been a surprising crowd pleaser with a base of Ojo de Tigre mezcal, rancio sec, and Cardamaro, flash blended with sweetened condensed creamed corn syrup and a spritz of Mexican pepperleaf bitters garnished with a baby corn dipped in paprika sugar. After the dinner rush of carne estufada and pollo guisado, we spark the bodega candles in all colors, crank the reggaeton, and drop the neon.
Will your Coquito be better than Giuseppe Gonzalez's legendary Coquito? (Sorry bro. I can’t help but stir the pot. Haha.)
Giuseppe’s Coquito is classic. It’s a very Tio recipe and I’ll drink it all season…as long as I don’t have to make it for myself. If I have to make it for myself, then yes, I would pick mine over his.
The beauty of Boricua classics is that “mine” is always better. We honor our families in that way. With that being said, his palate is dead from diet coke and smokes and I taste color.
Who are a few bartenders that have inspired you in your bartending career, and why?
There are dive bartenders since the beginning of my career that have taught me more about caring for community, a staff, and your bar top than any classically trained savant and I owe them a tip out.
In the cocktail world I love the real radical and beautiful ones that are undeniable even when the world generally tries to. Lauren Paylor O’Brien, Touré Folkes, Ashtin Berry, Deniseea Taylor, Taylor Sampson, Al Maynard, and of course, Giuseppe González. Some people you look up to on how to treat others and how to be yourself rather than being ‘like’ them.
Lastly, what are your aspirations for Papi?
This is honestly hard to put into words. I hope for Papi to be a starting point for many careers and a place of appreciation for the people of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. I hope to give hope, I guess.
“Sitting at the Bar” is an ongoing series where I spotlight noteworthy bars, bartenders and bar industry figures in an informal Q&A format.
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