Where the Demise of the Drive-Thru Signals Revitalization
As mainland chains disappear across Puerto Rico, homegrown restaurants pop up in their place
During my husband’s family reunions, “El Vigía” is often mentioned: A patriarch of sorts, El Vigía is a vigilant presence looking after several generations of the family in their hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Idyllic, sentimental tales about dearly departed El Vigía are told through misty eyes. Yet, El Vigía is not a long-lost family member. El Vigía (translation: “the lookout”) was the family home, as deeply beloved and mourned as the ancestors who once inhabited it.
Built in 1921 in Santurce, then considered the rural outskirts of San Juan, El Vigía stood on a sizable parcel between Loíza and McLeary streets. My husband’s great-grandfather, Rafael Carrión, built the original one-story structure to serve as a gathering spot in the “countryside” for his large extended family. He loved the peaceful setting so much he eventually made El Vigía his primary residence, adding a second floor and enough bedrooms to accommodate his wife and eight children. The larger El Vigía continued as party central for the Carrión clan, with a giant great room, formal and informal dining rooms, and a kitchen, where giant pots of rice and beans were always simmering. It was the…
