The potato ball is as good a place as any to start when talking about Porto’s. They are divine racquetball-sized orbs of fluffy mashed potato filled with a picadillo spiced meat mixture laced with onions, peppers and what tastes like just a hint of olive and cumin. The balls are coated in breadcrumbs and fried to a deep, tawny brown. The mild crunch of the exterior yields to the silky potato-y mass, only to reward further with tender meat and mild gravy. To eat one is to truly grasp the concept of positive reinforcement in behavioral psychology. To eat one is to see the potential of what shepherd’s pie could have been. They are worth every penny of the $1.09 they cost. They are perfect.
Rosa Porto died Friday, leaving behind a husband of 64 years, children, grandchildren and legions of customers loyal to the business she created, Porto’s Bakery & Cafe. Porto, who had started an illegal cakes business in Castro-era Cuba to make money for her family while waiting for the opportunity to come to the U.S., grew her life’s work into what became far more than just a Cuban bakery. Porto’s adapted to its environs over the years — changing Los Angeles demographics and a dwindling Cuban population — and shifted its menu constantly according to evolving tastes. In doing so, the small bakery that began at Sunset and Silver Lake Boulevards in 1976 became the quintessential L.A. restaurant — and an incredible story of American success.
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