Puerto Rican Chow

April 24 & 25

It's finally happening! We're so happy we could reschedule our Puerto Rican Chow with Chef Sammy Martinez!

  • Uptown Kitchen
  • Doors open at 6:30pm
  • Dinner at 7:00pm
  • BYOB

 Get your tickets!

Our Menu

Bowl of ceviche with tortilla chips on a black textured surface

Ceviche con Platano

Seafood salads with Plantain cup While ceviche is not native to Puerto Rico, the island has developed its own distinctive variation by infusing the classic Peruvian dish with native ingredients and flavors. Sammy’s ceviche includes red snapper, shrimp, and clams in a lemon-lime sauce with cucumber, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and spices. Gluten-free. Vegan Option: hearts of palm “ceviche”

Sancocho

Purée de Sancocho

Sancocho is a rustic stew popular across the Caribbean and Latin America, including Puerto Rico, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic. Sammy describes it as Puerto Rican gumbo. He packs his sancocho with root vegetables, including yautia, taro, malanga, green plantains, and yuca (cassava). Gluten-free and Vegan.

Alcapurria de Yucca

These deep-fried fritters filled with a savory meat filling are a classic Puerto Rican street food. The dough, called masa, is traditionally made from a starchy blend of grated cassava. Sammy’s fritters are filled with carne molida, spiced ground beef. It’s served with his “Puerto Rican Ketchup,” a sauce made of tomatoes, carrots, celery, and onion. Gluten-free. Vegan version: Alcapurria de Yucca made with Impossible ground beef.

Sandwich Trio with Yucca Fries

For our main, Sammy is serving up a trio of sandwiches with yucca fries. Gluten-free options of each sandwich available. Vegan option: vegan sandwich, rice, beans, and yucca fries.

Cubanito

A Cuban sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese sandwich that likely originated before the turn of the 20th century in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Tampa or Key West, two early Cuban immigrant communities in Florida centered on the cigar industry. Sammy’s pressed sandwich features ham, garlic-roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mayonnaise, and ground mustard.

Pollito

Translating to "little chicken" or "chick", pollito is used as an affectionate term for a loved one or to describe a young or inexperienced person. In this case, pollito refers to a small chicken sandwich made with garlic-pulled chicken, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, onion, and tomatoes.

Tripeta

Known as the working person’s sandwich, this hearty Puerto Rican dish features three types of meat: pork, steak, and chicken. It’s topped with Colby-Jack cheese, garlic aioli, and potato chips for a little bit of crunch. Tripeta is a popular street food known for its generous size and explosion of flavors and textures.

Pastel de Guava y Queso

These traditional Cuban pastries are staples in most Latin American bakeries. Made with flaky puff pastry filled with a sweet guava paste and tangy cream cheese, they’re popular at breakfast or dessert. Vegan and Gluten-free Option: Tembleque, a Puerto Rican coconut pudding made with cooked coconut milk thickened with cornstarch.

Get your tickets!

Chow Club Gift Card

$60.00
$60.00

Puerto Rican Chow: Friday, April 24

$60.00
$60.00

Puerto Rican Chow: Saturday, April 25

$60.00
$60.00

Meet the chef

Chef Sammy Martinez

Both of Sammy’s parents were from Puerto Rico; his dad was from Aguadilla, and his mom from Isabela, both coastal towns in the northwest.

Sammy learned to cook from his mom and, to this day, finds inspiration in her cooking. When he was younger, he volunteered in soup kitchens, and he wanted to work in restaurants. But, needing to support his family, he opted for a more lucrative career as a truck driver. 

In in 2005 he started taking night classes in culinary arts. He’d drive his truck route during the day, and run to class as soon as he was off. 

Today, he's a regular chef at Chow à la carte. His catering company, Mama Luz Latin Cuisine, is a tribute to his culinary inspiration, his mom.