Eat at Moe’s

There really is something special about my friend- Moises Figueroa. He’s so endearing, generous and wants to feed everybody some delicious Puerto Rican cuisine. WEPAAAAA!

Moises (his friends call him Moe, I call him Brother) is just one of those casualcool people. He just has that laid back vibe. Moe’s energy is so chill- until he starts cooking!

If you catch him on TikTok LIVE(s), you know exactly what I mean! Moises plays amazing music (usually Freestyle) takes shots and salutes all of us in the LIVE as he continues to cook his tail off. Everything always looks incredible.

All of the comments start to scroll so fast, you can’t read them all. The energy is so intense, it’s like a big PARTY going on!

I decided to go out and meet this Brother to give you all a bit more insight to the Man behind the amazing food!

We met in a park in Harlem NYC, where Moe spends his Sundays playing football and cooking meals. This is how it went…

Hey there Moises, how are you?

I’m good really, just here doing my thing, ya know?

Actually, I don’t know- what are we doing here?

I invited you to meet me here because this is where I play with the fellas. I created the team- Uptown Express a few years ago. It kept my friends off the streets, outdoors breathing fresh air and it later became an opportunity to feed them my amazing food.

Amazing? Well I’ll be the judge of that- jajajaja!

You’re a funny dude.

I’m just playing, I know that if the food tastes at least 1/3 as good as it looks on IG and Tiktok then it is amazing! Today, I have chicken leg quarters and chuletas (porkchops).

What’s in those huge tins?

Ahhh- that’s my homemade arroz con gandules and my saladsmacaroni and like a garden salad. The chicken and the pork, I’ll grill right here.

Right where? Where’s the grill? I got in in the truck… the canopy too. Be right back.

Moises returned a minute later with a couple of friends carrying all sorts of things. I saw prep tables going up, canopy tents being raised and coolers being chilled with ice over canned & bottled refreshments. It looked like a well-oiled machine, the entire setup. A moment later and the grill was ready to go.

I’m already impressed! How did all this start- I can see that you’ve been cooking for a long time?

I’ve been a young father and had to cook for my family. I never got caught up in that machismo mess that men aren’t supposed to cook. What I did not know how to cook, cook properly, I’d call my mother. She’d say- put a little bit of this, a spoon of that, a touch of this and BOOM- dinner was done. I’ve been doing this a long time. That’s incredible- shout out to all the Mothers out there!

There are a few posts on social media platforms, where Mount Sinai Morningside is thanking you for what you were able to do for them.

May you share that?

Sure- not a problem. During the height of the Pandemic, like many people, I found myself without a job. But I’ve been hustling since forever. I must provide.

I know that’s right!

It’s my family depending on me, you feel me? So I created an opportunity to provide my delicious meals to 50 people at Mount Sinai Morningside. I shopped, cooked and packed 50 individual meals to our Heroes at the Hospital. They were very grateful because some of them haven’t had a home cooked meal in weeks. They had a job to do too so we were able to help each-other during the crisis. Man- 50 individual meals during the Height of the Pandemic. Wow! It was a lot, but I was happy to do it.

What lesson(s) have you learned from that experience?

That when push comes to shove, I can accomplish more than I thought possible- and all with my food. Since then, I’ve catered for events, parties and even intimate weddings.

Let me ask you a couple of quick questions. What’s the one dish that you create that makes your beautiful wife just want to holler?

I got a few dishes that do that jajaja! But lately it’s my Seafood Broils. Broils? Don’t you mean Seafood Boil? Depends how I make them, if I prepare them in a stock, then yeahboil. But if I broil the seafood in the oven, then it’s a Seafood Broil. I make Seafood Grills too for that matter.

Okay, okay- I get it. So tell me about your Seafood Broil.

What I do is go down to the market and see what’s available. I usually get the lobster tails, crab legs, shrimps and corn on the cob, you have to have the corn on the cob chopped small. I season and prepare everything with my spice blends. Then I broil, boil or grill all the food…

I got it, smart-ass!

Cook it all together and I serve my rice or macaroni salad along with it.

It’s Sunday afternoon, there’s a knock on your door. It’s your family friends calling on you- and they’re hungry. They know your food is on another level. What do you have to appease them?

I usually have some fresh Whiting Fish marinating in the fridge. And I always have some shrimp on hand that I can sauté real quick. Add some tostones and in minutes, I can serve a delicious family dinner. Wow! Okay, what else you got?

Shrimp empanadas are sort of like a staple in my kitchen. If I don’t have some ready to fry, I can whip them up for a tasty cuchifrito in no time at all.

I also keep like a dozen pasteles at the ready. You keep pasteles at the ready? Yes please!

Moe started to play football. You know what? He’s pretty good. I’ve seen him score a couple of touchdowns too.

There were also a couple of other teams out there playing in other leagues. It was a relaxed day filled with fun and excitement (“I like GRAY!”) When Moe’s game was over, we headed back to his grill- the food aromas were intoxicating.

Oh yeah, baby- I think we’re ready! My goodness that smells and looks so good. Did you make enough? Look at these lines forming.

I think so! Hand me those plates, will ya?

Moe would ask what his eager customers would like- chicken or pork? After a few peeks at the grill, they would make a choice. “Oooh let me get that BBQ chicken” or “Let me have that grilled chuleta.” Some couldn’t decide so they outright asked for both. It was amazing!

Whatcha gonna have, Lu?

Lord- I usually hate that, don’t call me “Lu”. But you know what? My siblings call me Lu or Luizito. Coming from Moe, I didn’t mind it too much.

I’m going to take with me 2 plates to go- one for me and one for Henry. We’re going to taste them together. Let me have a BBQ chicken plate and a grilled porkchop plate, both with all the sides and fixings. You got it, Lu.

Actually- It’s H. Luiz. Not “Lu” but H. Luiz. No problem, Lu. Grrrrrrr!

Moe started to place mile-high mounds of food on both of my plates. In fact, he had to place another plate underneath each of them. The weight of it all threatened the support of the already-study plates.

Here you go, Papo- thank you!

Are you crazy, put your money away.

Look now- we’re here to make money and although you’re killing it, I can’t be dipping into your profits.

No No No- I can’t take money from you, don’t worry about it. Kids eat free anyway, so think of it like that.

Moe, ain’t no kid eating these huge plates, piled high to the sky.

Nah Bro, stop playin’ with me, get out of here!

Okay Brother, you win, whatever- I appreciate you! Thanks so much!

Just then, I took advantage that Moe had customers, lining up again. I snuck over to his backpack and stuck the money in one of the pockets.

Broooo- what are you doing? Get out of there!

Have a great day, Moe- do your thing and I’ll talk to you soon. PEEEEAACE!

Aw man, jajajaja you’re the best. I appreciate you. Thanks, Lu!

Grrrrrrrrrr!

Here’s a picture of the delicious chicken leg quarter that Moises was grilling up that day in NYC.

It was complimented by his famous arroz con gandules, macaroni salad (so good too), some plantains and fresh avocado. Henry said it was so delicious too.

Now you see that there is not a picture of the wonderful grilled pork, right? That’s because we were halfway through that plate before I thought… oh- I should take some pictures.

I make pasteles all the time, I rarely need a holiday to make them. But let me tell you, when Christmas comes, I can’t make enough of them- everyone wants them. H. Luiz, you better get your order in now!

Shrimp Empanadas are quickly becoming my people’s favorites. It’s a little bit elevated with my seasoned shrimp. These come out really tasty! When I make the traditional ones, people be looking at me sideways. jajaja!

I still shocks me how far my good food has taken me. I’m catering events, parties and weddings. The sky’s the very limit. Hell- I may even go past that- you feel me?