Ep. 6 – Jorge Ayala – Owner of El Barrio’s La Fonda Boricua & Curious Soul

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Jorge Ayala

Today’s episode brings on the show Jorge Ayala who currently owns La Fonda Boricua in El Barrio. I have to admit I knew little about Jorge before agreeing to meet with him but it was a refreshing conversation and I believe an important one.

He moved from Puerto Rico in the 80’s to obtain his masters degree and continue his education but one thing never changed. That one constant was his never-ending curiosity. He loved learning how people work and function and just the different dynamics of human interactions. This lust for learning led him to work on neighborhood social programs in East Harlem eventually allowing him to take over a restaurant, La Fonda Boricua, a staple in the neighborhood.

Several decades later he has used his community involvement coupled with his quest for learning to continue the history of La Fonda. He has learned how to run a restaurant and is overly humble to admit he knows more than the average man.

The podcast closes with some solid advice that no matter what your upbringing or schooling it should never impede your quest for wisdom and knowledge. Some of the smartest minds in the world didn’t have a formal education and that shouldn’t be a barometer on how you interact with people on a day to day basis.

Listen and hopefully learn a bit about Jorge and his life. After if you are in the NYC area, maybe swing by La Fonda and check out the amazing artwork and enjoy it’s tasty Puerto Rican cuisine.

Here is the link to his episode of “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”