For two decades, Ivan “Papo” Ruiz has nourished Cleveland through Puerto Rican food, salsa and a steady commitment to community—building Rincón Criollo alongside his wife, Nydvia, while creating room for what comes next.
From Yauco to Cleveland
Born in Yauco, Puerto Rico, in 1969, Papo was the oldest of five children. He credits his mother and grandmother with teaching him to cook—lessons that became the foundation of a menu known for arroz con gandules, mofongo, pernil, pasteles, alcapurrias, rellenos de papa, jibaritos and chuletas.
Papo and Nydvia began by cooking from home. As demand grew, he cooked at his in-laws’ restaurant before the couple acquired the business and developed it into Rincón Criollo. Business records date the restaurant to 2006.
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A pillar who keeps showing up
Papo’s contribution cannot be measured only in years of business. For decades, he has shown up wherever Cleveland’s Puerto Rican community gathers—with a microphone, a güiro, a tray of food or a willingness to help.
During the COVID-19 crisis, Papo and Nydvia participated in a neighborhood effort that distributed thousands of free meals, building on meals that participating restaurants had already provided from their own kitchens. Their purpose was to thank the community that had supported their family business.
The salsa never stopped
Papo’s Cleveland music career reaches back to the early 1990s, when he began playing güiro with local groups at about 24 years old. By 2017, his published biography described Papo Ruiz y La Dulzura de la Salsa as an orchestra he had already led for a decade.
Published programs and local reporting document the band at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Tremont’s Arts in August, La Cosecha Galería, Near West Theatre, Cleveland’s Puerto Rican celebration and cultural events across Ohio. In 2017, Papo released Nunca es tarde, including “Veneno de amor,” an original song inspired by Nydvia.
A friend of Cleveland Boricua
For Cleveland Boricua, this story is also personal. Papo has been a trusted friend and a familiar presence in the city’s salsa community for many years. We have watched him contribute as a chef, singer, bandleader, entrepreneur, collaborator and community supporter—often without receiving the wider recognition his record deserves.
That relationship is disclosed because friendship informs our appreciation, but the public record also stands on its own: decades of performances, community partnerships, food service and neighborhood presence make Papo one of Cleveland’s most consistent Puerto Rican cultural figures.
From West 65th to West 73rd
For years, Rincón Criollo operated two Cleveland restaurants: its original location at 6504 Detroit Avenue, at West 65th Street, and Rincón Criollo Take 2 at 7403 Denison Avenue, at the intersection of West 73rd Street.
That changed in spring 2026, when Papo sold the original West 65th restaurant location after deciding it was time to move on.
Rincón Criollo’s story now continues at 7403 Denison Avenue and West 73rd Street—the location pictured throughout this feature.
New ways to feed—and make room for—Cleveland
Papo is preparing to launch a food truck, extending Rincón Criollo’s cooking beyond the restaurant walls. He has also recently introduced an on-site pop-up kiosko at the Denison Avenue location, creating vending space and another way for local entrepreneurs to meet the community.
These new projects have not yet been detailed in independent published reporting. Cleveland Boricua is reporting them from information shared with us directly.
An underrated pioneer
Papo and Nydvia Ruiz did more than establish a restaurant. They created a cultural home. A pioneer is not only the person who arrives first. A pioneer builds something lasting, opens doors and keeps creating room for others.
Papo Ruiz is a pillar of Cleveland’s Puerto Rican community—and one of its most underrated pioneers. ¡Que viva nuestra música, nuestra comida y nuestra comunidad!
ORIGINAL PHOTO GALLERY
Meals, memories and Boricua pride
Five original Cleveland Boricua photographs from April 2022 document Rincón Criollo on Denison Avenue. Select any image to open the full-screen gallery. Cleveland Boricua archive.
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