Ladies that Lunch - Arepa and Salsa

Have you ever had Venezuelan food?  The lunch ladies and I were all first timers and were excited to give Arepa and Salsa a try.  GREAT reviews online...  Which I obviously don't trust.  Must see for meself.

Arepa and Salsa used to be Burly's which used to be a garage.  I think its garage history is why it might have been a tad chilly?  But the decor was colorful and the place looked nice and clean. 

I was running just a hair late because I had trouble figuring out where to park.  (There's parking behind it.  Just FYI, turn down the side street between A&S and the Trolley Stop Market.)  The ladies had gone ahead and ordered an appetizer and I was delighted to walk up to food.  In a perfect world, I would always be greeted this way.

There were 4 emapanadas – 2 chicken and 2 beef – with a Latin sour cream dipping sauce.  It was pretty much just fried dough and meat.  And it was fabulous.  The exterior was crispy and in no way greasy.  The dough seemed to have some cornmeal in it and the texture was great.  The meat seasoned and moist.  Although I didn't have a lot of it, the dipping sauce was tasty too.  Off to a great start!

Beef & Chicken Empanadas

After that, we had a little trouble deciding what to eat.  What to do when hungry and everything sounds good?! The waitress was not only attentive; she also made recommendations and said she'd bring plates for us to share.  So we got 3 meals and split them all between us.

Arepa Pernil Roasted Pork

Hmmm.  Some sort of Venezuelan ham & cheese?

Shredded Chicken Tostones

It was all soooooo good.  Everything was perfectly seasoned and the combinations in each sandwich were deliciously thoughtful.  The roasted pork was soft and tender.  The ham & cheese (mystery sandwich that I can't believe I forgot the name of) was nice and gooey.  Delish.  But my absolutely favorite was the shredded chicken tostones.  The sauce with the chicken with the fried plantain was AMAZING.  I've never had anything quite like it!  I want one now!

Arepa and Salsa definitely lived up to the hype.  I cannot wait to go again!