Mini Empanada Search- 82nd Street

It wasn't really planned, it just sort of happened, that while on our way to Mango Rico and Associated for some Memorial Day BBQ preparation items, José and I had ourselves an empanada round-up. We were hungry, about to cook, and needed a little something. Empanadas sounded just about perfect, but where? We know where we like them in Corona (On National St. close to 103rd, forgot the name of the bakery!). We know where we like them on Broadway in Elmhurst (La Gata Golosa), but close to Roosevelt and 82nd Street, we just weren't sure, so we tried 3 different places, in the hopes that we would never again have this particular problem. Since we weren't planning on this, the pictures are from my phone, sort of blurry, and not very good, but at least it's documented somehow.
First off: Las Americas Bakery. We got 3 meat empanadas, which were extremely hot and incredibly crispy, with a great corn flavor to the crust. The filling was meaty and potato-y, and really stuffed in there. The empanadas were great. But: they only gave us one tiny container of sauce for three large empanadas. That is a crime in our world, as we (and when I say we, I mean José) need one container per empanada. The worst part was that the sauce was really good. Red, chunky, and spicy, a perfect addition to the starchy, meaty filling. So we moved on.
There once was a yogurt place, on the corner of 82nd and Roosevelt. It didn't do that well. Until it became half yogurt place, half Colombian bakery, and now it's doing just fine. Well not really a bakery, since they don't actually bake anything there, but they do sell Colombian baked goods. And empanadas, of course, so that was the second stop. We got three meat empanadas again. They were not as fresh as the previous bunch. Had been sitting in the heat box for a little too long. A little too chewy, a lot less filling. They did give us enough sauce, though, so they win points for that. A green, not too spicy sauce, more like a chimichurri than anything else. $1.25 each.
Last stop, before we got too full: La Delicia en Pandebono. Who make all kinds of things beside their pandebono, which are great. Again, three meat empanadas, again, $1.25 each. They were fresh tasting, very hot, crisp, and the meat filling was good- large chunks of meat, very tender. Not quite as crunchy and crispy as Las Americas, but a strong competitor. And the best part of all: see those lovely, grape-covered ceramic containers? They are filled with salsa. A spicy, oniony red sauce. No doling out one little container, at La Delicia, they want you to spoon on as much salsa as you could ever want. That made us very happy.

After tasting the empanadas from these three places, I think we now know where to go. Sort of. We might do Las Americas on occasion, and maybe pay for extra sauce, but more likely we will go where the sauce flows freely.

Las Americas Bakery
40-30 82nd St, Elmhurst

Yogurberry/ Pan y Mas
Roosevelt Ave and 82nd Street, Elmhurst

La Delicia en Pandebono
40-23 82nd St, Elmhurst

Red Ribbon Again.

I have lots to say about Red Ribbon and their cakes, which you can read about here on Serious Eats. I am not going to get into the cakes, their flavors, or my favorite brazo de mercedes, because today I am going to talk about empanadas. I had already discovered, early on in the project, that Filipino empanadas are somewhat different from their Latin American counterparts in that there is a sweet element to these savory patties. I ordered one (if you buy five you get the sixth free, and I can't say I wasn't tempted) and an ube-tapioca drink, and went on my merry way. My ube (purple yam) was sweet and a little starchy, icy cold with chewy tapioca here and there. And a beautiful color. Drinking my ube shake on the walk home.
Red Ribbon's empanadas, while they have a somewhat mass-produced sort of look to them, are quite good. A sweet-salty, flaky crust encases a chunky chicken filling with a few plump black raisins here and there for added sweetness. But it made me realize that I need to try more empanadas from more Filipino places. So far I've only had Fritzie's and RR. I need to eat more empanadas to compare and contrast. Purely in the name of research, of course. Not because I like them or anything.

La Fama Empanadas

I'm not sure If I've gone into detail about empanadas on this blog yet. I like them. I like them a whole lot. I like anything with a pastry crust, pretty much. There are so many variations from so many countries, and I haven't met one I haven't liked. Samosas. Burekas. Pasties. Patties. Turnovers. The list goes on and on. Empanadas are sold all along the route, at the many, many Colombian bakeries on Roosevelt Ave. The thing that makes Colombian empanadas great is the yellow, crispy crust. What makes it yellow and crispy is corn flour. There are lots of not so great empanadas, but I ventured in to La Fama Bakery the other day, just to see what they had to offer, and walked away with one empanada in a brown paper bag. It cost a dollar. It looked like this.


The crust had that great. crisp, slightly chewy texture, and the filling looked appetizing. Large chunks of soft potato, bits of shredded beef, seasoned aggressively enough to stand up to the dough. The sauce was spicy with a strong onion flavor, adding a freshness and bite to the heavy meat and potato interior. Be sure to ask for sauce because they don't always give it to you automatically. A good empanada, a nice snack.

La Fama Bakery
67-10 Roosevelt Ave.
Woodside

Filipino Empanada

When I wandered past Fritzie's bakery on Roosevelt Ave in Woodside the other day, it looked so cute that I just had to go in. The man behind the counter was very friendly as I asked him what various things were in steam boxes and on the counter. There were chicken buns, a delicious looking steam table, and pastries that definitely merit a closer look. I spotted some empanada-shaped things wrapped in paper, neatly lined up on top of the display case. "Are those empanadas?" I asked. "Chicken", he replied. Sold! I've never had an empanada from the Phillipines before. Mexican, Argentinian, Columbian, Paraguayan, Uruguayan, I've had. I've made my own. I've had turnovers and beef patties and all sorts of things. If it's wrapped in pastry I like it, so how could I resist?
I was informed as I shopped that Fritzie's has been open since last week. The staff seemed so happy to see people, even annoying people who asked lots of questions. Was I wrong to ask if there was a sauce to go with the empanada? The very patient counter-person said that they didn't have sauce...yet. I'm not sure what that means but I guess I should have known better.
I carried the snack home, where I heat it up and split it with José, who I will introduce now, as I am sure he will play a large part in most of my posts, as my husband. It looked great. the crust was flaky, there were bits of chicken and vegetables, raisins, and even some hard-boiled egg. It was tasty and fresh. And yet, there is a yet, the dough was much sweeter than I expected. I did some research on recipes to see if that was traditional, and the best I came up with is that it is in some areas, but not others. The quote of the day, if I may quote Wikipedia is "some Filipinos are not partial to the sweetish flavour notes and prefer empanadas that are closer to the Hispanic versions". If I were Filipina I would be one of those, as would my husband, who asked me why I forgot the sauce. Here I was, walking around on this earth thinking I knew enough about empanadas to live a happy and full life. I was so, so wrong. As for Fritzie's, I can't wait to go back and try the lechon, yes, lechon!, that they sell per pound.


Fritzie’s Bake Shop
69-10 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside