Finally, We’ve Got Arepas
By Tom Maicon at February 18, 2009 | 1:04 pm | Print
Growing up I had a Colombian friend whose grandmother used to make the most sublime dense, yet crumbly-centered arepas with griddled crispy edges. She told us they were Colombian biscuits and served them with rice and beans. Buzzing on beer the first time I tried one … I had an epiphany.
We don’t have much in the way of Colombian restaurant options here in Atlanta. The few we do have mostly serve tired, flat-looking rubbery arepas the size of a half dollar. But that’s just not the case at Las Arepas de Julia (4044 Lawrenceville Hwy, Lilburn, Tel: 770. 559. 4094). Like my friend’s grandmother’s arepas these are a little thicker and somewhat dense like a biscuit.
The arepas aren’t just served as a side to a meal here. You’ll find them as appetizers oozing with melted cheese, and even as a meal topped with light, stringy cheese and a heaping portion of grilled pork that first took a bath in a citrusy, salty marinade. My favorite is an appetizer called Arepa de chocolo con queso. It’s a griddled crispy-edged, sweet yellow corn arepa filled with melted stretchy cheese, served with a side of butter.
There’s plenty of other options here besides arepas. Though empanadas are forgettable, the plump Colombian chorizo is the best I’ve had in Atlanta.
A very traditional dish found in every Colombian restaurant and one of my favorites is Bandeja Paisa. It’s a giant eclectic plate of food consisting of marinated steak, rice, beans, two fried eggs, plump chorizo and crispy, oily chicharron. The steak is marinated in that same citrusy, salty marinade as the pork arepas I described earlier.
If you are in the mood for Colombian cooking, Las Arepas de Julia is worthy of a drive from anywhere in the city, if only for the arepas.
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