I’ve been following Miss Arepita on Facebook for a while and finally got the chance to meet chef-owner Carolina Abolio last month at Locally Inspired. She just celebrated her first anniversary in business and invited me to taste her food. So I found her tent at Phat Beets Farmer’s Market last weekend. It’s a small, friendly market in North Oakland with just a few farmers and vendors.
photo: Miss Arepita
I asked for a recommendation and she said I should try a Pabellón Arepa (traditional shredded beef, black beans, plantains, cheese, $7).
Have you ever had an arepa? It’s a “gluten-free, cooked cornmeal pocket served with various fillings,” traditionally from Venezuela.
I’ve just had a couple, but this was definitely the best arepa I’ve ever tasted. This one was so tender and tasted like purity, honesty and wholesome goodness. For real.
photo: Christina Mitchell
Chewy, gooey, sweet, sour…the filling as a whole was cohesive, with the different textures and flavors complementing each other. It was delicious on its own, but the Guasacaca (a vinegar-based green sauce) took it to the next level.
Involuntarily, I murmured “mmmmmm.”
That’s when I had to stop and take another picture. This deliciousness should be documented!
photo: Christina Mitchell
Carolina packed up a Veggie Calipso Arepa ($6) for me to take with me and I unwrapped it when I was at the car wash a few hours later. The filling changes with the season, depending on what’s at the market, but this one had kale (and some other veggies that I can’t remember because I ate it so quickly) dressed in that addictive green sauce…Guasacaca.
Her Salsa Picante (hot sauce) was also impressive. It looked like any other hot sauce, but turned out to be really complex. At first, the heat was assertive and hit the tip of my tongue, but then it mellowed out and a more subtle intensity appeared in the back of my throat.
Whoa! Carolina told me she uses different types of chiles to intentionally create this effect.
These arepas were good they could become a weekly habit.
You should definitely check out Miss Arepita if you’re in North Oakland. But honestly, Carolina’s arepas are worth a special trip. She’s at the Phat Beets Farmer’s Market every Saturday, and tomorrow, she’ll also be popping-up at The New Parkway.
Check her out and let me know what you think!
970 Grace Ave, Oakland
Christina Mitchell
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