5 replies to this topic

[Sundae in the Park]

A Bolivan bakery has opened up in my 'hood, replacing the sketchy Asian bakery next to the new Wild Chicken, and got a nice writeup in the WaPo here. The info:

3900 Pickett Rd.
Fairfax, VA 22031
703-978-8021
Tues-Sat:10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sun: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Has anyone gone yet? Can't wait to try it out, especially the saltenas!

[DonRocks]

A Bolivan bakery has opened up in my 'hood, replacing the sketchy Asian bakery next to the new Wild Chicken, and got a nice writeup in the WaPo here. The info:

3900 Pickett Rd.
Fairfax, VA 22031
703-978-8021
Tues-Sat:10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sun: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Has anyone gone yet? Can't wait to try it out, especially the saltenas!

This is right by W.T. Woodson (Matt's high school, whose Men's Varsity Tennis Team just finished 12-2 and District Runner-Up - congratulations, Matt!), so I'll be there soon enough. Like Pure Pasty Company in Vienna, it's great that Chef Hayes plays around with fusion (see the last paragraph of the Post article), but like Pure Pasty Company, I sure hope they never lose sight of the "traditional" empanada (the traditional is the pasty I order fully 80% of the time I order from Michael Burgess, and is one of the greatest handheld food items I know of (and if you haven't gone out to Vienna to try one, you're missing out in a big way)).

In the past year or two, this formerly uninteresting little strip mall has opened independent Peruvian (Wild Chicken serves anticuchos on weekends), Bolivian, and Ethiopian mom-n-pops, and is now worth knowing about.

[Sundae in the Park]

Ooooh, it's good! Very good. The empanada pastry is thinner, but not too thin, and the crust crunches rather delicately. The original (beef, potatoes, onions) is excellent, with ingredients you can actually taste, and the same with the chicken (I had the Santa Fe chicken, with corn and peppers, don't know if they have other chicken empanadas). If anything the fillings are a tich underseasoned, but that is much more easily remedied than being too salty. The deal mentioned in the article (2 empanadas plus a can of soda - they have Inca Cola - for $5.75) is going strong and will leave you fully satisfied. I can attest that you can hike for hours afterwards and not be at all hungry! I also tried the beef saltena - WAIT before biting in, as it really is steaming hot. There were peppers and egg and olives and it was very tasty, also with crust worth eating.

The nice guy behind the counter said that business has tripled since the WaPo article. Behold the power of publicity!

[Sundae in the Park]

They have a website up! The 2-empanada deal is now $5.95, and you may select from the beef and cheese empanadas, plus a can of soda. Their permanent empanada lineup is now beef, chicken, cheese, pizza, and veggie, and saltenas seem to be available all week long if you call in advance.

[hoosiereph]

Recently served two dozen terrific empanadas from Dulce at a party. Ordered a mix of flavors: beef, cheese, veggie, and the Santa Fe. All were delicious, and the Santa Fe was an absolute standout. Delicious crust complements the fillings, and they are big enough to be quite filling. Dulce has been sending coupons in one of the local mailers -- like the 2-fer with a Coke, these make Dulce an incredible deal.

Our order was not quite ready at the appointed time, because they were busy with a steady stream of customers on a Sunday morning. We were not as impressed by the alfajores we noshed on while waiting. But we'll definitely be back for more empanadas!

[goodeats]

Agree on the alfajores--they were not very good. But I am rather sad that Vina's Bakery (the old "sketchy" bakery mentioned above) no longer exists; the Cantonese chef that used to bake the breads was very skilled.