El Segundo: Arepazo Tapas and Wine (Downtown Gahanna)

In complete contrast to the original El Arepazo in downtown Columbus (my post on their location can be found at this post,) their second location in tony downtown Gahanna seems mansion-like in comparison. The interior is reminiscent of their original Pearl Alley location with the dominant brick inlay; even the chairs and tables are similar to each other. However, modern style touches such as fancy overhead lamps, wine racks and industrial pipework lend a much more refined atmosphere. Here, the diner gets much more of a chance to stretch out and relax even during peak hours, enough time to notice these details, including a very cool South American mural toward the rear of the room.

More space means more attention to interior and details at El Arepazo Gahanna

Like the increase in space, Arepazo's menu here is expanded across all fronts. Aside from the traditional items you can get at their anchor downtown location, a list of South American influenced tapas are offered for $6-$8 each; their Picada for $18, a blend of various items including chorizo, steak and chicharron, can serve 2-3 people, The options include Albondigas (essentially, spiced pork and beef meatballs with tomato sauce), Chorizo al Vino (Colombian sausage in red wine) and Peruvian Ceviche (tilapia, onions and herbs in citrus juices.) As implied in the business name, wine is also a focus: Arepazo offers solid list of various wines to diners to enjoy with their meal.

Examples of Arepazo's expanded tapas and wine menu, plus two
Arepazo traditions (the Arepa and the Empanada)

As this was my spouse's first visit here, we decided to forgo the tapas menu for this visit and stick to Arepazo's traditional items. The arepa was as good as ever and my spouse appreciated her first sampling of this Venezuelan standard, but we both agreed that it was the empanada which was the star for both of us. The exteriors were perfectly textured, tender and but not mushy, and the fillings were all cooked and spiced well.

Worthy of sampling at all their locations is their spicy cilantro sauce. Even my spouse, who is not the biggest cilantro fan, agreed that this Arepazo creation is a winner; bottles of their signature sauce are offered for sale at their locations.

We have found this Arepazo location has a winning combination of food and atmosphere, making good on the promise shown by their anchor downtown location. It only seems natural at this point that we'll need to make it a proverbial "tercer" of sorts and drop by their German Village location in the future.

Arepazo Tapas and Wine
93 North High Street
Gahanna, OH 43230
(614) 471-7296

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