Nothing Like Opening Day! (A Farmers Market Pictorial)

For me, the opening of Farmers Market season in Ohio brings me as well as many others a measure of joy. As much as the winter season may try to fight back (as it did during the opening day of the Clintonville Farmers Market this year), the opening of these markets for me means the warmer, sun-laden months will soon be winning out.

While the Worthington Farmers Market is my favorite area market, I enjoy visiting all the markets around the region whenever I can. I was very happy to recently drop by the opening days of two of the area's markets.

First off, an old standby in Downtown Columbus' Pearl Alley Farmers Market:

El Primero: El Arepazo Latin Grill (Downtown Columbus)

Other than Peruvian, South American cuisine was not commonly found in my former Bay Area home. One of my first discoveries in moving here was finding such a restaurant not too far from my workplace.

The original El Arepazo was established in 2005 in the Pearl Alley section of downtown Columbus. Seating capacity has actually been increased and the overhead space opened up over the restaurant's nearly 10 years of existence, including the addition of a small outdoor patio. However, rush hour can make dining in feel a bit claustrophobic. These tight quarters remind me of many places I'd find a bite to eat in San Francisco; at times, dining in here makes me feel like I haven't left San Francisco at all.

The quaint brick-lined interior does get hectic at lunch time, but the
staff at El Arepazo handles the crowds with aplomb

The drawback of the limited space at this location is trumped by far by the food offerings here. A select but wide-ranging array of dishes from many countries south of the border are offered to the diner, priced generally between $6 - $10.  These include dishes that I've had many times before in my former stomping grounds, including the Peruvian Lomo Saltado and their Fish Tacos. Arepazo's versions are both very solid renditions that I've ordered on past visits.

However, in my book, the Veneuzuelan dishes are my personal favorite. Their Arepa, grilled corn meal served with a mix of cheese, lettuce, mojito, avocado and banana peppers, is always an option when I drop by. On my last visit, I dove into their Patacon, a flattened and deep-fried plantain, topped with that same blend of cheese and other ingredients previously mentioned, with your favorite protein (beef, pork or chicken), that proved to be a unique blending of flavors and a very hearty lunch.

El Arepazo's Patacon is a unique blend of sweet and savory

If nothing else, the scrumptious eats and continual large daily numbers of lunch-goers at their anchor downtown location were and remain proof that El Arepazo's potential appeal to the metro at large. Indeed, El Arepazo has expanded their reach beyond their anchor location, first with a well-received (but now defunct) mobile operation (Yerba Buena Latin Grill) and, more recently, brick and mortar locations in the northeast portion of the metro in Downtown Gahanna (a post of which can be found at this link) and their newest location in the German Village neighborhood.

El Arepazo Latin Grill

47 N Pearl St. (Downtown)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 228-4830
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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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