Winterguide 2013

Venezuelan arepas may just be the cure for a Maine winter.

by Diane Hudson

Maine’s new and perhaps only Venezuelan restaurant, Luis’s Arepara & Grill, is located, not in cosmopolitan Portland, but on a quiet stretch of Route 12 as it heads out of Saco.

We are no sooner in the door than an energetic young man pops up from behind the counter and asks: “What do you like? Chicken? Beef? Vegetables?” “Beef,” I say, without hesitation, and my partner chimes in with “chicken.” Within moments we are given samples of some of the arepa fillings and from the first taste of the delicately seasoned goodness, we know we are in for a treat.

An arepa is a crunchy grilled corn pouch packed with savory meat or vegetables, or a combination. It is the dominant item on Luis’s menu, and you can choose from 14 fillings. We decide on the six half-order sampler plate ($9.99) and leave it to Luis to decide on ingredients.

While waiting for these and an order of fried yuca with cheese and avocado sauce ($5.99), we sit at the only table (there are also two booths) in the light, airy, and cheerful space and enjoy two Venezuelan specialty drinks, a mango guayaba smoothie ($2.99) and horchata ($2.50), a cinnamon rice milk concoction that knocks our socks off with its complex nuances.

The fried yuca (a staple Caribbean and South American root vegetable) arrives first, and we delight in the flavors, particularly the creamy, satisfying avocado sauce liberally spread over the top.

Next up, our pretty platter of arepas, each a delightful sight and a winner. The sampler has a festive feel, filled with the surprise of unique flavors bursting from each offering. Again the avocado wins us, spruced up with fresh tomato, onion, and cilantro. Then there’s the three-cheese, a magnificent, melted, oozing affair–a grilled cheese sandwich for the gods. You won’t want to miss the enticing pabellon criollo, a hearty mixture of shredded beef, silky black beans, and sweet plantains. The shredded chicken boasts moist, seasoned meat, and the ground beef exhibits flavors only found in meat that’s been slow-cooked and carefully looked after.

For aficionados: Try the sanchoco, a hearty soup of chicken, beef, green plantain, yuca, potato, corn, and carrot, garnished with avocado, cilantro, and lime, a traditional family comfort food Luis serves on Sundays.