Empanadas for Everyone

Some come with a mission. Some are just drawn to the bright yellow truck.

Some have come from the office, some from shopping. Some have never heard of empanadas. Some are empanada aficionados who have been waiting for a bit of traditional South American food in their lives.

But they're all here for empanadas, warm pockets of fried corn dough about the size of your palm, filled with meat, chicken, cheese or vegetables with rice and potatoes. One for $3 is a snack, two plus a bag of plantain chips and a drink is a meal for $8.

Capital Empanadas and its owner, Richard Villegas, are happy to provide, so long as you get there early in the lunch hour. On Tuesday in Courthouse, the truck ran out around 12:45 p.m.

Villegas opened the truck, the newest in the growing Arlington food truck scene, two Saturdays ago at the Courthouse Farmers' Market, and has been doing a steady business since.

Villegas, who was born in Colombia, has been in Arlington since 2000, when he came to the United States to study at American University. He practiced law at the international firm Greenberg Traurig for a few years, then worked in real estate for a few more. But, he said, he is an entrepreneur at heart.

"I'm always thinking about new types of small businesses and how they would be run," Villegas said. When he went to an economic seminar hosted by Arlington County on food trucks, he looked around and noticed a gaping hole in the local food truck scene.

"In Colombia, empanadas are a way to socialize," Villegas said. "You buy a bunch and take them to a party. Here, people are busy, but they want to go out to lunch. The empanada is perfect for that."

Villegas stands in front of the truck in a straw hat and a "Got Empanadas?" shirt guiding customers up to the window with a hand on their shoulder, taking their orders and small talking in Spanish and English. He hands each a customer reward card. Buy 10 empanadas, get one free.

Once noon hits, things get crazy. Order tickets are piling up, and the sidewalk is crowded with people waiting for empanadas or to give their order. But no one seems phased by the wait.

Villegas' truck and others help bring diversity -- and options -- to lunch in Arlington.

"It's all very similar food around here," said Michael Andrade, who works within sight of the truck's staked-out stop on Tuesday. "So to have ethnic food that's convenient... It's very New York City."

"These food carts do just one thing each, and they do it well," said Joo Kim, a self-described food-truck addict who lives nearby. "There are lots of chains and fast food around here, and you get sick of it. I have a Twitter account just to follow the food carts."

For those with South American backgrounds, it's less about the novelty of the food truck and more about the relief of finally having something reminiscent of home.

"This is as close to our empanadas as you can get," said Desiree Clark, a small business owner, originally from Venezuela, who lives in South Arlington and scheduled her business meetings around Capital Empanadas' appearance in Courthouse.

Originally from Ecuador, Nery Riveiro explained that each country does their empanadas differently. Some countries use a flour-based dough, some corn, some bake their empanadas, some fry them. Fillings and spices vary regionally, as does the size of the empanada.

Riveiro, who has worked in Courthouse for 22 years, used to have to travel to New York, she said, for a taste of Colombia. 

Capital Empanadas will be stopping at locations in Rosslyn, Crystal City, and Ballston in the coming days. Fans can keep up with Capital Empanadas on their website, Twitter or Facebook.