Good to Go
Good to Go: La Caraqueña in Falls Church
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Since Raul Claros opened his small storefront eatery in 2007, he has earned a well-deserved reputation for producing notable turnover-type appetizers and snacks that make a filling lunch.
When you order a stew-filled salteña or one of the 11 kinds of plain or stuffed cornmeal arepas, however, be prepared for a short wait. Nearly all the dishes that leave La Caraqueña's kitchen are cooked to order, just as the menu advises. Perusing the photos of South America on the walls and listening to a loop of lively Latin music help the time pass quickly; those who wish to take advantage of the online takeout menu might want to call ahead.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, and raised in Bolivia with a father who was schooled in Chile, Claros uses his Latin American menu to tell his family history. "This is our Creole food, our comfort food," he said recently, delicately brushing a thin egg wash over salteñas before they were baked.
The achiote-dyed pastry of these Bolivian-style turnovers ($3.99 each) is filled with a not-overly sweet gelatin-set beef stew to which Claros adds carrots, onions, peas, olives, roast chicken and hard-cooked egg. Claros, 27, first learned to make salteñas when he was 5, says his mother, Haydée Ugarte, who occasionally helps in the kitchen.
The arepas begin in the oven as well, puffing up like corn-cake pitas. Some are then grilled, split and stuffed with delicious and addictive fillings. (Consider sharing one with a friend if you hope to explore La Caraqueña's other offerings.)
Two standouts among the arepas choices: Carne Mechada ($7.49), which contains tender strands of beef braised in tomatoes and chili peppers, and JP's Favorite ($8.49), which features thinly sliced grilled steak, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Other enticing combinations include beans with cheese, chicken with avocado, and scrambled eggs with bell pepper, onion and tomatoes, but plain arepas ($2.49), with their crunchy outsides, have more than enough flavor to stand on their own.
Other relatively quick and hearty orders to go: yucca frita ($4.99), which pairs thick-cut, perfectly fried chunks of the tuber with a fresh vegetable salsa and the mayonnaise-based salsa amarilla, spiked with black pepper and garlic; and tequeñones ($8.99), which are long, fat sticks of white Latin cheese that are wrapped in dough, deep-fried and served with three sauces. Ask nicely and you'll receive a small portion of llajua, a spicy and acidic hot sauce made in-house.
If the llajua gets too hot, you can grab a cold Polar malta (12 ounces, $2.49). Brewed with malted barley and hops, the artificially carbonated soft drink from Venezuela has the characteristics of beer without alcohol. Its heavy, sweet flavor can help cut through the most piquant dishes.
-- Scott Reitz
La Caraqueña 300 W. Broad St. (adjoining the Stratford Motor Lodge), Falls Church, 703-533-0076; http:/
