International travel is expensive, so the easiest way to visit Argentina is at a table loaded with empanadas and chimichurri alongside a gourd of yerba mate in The Empanada’s Box, which opened on Covington's Pike Street in June.
Empanadas – baked turnover-like hand pies stuffed with a variety of savory and sweet fillings – are extremely common across Latin America and have become prevalent in our region thanks to Argentine families like Lucas Nunez, his aunt Fabiana and his uncle Diego at The Empanada’s Box.
After graduating from Findlay Launch, the storefront accelerator program for food-related businesses at Findlay Market, The Empanada’s Box now runs its own brick-and-mortar location where Tuba Baking Co. previously had operated in the Mainstrasse area.
Co-owner Lucas Nunez, who also serves as head of sales and marketing, moved to Cincinnati from Miami when Diego suggested they work alongside each other in the kitchen at Ché, the bar/restaurant responsible for introducing a lot of Over-the-Rhine residents to Argentine cooking, including Diego’s empanadas. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020 and affected restaurants everywhere, the Nunezes decided to work for themselves, confident that Diego’s talents as a chef would be put to good use in a kitchen of their own.
“This is our passion and we want to show people a little piece of our culture,” says Nunez, the family’s fluent English speaker who tends to act as both their voice and interpreter. “We love Cincinnati, we live here, and now being part of Covington, Kentucky, we love that area too. We just want to spread our empanadas and make people happy through our food.”
As they worked toward this recent opening, Findlay Launch was a massive asset for the burgeoning family business. The Nunezes were introduced to the program after working in Findlay Kitchen, a non-profit food business incubator. Findlay Launch provides startups in the food industry with learning opportunities, connections and resources, and a select few applicants like the Nunez family are invited to set up shop temporarily in one of the program's storefronts on Elm Street. The Empanada's Box began its limited run at that location in September and wrapped up in June to take the business to Covington.
The menu at The Empanada’s Box features more than 20 different fillings for the empanadas. Sample traditional Buenos Aires-style bites with ground beef, onion, red pepper and scallions, or have a Cincinnati chili-style empanada seasoned with Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices’ Cincinnati style seasoning chili powder. The array of empanada fillings is international, with flavors from Jamaica, Singapore, Louisiana, India, the Phillipines and more.
Have a sweet tooth? There are many options to explore. The apple empanada – filled with green apple, brown sugar, raisins and cinnamon – is an indulgent dessert that happens to be vegan. There's also a selection of imported Argentine candies along with housemade cookies filled with dulce de leche and powdered sugar that are perfect bitesize treats.
Yerba mate is one of the specialties of The Empanada's Box. This green tea is an essential part of the day for many in Argentina, sipped through a filtered metal straw from a specially prepared gourd. Originally cultivated in Argentina's neighboring Paraguay, Diego drinks it three times daily as a way to relax with his wife Fabiana, who handles the restaurant's financial aspects along with helping in the kitchen. The beverage is best served at 180° F, though people increasingly are enjoying it served over ice and sweetened with agave
Patrons can enjoy food from The Empanada’s Box in several ways. If you’re looking for a table, the new restaurant seats about 20 people, with each table able to accommodate two to three diners. There, you can order at the counter and take a seat while you wait for empanadas fresh from the oven. These empanadas also travel extremely well, maintaining their temperature and structure even after a lengthy car ride. Frozen empanadas are an enticing option, too, as you can select individual pastries from the full menu, easily prepared in the oven at home.
No matter which route you go, buy a jar of Diego's chimichurri, an herbaceous salsa-like sauce that's traditionally served over grilled meats but accompanies empanadas perfectly with its acidity and saltiness, punctuated by the chopped aromatics.
The Empanada's Box is located at 212 Pike St., Covington. Info: theempanadasbox.square.site.
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