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| - I was hoping to find something mindblowing, and I did. It wasn't what I expected though.
With Rika Arepa Express still out of commission, I sought out Street Dogs to try to satisfy my arepa craving. It was actually easy to spot their trailer in their usual spot on Rainbow Blvd because it was the only color in an otherwise deserted parking lot, and they have roadside flags that the wind today made clearly visible. Unfortunately, you probably have to make an inconvenient U-turn if you're approaching from the south.
The beef arepa ($5.50) was actually quite good, with a nice crispy corn flatbread, plentiful shredded and marinated beef, sliced tomato, and melted cheese. You can add garlic mayo, some sort of spicy sauce, ketchup, or mustard (all chilled in ice) to your taste. I'd choose it over Viva Las Arepas, but not over Rika, and I'd try the pork or chicken next time since the beef was just a little on the tough side.
The pork cachapa was the real star of the meal, and well worth the $8.50 for the incredible flavors. One bite had me so hooked that I had to force myself to add sauces (they worked). The sweet, soft pancake-like bread made from corn (including some intact kernels) is folded like a crepe to hold the tender shredded pork (even more so than the beef) and the gooey cheese. Topped with a pat of butter, this sweet and savory concoction is utterly ridiculous. I was sad that I had to use a fork and knife slowly instead of stuffing the whole thing down my throat.
Arepas and cachapas both come with a drink, which can be canned soda, bottled water, papelon con limon. It's a sweet sugar cane drink with a subtle but noticeable citrus tone. It definitely complements the arepa more, but it can still work with the cachapa. I only got one drink, but it's probably wiser for me to avoid diabetes anyway.
Catch a cachapa, peeps. You'll love it.
(QUICK UPDATE 3/26/15: beef hot dog pretty interesting and tasty, also not as good as cachapa. Ham cachapa has some meat but a more reasonable price tag. "Chocolate" (nutella) tequeño is a fun dessert, and cheese tequeño is a savory cheese stick apparently made with Muenster.)
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