Empanadas 2008 Miami

[taiga]

These days, who has the best, and what kind?

[GA578]

Believe it or not my favorite empanadas are from Estancia Argentina by Merrick Park. The gruyere-onion one is fantastic, as is the spinach empanada.

I had the guava empanada at Lario's in South Miami twice. The first time, it was served warm and was quite sinful. My in-laws went shortly thereafter and they ordered and said they were cold and not great. I went again and had the cold empanada experience. Since it was so inconsistent I haven't ordered them again.

[Icantread]

Have you tried Go-go Fresh on Alton road? They have a pretty wide selection and all the ones I've tasted were very good.

http://www.gogomiamibeach.com/id2.html

[mialebven]

Yeah I have... but I wasn't really impressed. :-/ They're just decent in my book but their dessert empanadas were better than their savory empanadas. I still much prefer Pastel Gourmet (but they're a little bit different, with the empanadas at Pastel Gourmet being fried).

[Icantread]

Ok, that's a good point of reference. I thought they were pretty good. I would say anything above that is a very good empanada.

[NY P8ntball]

ok, no one laugh, ok?!?! isn't there a place in Dolphin Mall? I found it interesting simply because they offered different types of Empanadas. They had Colombian (corn and fried), Venezualan (flour and baked) and a few others. Like I said, interesting.

[mialebven]

Yes, that's The Empanada Factory inside Dolphin Mall. Last I checked, they closed their location inside the mall - not sure if they're moving somewhere else in the mall. Really, I liked their patacones but I haven't tried their empanadas.

But if you like choosing different variety of empanadas, I guess I could recommend Charlotte Bakery in South Beach off the top of my head - they have Chilean, Venezuelan, and Argentinean empanadas.

[mialebven]

My nomination for 2009 winner of Empanadas - Pastel Gourmet in Doral. ;-)

[mom2mateo]

My vote is for the La Crema de las Empanadas on Coral Way and 107th. But these are typical Venezuelan empanadas ie they are made from corn flour and fried. So you really have to like that stlye. This place is great because they make them with so many stuffings from cheese to fish and then they have "operadas" which means they open them up and add addtional fillings. The have a chicken salad with avocado that I bet you cannot get anywhere else. This review from the miami new times:

The huge cornmeal-crusted empanadas at this little luncheonette/minimarket come with a variety of fillings, most unique to Venezuela (like the national specialty pabellon, shredded beef similar in texture to ropa vieja but with a more sweet/sour taste). Skip the fishy cazon (shark) model for the signature crema, filled with chicken, bacon, and farmer cheese. But don’t miss the light, grainy arepas or operadas (basically an empanada-shaped arepa), especially if your only acquaintance with these thicker cornmeal cakes are the leaden, sodden packaged ones from the supermarket. Stuffed even more generously than the empanadas with Venezuelan standards like reina pepiada (chicken salad) or asado negro (pot roast, caramelized black) these meal-size creations make a bargain portable breakfast or lunch for only $2.50 to $3.00.

[miamisweet]

Crema de las empanadas used to have good ones. I usually get mine at graziano's market or the name escapes me now, it is a small bakery/carniceria on kendall and 127 ave in the same mall as ihop.

[advisor_Girl]

taiga>

Mid-Beach - try Moises Bakery 7310 Collins Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33141; 305-868-0548

and

Buenos Aires Bakery 7134 Collins Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33141; 305-861-7887

Different styles/different regional chefs - but always fresh.

AG

[taiga]

My last jaunt to Buenos Aires was better than my last trip to the Buenos Aires Bakery. There's got to be something better. I tried Sabores Chilenos and some cafeteria in Doral, and both were better, in my opinion.

[Miami Foodie Girl]

There is an awesome Columbian Restaurant in South Dade at 184 Ave and US 1 and they make them throughout the day, so they are always warm, with a corn based dough. They are just heavenly. The only drawback is that you want to take some home, and they just simply not as good reheated as they are straight from the fryer

[mialebven]

I know people don't really like Casa Lario's, but the one I went to in South Miami had guava "shells" or cascos de guayaba in the empanada with cream cheese instead of guava marmalade, and I personally liked it.

[mialebven]

Ah... for the typical empanadas (beef, chicken, etc), I must mention the Argentinian ones at El Nuevo Siglo (a place most Chowhounders don't even seem to have frequented lately - good Cuban food but another guy mentioned that seafood isn't stellar there - and I probably can believe that. Argentines equate with beef). The empanadas at El Nuevo Siglo have thin BUT flaky crust, filling and well seasoned fillings, and cost only $1.25 each - a steal even by Miami's standards!