Mama Empanada

Erin Behan

Citysearch

The Scene
It's hard to miss this space, both for its splashes of bright colors--lime green, red, yellow and more green--and for the line of office workers and neighborhood regulars creeping out the door. Inside, English- and Spanish-speaking diners brush past metal tables to the take-out counter. Table service is available, too, with busy waitresses delivering the piping-hot goodies in woven baskets.

The Food
A chalkboard lists the restaurant's main attraction, empanadas, plus a few tapas, tropical fruit-based drinks and desserts. The empanadas' thick, puffed skins create perfect little pockets for the flavorful meats inside. The beef (pulled not ground) satisfies the savory, greasy empanada craving best, and there's enough cheese in the spinach and cheese to make you forget about the spinach. Other combos are more daring: the Elvis with peanut butter and banana and the Viagra with shrimp, crab and scallops. Dessert empanadas, like the guava and cheese, are cheeky sweet.