I have never before gone into a restaurant in the United States and been able to order arepas, but in a small strip mall restaurant in Golden, Colorado, that changed. Empanadas Express is a traditional Venezuelan food restaurant. You know that when you walk in the door because there are travel posters of Venezuela on the wall, flanking a Venezualan flag. The menu is a dead give away. There is Pabellon Criollo on the menu. The sandwiches are arepas, not tortas. They have hallacas not tamales. And best of all, the food is delicious.
I had my first arepa in Caracas in the 1990's, which was a time of relative prosperity for Venezuela. Caracas was a vibrant city with a European aura but South American prices. It was before kidnapping became common. And I fell in love with the arepa. The unique thing about an arepa is that the bread is made from cornmeal, and it has a grilled, crusty exterior and a warm soft interior. It is not a cornbread--more of a corn pudding with a chewy exterior. I had an arepa suffed with shredded beef, black beans, and a sweet fried plantain. Delicious.
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