Venezuelan Restaurant La Cocinita Brings Its Arepas to a Bigger Space in Evanston | Eater Chicago

"Run by Rachel and Benoit Angulo, this counter-service Venezuelan spot — which began as a 2011 New Orleans food truck where the couple met while working at Commander’s Palace and opened an Evanston location in 2016 — is refocusing on dine-in service as it moves into a larger space. Known for comfort items like pulled pork tacos and hearty bowls with rice, brisket and baked beans, its traditional offerings center on arepas hot off the grill and empanadas straight from the fryer; many customers discover their first arepa here and return regularly, while Venezuelan diners appreciate the familiar flavors. The expanded location adds a bar and crafted cocktails (jalapeño and cucumber-mint margaritas, mango and passion-fruit mojitos, a passion-fruit twist on a tequila sunrise, rum-spiked horchata, and a Cuba Libre made with Venezuelan rum), plus nonalcoholic lime spritzers and a Topo Chico “mojito.” Menu changes emphasize dietary accommodations — a dedicated gluten-free fryer to avoid cross-contamination and new vegan options such as tofu sofrito empanadas and portobello arepas designed to mimic carne asada — and brunch is being revived with breakfast tacos, arepas, empanadas and fruit mimosas. The roughly 50-seat space, designed by a New Orleans firm, features bar seating, an open kitchen counter, three TVs for soccer, a Latin/Caribbean soundtrack, and decorative touches (wallpaper evoking the original food truck, a soccer post photo, corrugated-metal accents referencing tin roofs) intended to create a warm, sit-down ambiance." - Sam Nelson