Saya Salteña

A Hotly Anticipated Bolivian Takeout Brings Soupy Salteñas to D.C. This Fall | Eater DC

"Located in the heart of Foggy Bottom, this tiny takeout spot from owner Maria Helena Iturralde opens D.C. to Bolivian salteñas, launching Friday, October 20 at 1919 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. I found seven initial salteña varieties—brothy, sizable handhelds baked in slightly sweet dough and best eaten top-down—including savory (spicy beef, spicy chicken, vegan quinoa) and sweet (apple-passion fruit, pear-cranberry) options; fillings feature potatoes, hard-boiled egg, peas, Kalamata olives, and Andean spices. Menu highlights also include snacky Bolivian antojitos (pukacapas baked empanadas with spicy cheese), tamales, peanut soup with beef short ribs, papa rellena (breaded mashed potato rounds filled with minced beef and peas), and a La Paz–style “de chola” sandwich of marinated pork shoulder slow-cooked six hours and served on a soft brioche bun. Saya serves single-origin Bolivian coffee from Iturralde’s family plantation in the Takesi Valley (cold brew, lattes, espresso), a guava dessert empanada, and mocochinchi made from simmered dehydrated peaches with cinnamon and sugar. The tiny, seatless setup has a small patio and nearby park for eating; hours target commuters and students (weekdays 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.–2 p.m.), prices run about $4–$6, and the first 25 guests on Oct. 21 receive a free salteña. Iturralde frames this as a full-circle, proof-of-concept venture—born from a pandemic pivot and incubation at Mess Hall with husband Raul Flores—and hopes it will be the start of a broader Bolivian presence in D.C.; the shop also honors Bolivian culture with indoor-outdoor murals by ArteSano Mutante." - Tierney Plumb