"This Chicago shop, founded and run by Jorge Flores, focuses on cassava-based baked goods rooted in Ecuadorian traditions, such as meat-filled empanadas and cheese-flavored pan de yuca. Flores, who opened the business after returning frequently to Ecuador, built a concept around nostalgia and gluten-free appeal: roughly 95% of customers love the distinctive chewy dough while a small minority mistake its texture for undercooking, and about 20% of patrons seek it specifically because they are celiac or gluten-free. The operation uses processed cassava flour that has been rendered safe of cyanide-related toxins, and the owner prefers cassava in flour form for empanadas and breads even though he occasionally eats the boiled root." - Sylvio Martins