Maria Luisa Empanadas

"The vegetarian lineup at this Argentinian empanada palace is short. But a cheesy spinach- or corn-packed pastry at Maria Luisa has the power to change the trajectory of your day. Be generous with sides of herby chimichurri and add on a chocolate-dunked alfajores. Those (thankfully) don't contain meat, either." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"Put pretty much anything in a sturdy, Argentinian-style baked empanada shell and we’ll eat it. And Maria Luisa will put a lot of different things inside an empanada shell — caramelized onions and mozzarella, dulce de leche with cream cheese and bananas, guava paste and mascarpone, mushroom with egg and cheese... the list goes on. The dulce de leche is a great dessert empanada (what a combination of words!) but the standout might be the simple chorizo empanada, which is filled with spicy, slightly peppery pork." - Harry Cheadle

"The Deal: $20 Lunch, $35 Lunch, $65 Lunch (Monday-Saturday) This Ballard counter that serves standout empanadas is offering three different combinations: $20 for three empanadas and one pastry, $35 for six empanadas and two pastries, and $65 for 12 empanadas and four pastries. The savings climb the more you spend—you'll get a $4, $13, and $31 discount, respectively. Of course, the best bargain is to get a bunch of friends together for an empanada party." - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo

"The tender little pastries at this Ballard. spot come with a wide variety of meat, cheese, and/or vegetable fillings, as well as zesty chimichurri we’d like to have handy at all times in packet form. Don’t make us choose just one kind, but if we had to give the edge to any, it’d be the version stuffed with steakhouse-quality creamed spinach. Or the one loaded with punchy chorizo. Or the nutmeg-y bechamel with corn kernels. Look, we said this isn’t easy." - aimee rizzo, gabe guarente, carlo mantuano

"We didn’t think empanadas in Seattle could make us feel like the protagonist in a romance novel, until we cracked open the ones at Maria Luisa. These tender little pastries are filled with a wide variety of meats, cheeses, and/or vegetables—prioritize creamy spinach or just-oily-enough chorizo—served with zesty chimichurri we’d like have handy at all times in packet form. Takeout is easy (even if you need to feed a big family) and their garage-like space has high-top tables that should work well for quick dine-in lunches. Make sure to try the chocolate alfajores sandwiching dulce de leche for dessert." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley