PHOTOS COURTESY OF AREPA BAR / SCREENSHOT FROM INSTAGRAM
There’s no avoiding the fact that Midtown Global Market is facing a challenging time right now, between the pandemic and destruction on East Lake Street that followed the murder of George Floyd in May of last year. But Chef Soleil Ramirez (formerly chef de cuisine at The Lexington in St. Paul, and a native of Caracas, Venezuela) is plunging into the fray with Arepa Bar, a new spot at MGM focused on Venezuelan cuisine that opened January 6, 2021. The restaurant is located in the former location of Mama D’s Kitchen.
As per a press release from MGM:
The dishes on the menu are 100% made from scratch. Arepa Bar features a variety of appetizers, entrees, dessert, and drinks. From Empanadas to Tequenos (Venezuela cheese sticks), Polvorosa de Pollo (chicken pie) to Arepas (Venezuelan filled white corn pockets, Papelon con Limon (dehydrated cane sugar with lime juice) to Quesillo (Venezuelan flan). Many items are gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian.
Arepa Bar is open Tuesday-Friday (11am-4pm) and Saturday from noon-5pm, and is available via delivery services including Grubhub, DoorDash, Bite Squad, and ChowNow.