Good Morning, Darlings!
Still celebrating my birthday, even though we are going into March. Yesterday Holly treated me to lunch and let me pick the spot. I picked Las Arepas de Julia on Lawrenceville Highway. On a trip to NYC long ago, Eric and I sampled some arepas from a street cart during a neighborhood festival. They were just some of the most delicious things we had ever eaten, so when I learned that someone was making them here in Atlanta, I figured it would absolutely worth the trip OTP (that’s Outside The Perimeter for those of you outside Atlanta, and thus, OTP).
We knew we had arrived when we spotted the bright, colorful sign outside:
We Have Arrived At Our Arepas Destination
Inside was a colorful, tidy dining room. We took a seat and our server approached our table. Holly and I seemed to have a language barrier with the lovely woman trying to bring us delicious food, but we muddled through. This would be the time to break out the spanish you learned in high school. I decided on the chocolo (yellow corn with yummy, gooey cheese inside) and the chorizo arepas. Holly opted for the chocolo also and then the chicken with mushrooms. Both very tasty. Water was our beverage of choice.
Yummy Chocolo
Neither Holly or I could figure out why this was served with tiny containers of Country Crock. Our server brought out a cool assortment of condiments for our cheesy, Colombian sandwiches. There was a pink sauce, a fruity sauce, some ketchup (?), and a green, slightly spicy sauce that I loved. Not sure what was in the bowl, but I’ll try that next time and let you know.
Not Only Tasty, But They Looked Pretty, Too
We gobbled down our chocolos just in time for the next round. We were feeling so happy.
Happy Holly
Happy Patti
And here’s round two!
My Chorizo and Corn Arepas
Holly's Chicken and Mushroom Arepas
All the while, I was snapping photos of all these tasty plates. A man came up to our table and introduced himself as Luis, Julia’s son-in-law. We visited for a bit and he was kind enough to let me photograph he and his beautiful wife, Marisol. Miss Julia was away at the Mercado, so I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself and let her know how much I loved her arepas.
Luis and Marisol Perez
As I was photographing Luis and Marisol, a plate emerged from the kitchen, carrying the day’s special, the Mini Bandeja Paisa. I emphasize the mini because I just cannot imagine what the regular plate looked like. This was huge!
This Is The MINI!
The special was comprised of beans, chorizo, sweet plantain, rice, ground beef, pork rind, arepita (tiny arepas – I love this name..), served with a over easy egg. It looked so good.
And I really loved the bright, happy Colombian sodas they serve.
Apple-Flavored Soda
Before we bid goodbye to Luis and Marisol, I spied a little cooler with more colorful treats – I believe they were a frozen specialty on a stick. Cannot wait to try one when the weather warms up. Everything about Julia’s Arepas was fun and I cannot wait to go back. I even brought home an arepas for Eric. Although I was tempted to load up on everything to go – tamales, more arepas….but I’ll be back.
And I hope you try it, too!
Las Arepas de Julia
4044 Lawrenceville Hwy
Lilburn, GA 30047
770-559-4094
xoxo, Patti
Oh dear lord! I must go there immediately! 🙂
@Fay – you will love it!! Miss you!
That looks AMAZING! My goodness – I may have to cancel my meeting tomorrow morning and head OTP.
Have I told you about my condiment condition? Must get my hands on these before I enter the 12 step program.
Christy, you tickle me to no end! But condiments are so super, aren’t they? xoxox, Patti
Just saw your blog and am hoping to get inspiration for entertaining now that we finally completed a seemingly never-ending house remodel!
The arepas look great, but it takes a lot to make me take a trek OTP 🙂 I might just have to go there sometime though.
Thanks, Traci! Let me know if you have any specific topics in mind and I am happy to oblige! xoxo, Patti