5411 Empanadas
You know those Toaster Strudel® commercials? “Warm. Flakey. Gooey...” Yes, they drive me insane, but that’s sort of what I think of when I think of empanadas. Well, minus the gooey part.
Empanadas are like beautiful little pockets of dough that have been stuffed to the brim with scrumptious ingredients and then deep-fried. I mean, come on. What on earth could be better?
A lot of restaurants offer your standard empanadas – spinach and cheese, beef, chicken. You know. And 5411 definitely has those staples. But they don’t stop there. They go above and beyond with flavors like bacon, date & goat cheese. Yes, that is all in one empanada. Um, hello, I’m drooling.
Or how about their scaled-up version of your regular beef empanada – a Malbec beef empanada! Slow-braised beef, carrots and onions in a wine reduction. Come on. I hear “wine” and “beef,” and I am sold.
Shout out to all my vegetarians! Y’all get love here, too. Like I said, not just your average flavors. If you’re looking for a veggie option that’s outside of the box, go for the Ratatouille empanada – stewed zucchinis, red peppers, carrots, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Or chow down on the sweet corn empanada. It’s not just filled with corn, but also mozzarella, sautéed onions, béchamel sauce and nutmeg. Yum. Just yum.
Looking for a sweet something to end your empanada extravaganza with a bang? Say hello to the banana & Nutella® empanada. Yep. Not just any old bananas, but brown sugar-coated bananas. And then you add Nutella®? Oh, yes.
5411’s shops are in Lakeview and Wicker Park, but they not only deliver, they also have a food truck! Whoop whoop! Who doesn’t love a food truck? So stop by their shop, order ‘em up online or check their website or Twitter to see where the truck will be each day! Only down side to delivery (has anyone ever said that?) – there’s a $25 minimum, or in other words, about 12 empanadas. I’m not going to lie to y’all, I’ve definitely done it before. By myself. Worth every last calorie. But, I’d recommend if you’re doing delivery, team up with some coworkers or besties. Or not. Up to you.
