This one’s for the lovers of cheese-and-meat-stuffed dough. Carúpano Kitchen, a mother-daughter-run Venezuelan restaurant, recently made its debut in St. Pete at Foodie Labs (515 22nd St S) and has quickly earned five-star reviews.
The restaurant is named for the small coastal town of Carúpano in Venezuela, where the family is from, and the regionally-inspired dishes have become fast favorites. The hand-made, gluten-free arepas are the star of the menu, though the Carúpano team offers plenty more than that. Andrea Osorio (Carupano’s founder) and her mother also make fantastic empanadas, soups from family recipes, tequenos, and other rotating specials.
L-R: La de Chicharrón; La Vegana; Empanada de Pollo
Carúpano Kitchen is a star in the making
The easiest way to try out Carúpano is to visit them at Foodie Labs, where they are open Wednesday-Sunday from 11 am – 7 pm. The I Love the Burg team got our first taste last week, and we can’t wait to go back again. Those arepas border on the life-changing. Carúpano also has consistent pop-ups around town, including regular appearances at local favorite Golden Isles Brewing Co., where they will be this Friday night (January 23) from 5-9 pm.
We tried around a half dozen items, and while all were stellar, we have to give a shoutout to one dish in particular: The “La de Chicharrón” arepa. A regional staple around the town of Carúpano, the arepa itself is made with a fried pork belly-stuffed dough and then filled with ‘queso de mano,’ a Venezuelan cheese similar to mozzarella. We ordered ours with a side of grilled and sliced Venezuelan chorizo and a housemade hot sauce. It was one of the best meals this writer has had in some time.
The most popular arepa on the menu is the shredded beef and gouda, while the steak arepa and “The Queen” (stuffed with avocado chicken salad) are next up on our list. Adventurous eaters may want to try the morcilla. It’s a shark meat arepa, which is a staple of coastal Carúpano, and something we haven’t seen anywhere else. With so many fantastic Venezuelan and arepa spots in the area, it’s a fun culinary journey to work your way through the different regions and specialties of the country at each local spot.
Not only is everything at Carúpano fresh and handmade, but it’s also friendly to a variety of diets. The corn-based arepa and empanada doughs are gluten-free, while all of the housemade sauces are dairy-free and vegan. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, and the menu is largely allergen-friendly.
Carúpano just got its start, but we expect it won’t take long for it to become a household name in St. Pete. Andrea and her mom have created something special, and the care they put into it is evident in the quality of the product. As Andrea described it, their creations are collectively “a love letter to her mother’s cooking, her family’s history, and the flavors of the Venezuelan coast.”
Follow Carúpano Kitchen on Instagram to see more specials, or to catch them at one of their pop-ups. We also highly recommend making a visit to Foodie Labs just to indulge in the amazing food coming from the multi-concept kitchen. From pizza, smashburgers and Latin American street food to specialty meatballs, Carúpano’s Venezuelan eats, and what we think may well be the best bagels in St. Pete, Foodie Labs is one of the city’s most underrated culinary experiences. Orders can be eaten right there at the picnic tables or taken to-go.
