New empanada eatery in East Rochester is a flavorful blast from the past

After an absence of several years, a familiar place for empanadas and Latin fusion fare has reopened in East Rochester.

The Empanada Shop has opened on Commercial Street in East Rochester. The chef and owner is Christina Aros; Karen Aros, her mom, runs the front of house.

The menu represents a range of influences, from traditional Colombian dishes to cultural mashups like Buffalo chicken empanadas and chicken wings with a variety of sauces.

You can choose from roughly two dozen different empanadas, including several takes on beef, chicken and pork, as well as a classic pizza empanada. There are also dessert creations, like Oreo, coconut and banana Reese's. The empanadas can be purchased on their own or with sides for a meal.

But there's lots more than empanadas to try.

Arepas are flatbreads made out of cornmeal; they are split and overfilled with carne machada (shredded beef), pernil (pulled pork), or pollo mechado (chicken), along with melty cheese. They also may be purchased with cheese on their own.

Another delicious dish: the canoa. A whole sweet plantain is split to resemble a canoe and filled with ground beef, pork and cheese. There's also a classic pernil (roast pork) dinner and chicken pinchos (skewers).

Sides include tostones (crispy twice-fried slices of green plaintain); hand-cut yucca fries; maduros (fried sweet plantains); yellow rice; and white rice and beans.

Christina doesn't skimp on the seasonings. "When there's jalapeño, there's jalapeño," she said. "When I say it's spicy, it's spicy."

Where has The Empanada Shop been?

Folks in the know will remember the mother-daughter duo from their time at 642 Monroe Avenue beginning in 2015, and remaining for the next five years or so.

Christina Aros decided not to renew her lease there and instead launch a food truck and head to Florida. The COVID-19 pandemic complicated their plans, but eventually they found their way St. Augustine, Florida. The food truck business presented its own set of challenges, including finding places to park.

"I loved Florida," Karen Aros said. "It worked out OK for us."

They returned to Rochester was to be closer to family here.

They settled on the east side because it has fewer restaurants with similar fare, compared with other parts of town. A storefront in East Rochester that had been home to Crust Pizza Kitchen was at the ready for a takeout spot, and they opened in late March.

Karen learned to cook Colombian food with guidance and suggestions from her Colombian husband. Christina grew up helping in the kitchen, and also spent time cooking with her friends, many of whom were Spanish.

"They just all cooked," Karen said. "Some of it was good, some of it wasn't."

If you go

The Empanada Shop is at 115 W. Commercial St. in East Rochester. Parking is on the street and in a public lot across the street.

It is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Call (585) 203-1654.

The restaurant plans to start offering delivery through DoorDash soon as a trial. "We'll see how that goes and we'll probably add others," Karen Aros said. " We want to see how it works first."

The space is wheelchair accessible.

Tracy Schuhmacher covers Rochester's food and drink scene. Notice something new in your neighborhood? Send tips to tracys@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Empanada Shop opens in East Rochester NY