Lost Baby D's is Papalinos next?

[Robin Garr]

Further to the cultural center for arepas ... upon reflection, I think "where does barbecue come from" really is the model here. Colombia, and Venezuela, too, definitely have a claim to be the epicenter of the arepa, and the iconic "arepa lady of Roosevelt Avenue" in NYC's Queens borough was Colombian, I'm pretty sure. I think the trouble comes when we try to limit foodways to boundaries drawn by humans. We can trace good things wrapped in corn from the taco (and the tamale) to the gordita to the pupusa to the arema as we work down through Mexico and Central America to northern South America. I think I sold Colombia short in my initial response for arepas, and Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama all see them as local food because the arepa zone spills over. El Salvador is really the capital of the pupusa, with Guatemala, Honduras and southern Mexico enjoing the spillover, where they segue into gorditas. I spent some time in Costa Rica and a little less time in Nicaragua some years ago and honestly don't recall encountering either arepas or pupusas there, but I'll bet they're around.

You probably know more about this than I do, Iggy, but does this regional tour pretty much conform to your understanding?

Oh, I'm no expert on arepas at all, just had them once at that Colombian place that went under last year and once in New York, and assumed they were a Colombian thing. Good to know and looking forward to this new spot!

Am I crazy for worrying that the Martinezes might overextend themselves soon and drop some of the juggling plates? I love everything they've done, and they are truly restaurant gurus. But so much expansion, so quickly, worries me. If they can pull it off and keep quality up, they must truly be geniuses at hiring and training workers.

[Robin Garr]

Am I crazy for worrying that the Martinezes might overextend themselves soon and drop some of the juggling plates? I love everything they've done, and they are truly restaurant gurus. But so much expansion, so quickly, worries me. If they can pull it off and keep quality up, they must truly be geniuses at hiring and training workers.

I have heard that Fernando is an inspiring leader. He's also young (by my Boomer's standard, anyway) and full of energy.

But yeah, this sounds like a fair question.

It also raises a familiar forum meme in a new form: When does it become a chain if every member is unique and different?

It is a fair question but I think they will be fine. One thing I've noticed is they seem to be great about raising up in house leaders. Not uncommon to walk in one of their shops and see someone who used to be a server now in a management position. I think this is a huge part of their success!

It is a fair question but I think they will be fine. One thing I've noticed is they seem to be great about raising up in house leaders. Not uncommon to walk in one of their shops and see someone who used to be a server now in a management position. I think this is a huge part of their success!

We've noticed the same thing on several occasions too. Fernando certainly has extensive hands-on while creating a concept in getting the restaurant up and running. It seems like past that he just make sure things are clicking on all cylinders instead of trying to micro manage. He obviously spends time in every restaurant but he lets the full-time people at each one manage their operations and only helps when problems occur!

As far as the chain question goes, I certainly couldn't consider calling any of his operations a chain because they are also different. Many great chefs have different concept restaurants, none of which are chains.