The next restaurant coming to the Dixie Corridor will bring popular empanadas
For foodies, it's hard to beat the Dixie Corridor in West Palm Beach. There's world class barbecue, fantastic Italian food, Martha Stewart-approved tacos, classic diner fare, craft beer and more.
But what about empanadas? Well, I guess you can't have it all . . . until now.
Ana's Killer Empanada's is almost here and ready to rock this culinary destination with golden pockets filled with pure heaven.
Helmed by food industry veterans John and Ana Brice, the restaurant is slated to open in late September or early October and will feature dozens of the flaky, buttery pastries.
There will be classics like the Argentinian-style beef, the pollo gordito (chubby chicken) and vegan veggie.
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They also plan to serve up their special empanadas like the ham & cheese croquette, featuring parmesan-crusted empanada dough, smoked ham, creamy mashed potatoes and a blend of cheeses; the Cuban sandwich style, with slow roasted pork, smoked ham, chunks of Swiss cheese, dill pickle slices and a hint of yellow mustard; and the curry coconut chicken, with Ana's savory chicken blend, mild curry and coconut milk baked in a toasted coconut-crusted empanada.
You can also expect a buffalo chicken empanada, meatball parmesan empanada, a southern BBQ brisket empanada and more.
Being foodies themselves, Ana said that she and John wanted to be creative with the menu and offer big, fun flavors.
In addition to empanadas, they have several side dishes including cilantro rice, black beans and coleslaw.
The couple moved to West Palm Beach from Los Angeles in 2020.
Born in Honduras, raised in Belize and emigrated to the United States in 2014, Ana was living in Los Angeles and, partnering with other foodies, running a high-end catering business. Though her company specialized in Kosher Persian cuisine, Ana said she gained incredible knowledge regarding different foods and spices from around the world.
Meanwhile, John was working in Los Angeles as restaurant consultant after having owned a string of McDonald's franchises in New York.
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Though working other jobs when they moved to West Palm Beach, John and Ana wanted to open an empanada shop in South Florida. Ana said that in Los Angeles they had been good friends with a third-generation empanada maker from Argentina. They reached out to him to see if he wanted to expand his business to the East Coast with them as partners. Unfortunately, or fortunately, he wasn't too keen on the idea.
Then nine months ago, while enjoying a New Year's Eve trip to Key West, Ana told her husband John "let's do it ourselves."
Once that decision was made, the pair got to work. Ana said she worked on different dough recipes for several months before getting it just right.
In March they opened the first Ana's Killer Empanadas in Delray Beach.
The "killer" in their name comes borrowed from Southern California's skateboard and surfing culture where it's an emphatic superlative and fitting for Ana's empanadas that rock.
In addition, to fresh baked empanadas, Ana's also has "take and bake" options for cooking them at home.
Ana's Killer Empanadas
What: Ana's Killer Empanadas
Where: 3244 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach
When: opening in late September or early October
Information: anaskillerempanadas.com
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Restauranteur brining 'killer' empanadas to Dixie Corridor
