Press

Empanola’s success is a family affair. It just opened a second restaurant in Uptown, and while it’s co-owned by chef Marcelo Garcia, his wife Jimena Urrutia and her brother Javier Urrutia, it’s not unusual to find one of the couple’s daughters behind the counter.

Jimena Urrutia is from Argentina. Empanadas, the savory, stuffed pastries, are a big deal there. Her husband, Marcelo García, is from Chile, which has its own empanada culture.

Three years ago, Jimena Urrutia and her husband, Marcelo García, came to the United States from Chile to study. They talked about opening a business here, and the first idea was a sandwich shop.

White Star Market’s newest stall is serving up some scrumptious empanadas, and we couldn’t be more excited. Empanadas are little sandwich pockets, available in a variety of fillings. The menu rotates, so you won’t always see the same flavors available.

Empanola, the spot that serves up traditional and New Orleans-inspired empanadas, is opening a new location at 3109 Magazine St. on Aug. 1. The site is the former location of novelty and gift shop Bootsy’s Fun Rock’n, which closed last summer.

Among the new guard, Empanola is another restaurant that serves gazpacho during the hot, Crescent City summers. Brainchild of Patricio Garcia and Jimena Urrutia, Empanola started life in 2017 as an empanada vendor in the Marigny's St. Roch Market.