BALTIMORE — There's a good chance that if you're looking for Baltimore's best empanadas, people are going to point you in the direction of Elisa Milan.
The woman, affectionately known around town as "The Empanada Lady", has only had her restaurant on 10 South Street for a year, but her name was ringing in the city way before that.
"When I first started, it was Elisa's Empanadas," she said. "The city crowned me the Empanada Lady. I started at my house and I think the passion was felt by the city and the community."
Her journey to running a restaurant inspired by her Puerto Rican culture to settle a bet with a friend, who felt like she couldn't make enough money to make it a real business.
She accepted the challenge and after gaining enough momentum to capture 30,000 followers on Instagram and beyond, looks like she keeps proving her friend wrong.
When it comes to the experience, Elisa wants people to walk into her place and feel the presence of family beginning with the recipe to her most popular dish.
"My family is everything. So, it's my grandmother's recipe," she said. She also credits her aunt, lovingly called "TitTi", with being another influence what became the "essence" of The Empanada Lady restaurant.
As a proud Afro-Latina, Elisa is intentional about sharing her culture with her customers and using her platform to help others.
"Supporting one, The Empanada Lady, is supporting many," she said. "I have five local artists [featured] in here, from the floor literally to the ceilings."
It's a similar approach to the Black Restaurant Weeks campaign that tours all over the country spotlighting black-owned dining spots and that's why she jumped at the idea of being a part of it.
"I definitely think it’s beneficial to amplify and I believe we go further when we go together," Elisa said when talking about the impact of the event.
Now if you've had empanadas before, you'll notice the dish is a little bolder and bigger at this restaurant.
"[Our empanadas] they're 6.5 ounces," she said. "Traditional empanadas are not that big."
ClickHEREto see how many ways you can have their signature dish made, along with the full menu featured at 'The Empanada Lady.'
Also, you can follow them on social media to keep up with events they're hosting, like Sunday Brunch, comedy shows and more.
Instagram: @theempanadalady
Location:
10 South Street, Baltimore
Suite 100