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5411 Empanadas Plans to Open in Time for Wicker Park Fest Saturday

By Alisa Hauser | July 23, 2014 4:35pm
 5411 Empanadas is planning to open Saturday at 2045 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park, its owners said.
5411 Empanadas is planning to open Saturday at 2045 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park, its owners said.
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WICKER PARK —   5411 Empanadas, a popular Lakeview eatery and food truck that specializes in gourmet empanadas, will open its long-anticipated Wicker Park outpost just in time for Wicker Park Fest Saturday, its owners confirmed Wednesday.

"It will be a great opportunity for us to open Saturday and right now that is the goal," said Nicolas Ibarzabel, one of three owners of 5411 Empanadas, which has been planning a build-out at 2045 W. North Ave. for almost a year.

5411 Empanadas is owned by Ibarzabel, Andres Arlia and Mariano Lanfranconi, who named their eatery for the International telephone calling code for Argentina, 54, and the Buenos Aires city code, 11.

The Wicker Park location, which seats 24 people, will be larger than Lakeview's 5411 and offer liquor, beer, wine and an espresso bar.

5411 Empanadas will offer five rotating beers on draft, mostly from local micro-breweries, beginning with Ale Asylum, Une Annee, Green Bush, Buckledown and Deschutes.

Ibarzabel said he is particularly excited to offer Fernet, an Italian liqueur that is one of the most popular drinks in Argentina, where the bitter amaro is mixed with Coca-Cola.

The menu will be the same as the Lakeview location, which offers 11 varieties of empanadas including beef, ham and cheese, barbecue chicken, sweet corn, banana and Nutella, according to its menu.

In addition to the restaurant, the space will serve as a commissary kitchen, where the empanada fillings for the company's food truck and Lakeview location at 2850 N. Clark St. will be cooked in big batches and then assembled inside the empanada shells.

The empanadas will be sent to Lakeview, where they will be baked fresh, Ibarzabel said.

Previously, the 5411 Empanadas commissary kitchen was located in Skokie, so the move to Wicker Park and the newly-built kitchen will aid in future expansion.

"The goal is to open more stores. We are having great expectations for the space," Ibarzabel said.

The Wicker Park location will employ 20 part- and full-time workers.

5411 Empanadas, 2045 W. North Ave. Ph: 773-276-8344. Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday-Saturday.