MIDTOWN EAST — A new eatery serving a host of colorful Venezuelan arepas is set to open on Third Avenue.
Areppas is aiming to open its flagship restaurant at 954 Third Ave., at East 57th Street, on Sept. 30, serving up a slew of handmade arepas as well as other specialty items like tequeños, or Venezuelan cheese sticks.
Customers will be able to choose between the type of arepa — a blanca, roja, sol or verde — and fill it with options like chicken, salad, pulled pork, veggies and avocado.
The arepa patties are thinner, lighter and fluffier than traditional ones, the restaurant notes.
Executive Chef Gabriela Machado, a native Venezuelan, created a special item for the eatery called the "Midtown Arepa," stuffed with grilled chicken, avocado, cheddar cheese, lettuce tomato, and pickled onions.
Owner Celestino Diaz, who was born and raised in Caracas, hopes it will become a hot spot for those who want a taste of his homeland.
"I love the energy at 57th Street and Third Avenue," he said in a statement. "There's a lot of foot traffic during the day, and we're catering to nearby business, as well as to residents of the community. I thought it would be an ideal location to ensure that Latin food could assume an updated identity and that it would move beyond the parameters of more niche markets."
Areppas will be open Monday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.