Hola Arepa Officially Opens to the Public at 3 p.m. Today

Hola Arepa
3501 Nicollet Ave.
Phone: (612) 217-0635
Website: holaarepa.com
Status: Opens at 3 p.m. today

Popular food truck Hola Arepa from Eater Young Guns semi-finalists, Birk Stefan Grudem and Christina Nguyen, opens its brick n mortar restaurant doors to the public at long last at 35th and Nicollet at 3 p.m. today. The space (in the former El Paraiso restaurant) has been fully renovated with reupholstered booths, new wall panelings, a fully-stocked bar, and the truck's signature turquoise blue.

The menu is divided by snacks, small plates, and arepas. Small plates include the arepitas—fried arepa balls stuffed with jalapeno and goat cheese served with quince sauce, and the plantain tostadas—two green plantain tostadas topped with braised beef, citrus crema, tamarind sauce, watermelon radish, and citrus onion. There are about ten arepas on the current menu including the roast pork and sweet potato arepa with tomato, citrus onion, and green onion aioli and the adobo chicken arepa with black beans, tomato, cotija cheese, pickled cabbage, and chipotle mayo. The drink list, from the mind of former Strip Club barman Dan Oskey, features cocktails including a take on a margarita called the Wecking Ball—tequila, rhubarb shrub, bonal citrus bitters, soda (the name "weck" comes from the type of jar it is served in) and the Aviso—gin, lemon juice, gomme syrup, genepy, mango tonka bitters, topped with cava.

Hola Arepa opens for business beginning at 3 p.m. today and will be open until midnight. Regular hours will be Monday though Thursday from 3 p.m. to midnight, Friday 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (For this weekend only, they open at 11 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday.)
· Hola Arepa Official Website
· All Coverage of Hola Arepa [Eater MPLS]