Maria Luisa Empanadas will open in April 2024 and will offer meat, vegetarian and sweet empanadas. #k5evening
SEATTLE — Empanadas are a staple dish in Argentina, but a new restaurant in Ballard called Maria Luisa Empanadas was inspired by a home cook.
“My grandmother always made empanadas, and for me, they were the best,” owner Rodrigo Cappari said. “I couldn’t find empanadas anywhere, and I missed them so much that I thought, ‘I have to make empanadas.'”
Cappagli grew up in Buenos Aires, but it wasn’t until he moved to Seattle that he learned how to recreate his grandmother’s recipes, starting out in a small business as a caterer in a commercial kitchen.
Opening his own brick-and-mortar restaurant in April 2024 was a dream come true for him.
“I feel so proud,” Cappagli said. “To me, she’s everywhere.”
Argentinian empanadas are baked, not fried, and each turnover is stuffed, folded and sealed by hand.
“The taste is completely different. Argentine empanadas can have a variety of fillings: beef, chicken, chorizo, ham, cheese, vegetarian versions,” Cappagli says. “Basically, you can put anything in an empanada. You can even put mac and cheese in it.”
Maria Luisa Empanadas also offers Argentinean sweets created by its pastry chef, such as chocolate alfajors (cookie sandwiches filled with dulce de leche) and media lunas (sweet croissants).
The restaurant also pays homage to another of Cappari’s passions, soccer, with Argentina national team jerseys and photos of Lionel Messi adorning the walls.
“I’m crazy about football. I watch football everywhere, even in the bathroom, everywhere,” Capari said with a laugh.
He hopes to host large crowds at upcoming Copa America matches.
Despite being new, the shop already has a loyal customer base and sells out of empanadas every day.
“Some people order takeout and then start eating here. They eat two or three, close the box, come back[to the counter]and say, ‘I want six or 10 more,'” Cappagli said. “That’s amazing, and the customers just keep coming.”
Maria Luisa Empanadas is located at 928 Leary Way Northwest and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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