When Salar owner and Executive Chef Margot Blondet announced plans to open a second restaurant, Manna Uptown, in Centerville, area foodies rejoiced. Now, we’re excited to share that one of Salar’s flagship dishes, empanadas, will be featured in our Gourmet Takeaway at Dorothy Lane Market as a ready-to-reheat option.
Chef Margot, a Peruvian native, opened Salar in 2013 excited to share with the area her native cuisine along with some global fusion twists. Manna Uptown opened its doors this past spring. Both restaurants are immaculate with clean, crisp tables and interior designs that are a visual feast. At Salar, where the empanadas are made, the warming wood hues meld with cooling metal textures, a cascading water wall, and crystal chandeliers.
“In Peru, we’re all about big flavors,” Chef Margot says. The restaurant’s bestselling empanadas embody just that—Peruvian big flavors with an Asian twist. “Every empanada is made by hand. Even the dough is rolled and then smashed by hand. It takes time, but every one is done with love,” she says. To start, Margot will be sharing the popular Beef Empanada with us at DLM, featuring a lomo saltado filling of beef seasoned and cooked with onions, peppers, and lots of heat.
When enjoying at home, she recommends reheating in an oven or enjoying at room temperature and dressing with a shower of powdered sugar and squeeze of citrus.
You may be wondering why Margot would want to share access to one of the restaurant’s flagship dishes with us here at DLM? “I wanted to put them out there at DLM so people could also have them in their home easily, too,” she says. “I love to expose people to our flavors and food.”
