A true taste of Venezuela has arrived in downtown Saint Paul. LuviFood opened in mid-November, and owner Andrea Castillo is now serving delicacies from her native country.
Although Andrea has been cooking her local delicacies for years, her first career was as an industrial engineer. “I’ve always cooked in my free time,” she says. But it wasn’t until around three years ago that she decided that she “was tired of having bosses.” That’s when she opened her Burnsville location, which went well enough that she looked for a space in the heart of Minnesota’s capital, with the help of a loan from LEDC. And her background in engineering and quality control translates to having a restaurant: Everything at LuviFood is down to a science.
Today, you can find a wide range of freshly made Venezuelan cuisine in the Alliance Bank building, near the Central Station Green Line stop. You’ll find handmade arepas and empanada-like cachapas in addition to other Venezuelan street food like their special takes on hotdogs and hamburgers. But don’t miss out on the main dish. Their lunch special is a steal at $12 and includes rice, beans, a choice of protein (shredded beef or chicken, plus another option that varies daily; I had a perfectly seasoned dish with chicken, sausage, onion and sweet peppers) and a side, which could be a mini arepa, fried plantains or fried yucca.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. LuviFood impressed William Vouk so much that he wrote this in a glowing review:
“I ordered a rice bowl with chicken and beef (per the worker’s recommendation), beans, cheese, and a mini arepa. … For how simple the bowl seemed, that was some of the tastiest food I’ve ordered in a good long while. The chicken was really something else. More than that, who’d have thunk that the rice and beans of all things could be that flavorful (I’m telling you, SEASONING)! The arepa was super crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. It didn’t taste like much, but as I understand it this is totally normal for Venezuelan arepas. The worker told my coworker and I to fill it with the contents of our bowls, and man was that the right idea. And on that note, the worker was very kind and professional. She gave us a whole little rundown of the menu when we walked in which was very helpful – great service.
“LuviFood is going to join the rotation of skyway restaurants that I frequent, and I am really looking forward to visiting again. Stop in; it’s worth it.”
Fact sheet
The downtown location is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 2:00 pm, and the Burnsville location is open from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm Wednesday through Saturday, and 9:00 am to 4:00 Sunday.
Downtown St Paul location: 56 6th Street East, in the Alliance Bank Center’s food court at skyway level.
Burnsville: 13766 Nicollet Ave
