Skip all the rest on Main Ave. Go to Valencia Luncheria!

I’ve been eager to talk about Valencia Luncheria for some time now. Nestled in between other restaurants and shops on Main Avenue in Norwalk, Connecticut, you may miss it if you’re not familiar with the area. Look carefully and stop in or you will miss something quite delicious at this popular Venezuelan eatery.

As you step behind the curtain you will notice plantains hanging up, paintings, along with instrumental, Spanish cultured music playing on the stereo. This place makes you feel like you’re in a warm weather city. Valencia is one of those scenes where you expect to get a great meal before you’ve been served.

Valencia Luncheria will not disappoint. I have eaten here many times but each time I never had a camera. Even on my last visit, I was equipped with my Blackberry, and just knew I had to review what is easily one of my top five restaurants in the area.

I typically go to Valencia for lunch with friends. This time I made it to Valencia for dinner. I was able to sample their pernil (slow roasted pork for those not familiar) served with peas, and rice & black beans. Valencia’s pernil was tender, juicy, and will melt in your mouth. I enjoyed it without sauce but the taste went up a notch in smokiness and some spiciness when paired with their house-made chipotle sauce. Side dishes like the rice & beans are always a great accompaniment to their entrees.

Something else to try at Valencia are the empanadas. They have many different choices of fillings but among my favorites are chipotle pork, cheeseburger, and the Cubano (a Cuban sandwich, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and pork inside the crunchy empanada shell).

An arepa is a fried corn pocket of sorts that is cut open so things can be stuffed inside. And yes, I know that is a really simple explanation and quite dumbed down but I’m sticking with that. I have only tried a pernil arepa but like the empanadas, you can pretty much get anything stuffed inside. Even breakfast.

Valencia specializes in fresh squeezed juices and batidos which are fresh squeezed juices blended with milk and ice. Both are amazing but not my personal favorite. My go to drink is always the mango iced tea. I like the mango flavor, I like that it’s different. Another bonus is that I get to sweeten it myself but with the easily dissolving simple syrup rather than grainy sugar that would surely sit at the bottom of my glass. It also comes with a piece of sugarcane which is always good.

Check out Valencia Luncheria online for hours and a menu at www.valencialuncheria.com  

I will remain a regular and I hope to see you there!