Time is running out to indulge in the D.C. area’s Latin American Restaurant Weeks, which is being held to highlight the diverse flavors of Latin America.
This is the first time Latin American Restaurant Weeks has held the event in the D.C. area. Restaurants, food trucks and culinary businesses are taking part in the culinary celebration from May 2 to May 16.
The La Patrona food truck in Temple Hills, Maryland, is one of the 15 area eateries participating in the two-week celebration.
Alex Aguilar, who co-owns La Patrona with his mother, told WTOP the event “helps us amplify our voice, get the word out that we got delicious food out there to offer to the community.”
Regarding Latin American Restaurant Weeks, Aguilar said “It puts us on the map. It lets people know that ‘Hey, we’re here, we’re serious.’ We’re going to offer you authentic Mexican food and we just want to stand out in the crowd of all the food trucks that are offering awesome food.”
Some of that ‘awesome food’ are tamales, which Aguilar brought by the WTOP newsroom to taste.
“Typically, how we make tamales is: We get a corn husk, we put cornmeal in it and then we fill it in with … mole and chicken (or) chicken green chili,” Aguilar said. “We steam them for about two hours and then they’re ready to eat.”
La Patrona‘s menu also has carnitas, huaraches, quesadillas, salsas, tacos and tortas.
Founded by Karinn Chavarria and Warren Luckett in 2019, Latin American Restaurant Weeks holds similar events in New York (June 6-20), Houston (July 11-25), Chicago (Aug. 15-29), Los Angeles (Sept. 12-26), Miami (Oct. 3-17) and Atlanta (Nov. 7-21).