My inner Colombian will always squeal in delight at the thought of eating an arepa.  Whether it’s plain and slathered in butter or split and stuffed with meat and/or cheese, I will have a hard time saying no.  It used to be that arepas were something that we got when our mother made them for us, or at a Colombian bakery.  Amaize, however, is aiming to bring these South American corn cakes to the South Florida mainstream.  This fast-casual restaurant, located in Doral (and now with a Davie location) features a selection of stuffed arepas and platters.

Filling your arepas with all sorts of savory fillings is primarily a Venezuelan thing.  We Colombians typically do butter and cheese.  One thing we seem to agree on, though, is that Harina Pan (Pan brand corn flour) is definitely the way to go if you want your arepas to be the real deal.  Amaize has an entire wall dedicated to selling you everything that you need to make arepas at home.  Hint: you can also buy this corn flour at pretty much any grocery store in South Florida.

Amaize lets you order an arepa a la carte, or add a side for a little extra.  I got the Shaggy (pulled beef with shredded Gouda cheese) and a side of chicken soup.  The arepa was meaty, cheesy deliciousness.  And, although they are a little hard to eat without making a mess, it is still satisfying.  Be warned, though, that the arepas are a bit smaller than they look.  If you’re a big eater, you might want to order two.

For more information, please visit their web site at http://www.amaizeyou.com/