What's Cooking: Venezuelan food served in Ambridge; Rita's opening new Beaver Valley site

(What's Cooking is a twice-a-month look at what's new in the Beaver Valley dining & drinks scene).

Truly treat yourself to Venezuelan street food at La Tienda, a Christian bookstore and giftshop in Ambridge.

Empanadas, tequenos, mini cachitos and a combo panita are now served fresh from the kitchen in the back of the 607 Merchant St. business.

"I'm happy to share my culture," said Venezuelan-born owner Daniela Smith-Gomez, whose family three years ago opened La Tienda's cozy and inviting, wood-walled gift shop/bookstore in the heart of Ambridge.

Friends who sampled Gomez' homemade empanadas convinced her she also should sell Venezuelan food.

On June 18, she started selling Venezuelan street food via to-go orders, or for customers who can sit at one of a half-dozen tables and chairs toward the back of the La Tienda store.

Sales have been brisk, as by this past Thursday, a few menu items already had sold out of stock.

Gomez has decided to expand the menu.

Current options include:

• Two mini cachitos (ham-filled crescent rolls), $8.99.

• Tequenos (Venezuelan cheese wrapped with dough and deep fried), $8.99 for six pieces.

• Two empanadas (white corn patty stuffed with your choice of beef, cheese or chicken then deep fried), $8.99.
• Combo panita (three small pastry turnovers with choice of beef, cheese or chicken filling and three tequenos, plus drink), $11.99.

La Tienda soon will add three more menu items − arepas stuffed with chicken, steak or cheese; Venezuelan hot dogs and vegan empanadas.

Venezuelan desserts also are forthcoming.

Gomez's family ran three bookstores in Venezuela before moving to the U.S. eight years ago.

"Because the situation in Venezuela is so bad we had to leave the country, sell the business, sell the house, finish my degree in college and come here," she said.

They initially settled in the Beaver area. Daniela got married and moved to Boardman, Ohio, while her parents stayed in the Beaver area. One of her dad's friends owns and offered the Ambridge storefront that had sat vacant for nearly 20 years.

"We all saw the potential," Gomez said. "We took this place in 2020, but because of the pandemic, everything was delayed. We finally opened the bookstore in 2021."

Gomez said, "I wanted to do more. Something unique, so we came up with the idea for a restaurant inside the store with typical Venezuelan food. What most Venezuelans want to get. And it works for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinnertime, snacks ... whatever you want to call it."

What are some traits of Venezuelan food?

"Well, the Venezuelan cheese is different. It's hard to explain so you have to try it to tell so you can tell. It doesn't melt like mozzarella. It's way better," Gomez said. "The tequenos, for instance, are wrapped in dough and deep fried so it's similar to mozzarella sticks but so much better. It's not that greasy. You have to try those."

La Tienda hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

"So as long as the bookstore is open, the restaurant is going to be open, too," Gomez said.

Lovely Rita, custard made

A sign went up last week announcing a new Rita's opening on Moon-Clinton Road in Moon Township.

Rita’s is a suburban Philadelphia-based chain located in 30 states, specializing in Italian ice, frozen custards and gelati.

Mango is Rita’s most popular flavor of Italian ice, ahead of the popular Cherry Italian Ice, followed by Swedish Fish-flavored Italian ice, according to the company's website.

With a target opening date of late-July, the Moon location is next to Angelia’s Pizza.

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: What's Cooking: Venezuelan food served in Ambridge; Rita's opening new Beaver Valley site