It is interesting to see something come full circle. In the case of Yerba Buena it was serendipity for me. I was looking for my lost muse, having misplaced it when I stumbled on my life path this month. I was looking for something to recharge and refocus. Got it. I found it while driving home with a Hounddogs Pizza in my car. My first impression was that someone was selling a food trailer. I pulled in to check the price. Then I saw that someone was opening a food trailer called Yerba Buena. This was muy bueno because Yerba Buena is the mobile version of El Arepazo which means great food within walking distance of my house. El Arepazo started as a stall at the Latino Festival – then became a restaurant (which is still open) now they are heading back to their al fresco roots with a mobile food venture.
Carlos and Carolina Gutierrez are the husband and wife owners of the restaurant. They are taking the show on the road this summer with a launching point in Clintonville. Yerba Buena is in a car lot at the corner of Glenmont and North High Street (about 200 yards from my childhood home). I have a soft spot for mobile food. I have a really soft spot for El Arepazo because it is one of my favorite dining choices in town. It was also one of the first places I wrote of in the blog…..almost five years ago.
This section of Clintonville have been screaming for dining options for decades and now we have it. Let’s hope for a great summer for Yerba Buena to grow diversified dining in north Clintonville. Carlos and Carolina expect to be open Noon “until 8:30 pm” Wednesday to Saturday during the summer (note: hours are likely to change as the flow of business shows itself). You can follow their story at the El Arepazo Facebook page.
The mobile menu mirrors the restaurant menu and will expand over the summer. Items include arepas (corn cakes), plantains, chorizo, empanadas and assort Latino beverages. The trailer is large with a full service kitchen so if you can’t make it downtown for El Arepazo during the day, you can definitely make it to Clintonville at night to sample this incredible Venezuelan cuisine. The enthusiasm of Carlos and Carolina is infectious and their famous “green sauce” has additive qualities that rival the hey day of crack.
Good Luck Yerba Buena, I’ll be seeing you about once per week.
(Update,Yerba Buena had a good run on High Street, but a bit of a stink was started up so they opted to move to another part of the community. I applaud their move to Indianola – the area could use a jumpstart to draw in more people and business and a good mobile food business can help with that.)
Yerba Buena
4490 Indianola Ave
Clintonville (about five blocks south of Morse Road)
Facebook
(Please note: The Trailer will disappear from time to time to go to festivals and special events so if you don’t see it for a couple days this summer, do not panic.)
September 22 update:
Carlos says hours will be Noon to 8 pm Monday to Saturday and thanks to Clintonville for all the support.
CMH Gourmand - Eating in Columbus & Ohio 