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Lajas.- Every weekend, sector Salinas Fortuna, in Lajas, is visited by Puerto Ricans hailing from different parts of the island, those staying in La Parguera or visiting the town in general. Among its many attractions, they visit one of the most well-known eateries in the area: El Salistral, which is famous for its cornmeal empanadillas (turnovers).

Diners don’t just come for the delicious food prepared by Emelinda Vargas Torres; they also come for the family atmosphere that prevails in the business, which makes them feel at home.

After retiring as a cook in the island’s Head Start program, Vargas Torres, 56, left for Pennsylvania. However, she decided to return to the island and start a business.

“Then I said: ‘wow, there’s nothing around here’. There was a stand selling empanadillas down the road, but the men who ran it were old, and it closed down. I said ‘I’m going to try running a stand to see how it goes, even if it’s just weekends, as long as my health allows’”, said the cooking enthusiast who started the idea from a stand.

Thus, in 2021, the woman brought back the famous cornmeal empanadillas to her community, known for the fresh ingredients used for the fillings.

Bestsellers include cod, fish, lobster, octopus, and mixed seafood. As for regular empanadillas, she makes them stuffed with conch, crab, lobster, ground beef, chicken, and pizza (mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce). Sorullos (cornmeal fritters) and alcapurrias are also sold in the establishment.

Everything Vargas Torres sells is made daily, but her most popular dishes are the gizzards, cuajitos, crab rice, and the fish soup with cornmeal porridge. On weekends, she can easily sell around 15 to 16 pounds of cuajito a day.

“What I like the most is seeing people’s satisfaction when they eat well. I put myself in their shoes when I go somewhere and I buy something to eat. I like eating it with the same gusto and leaving satisfied after I’m done. It’s one of my greatest achievements, when people leave satisfied,” said the owner.

“I used to tell my co-workers: ‘when I retire I’m going to set up a food stand in front of my house’, it’s something I always wanted to do,” added Vargas Torres, whose main supplier is her fisherman son, Jean Cruz Vargas.

Vargas Torres starts prepping her products on Wednesdays; on Thursdays, she makes the stews during the day, and by night, she makes the empanadillas. She packs the empanadillas on Friday at 6:00 a.m. and she opens the business at 10:00 a.m. until closing time at 6:00 p.m.

In this little corner where Vargas Torres has made her livelihood, a family atmosphere where customers enjoy spending time partaking in good conversation has prevailed.

“On Sundays, we receive some customers that started coming in about a year ago. They’re faithful customers; they visit every Sunday, come rain or shine. They’ve been visiting for a year now, and to this day, they haven’t failed,” she said, laughing.

“I love coming over and spending time with them. We spend time together every Sunday, it’s like hanging out with family,” said Jannett Padró, one of her loyal customers.

The business owner plans to expand El Salistral and create a terrace with a view of Lajas’s salt flats. The kiosk, which opens Friday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., is located on highway 324, kilometer 4.6 in Salinas Fortuna, Lajas. To order, call 787-508-6237.