A Guide to the Best of Southern California : FOOD : L.A.’s Real Empanada

It’s the perfect white-collar crime: sneaking an eggplant empanada into the movie theater--Norma Gil’s tasty, self-contained, quiet, no-mess empanadas. Five years ago, on a trip to her native Argentina, Gil found empanada “factories” on street corners everywhere; gone were the days when families spent all day Sunday cooking the tasty turnovers. She learned all about making them, and back in L.A., refined the recipe by using vegetable oil rather than the traditional lard.

From her two Empanada’s Places, Gil sells 18 kinds (the corners are crimped in 18 patterns so that the cook will know what’s inside). The most popular fillings are chicken, beef, spinach, corn and ham and cheese, but the ricotta with fresh mushrooms, potato, sausage and artichoke ones aren’t bad, either ($1.45 each, $13.50 a dozen).

Empanada’s Place, 3811 Sawtelle Blvd., Culver City, (213) 391-0888; 8566 W. Pico Blvd., West L.A., (213) 854-3373.