Northville, MI — Nothing warms the foodie heart more than witnessing success stories and seeing hardworking chefs achieve their goals. The City of Northville is host to one such chef, Silvia Parra McCarthy, who hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Silvia’s story and passion for cooking began when she was a young girl. As the years went on, Silvia’s family grew, and eventually, the hardworking mother of five and her family moved to Northville in 2008. During the many years Silvia spent working as a veterinarian, her passion for cooking never diminished. And in the late months of 2019, Silvia took a leap of faith and bought a food truck after feeling something was missing in the surrounding community — Argentinian cuisine.

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For those unfamiliar with Argentinian culture and cuisine, empanadas are part of their national identity. While some may be familiar with the Mexican rendition of an empanada, which is comprised of corn-based dough and then fried, it’s important to note that several South American countries take different approaches. Of those countries, gastronomically speaking, Colombia and Argentina are more well-known for and carry the most national pride in their empanadas. The Argentinian method uses flour-based dough and finalizes them baked rather than fried. Some traditional fillings for an Argentinian empanada include ground/cubed beef, ham and cheese, ham and onion, spinach and cheese, and humita (sweet corn with white sauce).

For over three years, Silvia and two of her children drove about in their truck, Brava Empanadas, sharing a part of their culture with residents across Metro Detroit in the crescent shape of savory pastry turnovers. One of my colleagues, who is Argentinian, put Brava Empanadas on my radar nearly a year ago after I moved back and started my new job. I was eager to track the food truck down at any potential upcoming event nearby, but the stars never aligned. However, two weeks ago, I noticed a Facebook post about a very important upcoming day.

Sunday, August 6th, was a special day for Silvia and her family; it was the grand opening of their brick-and-mortar location for Brava Empanadas in Northville! Not only was I excited to finally bite into some delicious and wholesome empanadas, but I was also very familiar with the store’s location. Brava Empanadas is in the former Jet’s Pizza (it just moved a few doors down into a larger space), which is on Novi Road just across the street from Guernsey’s — a Northville ice cream and dairy institution.

I reached out to Silvia and her family and gave the heads up that I would be enthusiastically attending the grand opening. It’s always a crowning moment for a food truck operator to establish a home base of operations, and without having even met Silvia yet, I was very excited for her and to be able to witness this momentous day. I couldn’t bear witness to such a happy occasion alone, so I brought along my foodie-at-arms, Juan, to help inhale some empanadas and share the story of Silvia Parra McCarthy.

Juan and I met up in the parking lot just a few minutes before things kicked off and the doors officially opened for Brava Empanada’s new headquarters. Silvia’s staff, a.k.a. her children and family, were setting up several canopies along the storefront due to inclement weather on the way. Several folks and avid supporters of the food truck had already started lining up and gathering near the door in anticipation — hunger was in the air! And within minutes, Brava Empanadas became the newest eatery establishment in Northville! The door propped open, and the line began moving as patrons eagerly entered.

Juan and I began gathering our footage and taking photos to capture the excitement as we moved along with the line. It didn’t take long to notice that the line extended quite a bit into the parking lot, with about 35 to 40 people in attendance as things got underway at 4 p.m. The mood was electric; there were about 15 people in front of us, with the first couple of patrons through the door already walking past with their empanadas to go. Smiles were on everyone’s faces, and the aroma of heavenly beef and chicken empanadas filled the air as you made it closer to the store.

With only a few people in front, Juan and I had made it to the entryway. As we were chatting about which empanadas to try, the door to the kitchen opened, and Silvia herself came out holding a pizza box. But this was no ordinary pizza box because it was actually… an empanada box! Silvia opened the box to reveal dozens of mini beef empanadas as she walked around to every guest waiting for their order and to those still waiting to place orders. Silvia engaged every guest warmly and thanked them for attending as she made her way through the line, offering the mini empanadas for the hungry puff pastry enthusiasts. When she made it to us, I introduced myself and Juan, and we happily chatted and planned the timing for our interview. Silvia was very busy and had a lot of guests and friends to greet, so I suggested that we save the interview for last.

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Juan and I can certainly put sizeable amounts of food away when it comes to eating, as we are clearly determined to provide as expansive of food coverage as possible! So we ordered six of the eight empanadas and the two dessert options and decided to split everything down the middle (quite literally, as you’ll note in the video/photos). We ordered the traditional beef, chicken Portuguese, pulled pork potato, ham and cheese, spinach and cheese, and humita. And for dessert, the apple empanada and alfajor, a small Argentinian butter cookie sandwich filled with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut shavings.

Juan and I got our empanada box of goodies and rushed to the nearest table outside under a canopy. Coincidentally, within minutes of sitting down, it started to rain! We were positioned well enough to remain dry, but the unfortunate folks still waiting in line (even more people had arrived and were waiting during the time we were inside ordering) had to hurry onto the sidewalk alongside the storefronts. Juan and I opened the box and took a moment to appreciate the sight of such delicately baked and soft stuffed empanadas before us.

Traditional Beef

These empanadas are one of the main attractions when introduced to traditional Argentinian empanadas. The spices mixed in with the ground beef were certainly unique, not spicy, and resulted in a penultimate flavor bomb to the palate. The Spanish and green onions and bits of hard-boiled egg added hints of sweetness and richness. This was an overall solid empanada and an easy go-to selection for an introduction to Argentinian cuisine.

Chicken Portuguese

The shredded chicken was so juicy and moist; it was loaded with massive flavor alone and then just elevated even further by the red Portuguese salsa, which added a real depth of flavor with not that much heat. This empanada was particularly stuffed due to the addition of diced carrots, onions, and peppers, which contributed their own flavor profiles, as well as ranging textures.

Pulled Pork Potato

This empanada was hands down my favorite! The slow-cooked pulled pork was on point, and I honestly could have eaten a whole pound of the pulled pork alone! The pulled pork was very tender, a homemade recipe of Silvia’s, and had a blend of barbecue sauce and a pinch of hot sauce that just absolutely worked. Whatever the recipe is for that sauce blend, it’s remarkable and one-of-a-kind that pairs perfectly with the pork. The diced potatoes were soft and cubed just right to be portioned well throughout the empanada. A half-dozen order of these alone would be a wise choice!

Ham and Cheese

Another favorite of mine, although simpler with the ingredients, the blend of cheeses made this empanada a home run. Growing up (and my mother can vouch for this), I was always a ham and cheese combo enthusiast, whether it be through a simple sandwich, on a pizza, or hot pocket. So eating this empanada brought me back to my childhood on the first bite. I was delighted by the flavor profile of the cheese blend and genuinely enjoyed the diced little ham cubes. I can easily see why this empanada was another Argentinian favorite; it’s all-around fantastic. Even with few ingredients, as the saying goes: a little goes a long way sometimes!

Spinach and Cheese

Another solid choice, especially for those looking to avoid meat. The spinach and mozzarella cheese were intertwined perfectly, with the spinach being smooth and maintaining a good consistency post-bake. The béchamel sauce (white sauce) is perfect for this empanada, adding a buttery and creamy element that mixed perfectly with the mozzarella and stuck to the spinach. Don’t just take my word for it, check out the cheese pull clip below!

Humita

An amazing vegan option, loaded with vegetables and a flavor profile unlike any other! The cream-style corn reminded me of a southwest blend from my Arizona days, but the diced pumpkin and spices took my taste buds to a different and unfamiliar arena, but I was digging it. The Spanish and green onions make another guest appearance, this time aided by green and red peppers as well. The empanada press/fold was slightly different, with a cool side brand that made eating this empanada feel even more unique. A great choice for vegan diners or folks down to explore another popular Argentinian classic!

Apple Empanada/Alfajor

Where to begin.. (inserts my generic I’m not a big fan of desserts spiel) Although I did limit myself to just a couple of bites of each, these desserts made me wish I had more of a sweet tooth! The apple empanada was lightly coated in powdered sugar, and after bitten into, an eruption of dulce de leche (milk caramel) and spices brought an immediate smile to my face. The apples were warm and gooey, with the spices giving the extra sweet finish while not being too overwhelming. The sweetness level was surprisingly tame, finding itself in the Goldilocks zone of just right in terms of being a dessert you can enjoy without feeling too guilty about.

The alfajor was a new cultural foodie experience that Juan and I couldn’t pass on. The Argentinian butter cookie sandwich was actually smaller than expected, but it packed a sugary punch. The coconut shavings got a bit everywhere, and the “buns” of the sandwich crumbled relatively easily, but it was still delicious, albeit a bit further along on the sweetness scale than the apple empanada. Despite its size, it was pretty good, although the ultimate winner between the two was the homemade apple empanada.

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After Juan and I gorged on copious amounts of empanadas, we circled back inside to sit down and interview Silvia. We opted to wait a few extra minutes so that she could finish off another batch of empanadas and casually talked about life and such until Silvia was ready. Juan and I set up shop in the back of the kitchen at a table, and I kicked things off by asking Silvia where her endeavor to begin serving food to others began. Watch our interview in the video player below:

Silvia’s love for cooking, her family, community, and patrons is genuinely inspiring. Seeing her achieve this next step in the restauranteur ladder felt special to witness, and I’d wager that Silvia and her family aren’t done climbing! And while the Brava Empanadas location in Northville is only pick-up and delivery, Silvia’s food truck is still hitting the streets as well, so there will still be opportunities to catch some downright fire empanadas out and about around Metro Detroit. If you’re in the mood for trying something new with some variety and cultural flair, stop by Brava Empanadas in Northville or catch the truck at an event near you. You won’t be disappointed!

For more information on Brava Empanadas, click here.