The Coffee Stamp in St. Louis Has Mastered the Art of the Empanada

On our coffee sojourn this morning, my dad, my son and I went to a local spot we enjoy called Coffee Stamp. The coffee is excellent and fairly inexpensive. But that is not the blog today. While at the coffee shop I decided I wanted some breakfast. I hadn't eaten, was going to be running later and decided I didn't want to do it on an empty stomach. The food product that Coffee Stamp is known for is their empanadas. I adore these things. I had never had a traditional one until I had one from here. I want to tell you all how delicious these things taste.

For those that may not know, an empanada is a fancy, flaky, crusty type of dish. It can be savory or sweet. I went with the savory route today. The empanadas I got had eggs, sausage and cheese. My son had one with peppers, prosciutto and cheese. Don't get me wrong, the filling at this spot is fantastic. I wish I could get my eggs that fluffy. I love the little hunks of sausage they use. And the cheese, it is ooey and gooey and delicious. But what makes these so good, what separates them from all the other spots is the crust. This crust is incredible. It is light and airy. When you break open the empanadas, the crust flakes to the side. But you don't just brush these crumbs to the side. No way. You eat these. You try to get as much of this crust as possible. When you bite into the crust it cracks and gives the empanada this excellent texture. It is the fanciest hot pocket you could ever want. The crust is buttery and flaky. It is hot and glistening. They fold it over perfectly. The empanada comes to you in a package, and when you open the package and take out the treat, it looks tremendous. They put the fork marks in the crust. It is folded like a nice present. It looks like a work of art. And then the tasting begins. I mentioned the butter. It is there, and then some. The butter gives it the right amount of extra fat. I don't know what all goes into the dough, but I would imagine they use some kind of shortening. That makes it even better. I assume the shiny glow comes from some type of egg wash, which adds even more flavor. The filling is nicely packed into the dish. It doesn't spill out. You get a good bite with each bite you take. You can taste it all at the same time. These empanadas are simply amazing. But it makes me want to try even more. I want to go to an even more authentic restaurant that specializes in these. I'm going to Mexico later this summer and I am hoping to get some real good ones. I want to try more combos of flavor. I want sweet. I want salty. And I want the two flavors mixed together. While eating this morning my mind was wandering thinking of what else they could put in these. I would love a cinnamon roll flavored one. Or maybe a pizza like one, to really get the full hot pocket feel. I would love a seafood empanada. I think a banana pudding empanada could be amazing. But what all these empanadas need to have is this delicious crust. If the crust is no good I have to imagine that takes away from the whole experience.

I am very happy to have Coffee Stamp in close proximity to fulfill my empanada craving. These things absolutely rule. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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