MEET: VERONICA AGAMA, Viva Empanadas Latin Grill + Wine, Latham + Albany
Veronica Agama, Latina, mother, entrepreneur + chef, talks food trucks, the diversity of Latin cooking + moving her Viva Empanadas business upstate.
Interview : Susie Davidson Powell
Photos: Victoria Sedefian/The Dishing
Location: Viva Empanadas Latin Grill & Wine, Albany, N.Y.
Tastemaker: Chef-Restaurateur Veronica Agama IG: @veroagama
Viva Empanadas Latin Grill + Wine| Website: vivaempanadas.com IG: @vivaempanadasgrill
Hometown: Quito, the capital of Ecuador. But also Queens, NY.
Current city: Clifton Park, NY
Personal style: I love earth colors and sunny yellow. I love handcrafted items. Ponchos and shawls for cooler weather, and dresses for warmer times.
Listening to: In my personal time, I am always listening and working for my restaurant playlist! It’s inspired by smooth Boleros: My favorite is Ecuadorian with the sweet sound of Luz Pinos, and Mexican Natalia Lafourcade. Our playlist is really a mix of smooth Latin artists from Cuba to Argentina and all around. Joyful and smooth sounds to have conversations over, to work with, and enjoy a moment by oneself too. I really enjoy this part of my job!
Favorite spirit: I am a vodka with fruity juice lady!
Favorite cocktail: Our homemade Sangria.
Favorite bar or restaurant ever: “El Parrillaje” in Puebla city, Mexico. I love the way they present the steaks, the variety of the menu and the final results. The atmosphere is to just enjoy your time. No rush.
Biggest chef or culinary influence: It’s a tie: Pia Salazar from Ecuador and one of the best pastry chefs in the world (I adore her dedication and creativity), and Rodrigo Pacheco, a pioneer in eco-regenerative cuisine farm-to-table.
“Welcome to The Dishing’s tastemaker interviews where we talk matters of taste with hospitality industry professionals and trailblazers at the intersection of food, culture and art. Today we’re talking with Veronica Agama, owner and chef of Viva Empanadas Latin Grill + Wine in Albany, N.Y. and Viva Empanadas in the Galleria 7 Food Hall in Latham. And we have exclusive news of her soon-to-open third location.
You were born in Ecuador but your grandfather and father moved to the United States when you were a child, so you and your sisters were raised by your mother and grandmother in a household of women. What are some of your earliest childhood food memories?
Thank you, Susie! I’m very happy to talk about this because food is ingrained in my senses from a very early age. In my first few years of life I lived in my maternal grandma’s home. Mi abuelita is a great cook from the Coastal region of Ecuador, and every time she cooked my hunger would awaken led by the aromas coming out of her kitchen! I was allowed to crawl around as an infant and my abuelita, while cooking, would look down and find me unexpectedly near. Haha.
Her Caldos, Secos, and Sangos are the best. She always took her time even to make food for everyone! She truly inspires me everytime I am in the kitchen.
You took over The Bishop’s former location at the corner of Sheridan and North Pearl in downtown Albany + transformed the interior into something light and colorful. What was your inspiration for the space and the bar?
I think when I first saw the space, though beautiful, I found it a bit gloomy, so I felt I wanted to do all I could to make it feel sunnier even in winter! [Laughs] I wanted the space to communicate to everyone who came in—whether to dine on ropa vieja, or to have our tropical lemonade, a mojito, or a coffee and an empanada—that life is beautiful and worth celebrating one moment at a time! Of course, there are mementos of my roots here and there, like the picture of my grandfather holding a cacao bean from his farm in the highlands of Ecuador.
There are four floral paintings on the wall as guests walk in. What is the story behind those?
I love flowers and plants and when I found these paintings that are all different from each other, but with a resemblance still, I felt it was the perfect representation of the four ladies that composed my heart growing up: My two younger sisters, my mom, and my grandma.
You started out selling empanadas at a market in Queens, N.Y. during the pandemic. How did you end up moving to the Capital Region?
It is incredible where life can take you when you flow. I have lived in Queens, N.Y., since I first moved to the States back when I was 18-years old. And I never really visited anywhere outside of NYC! However, when I decided to work on my own with my little Viva Empanadas business, I decided to move wherever I could offer them!
First, I started making gluten-free empanadas for my boys. During the pandemic I had the time to do all kinds of them with plantain, yuca, and corn crusts.Then when my family and friends saw the pics I shared, I started getting orders for pick up at the weekends. Then I wanted to make more, and in one of our Flushing Park outings with boys we saw a sign that they were taking applications for the open markets. I started bringing our empanadas with the boys on weekends. It was an adventure every weekend and the joy to share with the community outdoors during the pandemic, but when it got nearer to winter I heard of a food truck in Brooklyn—on Myrtle Wyckoff right outside the train stop. The owner made and sold tamales early in the mornings and was offering an afternoon lease starting at noon. Well, that gave me a chance to continue my enterprise and offer my menu with my small business budget.
And it was an amazing experience! I met wonderful people and entrepreneurs who would invite me to their events and offer my food, like “Backyard Boogie” or the Puerto Rican parade events.
Suddenly, we couldn’t carry on in the food truck so I started to look for a budget-friendly commercial space, but as I was not finding anything, I expanded my search area and continued right until I found it here in the Capital Region! I saw options in Troy and Schenectady, so I traveled every weekend until I found our spot in the Galleria 7 Market in Latham! What pushed me to continue was the kindness and straightforwardness of everyone I met along the way. I am really thankful for that.
I know you have an array of empanadas that are your interpretation of different South American variations. Can you describe them and what makes them unique?
I wanted to make empanadas for everyone! No matter their diet preference, restrictions, budget, or level of hunger! Also I have friends from all around… so of course we have to have the empanada from Colombia (my best friend is Colombian), from Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, etc. And inspired by the Empanada de Verde from Ecuador, I decided to make different crusts for every empanada. All with delicious slow-cooked stews to fill them up. I wanted to share the feeling that an empanada can be filling just like a homemade, juicy flavorful meal, even if we don't have time to sit down or the budget for a fancy one.
Ninety percent of my menu is gluten free and has its own designated prep area and fryers. The few wheat options have a prep and cooking area as well. And of course the sauces! I love my sauces and they are made from scratch daily – always on the side!
Can people order a mix of these empanadas at both of your locations?
Yes, absolutely! Both locations offer all our made to order empanadas and they come with sauces! 1 empanada ranges from $4 to $5.50, and half a dozen is $24.50, including any sauces preferred!
When did you decide to expand the range of food beyond empanadas and how do you describe the breadth of dishes on the menu?
I knew I needed to prepare and cook more dishes early on! Even by the second week at the Flushing Park fair, I would sell out of the chicken sofrito empanadas and I needed something to substitute them…so that's how chicken paella started, then my veganlicious empanada would sell out and in summer my heart of palms ceviche was a perfect addition. Then people would always ask me for seafood or more steak options and sometimes I would close my spot for 30 minutes and come back with fresh ingredients from the supermarket to make dishes like Brazilian Churrasco, Colombian Bandeja Paisa, Venezualan arepas, Argentinian choripan, ceviches, etc... because the people were there, and more people were coming for some nightly events, and I just couldn’t not have anymore options. So substitute options became staple dishes!
People know your restaurant as Viva Empanadas, but they might not know the full name is Latin Grill & Wine. You’re passionate about your wine selection and mostly Spanish/Latin wine pairings. How do you choose the wines you carry?
Oh my goodness, I love our wine selection and I loved the process I had with Katie Bowers from Empire Wine. She is very knowledgeable, down to earth, and kind too, so her patience in helping me learn and try a lot of her offerings was amazing. I’m thankful!
We have bottles from Chile, Argentina, Spain, Italy, and the Finger Lakes. Each one pairs with our dishes in some unique way — exactly how I would eat depending on mood, time, and season. I really encourage our guests to ask for recommendations and tastings before deciding on their wine!
You expanded your daytime hours to dinner + began offering a Saturday salsa night last year. Will that be coming back?
For sure! We are open for lunch and dinner in both Latham and downtown Albany. We are definitely doing some more salsa nights with the amazing team of instructors of Ritmo Room, Albany!
There has been a lot of talk about downtown Albany and the need to support and grow the local night life. How is business in your location during the day and at night?
Yes, I think all businesses downtown need all the support that can be offered. This has definitely been a leaner winter than our first year, but I think it’s been so all around. When there are events in the area it’s definitely busier and also crazier as downtown is way quieter on an everyday basis.
You have a wine and beer license here but you do offer a variety of cocktails made with grape–based spirits. Can you talk about those?
In Latham and Albany, we make wine based mojitos, margaritas, spritz, chocolate and espresso martinis, instead of using club soda for the mixes we use Cava and Lemone wine to pump up the Rancho la Gloria cocktail wines. Our fruit cocktails are made with fruit pulp from my native Ecuador that I go biweekly to NYC to bring in. They are all flavorful and I don’t use pre-made syrups.
You’re a single mother of two boys and you are very hands on with your business. You don’t do bulk order deliveries preferring to go and pick out your own produce, and you’re on-site for most of your hours. How do you balance your home and work life?
I have indeed gotten used to running around a lot! [Laughs] Sometimes by the end of the night I’m a bit dizzy! But my boys are growing and during weekends I take them with them everywhere so they can see how it all runs, and so they can learn to be a bit patient with me too. They are my world. And my team is my family up here too. The first year and a bit more in each location I had to schedule my self from pre-opening to side work after closing… those were trying times indeed, but I needed to be there 100% for training. I ran out with the boys a lot and had them with me in Galleria 7 doing their homework and having dinner in the dining room. Then also at 90 North Pearl Street too. Now I move from home, drop offs, shopping, lunch service, after school pick ups, quick tasting for dinner service, home again! The support of friends, family, team is essential to carry on. I am grateful!
Your parents and family still live in NYC. Do you take your boys back to Queens often?
Oh, we do go visit! Every time we can and most holidays! No matter if it’s my seventh day driving nonstop. I do it so we can have family time. I always like for us to try and support different local small restaurants but I have to admit that every trip we make it to La Esquina Criolla or el Gauchito Argentinian Grill in Corona, Queens. 😁
If family or friends came upstate to visit you, where would be 3 of your favorite spots in the Capital Region where you’d take them for breakfast, lunch or dinner?
Uh, this is a good one! My youngest loves American fare and we like the relaxed ambience and menu of The Merc in Saratoga Springs. Then for tacos we definitely go to our neighbors La Capital Tacos in Troy. My eldest loves Italian so our choice is for family-owned and vibes, Mama Mia’s in Saratoga Springs.
Imagine your ideal day or night out. If you could go anywhere in the world with no limits on cost or reservations, where would you go and how would your day or night unfold?
Oh my goodness! This is fun! My heart is saying La Patagonia… eating a dinner of all local ingredients…after a good hike…with the beautiful views of the Andean mountain range meeting the icebergs! The air! The smoky aromas of beef asado, empanadas, and wine! Maybe adding some tango dancing too! Because after all the meal and wine it might be needed for the spirit, body, and mind! All in the company of friends, old friends, newly met kindred spirits, and family for all around happiness!
🫒 INTEL! You have some exciting news in that you’re opening a third location in Saratoga Springs this spring. Where is it and will it look like this restaurant or your Galleria 7 vendor space?
My roots of going out to look for guests when they don’t arrive at my spot in Queens or Brooklyn is still very latent in me. And the way this winter was playing out, I couldn't help but find a new spot where my team can get the extra hours they have been missing and to continue momentum and the restaurant rhythm that I am used to as I have been in the restaurant industry for over 20 years now. (My first job was at “La Esquina Criolla” Argentinian grill in Corona, Queens.)
So we are moving into Congress Plaza in Saratoga, in the space that was Moby Rick’s Seafood. The decor will be the same as here in Albany, the same fabric and colors. We will be opening later this spring!
Thank you for talking with us, Veronica! We’re excited for your new location and look forward to introducing some people to Viva Empanadas soon!
Thank you very much, Susie!
