A new food truck will be bringing some more diversity to the Columbus dining scene when it launches later this summer. A family affair, Barroluco will cruise the city streets offering its classic Argentine fare.
Barroluco has been through two countries, several decades and a few iterations to arrive at the point of launching a food truck in Columbus, OH.
D’Angelo family patriarch Daniel started working in bakeries in their hometown of Mendoza, Argentina when he was just 13. Honing his skills for several years, Daniel ran his own bakery before the family immigrated to the U.S. in 2000. After the move, the family settled into different industries, but one quinceañera cake and the D’Angelos were back in the baking business.
Heeding the requests for cakes and pastries, the D’Angelos started a home-baking business in 2009, eventually adding catering to the mix as well. The budding business pushed son Omar D’Angelo to continue his education in the U.S., earning a degree in business administration from Franklin University in 2013.
Degree in hand, Omar took the helm of further developing the business. He turned to the Small Business Development Center for help setting up the enterprise and developing a business plan. While a brick-and-mortar restaurant was the original goal (and is still in the long-term plans), Omar says that a full-service eatery proved to be cost-prohibitive. When he decided to opt for a more cost-effective food truck, he was directed to ECDI.
“They are amazing,” Omar says. “It’s like I have a mentor.”
He completed the Small Enterprise Education Development Training Series at ECDI and had help adapting Barroluco’s business plan to focus on a food truck. When the family received a loan to pursue the operation, Omar says that’s when things felt real.
He hopes the truck will fill the gap of the lack of Argentine food in Columbus. He sees that the food scene in the city is starting to diversify and is excited for Barroluco to be another element of that.
“I see that Columbus has a open mind,” he says.
The operation’s mission is to “Open the door to the culture and experiences which flavor our heritage.”
Residents will open their minds and stomachs to a menu of Argentine comfort food classics. Omar says many of the original array of dishes will be at their most classic with new flavors and proteins added over time.
The truck’s namesake is a type of Argentine sandwich featuring grilled meat accompanied by many of the usual sandwich suspects plus the addition of made-from-scratch chimichurri nestled between the Argentine staple Pan de Miga – a light, thin bread.
The herbaceous chimichurri gets classic and American spins to accompany various dishes. Barroluco created their own special combo dubbed chimi-q that combines the flavors of chimichurri and barbecue sauce.
Grilled meats, like ribs, will also be an integral part of the menu, as will empanadas. Barroluco’s version will border on the classic, with a baked dough pocket filled with ground beef, onions, olives, hard boiled eggs and spices.
There are desserts, too. Barroluco will serve up classic churros with dulce de leche, and macaron-looking concoctions called alfajores. The crumbly cookie sandwich is made with cornstarch, filled with dulce de leche, then rolled in shredded coconut. Cakes round out the dessert menu – moist cakes with fruit and vanilla pudding.
While Barroluco is raising funds to help cover truck costs, the business is already looking forward to how it can give back. The family business has worked with the Latina Mentoring Academy during their home-baking days and is forging a relationship with Big Brother Big Sisters for the coming year.
For more information, visit barroluco.com.
