Coupa Cafe, Beverly Hills

I've been craving arepas for a while, since Andrew's mom and I were talking about them in Palm Springs a few weeks ago. They are crusty little South American breads resembling a thin bun and originally made with cooked ground corn meal (or now with special corn flour, called harina pan) that can be stuffed with anything and eaten any time of day- but are best about 2am after a long night on the town. His mom, Maryse, though born in France lived in Venezuela when she was growing up and makes delicious homemade arepas. Coincidently, I heard a piece on Good Food a few weeks ago talking about a little cafe in Beverly Hills called Coupa Cafe which serves a variety of Venezulan dishes, Venezuelan coffee, and Arepas. We've been before for breakfast, but I totally forgot about this place.
So Saturday morning we headed to Coupa Cafe for breakfast. The place is cute, the patio is colorful and has a rain forest vibe. Inside is cute with a long display of beautiful pastries, coffee, and some grab-n-go items, cozy tables and a tall fireplace in the back. It was a beautiful California day and Peanut came with us so we sat on the patio. There were maybe 10-12 tables inside, but we were the only ones outside until 3 more tables joined us as we were dining. I ordered the spicy hot chocolate since it was a late breakfast and I had already had my morning latte, and I was hoping the heat from the spices would help cool me off. It was creamy and chocolatey with a nice kick of chiles, but not overwhelming or mouth-burning, and a nice thin foam on top. For the entree I chose the Special Arepa with carne mechada (shredded stewed beef), black beans and a heaping amount of "white cheese" that was sort of like a soft south american mozzarella with a mild tang. This with the crispy crust of the arepa was delicious, and perfect for a touch of a morning hangover! Served with a nothing-fancy mixed green salad you got the taste of Venezuelan street food in formal Beverly Hills for around $10/person. The service was lacking, we had to wait over 5 minutes for the server to return with our credit card, but the manager was very friendly and hard working and you could tell he really cared about the place. It's casual so no big deal, we'll be back for the food alone, which it's what it's really all about.