Fort Myers Farmer’s Market Find, Empanadas
Check out this week’s Fort Myers Farmer’s Market Find, Empanadas. You might be surprised that the menu at Pilar’s Empanadas also include gluten free and vegetarian options too. More on that next.
First, the market. I love exploring local farmer’s markets but many are beginning to wind down in advance of the hot summer. Lakes Park Farmer’s Market in Fort Myers occurs every Wednesday. It has typically wrapped up by this time. However, Hurricane Ian damage delayed the opening. So this year, organizers are staying open a bit longer.
As the days get hotter, the number of vendors has slowly been shrinking. In fact, I did not see Gina’s Tamales this week, the vendor I featured here a couple of weeks ago. The end is near but it’s not here yet. Thankfully, Pilar’s Empanada wagon is still showing up. Pilar’s is an Argentinian restaurant on Boy Scout Drive in Fort Myers. The kitchen is open and if you time a visit right, you can see the kitchen staff at work, creating literally hundreds of empanadas. This is good to know in case you can’t track the wagon down at a farmer’s market.
About the Fort Myers Farmer’s Market Empanadas
The empanada’s pictured above might not look like those you traditionally find in restaurants. The shape, in part, is what differentiates the gluten free versions. Yes, gluten free (GF). Not only does Pilar’s serve GF but also vegetarian. The bacon, plum and cheese are a favorite. So are the spinach and cheddar as well as the ham and cheese. Pilar’s also has traditional beef filled but I like the spicy Carne Picante beef a little better.
Fort Myers Farmer’s market find, empanadas from Pilar. They are this week’s Fabulous Find!