Mystery Diner in Batavia: Bocaditos Cafe home to Argentinean cuisine treats

An inviting spot to dine on something out of the ordinary awaits at Bocaditos Cafe in downtown Batavia, where Argentinean empanadas are the stars.

Part of the historic Newton House at the northwest corner of Wilson Street and Route 31, the destination has a lovely, shaded patio for outdoor dining. The family-run enterprise creates a warm and friendly experience, with parking available on the north side of the building.

At the fast-casual restaurant, we ordered a sparkling Italian mineral water and a local Kölsch-style craft beer.

As we lingered on the patio, a parade of customers arrived to pick up their takeout orders of empanadas and delectable side dishes.

Their empanadas offer flaky pastry enveloping a variety of savory fillings – chicken, pork, beef, ham and cheese, sweet corn, spinach or onion. Each variety is folded and crimped in its own distinctive style – little bundles of joy for the taste buds. At Bocaditos, which translates as morsels or snacks, the empanadas are baked rather than fried.

Side dishes come in small and larger sizes, perfect for sharing. We ordered an array of empanadas, accompanied by the carrot salad and the lentil salad.

The salads are a pure treat, the shredded carrot recipe incorporating corn kernels and mayonnaise. The lentil salad is prepared with brown lentils, hard-boiled egg, green onion and mayo.

The menu extends to several showcased sandwiches, including the Milanesa, featuring a breaded and baked beef fillet served between bread with mayo, tomato, lettuce and homemade chimichurri.

With an eye to presentation, the staff brought our order to the table on colorfully patterned ceramic plates.

Among our empanada favorites were two vegetarian options: a spinach one and another with whole kernel corn, each mingled with melted cheese and bechamel sauce. An additional veggie treat was a filling featuring caramelized onion with roasted red pepper and mozzarella. The ground beef recipe was flavorful with bell pepper, onion, olives, raisin and hard-boiled egg.

The patio can be rented for private occasions. The empanadas are available baked or frozen to prepare at home. New on the restaurant’s cuisine front are fresh-made spaghetti noodles sold frozen. In addition, Bocaditos creates its own ragu sauce, as well as chimichurri, and offers an array of merchandise including Argentinean wines from small, organic, boutique wineries.

Bocaditos also provides catering services, and accepts custom cake orders.

Faced with lots of dessert choices, we capped our meal with custard flan with a dollop of Argentinean dulce de leche as garnish. It was a luscious finale to our meal. Next time, we’ll order one of the specialty coffees to accompany dessert.

• The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at the Kane County Chronicle. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Bocaditos Cafe

WHERE: 11 N. Batavia Ave. (Route 31), Batavia

HOURS: Noon to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday

INFORMATION: 630-937-4002, bocaditos.cafe