Los Olivos Bistro

5030 Champion Blvd., Boca Raton; 561/756-8928

CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT

Homestyle cooking reigns supreme here. The family-owned bistro’s menu honors familial Argentine roots with typical crave-worthy dishes like empanadas and plenty of red meat, but it also honors the cuisine’s Spanish and Italian influences with its standout paellas and housemade pastas.

The owners do a top-notch job of making every guest feel welcome. Whether you’re a first-timer or regular, a customary warm welcome awaits you here. I also heard Argentine Spanish with its distinct accent spoken alongside English among diners, a good indication Argentinians approve of the food at Los Olivos. Buenos Aires natives opened Los Olivos two years ago, struggled through the pandemic but gratefully made it through, and have seen an uptick in business in recent months.

Embracing the family’s Argentine culture, the wine menu is Mendoza heavy with sprinkles of France, Italy and the U.S. It also offers red and white sangria, Clerico (Uruguay’s signature effervescent sangria) and a few beers.

As for appetizers, you can journey to Spain with pulpo a la Gallega, chorizo (sausage) or tortilla (omelet with potatoes and onions), or you can travel to Argentina with its empanadas and canastitas. We chose to order the ham and cheese empanada ($3.50) and the Humita canastita ($3.50). The empanada’s dough was crisp on the outside but warm and soft on the inside, with gooey cheese oozing out as I bit into it. I do wish there had been more ham, but overall, both appetizers tasted fresh and housemade. The canastita, or open empanada that looks like a little basket (hence its name in Spanish) looked and tasted like something mom would make at home, down to its lopsided edges and rustic sliced peppers in varying sizes. I loved every bite of the large corn kernels, caramelized onions, tomatoes and peppers I discovered under the cheesy top. The paellas can be ordered in one or two portions. The one-person serving comes in an adorable, personalized pan bursting with rice and your selected toppings. Choose from chicken, vegeta- bles, seafood or a combination. We opted for the seafood paella ($30), which arrived with a hearty portion of clams, mussels, calamari and shrimp mixed with onions, peas and peppers. I wished the saffron was more prominent, but overall, it was a satisfying dish. Since we were in an Argentine restaurant, I was eager to try a steak, so we ordered the 10-ounce skirt steak ($31), and I was not disappointed. The tender, flat piece followed the true Argentine technique of not marinating or over-seasoning. It was perfectly salted and cooked, and came with a side of citrusy chimichurri that I could have eaten alone with a spoon. It’s also a filling portion, with a side of smashed potatoes that were chunky, soft and, again, tasted like mom’s cooking.

If you like dulce de leche, save room for dessert and order the panqueque de dulce de leche ($10). The sugary scent hit me before I even tasted it. It’s two rolled crepes stuffed with the caramel-like sauce. They’re warm, with crispy edges and a sweet (but not too sweet) way to end the meal.