I came across a little slip of a place on the east side of town that you might want to try the next time you’re peckish for some tacos or such.
Marita’s Fresh Latin Bites opened in November in a small storefront in a strip mall on Colonial Drive. There’s a counter for ordering your food and a couple of stools at the counter and two steps behind that at the window — think the original Black Bean Deli as far as size goes.
I ordered my food to go, getting a chicken taco and a ground beef empanada. Both were so good that I wished I had eaten them there so I could order some more.
The taco featured several slices of grilled meat on a corn tortilla (flour is available if you really must). There were shreds of leafy green lettuce and crumbles of queso fresco, as well as a splotch of guacamole.
The empanada had lots of mildly seasoned meat stuffed inside the flaky pastry. Too often empanadas (empanadi?) are more pastry than filling. Not this one.
The young woman who took and delivered the order was welcoming and gracious. Marita’s Fresh Latin Bites is a well-run operation for those looking to bite something Latin in a hurry.
Marita’s Fresh Latin Bites is at 9446 E. Colonial drive, Orlando. It is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and early dinner (closes most days at 6 p.m., though that information is not on its website). The phone number is 407-286-2236.
