Besides being a terrific palindrome and a cozy new Plateau resto, Arepera is the word for a place or person who provides hungry masses with arepas, those handy round flatbreads made of white corn flour. Great for stuffing with assorted sandwich fixings, easy to hold and to have from this day forward. And, in sickness and in health – they’re gluten free, which is a boon for those among us who have started to find wheat hard on the digestive system after a lifetime of abusing almond croissants and zaatar pita.

I went for lunch with a game preschooler and an equally game sister (who, being an adult, didn’t require pencils and toy trains). All of us found the space appealing, with bright yellow and orange walls, and a warm brown ceiling. The tables were the kind of deep orangey pink I remember my childhood marker set called "carmen." The seasonal plastic candy canes were of particular interest to the littlest among us. The Latin music kept us upbeat.

Arepera shows a pride in ingredients, from the heaps of fresh veg and fruit by the cash register to the menu telling us that the grain-fed chicken is from nearby Fernando. Choices of arepa fillings are vast, from meat-loving to vegan, with pulled beef, sausage, sardine, grilled veg, beans and plantain.

They have lovely fresh juices too. That day’s were mango, tamarind or passion fruit. The waiter kindly brought me sample shots, even after I’d picked the icy mango. Grown-ups started with soup, a thin black bean with whole beans hiding beneath the surface, and an intriguing greenish-yellow fish soup that had hearty chunks of cassava, plantain, squash and whiting.

I had the monstrous pabellon arepa sandwich, fat with beef, beans, squishy fried plantain and crumbly white cheese. My sister was delighted with her simple beans and cheese, and the small gentleman eagerly tucked into his plain cheddar. His was eminently satisfying, in a nachos or mac ‘n’ cheese way, the salty orange melted cheese playing nicely against the crisp, lightly charred bread.

The adults gussied up their arepas using squeeze-bottle salsas, spicy red and a green called guasacaca, thin and smooth made with avocado and cilantro.

Each arepa comes with a little tangle of watercress salad, which really makes the meal, and a very cheap one at that, with sandwiches priced at $7 and under. Prices will go up a smidge soon, the owner said, and frankly, they should just to ensure that Arepera stays in business and continues to feed us all cheaply and well.

Arepera
129 Duluth East; 514-508-7267
Meal for two: $15-$25
www.facebook.com/areperamontreal