Farola
From Argentina, with Love
by Holly Madrigal
There are times when a love of country is best described by a food. Culinary offerings form the taste memory of a place. The empanada fills this space in the heart of Pedro Herrera Rovetta, locally known as Peter Farola. When he met his wife, Bailee, they traveled to Argentina together and she had her first taste of Argentinian empanadas.
This magical food, served across the globe, has key consistent components—a half-moon of dough with filling. These small hand-held pastries are known by many other names, but the empanada originated in South America.
“I always recommend the Argentine beef, which has the flavors that we remember.“ Bailee describes her suggested order at the Farola Argentinian Empanada’s walk-up window on the corner of Clara and State Street in Ukiah. “And a fugazzetta! People usually take my recommendation,” she quips. A fugazzetta is similar to a pizza, with dough covered in multiple high-quality cheeses topped with oregano and sweet onions that are charred slightly by an open flame. Peter and Bailee have made this into an empanada that draws rave customer reviews. “If we ever enter an empanada contest, I think we should submit this one,” says Bailee. ”The charred onions add an umami depth that is so good. It would win all the awards!”
“This business came from love,“ adds Peter. ”We love to spend time together and because of our other jobs, we didn’t get to see each other very much.” The pair opened Farola to allow them to combine their love for each other and delicious bites. “I was working full-time in another restaurant, and it took up so much of our time. Deciding to do this together meant that we could work together. Peter has always had a love of food, and so the idea of working together was a natural fit,” says Bailee.
“I’ve eaten empanadas since I was a little kid,” shares Peter, whose family heritage is a mix of Italian, French, and Spanish. “Our family moved to Buenos Aires and I was able to try all different types. So many different cultures mix in the city.” Buenos Aires is the historical port of much of South America, leading to vibrant and rich culinary traditions. Peter would try different empanadas wherever he visited. The flavors shifted and changed from one province to another, since Argentina is geographically large and encompasses so many different climates and terrains. The ingredients and methods of cooking the empanadas could differ depending on where he found himself. When he met Bailee and brought her to visit, she fell in love with the snack too. “Everywhere we went I was like, can we get empanadas tonight?” remembers Bailee. “It's one of my favorite foods,“chimes in Peter.
Bailee was raised in Ukiah and has worked in several culinary establishments in her time. The couple met and fell in love in Ukiah, and despite traveling widely, they decided to make their lives here. “As soon as we met, I could tell she was passionate about food, and so was I,” adds Peter. “That was one of our first connections,“ Bailee recalls, a smile lighting her eyes.
The couple realized that there was no restaurant specifically offering empanadas in the area. She had previously worked in a Greek restaurant in the same spot their business now occupies. Peter notes that he always had a good feeling about this corner spot on North State Street. “I could see something there. It is a sunny spot, and I could envision the sun mural on the wall. Our friend painted that and the logo above. I thought a walk-up window would make it even nicer. I approached Stacy, the owner, and she asked for a business proposal. She liked our project. We remodeled the space to work for us,“ explains Peter. “We ended up with this idea of empanadas because of the versatility of it. You can put any kind of filling in them and really experiment."
The word Farola describes a type of lamp, the old-fashioned kind that graced the streets of Buenos Aries in colonial times. Peter remembers, “At the same time, my favorite restaurant as a kid was called La Farola, so ours is a little different as a matter of respect, but it honors that place. I like the simple parallel. It represents a little bit of the essence of Argentina in that it’s a Spanish word that sounds Italian but still Spanish.”
For the business, Peter developed a signature dough. “I have so many memories making dough with my grandma, mostly for pasta, but I realized that we could make this for empanadas,“ he shares. When describing the perfect empanada dough, Bailee says you want it to be crunchy and buttery but not too flaky. It must be light and not bready, but sturdy enough to hold up to the filling. While refining their recipe, Peter turned their dining room table into a test kitchen. “One day I came home from a long day, and he had covered our dining table with dough and flour everywhere. Peter had been making dough all day. This went on for weeks until he got it just right—buttery but doesn’t disappear in your mouth,“ Bailee shares.
They officially opened on 7/7 at 7:00pm in 2023, and they have been growing and evolving ever since. The couple invested in a custom press mold so that each empanada is identified by letters (like a CK for chicken or a SM for spinach and mushroom) to show what type of filling is in each pastry. You are still allowed to taste each type if you prefer, but the markings are an ingenious way to identify all the way through from baking to the first bite. Versatility and creativity infuse each offering. Imagine Fried Buffalo Chicken, or Steak & Cheddar, Quesabirria (their favorite Mexican dish in empanada form), or the Mojo Pork empanada, which has a citrus marinade-bathed pork with black beans to create a taste of Cuba.
Bailee likes a bit of spice, so they created the Rocoto Crema which includes a Peruvian pepper. “I wanted to use a pepper from South America, and this one has just the right flavor and level of heat,” she describes with a grin.The flavors available change and build on what is in season or what tickles the chef's fancy.
House-made sauces are available upon request, including the traditional Argentinian chimichurri. “It's good on everything!” says Peter. “We make a garlic aioli which is creamy and garlicky, many people love that.”
It is clear that the couple is passionate about what they do. They want to expand to selling their empanadas to the rest of Mendocino County and even beyond. “It is so wonderful to be invited into people's celebrations,” Peter says. “When customers order our empanadas for a party, wedding, or winery event, we become part of that. It feels really good.” Peter and Bailee plan to continue to grow and work together. Peter’s parents just came for a long visit, and it is clear that the love of family and each other is what powers this restaurant. You can taste the love in every bite.
Farola Argentinian Empanadas
585 N State St, Ukiah
(Walk up window on Clara Ave)
Open Tues - Fri 12pm - 9pm, Sat 12pm - 8pm
Insta: @farola.ukiah
Couple and exterior photos by Zach Samphsel. Emapanada photo courtesy of Farola