Experience our new Latin American/Cuban/European fusion food concept.  Our team is led by the passionate duo of artists – chef Taimi Carrero Garcia and visual artist Raciel Gomez Golpe.  Art & Food = Apululu.  Inspired by the belief that “love enters through the kitchen.”

Every  dish is a  taste explosion, a fusion made with love & laughter.

A good bagel to a New Jerseyan is simply a necessity. So, when the gang and I picked up and moved to Florida in 2021, we immediately noticed a big problem: no good bagels! What could this mean? No more weekends at the local bagel shop picking up a hot dozen to go with our scrambled eggs and pork roll? We wouldn’t let the rituals end. We knew we had to transform from a family of bagel-lovers to a crew of bagel-bakers. And it all started with me, the OG “bagel babe” and gymnast turned baker.

After a few years of hand-rolling plenty of flat bagels in my kitchen, using my NJ-Italian family of critics & cooks as the judges, I finally mastered my recipe for our OG Plain Babe Bagel. I can promise you the Florida water was never the problem. These bagels are proof. But you don’t have to take my word for it, just try one and you’ll see.

We come from an Italian American family where all important matters were discussed around a meal.  One of our fond memories is of the Roman-style pizza unique to our small town in the Pocono Mountain area of Pennsylvania.  The pizza is a square/rectangular slice that is one of most popular street foods in Rome and is still a staple of our hometown.  The toppings are kept simple so that the crust, tomato sauce, and cheese are highlighted.  The cheese goes to the edges, like Detroit-style pizza.  The crust is more like a focaccia than Sicilian pizza. And there is always some fresh herbs – primarily basil.

Carúpano Kitchen was born out of family, heritage, and a love for sharing food.

Back in high school, Andrea realized that her arepas, prepared by her mother with the flavors of her hometown Carúpano, were unlike anything her classmates had ever tasted. Stuffed with chorizo carupanero, cazón, or morcilla, these foil-wrapped breakfasts became the envy of her peers. What started as sharing bites quickly turned into selling 15-20 arepas a day. With her mom as the chef and Andrea as the salesperson, this mother-daughter duo unknowingly began their first business together.

Years passed, and life took Andrea from Caracas to the United States. She studied, worked in sales, and built a career, but she never stopped making arepas for friends, parties, or anyone willing to try a taste of home. Every shared arepa carried with it the joy, warmth, and resilience of her Venezuelan roots.

Carúpano Kitchen is not just a business, it’s a love letter to her mother’s cooking, her family’s history, and the flavors of the Venezuelan coast.