Chef Benoit & Rachel Angulo of La Cocinita

We value all of the chefs, nonprofits, and partners that we work with and want YOU to know them better. Now more than ever, we feel like it’s time to shine even more of a spotlight on our chef ecosystem and amazing partners. Our chefs and partners are at the forefront of what we do and are the face to the client, but why not learn a little more about them and their businesses.

Meet Chef Benoit & Rachel Angulo!

La Cocinita (@lacocinita) and My House Events go way back - like before MHE was even in existence. Founder of My House Events, Barrie Schwartz, met the amazing duo, Rachel and Chef Benoit, when she started working on their very first food truck. MHE and La Cocinita have stayed partners through the years, and both companies have grown immensely. My House Events has been fortunate enough to work with Rachel, Chef Benoit, and their amazing team for many weddings, corporate events, and private events for 5+ years and even recent COVID relief catering gigs.

Chef Benoit and Rachel’s concept of La Cocinita, aka “the little kitchen”, has grown to a food truck & restaurant in the Chicagoland area & a food truck and food hall restaurant space ( Pythian Market) in New Orleans. Owners Benoit & Rachel Angulo are proud to serve Venezuelan staples in their two favorite cities.

We are so excited to introduce you to Chef Benoit & Rachel and to continue partnering with La Cocinita!

Tell us about you guys and about La Cocinita!

La Cocinita ("The Little Kitchen") serves Venezuelan-inspired street food. Benoit is a chef from Venezuela who loves to cook. Rachel is a social worker from Chicago who loves to eat. Together, we make a great team! We started our first food truck in New Orleans back in 2011, and we now have another up in Chicago, as well as two restaurant locations: one inside the Pythian Market, a food hall in the CBD, and another up in Chicago. In addition to serving our Latin American specialties at the food hall and on the streets, we also cater events with our food truck and in the Laurenia, a beautiful event space above the Pythian Market. Our specialties include arepas (Venezuelan cornmeal patties), tacos, empanadas, plantains, flan, and churros with chocolate dipping sauce.

What was your inspiration for starting?

We met working together at Commander’s Palace. While enjoying drinks at The Rendezvous late one night after a long shift, we became hungry, not having eaten since their 5 pm pre-shift meal. Disappointed with the absence of nearby late-night food options, Benoit pitched the idea of starting a food truck together. He envisioned drawing from the feel and flavors of late-night street food carts lining a strip in Caracas referred to as “Calle del Hambre” (“Hunger Street”). Benoit introduced Rachel to his arepas, and soon thereafter, she fell in love with both Benoit and his cooking. Our food truck opened for business on November 19th, 2011, at the same bar where it all started...and the rest is history!

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How have you/your business shifted during COVID?

We have been doing a lot of food truck catering, as it's a safe way to feed people for small to medium sized gatherings right now. We are also doing a lot of individually packaged catering meal deliveries for offices, birthday parties, etc. The Pythian Market has also begun offering curbside pick-up and delivery service with its online ordering platform, www.pythianmarket.com/order. It's neat because you can order items from all the different food vendors, as well as cocktails to go from the bar, plus groceries and household essentials like soap, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer. So in one order, you can enjoy arepas, sushi, fried chicken, pizza, pho, mac & cheese, and Jamaican patties, frozen cocktails, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and groceries for tomorrow's meals! It's like a food hall and convenience store delivered to your front door.

Drop off to City Hall in New Orleans, LA.

What is your favorite dish to cook for people?

Benoit has been making arepas since he was 9 years old, and they have always been his favorite food to eat and cook. It's especially fun to prepare them for people who have never eaten or heard of them before. It's always exciting introducing people to new flavors and cuisines--especially arepas, having grown up eating them on a daily basis.

If you could cook for anyone/have a meal with anyone (celebrity, role model, etc.) who would it be?

Emeril. I grew up watching him cook, dubbed in Spanish. He was my role model growing up, and I would love to cook him a meal for him--and then sit down and enjoy it with him.