Venezuela's loss is Santa Ana's gain.

Arepas look almost like Egg McMuffins, and come wrapped in white paper. The corn bun is ivory white, somewhat crumbly and about the size of a softball. If you were ravenous enough, you could finish one off in three bites.

If you're unwilling to give yourself completely to the experience but don't want to walk the ordinary line with sandwiches or salads, you can order arepas with sliced turkey and ham or with just cheese.

But, really, any of the traditional fillings will come close to making you a better person.

The cachapas are an entirely different story. These are large, browned pancakes folded in half, with savory fillings similar to what you'll find in the arepas.

Cachapas batter is made with only corn, sugar, salt and water. It's a sweet, thick envelope filled with chicken, beef, or, my two favorites, ham or cheese.

The sweetness of ham marries very nicely with the sweet batter. It's cut by salty cheese and cream. The cheese cachapa is a seamless union of sweet and tangy.

Now, to the juices. They can be luscious: pear, cantaloupe, watermelon. Some are a bit dicier: Plum seemed chalky. And whimsical: Tutti-frutti is a cup of diced fruit in a little juice.

For one of the best tres leches cakes don't miss out on dessert at Mil Jugos. This version is light as foam, rich as heavy cream and sprinkled with cinnamon.