Nosh Empanadas: Baking connections here at Rider

By Jenna Munswami and Delaney Wiggins

Bringing traditional empanadas to their community for over 20 years, owners Santiago Orosco and Eric Richardson continue to share their food with New Jersey residents. They have even made Rider one of their homes.

Nosh Empanadas is a small restaurant in Lawrenceville, only about a 10-minute drive from campus. If the name was not enough of a giveaway, their specialties are empanadas that come in a variety of flavors.

However, Nosh is not where everything started; the location in Lawrenceville opened on Sept. 16, 2024. Their main company, Under the Moon, is located in Bordentown and is still in operation today.

“We were the first Spanish family to live there with my parents’ friends,” Orosco said. “We opened the restaurant in 2006 and empanadas are everywhere in Argentina … We are the ones who introduced it to the area.”

Orosco used to offer empanadas to people for free because they did not know what they were. If they did not like it, they did not have to pay. But for people who did, they could support the cafe. After taking part in different festivals to sell their goods, Under the Moon began to gain traction. Soon enough, the local restaurant was selling thousands of empanadas, and a second location was opened in Lambertville.

Nosh was formed from the popularity of these restaurants. What sets this location apart from Under the Moon is that Nosh’s empanadas are oven baked instead of fried, making them a little healthier. They are also a bit lighter, allowing people to try the different variations. Nosh has a full menu, too, in contrast to the other cafe that only offers beef or veggie options.

Being homemade, the quality of the empanadas and their community engagement is what makes Nosh unique, according to Richardson. Community is one of the aspects that helped to land its location. Having lived in Mercer County for years prior, it was the perfect place for their latest business.

“What we have found that we love about Lawrenceville is the community level support. It’s immense, which is phenomenal,” Richardson said.

Local families even walk from behind their homes to grab empanadas for a snack or dinner, according to Richardson.

This level of acclaim does not come from just anywhere. It is all about the details that the owners put into their establishment, not only with their food, but also with the presentation. 

The iconic orange that makes up the logo and packaging was by design, purposefully made to be eye-catching and immediately recognizable as Nosh. Even the way that the boxes are constructed, separating each empanada along with the placement of the sauces, is an intentional choice. 

The owners also make sure that each empanada is completely packed, full of whichever filling a customer chooses to ensure they are getting an actual meal out of it. But their focus on their ingredients is not just taste, it is also about caliber.

“We’re very specific about how we source our ingredients. Having done the restaurants for 20 years, we have really good purveyors,” Richardson said. “We do use some local farms when we reach out to get our produce and things of that nature under our restaurant brand.”

A future goal for the owners is to eventually start a nonprofit organization to feed those in need, as said by Orosco.

Depending on the day, Nosh produces hundreds to thousands of empanadas, according to Orosco. They strive to have a consistent change in the variety of flavors, while keeping the classics that people flock to.

These deep connections within the community have led Nosh to start hosting pop-up events here at Rider.

Richardson went on to explain that people who tasted their empanadas at other events led them to connect with food service groups at Rider. 

In fact, Rider students were also coming to Nosh suggesting, “Hey, this would be so cool,” according to Richardson.

But what goes into preparing a Nosh pop-up event at Rider?

First, food production.

There is a lot to think about: what is the event and what time will it be held at?

They also need to anticipate the quantity of products required for the day, along with the equipment. It requires more than just regular kitchen supplies, to perfect their empanadas, they need specific supplies, like a holding warmer for freshness.

But what makes doing pop-up events at Rider so special to Nosh? 

Richardson believes it is Rider students, of course.

He said, “Every single person that comes to that counter for their order, looks us in the eye, says ‘Thank you,’ responds when we say, ‘Hey, how’s your day going?,’ has a conversation and engages.” 

If there are any Rider students with suggestions for future empanada flavors, the owners are always open to ideas and trying new things!