Orinoco Kitchen
477 Shawmut Avenue, 617-369-7075
www.orinocokitchen.com

A cozy Venezuelan restaurant, the tiny, tin-ceilinged room is packed with the South End’s beautiful people listening to Nuevo Latino music and drinking plenty of wine — malbec from Argentina, carmenères from Chile — as they wait for tables.

There isn’t a lobster roll in sight! The chef is Carlos Rodríquez, and his hearty food is not for calorie accountants. Order the arepas (grilled corn muffins stuffed with shredded meats and cheeses), or the empanadas (dough filled with beef, plantains and cheese).

The line is outside the door every night around 6, but you can skip the wait if you eat later; Orinoco serves until 11 p.m. on Fridays.