Elizabeth Marcano Kennedy, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, was interested in sharing her region's cuisine with a broad audience, so she started selling South American cookies, desserts and breads wholesale. After receiving positive feedback from customers on the treats she offered at the West Side Farmer's market, "I decided to give the restaurant business a try," she said.

On Nov. 5, she opened Marcano's Take-Out, a tiny spot on Packard that replaces BTB Burrito.

You feel like you're eavesdropping on someone's kitchen when you enter. It's a small, virtually barren space, with a narrow waiting area and few chairs. You can see right into the kitchen, with the opportunity to witness them cooking your meal right in front of you.

A neon green pamphlet provides explanations of the various menu items, which include arepas, pastelitos, empanadas and a variety of fruity drinks and desserts. Ordering at Marcano's is a bit like asking your own personal chef what's for dinner. Kennedy doesn't always have everything listed on the menu, but she encouraged me to try other items. She has such a charming demeanor, it's hard to get frustrated.

All the items are reasonably priced, as little as $2.75 and no more than $7.50. But as much as I enjoyed many of them, they're more appropriate for snacks or a light lunch and won't satisfy cravings for a hearty dinner. Also, note that most everything, except the soup and dessert, has a fried component.

Soups vary daily. I was lucky enough to stop by when the carrot soup was available. Thick and creamy, laced with thyme, cumin, raw cane sugar, nutmeg and Kennedy's "secret ingredients," it was rich, yet not overpowering.

One of my favorite fried dishes was the yucca frita, a crispy, lighter version of French fries, which came with wonderful homemade ketchup.

To try the arepas, sort of round cornbread rolls, we decided to get a variety. My least favorite was the cheese, which was bland on its own, but it benefited from the addition of black beans in a different version we ordered. The chicken was outstanding, resembling a first-rate chicken salad. The arepitos dulces were laced with anise, and I didn't care for them. The best arepas, hands down, contained the herb-roasted turkey filling. The turkey tasted freshly cooked and was incredibly moist, with a range of wonderful seasonings.

Of the empanadas (fried corn dough turnovers) that we sampled, the plantain, with a sweet, gooey interior, was more appropriate for dessert. My favorites were the beef, which had a barbecue tang, and the chicken. The mix of these filings with the sweet breaded exterior was a great combination.

The native drinks are worth sampling. I particularly enjoyed the papelon con limon, refreshing homemade lemonade with pieces of lemon rind.

On our first visit, they were out of the three desserts listed on the menu. I was told I could try the arepitas dulche; alas, they forgot to include it in our carry-out order. The second time I sampled the flan, which was gooey, syrupy and overly sweet. I preferred the tres leches. Served in a plastic cup and topped with whipped cream, it tasted like light tiramisu — sweet, but not too rich.

My initial impressions of Marcano's weren't great. The first night we visited, she was overwhelmed; they were out of many of the menu items, and service was very slow. Yet by the second visit, my food was ready when I picked it up. They seemed to be getting the kinks out of the system.

Julie Halpert reviews restaurants for AnnArbor.com.