Lunch at the Cordon Bleu

It's Friday - Lunch with the BMW's (Beautiful Mature Women)

Did you know that the Cordon Bleu school in Lima has a restaurant? Reservations are required and it's a bit pricier than a menu on the corner place, but what a fun experience! Amazingly innovative dishes. I will go again!

Rincon Chami

Lunch today at one of my favorite restaurants - down a little side street called Esperanza (Hope) in the center of Miraflores, this little gem has tables on the sidewalk, friendly service, and a wide selection of fabulous Peruvian food. Gene had fish. I had goat, one of my favorites. Oh, and there are usually a couple of musicians stopping by to play for tips.

Back to Barranco!

We love Barranco! Including the charming rail road car turned vegetarian restaurant!

The Chef Speaks

In a country famous for its food, its most famous chef says that his is not the best restaurant in Lima. Gastón Acurio says there are 4 or 5 restaurants that should be on the best restaurants in the world with him. We have never eaten at his flagship restaurant, Astrid & Gastón, which is near where we live in a totally nondescript building down a side street in Miraflores, but we plan to eat there soon. We've eaten many times at Tanta (bread in Quechua) and I love the comfortable feel of this upscale cafe/panaderia, one of which is in easy walking distance of our house through the lovely Parque de los Olivos. La Mar, which specializes in seafood, serves awesome food and is a really fun place for lunch. We ate there once last year and I've been meaning to get back there. But then there are always so many new places to try that we just haven't made it yet. His Pasquale Hnos franchisesare said to offer great sandwiches but we've never tried them. Panchita, an anticucheria, is a couple of years old and I don't even know where it is, but it's somewhere around here and I definitely need to check it out! Apparently Gastón has plans to open several new and different types of restaurants. We need to hurry up and experience the ones that already exist!

Lunch in the Market Again-Best Deal Around!

As we had promised last week, Madelle and I took Gene and Larry to the food fair at the market for some of that fabulous fish. We had raved so much about the fried trucha that all of us ordered the same thing. And where M and I had shared one portion last week (and also a portion of causa), this week we each ordered one. So of course nobody really had room to try other things. And then we got our fish and it was corvina! We now know that we had got the trucha the week before because, due to holy week, the markets had run out of the corvina (sea bass) and so the cook used the trucha. We also now know (for next week!) which booth always has the trucha! The atmosphere at the food fair is run. I'm thinking I may have to go there every week end. They are there Friday through Sunday every week and I think have some of the best food offerings around (and a nice selection, too) at great prices. We even got 5 sol pisco sours!

Chorillos - Fish on the Beach

The Mothers' Day craft exposition in the park was pretty disappointing, but we enjoyed looking at all the paintings along the sidewalk. This was followed by a jaunt down to Chorillos for lunch at Los Pescadores, the little fish shacks on the beach. This is some of the best fish around and we thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, sitting out on the little porch drinking beer and eating fried fish (after the starter of ceviche). It was disappointing to see that the area is now fenced off and we realized later that, although we could have walked around the complex to get to the beach for a walk, we didn't do so. Just the fact of fencing it off from the beach made us forget about a beach walk. Sad. Wonder why they have done this.

Museum Day - & Pisco Sours of Course

 Larry and Gene and I spent most of the afternoon wandering through the Museum of Archeology, Anthropology, and History in Pueblo Libre. This is one of the few museums that Gene and I had actually been to before and it is awesome. I need to get busy and get out there to see the other hundred or so museums on my list of things to do and see.After all that museum walking, we needed to rest and have a cold drink, so of course Pisco Sours were in order at the charming old nearby bar called Antigua Taberna Queirolo. We'd like to go back there soon. Cool place for drinks and snacks. When Madelle heard about it and saw the fotos, she informed us that she wants to go to this cute bar for pisco sours one afternoon, too, so I'm pretty sure we'll be back!

El Domingo en El Mercado

   

Madelle and I strolled through the Indian Market in search of the perfect small purse for traveling. It took a while, but we found it. She is now ready for her solo trip to Machu Picchu! After our little shopping expedition, we stopped by el Mercado de Surquillo for lunch. From the amazing number of offerings of fabulous food, we chose to share a causa and deep fried trucha, which turned out to be perhaps the most delicious fish I have ever eaten in my life. We decided we would have to return next week to do this wonderful experience again, and bring Larry and Gene along. Meanwhile we took home some beautiful cabrito (goat) and pato (duck) for them.

Huacas, Peruvian Food & Friends

What more could you ask for?
 

We did the tour of Huaca Pucllana, which is a fascinating piece of history 2 blocks from our house. A great tour for 10 soles, too. I think everyone enjoyed it and learned some things. We hadn't been there in a couple of years. After this we had a nice walk down to Jose Pardo and over to Parque Kennedy. In the evening, we had a great Italian meal at La Bodega de la Trattoria, in easy walking distance from our house, right across the street from Huaca Pucllana. On the walk home we got to see Huaco Pucclana at night, which was another interesting photo op.

Kapallaq - One of the restaurants we hope to try soon

A new article in Living in Peru reminds me that we MUST get over there and try this beautiful little place before they move away from our neighborhood. Unfortunately I think they are only open on weekdays, so I'm not quite sure when we will get there, but it's gotta be soon. The place is total charm!

Malecon, the Mall, Mangos for Lunch

After a relaxing morning with great conversation, we headed down to Larco Mar with the idea in mind to do their buffet in order to begin to introduce our friends to the great variety of wonderful foods of Peru. Unfortunately we found that they were not offering the buffet because of holy week. Huh? Although I was very disappointed by this, we managed to create our own variety by ordering ceviche and a bunch of starters to share. Add some Pisco Sours and it was pretty damned good. And of course we got to show them the awesome view out over the Pacific Ocean. After all that food, we managed to walk back up to the center of Miraflores and stop for coffees at La Favorita. Gene and Larry grabbed a taxi back to the house with a supply of wine, while Madelle and I walked through Parque Kennedy and had a pleasant walk up the boulevard to home.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

Peru makes the list (of course!!!) of top restaurants in the world at
The Top 50 Best Restaurants

Our First Visitors are On Their Way!

With the help of my friends at Expat Peru, I have put together a list of things to do - some of them are Must-Sees for the first time visitor and others are ideas so that our guests will see the many options for the fabulous experience which is Lima. M will be doing a trip to Machu Picchu and we are all excited to hear about her experiences, but that will still leave nearly two weeks to try to hit their priority items.
Things to Do & See:

• The Magic Water Fountains ***
• Peña - probably Brisas de Titicaca ***
• Walks on the Malecon ***
• Huaca Pucllana *
• Museums - many to choose from depending on what interests them the most
• Park walks *
• New Gastronomy museum
• Lima Centro walk *
• San Francisco Monastery
• Barrio Chino
• Barranco
• Mercado *
• Meet some of our new friends
• Concert
• Mirabus

Places to Eat:

• Astrid y Gaston *
• El Kapallaq *
• Menús*
• Lobo del Mar
• Mangos
• Los Pescadores - Chorillos
• Tia Gramanesa's Anticuchos *
• Rosa Nautica *
• Punta Sal
• Rincon Chami
• El 10
• Tanta
• Mercado de Surquillo
• Patagonia (Tango night) *
• La Mar
• Pecado Capitales
• Cordon Bleu Cooking School

`Everybody Loves Peruvian Food

The new Casa de la Gastronomia museum had nearly 4,000 visitors in its first four days. I'm looking forward to seeing this place.
Thanks for the heads up on the article, Larry.

Now Peru has a Gastronomy Museum

How many countries have a museum dedicated to their food, I wonder. Food is such a huge part of the culture here that it's really strange. If a stranger asks you how you like their country, they expect to hear you rave about the food. When you do so (of course!), they beam with appreciation. Now we have a museum dedicated to the incredible Peruvian cuisine. Actually I'm surprised there wasn't one before.

He's a Lucky Man

I know what my husband is thinking tonight. He's thinking how amazing it is that he is married to someone who continues to discover the most fabulous places to eat. I could just see what he was thinking tonight as he was enjoying my newest discovery - 4 blocks down the street.

La Anticucheria

What an incredible discovery! I don't know how many times we had walked right by this place without checking it out. Great anticuchos (grilled beef heart) and a really fun place, too. Prices not bad either.

Well, Here We Are!

Last night there were only 3 other people from the Expat Peru group who showed up at Como Agua para Chocolate. Nevertheless we had some nice conversation and drank too many margaritas (2 each actually, but I think 1 was enough). It's a very cool

Como Agua para Chocolate

This is where we're thinking we will go this evening. Some of the people on the online group "Expat Peru" are meeting there. Hopefully we will meet some new and interesting people. We had heard of the place before and were intrigued by the name but didn't know where it was. Then on New Year's Day we walked through the park (de los Olivos) and stopped for wine and a bite to eat at Tanta and realized that Como Agua is right across from it. Have been meaning to go ever since so maybe tonight will finally be my chance.

Gene's been Craving Milanesa

But make mine Cordero Seco (lamb)!

So we got in this big conversation last night (on Facebook!) about milanesas and what they are called in English. Chicken fried steak or cutlets is what we all decided. And I was remembering