Ayahuasca in Barranco

Barranco is reminiscent of Greenwich Village in New York City. Lots of hip and cool street life and lots of bars and nightclubs. The scene we found at Ayahuasca did not disappoint. From the outside you are lead to believe that you are entering a old mansion of sorts but though its magnificent wood-carved doors, you find before you a huge multi-level space with various bar areas and private party rooms, dressed in stylishly sleek furniture. No pisco sours for me tonight. The vibe here at Ayahuasca made me order a Manhattan!

The photo here is of one of the many incredible appetizers we ordered. Sad to say, there are no pictures of the amazing sushi we devoured or all the other plates, guess we were all too busy sampling!

A favorite in town- Panaderia San Antonio's

It's said that picture is worth a thousand words. . . Here are snapshots of Peruvian saxophonist Laura A's favorite bakery in town. Need I add that Panaderia San Antonio in Miraflores is mine now too?

Punto Azul (in Miraflores)

Punto Azul is the place to head for ceviche, ceviche, and more ceviche. With two locations, Pont Azul is a long time favorite of locals and tourists alike. Lunch here was our first real taste of the local cuisine, including its world famous ceviche. Throughout the meal, platters and platters of the restaurant's best versions of its ceviche and other seafood dishes (including tasty scallops au gratin) kept coming, along with delicious variations of rice and seafood. Hands down, the seafood in Lima is unbelievable!

Later in the week, students returned for a private tour of the kitchen and a cooking class with the executive chef and owner of Punto Azul. Raves all the way around.

Laritza's

By far the best gelato ever!!!! Local flavors include lucuma, sauco, chirimoys, maracuya, granadilla and aguaymanto. I was too busy devouring the cone to photograph. Add this place to your must do's when in Lima. Laritza's will not disappoint!

Mangos

Mango's overlooks the beach and offers a all included hot and cold buffet for lunch. Local house specialities sit along side of beef capaccio, made to order pastas, some asian dishes, and seafood-stuff in avocados, crab shells and causas.

And a dessert station that held gelatos, flan, fresh fruit, cakes and tortes and a chocolate fondue.

Needless to say, many took full advantage of the all you can eat buffet offered here.

Pardo's

If one is on a budget and traveling with 35 others in tow (like us) or simply missing the Domenican-styled rostisserie chicken one (like me) finds back in New York, a visit to Pardo's Chicken will more than satisfy. It's rotisserie chicken at its best - moist (and crisp) and seasoned to perfection.

The menu at Pardo's Chicken also includes huge salads that appeal to tourists who forgo warnings about eating raw vegetables and fruits dive right in. And, just when you think that you are about to burst, a waitress comes over with the dessert cart.

However, don't asked me about Pardo's other speciality called "anticuchos" (grilled beef hearts). Though I consider myself rather adventurous when it comes to tasting "exotic" foods - I didn't have the heart to try it.

Tanta's

Tanta is as along the lines of many of the stylish but casual food eateries one would find in cities such as New York or Boston. It serves freshly made soups, salads, Peruvian sandwiches called sanguches, creative pastas and a few classic Limao dishes to a hip-looking crowd of patrons. For me, lunch here was an incredibly rich and gooey bowl (really a mini-vat) of french onion soup, followed by an empanada de carne that literally dissolved in my mouth.

I have to say, however, that the most incredible thing about Tanta is the desserts. Astrid Gutsche (co-owner of Astrid y Gaston), an extrodinary pastry chef in her own right, has created an array of mouthwatering desserts such as supiro de limena, lucuma brownies, and granitas made soley from fruit and sugar.

The one pictured here was absolutely to die for!

Peruvian Chifas

Is there anywhere in the world where you can't find Chinese (food)? Chifas are the Peruvian take on Chinese. Just like back home, it's inexpensive, tasty, and quick. Though one night, I couldn't make it out with the group to Chifa Internacional for Peruvian Chinese, folks kindly brought me back take out. What I ordered--chicken fried rice and stir-fried vegetables was satifyingly familiar but gotta say, what I really loved was the "to go" packaging--LOL!!!

Peru's National Treasure

From the time I landed in Lima, I knew I could not leave without eating at El Rincon Que No Conoces, which mildly translated means "The Corner Joint You've Never Heard Of."

Along with its whimsical name, the bits and pieces I knew about Chef Teresa Izquierdo Gonzales more than peaked my curiosity. However, was it my curiosity or my admiration for the 72 year-old female chef who had made this "joint" popular by cooking her family recipes for countless followers - many of the local musicians (including our beloved Pepe Villalobos) and celebrities from all over Peru for some 30 years?

So on my last day in Lima, Eva (my eating and touring partner for the day), and I got in a taxi and headed to El Rincon, located at the edge of Lima Centro - a rather non-touristy part of town. When we arrived, we were greeted by a man who stood post at the door. He handed us us a tiny slip of paper on which he had written the number "52" and told us that we had about a 35 minute wait. Clearly this was "the joint."

Once pulled from the small crowd waiting patiently outside its doors, Eva and I followed another gentleman who then led us through the downstairs seating area up the stairs to an airy roof-top dining room on the second landing.

From its extensive menu, Eva sampled a palta rellena stuffed with crabmeat and then followed that with asado a la tira (short ribs of beef) with white rice (which I devoured all by myself since Eva is a vegetarian). One of the waiters, insisted that we go with the house speciality dessert - a mini platter of fresh out the hot oil deep fried dough, shaped into rings. They sat beautifully in an amber colored pool of sweet syrup.

All this and an incredibly welcoming staff (that coincidentally included a young waiter who, told us that as a little boy he once lived in the states, Washington Heights (my neck of the woods back home), made for a wonderful last meal set in Lima Centro.

If Peru hasn't named Chef Teresa Iziuerdo as one of its national treasures, it ought to!

One of the first things I do whenever I travel abroad is head to a local food market. In Lima, Vivanda is sort of a Peruvian 24 hour Stop N Shop. Just a few blocks from our hotel in Miraflores, Vivanda is the neigborhood place to go for super fresh fish, meats, produce, speciality items, cheeses, "to go" meals, wines and spirits. Though, I have to say, nothing beats the sweet, ripe mangos, grapes, and bananas we got off a local stand a block down from this spiffy supermarket. Nice to see old and new existing nearly side by side!

What can I say, even the best of plans can get way-laid. However, let me assure you, we did go to Lima and we did all that I promised!!!! From the time we landed until the time we left, music, food, and local culture filled every minute of every day we spent in Lima. We were a group possessed to see all and taste all! And let me tell you, the site is going to be absolutely fantastic (out soon)! The students captured the essence of black and Criollo Peruvano music and chronicled the unsung artists of an indigenous music form that has had little recognition beyond the borders of Peru. Our hope is that this web-documentary will help change that.

As for the food blog portion of the trip - let's say I will do my best to recreate, through photos and brief descriptions, many of the memorable meals we had. Believe me, there is some incredible food to be had in Lima. Its culinary scene is exploding, as incredible self-taught chefs and professionally trained ones master their craft and turn out the most delectable meals using local ingredients.

So here's a shot of one of our first meals--Sunday dinner at the home of a giving hostess and musician who warmly welcomed 60 plus folks into her home for an afternoon of great music, dancing, and of course, food! And, let's not forget to mention the pisco sours!!!!