Savoring Peruvian Cuisine at Ceviche

What I love most about going out to eat at a new restaurant is the places you can be transported through food. Visiting a restaurant of a cuisine you have never tried before can be foreign but also exciting. When a Peruvian restaurant opened in my neighborhood of Logan Square, I was immediately interested in visiting to see what kinds of food they eat down there in the southern hemisphere.

The Vibe

Ceviche is located just past the expressway with free street parking right outside. The venue was once a night club in Chicago, but was recently bought and converted into a restaurant by the current owners. I arrived with my boyfriend around 6:30 on a Saturday to find it already filled with a few groups laughing and enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was relaxed and casual with an air of finer dining. We noticed many patrons had brought along a bottle of wine since they currently BYOB. The hostess brought us to a table on the second level over looking the downstairs dining area and in full view of the beautiful chandelier that hangs from the center of the ceiling.

The Food

Our waiter was attentive, without being overbearing, and immediately brought us water and warm Peruvian bread. The bread came with butter (traditional) but also a green sauce (hmmm something new). Since I was out trying new things, I tasted the green sauce with the warm bread and found it was absolutely delicious! I later asked the waiter what exactly the sauce was made from because I dipped almost anything I could into it for the remainder of the meal (jalapeños, garlic, onions and oil).

The menu was extensive and I found myself browsing it for quite awhile before deciding on Pollo Saltado (boneless chicken breast sautéed with cilantro, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices). It came with rice and homemade fries and I was surprised to find that my fries came fully mixed in with my meal, not off to the side. I'm not sure if this is a Peruvian thing, but I rolled with it. My boyfriend opted for Pescado Frito (tilapia lightly breaded and fried), which the menu mentioned can be found on every street corner in Lima. His fish tasted incredibly fresh, as if it had just been caught and cooked right before they plated it.

If you are in the Logan Square area and looking for something a little different yet delicious, stop by Ceviche for a quick trip to Peru.