{"id":82207,"date":"2025-07-22T04:05:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T04:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/82207\/"},"modified":"2025-07-22T04:05:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T04:05:18","slug":"peruvian-food-is-trending-try-it-at-this-new-spot-in-linda-vista","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/82207\/","title":{"rendered":"Peruvian Food Is Trending\u2014Try It at This New Spot in Linda Vista"},"content":{"rendered":"

Historically, food from Peru, the third-largest country in South America has been overlooked, misunderstood, or reduced to lomo saltado, ceviche, and not much else. But Peruvian cuisine is finally starting to earn well-deserved and overdue recognition around the world. This year, The World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants<\/a> named Maido in Lima, Peru<\/a> as the best restaurant in the world, with a total of five other Peruvian restaurants making it into the top 100.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s none too soon for San Diego locals Silvana and Guillermo Carranza.<\/p>\n

\"Photo Credit: Beth Demmon<\/p>\n

The Carranzas are the family behind The Peruvian Spot<\/a>, a casual counter-service restaurant that opened in January in Linda Vista. Both natives of Peru, Silvana joined Guillermo in San Diego nearly 10 years ago after a successful career as a classically trained chef, caterer, and pastry chef. Her specialty, making desserts\u2014specifically, Peruvian alfajores<\/a> (a traditional cookie made with two shortbread wafers sandwiching manjar blanco, or dulce de leche) is what she used to launch her own business in the United States.<\/p>\n

She worked in a few kitchens around San Diego before launching her own Peruvian dessert company, La Cucina di Silvana<\/a>, selling to local restaurants, at the House of Peru in Balboa Park, and eventually all over the country as a wholesaler. On top of all of that, she was working as a private chef and had even won the Spanish-language cooking show El Toque De Aar\u00f3n <\/a>by the James Beard Award\u2013winning Mexican-American chef Aar\u00f3n S\u00e1nchez<\/a>. \u201cIt was like MasterChef, but in Spanish,\u201d she explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"OwnersPhoto Credit: Beth Demmon<\/p>\n

But when Guillermo suggested they start their own restaurant to fill the void of high-quality Peruvian food they missed, she hesitated. There were just a few Peruvian restaurants in San Diego a couple of years ago\u2014Q\u2019ero<\/a> in Encinitas, The Latin Chef<\/a> in Pacific Beach, and Eli\u2019s Peruvian Kitchen<\/a> in Colina Del Sol. Since then, Al Toque Peruvian Kitchen<\/a> opened in Oceanside, Sangucheria Peruvian Street Food<\/a> landed in Tierrasanta, and Peruvian-inspired Pepino<\/a> is still in the works. But for a county with over 8,000 restaurants and nearly 3.2 million people, Peruvian food representation remains small.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It took her a visit to a coffee shop in Cusco<\/a>, a city in the Sacred Valley of the Andes Mountains known as the gateway to Machu Picchu, for her to have an epiphany. There, the all-day cafe offered breakfast, lunch, and dessert in a casual setting\u2014something she didn\u2019t see in San Diego. All of the other Peruvian restaurants were either full-service sit-down restaurants, leaned very traditional without any room for creative growth, or went hard on a fusion approach. She didn\u2019t feel any of these fully represented the diversity of Peruvian food.<\/p>\n

\"MenPhoto Credit: Beth Demmon<\/p>\n

\u201cI think [Peruvian cuisine] is one of the most flavorful foods in the world, because we have influence from many countries,\u201d she explains, pointing to Spain, China, Japan, and Italian as major contributors, as well as ancient traditions from the Incan empire.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Plus, Peru has a vast array of ecosystems and microclimates, from the high-altitude mountain ranges to tropical rainforests and the arid coastline, making ingredients and preparation techniques hugely varied across the country\u2019s more than 496,200 square miles. All of these different elements mean one thing\u2014San Diego is just starting to scratch the surface of how complex Peruvian food can be.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"FoodPhoto Credit: Beth Demmon<\/p>\n

It took three years of looking to find just the right place for The Peruvian Spot, but since opening in January, the Carranzas say the timing and location ended up being just right.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything was meant to be,\u201d she says. They\u2019ve been able to introduce the neighborhood to food many of them have never tried before<\/a>, from traditional lomo saltado plates to Italian-inspired Peruvian spaghetti with basil and spinach, topped with a cheese sauce and chunks of sauteed beef (called tallarines verdes<\/a>). And, of course, Silvana\u2019s speciality\u2014her desserts. Her handmade ice cream blended with chunks of her famous chocolate cake is a must-try.<\/p>\n

\"ExteriorPhoto Credit: Beth Demmon<\/p>\n

They even have plans to open a second location centered around pollo a la brasa, or the country\u2019s famous rotisserie chicken traditionally grilled over charcoal. All of their efforts center around one goal\u2014showing San Diego just what they\u2019re missing.<\/p>\n

PARTNER CONTENT<\/p>\n


\n \"Joven
\n Joven Golden Hour Tour With Bebemos & Happy Half Hour
\n <\/a><\/p>\n


\n \"Refresh,
\n Refresh, Revamp, Recieve a Lot of Compliments
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot more [to Peru] than just Machu Picchu,\u201d Silvana smiles. \u201cThe best restaurants<\/a> in the world are in Peru\u2026 [but The Peruvian Spot] is a place for everybody.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Peruvian Spot<\/a> is open Tuesdays through Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 7510 Mesa College Drive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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