Pieces of Peru
C-viche's new Shorewood location is a feast of bold Latin flavors.
I'm at C-viche and ravenously attacking the, aptly enough, ceviche – the marinated raw fish dish popular in parts of Latin America. When you think of comfort during our most inclement months, raw fish is not what usually comes to mind. But this dish does something better for me – it invigorates and stimulates. The open, 32-seat dining room is doing that, too, but to an uncomfortable degree. I gaze at the hard surfaces and high ceiling and all the chattering people, wishing the owners had addressed the sound quality in the design.
That is the one ruffle at this new Shorewood spot, which with its blend of industrial and rustic décor – and wall art inspired by Peruvian geoglyphs – is reminiscent of its 7-year-old sister restaurant in Bay View. Shorewood may have a smaller footprint, but it uses the space well, tucking in a four-seat ceviche bar facing the open kitchen.
Owners Karlos Soriano and Paco Villar also are serving a nearly identical menu in Shorewood. It celebrates Peru (Soriano's homeland) and sweeps across Latin America, stopping in Mexico (where Villar is from) and Argentina. The food feels celebratory, from its vibrant colors to bold flavors. Fittingly, the drinks are tart, sweet and herby – frothy pisco sours and fruity Brazilian caipirinhas, among others.
Everything I've tasted in this new spot has reminded me how much I love this fusion of styles. Of the six ceviches (including a Japanese-style tuna “Nikkei”), the Clasico – with layers of plump whitefish – stands out ($18). The citrus marinade is tart, with a nicely balanced acidity. My friend and I polish it off – fish, crispy corn nuts, red onion, big kernels of Peruvian corn and all. A delicious, warm dish to follow it is the esquite – Mexican corn in creamy chipotle-lime sauce topped with crumbled cheese ($13).
Potatoes appear in various forms across the menu, too. The Peruvian marinated beef stir-fry, lomo saltado ($26), comes cooked with onion and tomato and served with rice and french fries. It's pretty simple but very traditional, and reflects the Chinese influence on Peruvian cuisine.
Mexico's impact is visible here as well, and I'm drawn to the hearty vegetarian tlacoyos – thick masa cakes filled with chickpeas and served with spinach tomato-chile sauce ($19.50, add chicken or beef for $6-$8). My favorite dish might be the Peruvian version of rotisserie chicken, pollo a la brasa (half $18), a succulent bird that seems suffused with garlic, soy, chile, cumin – all the flavors delicately shine through. It comes with a crisp green salad and a mound of roasted potatoes.
Make room for a sweet ending. A luscious tres leches sponge cake ($10) is hard to beat, but the promise of alfajores ($8) – Peruvian caramel-filled sandwich cookies – traps me every time. If they fix the sound issues at C-viche, I can imagine slowly savoring these exceptional cookies, the perfect ending to a satisfying meal.
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