LIMA DAYS 4 & 5: Like A Walk in the Park. And I Make New Friends.

I let Carlos talk me into Quinoa. It didn't kill me.

Saturday, May 12, 2018

There have been calls and letters showing concern that I haven't had any Scallops or Octopus yet. You can check the Scallops off of your list.

I went to Sofa Cafe in Barranco in the morning. They have it all: Comfy Seats, Decaf Coffee, and they open at 8 am... who could ask for more? I had a Lomo Saltado Sandwich to go with my Latte and my book.

It was Saturday, and after all that hard work, I returned to the Apartment to take a nap.

A little later, I was reading some email and typing Friday's Blog Post when I got hungry.

My apartment is right near Parque Kennedy in Miraflores. It's big, it's pretty, it is full of people and families and cats and and chess off to the side and artists and shows on the weekend, and it's just a nice place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, as any self-respecting park in Peru should have, there are food kiosks. Here are some of them.

 

 

 

 

For Lunch, I had a Butifarra Sandwich and then Some Arroz con Leche con Mazmora Morada for Dessert.

 

 

 

The Butifarra is a grilled Pork Sandwich with Onions (there is also a Turkey version). I'm not sure what turns a Sandwich into a Butifarra, but it's a thing here. Maybe one of our Peruvian readers can explain the difference.

And the Dessert was what we would call Rice Pudding, mixed with something that I can only describe as a sweet, purple, warm, fruity, gooey mix. And a little Condensed Milk for good measure. And then some Cinnamon and (maybe) a couple of Coconut Flakes.

I had Dinner reservations at my favorite restaurant in the entire world, Panchita. I was so excited, I forgot to ask anyone to join me.

As I was waiting to check in, the hostess told the couple in front of me that there was a 45-minute wait for a table. They seemed nice enough, so I introduced myself, told them that I had a reservation for two people, but I was alone, and would they like to join me? For some reason, I get treated like a VIP in the places, so I knew they would accommodate my request to seat three at my table.

The couple had never been to Panchita - Elayna was in Peru once, years ago, and it was Jim's first visit. They had heard about the restaurant, and walked over to see if they could get in. They weren't going to wait. I was neatly dressed and had showered, so they accepted my offer.

I got to show off a little. 😇😉😎

We started by sharing two Appetizers: Conchas a la Parmesana and Causa de Langastinos. And the wonderful Bread, of course.

 

 

So, Scallops Parmesan. You've got Scallops. Great. You add Parmesan Cheese to anything and Bake. Great, too. Put them together, and the sum is better than the parts. I love the job that Peru does with Scallops.

Causa is a Peruvian standard. Mashed Yellow Potatoes on top and bottom and - in this case - stuffed with what we would loosely call Shrimp Salad, if you added Eggs and Avocado to your Shrimp Salad. The one in Panchita is big enough for four people, so the three of us made it work.

For our Main Courses, Elayna ordered a Ceviche and Jim went for the Ribs. Both excellent choices, and Jim had the bonus of a Baked Apple with his Ribs.

 

Both of their dishes were excellent, they said. I have had both of them, and I would agree.

For my Main Course, I went rogue and ordered a Parihuela (Seafood Soup) and I tried to get a Tamilito Verde (Green Tamale). Carlos got over the shock that I was passing on the Octopus, and talked me out of the Tamalito and into a Tamale made from Quinoa and topped with Salsa de Adobo. I don't like Quinoa, but I do like Adobo, and I trust Carlos, so I went for it.

 

The Soup was great, and they are considerate enough to not make you deal with wet Crab Shells. And the Tamale itself was surprisingly good, and the Adobo topping was excellent. I might just order Adobo next time I am in the restaurant. Carlos was relieved that I liked it.

We were all full, and I don't have a motto. But if I did, my motto would be: "There's Always Room for Queso Helado." So we split one order.

Once again, my non-motto proved to be true. The three of us polished it off like we hadn't eaten in months.

We settled up the check, exchanged contact information, and hopefully, I will cross paths again with Elyana and Jim. They winter in South Florida, so there's a good chance.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

When I was driving around with Luis the other night, I passed Lucio Caffe, and it looked worth exploring. It was pretty crowded when we passed at night, and they open at 7 am for Breakfast. And they have a pretty cool street light out front.

 

I got there. Decaf? Yes. Comfy Chair? That, too. A beautiful Bakery and a good Breakfast Menu? Check and Check. A big mug for my drink? Well, you can't have everything.

But, it was Mother's Day. I saw all the signs that told whoever was reading it to Treat Themselves, so I did just that.

You're looking at a Ham & Cheese Omelet, a Chocolate Croissant, freshly-blended Melon Juice and a not all that great Decaf Americano. The rest of the food made up for it. And all for $12.50. Normally, I don't think that they would have minded if I leisurely hung out and read for a while, but it was the holiday, and there was a line outside, waiting for tables.

That took a lot out of me, so I went home and took a nap. Later, I went to Casino Atlantic City to change some dollars. While I was there, I put a few Soles in a slot machine and had a Cappucino. I left with Coffee in my stomach and an extra 35 Soles in my wallet.

My Dinner plans got a little messed up, so I wound up wandering the streets until I came upon, appropriately enough, Street Burger.

I took this photo later at night, as they were closing, so that's why the gate is down.

I have passed them quite often over the years, and they were still in business, and they were open on Mother's Day, so in I went.

Good move. They have excellent Burgers.

I ordered a Burger with a Chorizo Patty on top, Grilled Onions, and Cheese. They give you Popcorn when you sit down. While I was waiting, they figured out that it was my first time here and gave me free Appetizer of their version of SalchiPapas.

 

SalchiPapas is a kids' dish. It is French Fries with a cut-up Hot Dog on top. This was a little more upscale, and tasted like, well, a Hot Dog on top of French Fries. Then the Burger showed up.

 

It was cooked just the way I like it - they had no problem serving me Burger with cold, red Meat inside. It was probably on the grill just long enough to melt the Cheese. Would do business again A+++.

Later, in the Casino, they forced some Fettuccine Alfredo on me. I am nothing if not gracious, so I accepted and ate it,. That was it for the day.