Why go: In an area awash in Peruvian cooking, Emma Perez’s storefront operation turns out some of the most assured dishes you’ll find, from meal-in-a-bowl soups and vibrant preparations of raw fish to generously stuffed sandwiches and heaping platters of meat and seafood.
What to get: Ceviche as bright as it is bounteous; creamy chupe de camarones; crispy fried trout with yuca and rice; marinated, skewered beef hearts, tender and crisp from the grill; alfajores, dark caramel sandwiched between anise-shortbread wafers.
Best for: Party-minded groups; grazers; pescetarians.
Insider tip: Don’t be swayed by the rotisserie birds on display up front. They’re one of the few weak spots.
>> See all 2010 Cheap Eats restaurants here
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
