La Feria en Pensilvania ofrece productos Peruanos que encantan

Dining Review: La Feria serves a variation on traditional South American cuisine
Thursday, May 29, 2008

By China Millman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Bob Donaldson/Post-Gazette

Many people are surprised to discover that La Feria is a restaurant. Not only is it located above popular breakfast-joint Pamela's in Shadyside, but part of this restaurant is surrounded by racks of clothing, stacks of beautifully painted boxes, mirrors and frames, and pieces of art and jewelry.
Luisa Porras, who co-owns La Feria with Pamela's owner Pam Cohen, started the establishment as both a place to sell Peruvian arts and crafts that she brought back from visits to Lima, and a place to serve a style of food inspired by Peruvian traditions and ingredients.
This isn't strictly authentic Peruvian cuisine. For one thing, Peru is known for its seafood, and La Feria serves almost none. La Feria's success lies in adapting Peruvian cuisine to fit within the constraints of a small kitchen, and a dining room that is also a store.
The basis of the menu is a set of ingredients that play important roles in Peruvian cuisine. Some, like tomatoes, potatoes and aji peppers (a species of chile pepper), are indigenous to the area and were introduced to Europe by the Spanish after they conquered the Incas in the 16th century. Others, like cilantro and onions, were introduced to the Incas by the Spanish.
You can order salads, soup and sandwiches, or one or two of the day's specials served with fluffy garlic rice, a La Feria salad and some relatively lackluster French bread. The salad consists of hearty romaine lettuce, onions, walnuts, olives, a few tomatoes, and shredded Swiss cheese. Though the mix of flavors doesn't sound appealing, it works surprisingly well on the plate.

The soups are sometimes unusual, and always exceptionally well made (cup, $3.50: bowl, $4.25). In blue cheese and pumpkin soup, the salty richness of the cheese brought a liveliness to the smooth warmth of pumpkin. A red pepper and tomato bisque was perfectly balanced. Cream exerted itself in a hint of richness that tempered the acidity of peppers and tomatoes without concealing their flavors. Neat, small chunks of red pepper and onion added texture to the smooth, sweet base.
The menu offers minimal starters, but the sweet potato chips with an addictive huancaina dip (small, $3.50; large, $5.25) are an ideal way to start a meal. Crisp and sweet and not at all greasy, they will stimulate, rather than overwhelm, the appetite. The slightly sweet and sour dip is made from cottage cheese and assorted spices. Empanadas ($3.50) have fillings that are typical of Peruvian cuisine, such as the braised beef and raisin, alongside variations like spinach and feta, or ham and cheese.
One popular sandwich, Ropa Vieja, is actually a traditional Cuban dish. French bread is filled with an aromatic mixture of shredded beef with tomatoes and onions. The tomatoes have become dehydrated and are incredibly soft and sweet, and the onions have practically melted into the beef. Toasted bread would make this sandwich a bit better, since the fresh bread has a tendency to get a little soggy.
La Feria specials are all things that can be made in advance, then held or reheated without a loss in flavor or texture. Chicken is a frequent protein, but a wide variety of accents and techniques dress it up. In Pollo con Frutas, it was braised with a variety of dried fruits, including raisins and whole apricots whose sweetness permeated the whole dish.
Seared chicken breasts appeared with a doubly tart sauce, huancaina with a layer of cilantro pesto. Cilantro also played a dominant role in Ceviche de Pollo. Ceviche is a Peruvian dish in which raw fish is marinated in lemon juice and becomes slightly cooked by the acidity; here, chicken is marinated in lemon and cilantro, which later becomes a bright, aromatic sauce for the tender, shredded meat.
Other rotating specials might include dishes such as Cerdo Con Pallares, ground pork sauteed in an aji pepper sauce and tossed with butter beans; or Arroz Tapado, layered shredded spicy beef and rice casserole.
Vegetarian dishes demonstrate similar principles of success. A base set of ingredients is used to create a wide variety of offerings that are influenced by a variety of South American cuisines as well as traditional Peruvian fare.
Frejoles del Sur is a spicy pumpkin and black bean stew. The vegetal sweetness of the pumpkin combined with the smooth flavors of the black beans resulted in a dish that was intensely savory. Though some of the basic ingredients were the same, Tacu Locro was both a bit richer and a little less intense.
This dish seems to be an interesting take on the Peruvian dish Tacu Tacu, which is made from seasoned beans and rice and plentiful aji paste, and the Argentinean dish Locro, which is made from corn, beef, sausage and vegetables, often including onions, beans, and pumpkin. Here, pumpkin and rice were combined with peas, corn and cheese into a light, fluffy casserole described as a "souffle."
Previous visits provided pleasant memories of Mote Chorreado, Peruvian corn with fresh tomatoes in a spicy cheese sauce. Peruvian corn is similar to hominy, and dishes at La Feria do a splendid job of showcasing its fluffy yet toothsome charms. Another memorable dish was Pastel de Quinua, in which this slightly chewy, nutty grain is layered with cheeses and Peruvian hot peppers.
La Feria's rotating menu and set plates, as well as the clean-up friendly tile floor and bare tables, can give it a cafeteria-like aura that undermines its charm. At the same time, the casual atmosphere makes this a very family-friendly restaurant. And it's likely that keeping decor down to bare essentials (and letting the merchandise have pride of place) helps keep La Feria's prices low.
The service is a similar combination of friendly and casual. It's heartfelt enough -- they'll ask if you need more water, clear plates and bring more silverware. But servers here always seem to suffer from a mild case of confusion, as if they're not entirely sure what they are supposed to be doing. Taken in stride, it can be a relief from predatory servers often found at "fancy restaurants," where dessert menus are wielded like weapons. At La Feria, you'll never feel pressured to order more than you want, or to hurry up and finish your meal.
If you want to linger, a cup of Peruvian coffee (organic, $1.95) and one or two alfajores ($2.25) are a fantastic combination. This traditional Peruvian sandwich cookie is filled with gooey, luscious dulce de leche. It's sweet but small, and I preferred it to the chocolate cake ($3.95) and bread pudding ($4.25), both of which were a bit on the too-sweet side and came with the dreaded pile of whipped cream from an aerosol can.
Another thing that makes La Feria popular? It's BYOB and doesn't even charge a corkage -- though it's also one of those rare restaurants that offers some non-alcoholic drinks that are definitely worth ordering. The house-made lemonade and limeade ($1.95) are fantastic and pair extremely well with the food.
Restaurant critic China Millman can be reached at cmillman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1198.