5/28/2009

 This place is adorable.  It is part of an old strip mall that hosts a Savers I often go to.  

Expecting a dump, I walked into the restaurant and was shocked.  

The decor is left over from the joints previous use as a suchi bar.

 It looks like an odd, cheap attempt to recreate the cafe the Friends crew spent all thier time in.

To me this is hilarious, quirky, and intriguing.

Large curtains cover the windows and hide the inside from passersby.

 The staff is incredibly delightful and likes to make jokes with the customers.

The food is delicious but a little pricier than you'd expect.  

 To me the greatest part about this place is it's location/atmosphere.

 I love that such a unique place can be found somewhere outside of downtown Phoenix.

         2/9/2009

 I'm a big fan of Peruvian food and, until now, I've had a hard time satisfying that particular

craving in the Phoenix area.  I was very excited to learn about El Farol and I finally got the

opportunity to try it last week.  If you haven't been, I highly recommend it for the food and

I think you will be impressed, as well.  The decor, well....not so much.  As another reviewer

said, as long as you dont expect the Ritz, you'll be just fine.

The menu is unfortunately a bit limited.  There are several delicious Peruvian dishes

that are nowhere to be found - aji de gallina is one of my favorites, but it is not available at

El Farol.  Also, they have NO Peruvian beers, which is disappointing....but the good news is

that they have Pisco Sours....a Peruvian tradition.  Think margarita, but better!

 Ok, onto the good stuff.  Pollo a la Brasa (rotisserie chicken) has terrific flavors and any Peruvian

chef will tell you that their recipe is top secret.  Very flavorful and moist.  I also tried the ceviche,

which was really well done.  This ceviche is definitely Peruano style....no tomatoes, celery, etc.  

Just fresh fish, lime juice, salt, red onion, cilantro and chiles.  Very fresh tasting and a definite winner.

I would really like to try the lomo saltado (stir fried beef strips with potatoes and a tasty sauce)

as well as the causa (potato with a spicy cheese sauce, etc).  They also had a few specials that

were not on the menu, including arroz con pollo, which is essentially cilantro-flavored rice

with chicken and usually some great flavors.  I will try it next time!

Anyway, check it out and enjoy your time.  I really want this place to survive.  

Peruvian food remains a relative unknown in the Valley of the Sun, but I'm a big supporter and

I want to see it thrive.

Ethnic Gourmet