This post is technically a week late but I have to rave.
Full disclosure: I love Peruvian food. SO. MUCH. And I’d actually been here once before.
Las Canteras is surprisingly un-busy for a place on the main drag in Adams Morgan. It’s kind of low-profile and lacks the rooftop bar that attracts the majority of people barhopping on Friday nights. Inside, it’s intimate, traditional, and slightly romantic. Prices are reasonable.
The short version of the story is that my second visit to Las Canteras did not disappoint. The pisco cocktails were dangerously flavorful and the avocado salad was buttery with sharp onion. My meal, seco de res, was saucy rather than dry, and seasoned well. The aji de gallina my husband ordered was authentic and flavorful, and although I generally like it spicier than it was, I still can’t complain.
For Peruvian, I’m also a big fan of Jose Andres’s China Chilcano, but the two are in different classes. China Chilcano specializes in chifa/Asian fusion, but Las Canteras is the real deal, like something a Peruvian grandmother would cook up. Always worth a visit!
The bottom line: Definitely worth a trip to AdMo!
Price: $30-35 per person
Ward Five Foodie 