For those looking for something tasty and different, the Peruvian restaurant Tanta ( 118 W. Grand Ave.; www.TantaChicago.com ) offers both.
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The restaurant boasts an impressive background. It comes from the mind of esteemed chef Gaston Acurio, who is responsible for more than 30 eateries around the globe.
Tanta has a bright, slick atmosphere with a cuisine that truly reflects what Peru is aboutdown to its influences from other countries, including Japan and Spain.
The dinner menu is divided into several sections, including tiraditos ( raw fish, similar to sushi ), cebiches, anticuchos ( Peruvian skewers ), causitas ( potatoes and aji ) and niguris nikei. These are smaller bitesbut just because they're smaller doesn't mean the restaurant skimps on the flavor.
My friend and I tried the cebiche tasting ( a "flight" of clasico, mixto and nikeithe latter a combination of ahi tuna, avocado, cucumber and tamarind ), and they were all impressive. We also dived into the niguris nikei, selecting the pobre option ( skirt steak, quail egg, chalaca and ponzu ); it turned out to be my favorite part of the meal, which says a lot. However, the clasica causito wasn't far behinda savory mix of crab, avocado, egg and huancaina along with whipped Peruvian potatoes.
Larger dishes are also in abundance. A menu section entitled "Peruvian Family Traditions" includes such items as arroz criollo ( Peruvian rice with seafood mixto ); "From the Coast" has items such as jalea and pescado frito; and "From the Earth" has quinoa solterito ( quinoa salad, lima-bean hummus, rocoto, yogurt ) and pastel de choclo ( corn cake, mushrooms and choclo saute ). The jalea ( $24 ) is a knockout, a sizeable combination of Peruvian-style fried seafood, yucca, avocado chalaca and cebiche sauce. The pollo a la brasa is similarly impressiveand a half chicken ( $23 ) will last you a couple days.
Desserts sinfully top off the meal. I favored "los picarones," warm pumpkin and sweet-potato fritters accompanied with spiced chancaca syrup. However, my friend was all over "la tapioca de coco," with combines pineapple compote, pineapple sorbet, vanilla crunch and coconut foam. ( Other selections that look equally tasty include pie de limon and el queso helado. )
Don't forget the savory drinks, by the wayespecially the pisco sour, which is a specialty of Peru. I tried el choclo loco, a tasty concoction that packs a wallop.
The only possible drawback to Tanta is that it's in River North, which many will see reflected in the price and aforementioned slickness. The food is amazing, the venue is festive, and the staff ( including hostess Maitte, host Almond, server Favio and manager Tomy ) is attractive and friendly; however, price-wise, this might be a venue for special occasions, as cocktails run $12 each and main dishes run up to $32. However, I highly recommend this placeand do plan on returning.