I’ve been back in Tampa for almost
three years now and suppose at this point I should know a thing or two about some good mouth-watering foreign-food spots
to get your chow on and today I’m tossing one at you. Costa Verde Restaurant is the only fine Peruvian restaurant I’m aware of located in what
you would call Central Tampa, I believe. The establishment itself is fairly well hidden and sort of out of place in a
plaza full of Chinese BBQ, Asian supermarkets, Cafe Linh (Vietnamese I think), and some shady looking neighborhood
night clubs. I hooked a fierce U-turn only to circle around the tightly packed plaza parking lot for five to eight
minutes.
Inside, the atmosphere is casual, cozy, dimly lit, and each tiny square table maxed to full
capacity with hungry patrons. A big flat-screen rests mounted on the center of the wall with non-stop soccer footage
displayed and another smaller television on the opposite end playing the same programming. Towards the center of the
restaurant is the bar where you can order carry-out or sit for a few rounds of cerveza Cuzqueña, the brew of Peru. I hadn’t though too much about dining
inside and the place was humming with families, couples, and guys watching the games. I opted to get my order to go.
On the menu – be prepared for seriously huge, filling, reasonably priced dishes. ($10-$18) The first time I
dined at Costa Verde I was overwhelmed by the plate of Chaufa de Pollo (Peruvian style chicken fried rice), but I was
ready to tackle the rice and a new dish today. My takeout orders included Chaufa de Pollo y Carne and Ceviche de
Pescado. The ceviche, a fresh fish marinated in cilantro, onion and lemon sauce hit my taste-buds in an explosion of
delicious and spicy unison. I stood in my kitchen wanting to melt. Before all this occurred I took two snazzy shots of
my well placed together takeout. Draped with red onion and pine nuts and to my surprise a yummy sort of corn on the
cob/hominy side and yucca, the ceviche is a sure crowd pleaser.
In Tampa? Costa Verde is located at
8502 N. Armenia Ave. Suite J & K, Tampa, FL. PH 813.930.8338