Christopher A.
Google
We were going on a trip to the Florida Keys, and we were specifically taking the A1A all the way down. Always wanted to do that. We identified some restaurants we wanted to look into for lunch, and this place peaked our interest! So we pulled up, found some street parking pretty easily, and got seated promptly.
Ambiance was nice. A nice little outdoor patio area that was bisected by sidewalk. Giant window to look out of for the indoor seating. Open kitchen so you could watch the cooking. Not bad. Quaint.
Service was excellent. I have a feeling it was just the owner doing the serving from when the place opened until closer to dinner time, but man, he busted his behind taking care of us and everyone else who was there. Good stuff.
And then the food. We started off with the Wonton de Cangrejo (Crispy Fried Wontons Filled With Crab Meat And A Zesty Homemade Sour Sauce). These were fine. Exactly what you'd expect. Same with the sauce. If that's what you're feeling, that's fine, but if you're wanting something different and unique, get something else for an app.
Next was the Ceviche Mixto (Our Seafood Dish Cured With Lime, Paired With Sweet Potato, Onions, Cilantro And Peruvian Corn). Now this was a good ceviche. Not too acidic, somehow. Perfectly cooked, perfectly succulent seafood. Plump shrimp and cute little bay scallops. Really good. Could use some pine nuts for a crunchy texture, but other than that, I really enjoyed this.
Hmm, I can't really find the main event dish we had. It was beef and veggies sautéed up and served over rice. It was really lovely. Something about the Peruvian spice blend makes it taste like chili powder, but with no spice. Beef was tender, the veggies were plentiful, and that was some of the best rice I've ever had. Really great dish.
Overall, this place was a really unexpected find on my way down towards the Keys. I never would have thought to stop in this town to find some food, but since Mestizo has won its place on some pretty prestigious lists recently, it drew me in, and I am very lucky that it did.