Latin Flavor Heats Up at Andina's Bar Mestizo

(PRWEB) February 18, 2005

Portland’s cultural scene takes a journey closer to Peru with the re-invention of Bar Mestizo at Andina Restaurant. Known for its Latin American music and cocktails, the bar was recently renovated by KL Design Group to enhance urban amenities like happy hour and nightly entertainment with a distinctly Peruvian flair. Bar Mestizo is located adjacent to Andina’s dining room and open kitchen in the historic Pennington Building.

“We want Bar Mestizo to be a warm, intimate space where people come together,” says Doris Platt, one of the owners of Andina. “Mestizo means “to mix,” so we created small plates representative of the diverse influences that make Peruvian cuisine exciting. And the bounty of the Pacific Northwest is a gift to our chef.”

Peruvian Innovations – Jamon Cart and Raw Bar:

Bar Mestizo showcases Peruvian culture with small touches that reflect the importance of food and community. The raw bar station, sitting in the middle of the bar, offers a rotating selection of local and exotic seafood, including freshly shucked oysters, clams, house-smoked mussels, and sea urchin. Tiered seafood platters, Frutos del Mar are available for sharing. The “traveling” jamon cart serves butifarras, a Peruvian cooked ham sliced to order and served on a house-baked quinoa roll. Two round wooden tables were custom-built with a “lazy susan” section in the middle to encourage the sharing of “small plates.”

Peruvian Tapas and Latin Cocktails:

Andina’s small plate dishes, created by executive chef Emmanuel Piqueras Villaran, are available in the bar at all times. Some of Andina’s signature “tapas” dishes include Chicharron de Langostinos, quinoa crusted shrimp, and Cebiche with ingredients from fresh fish to green mango and prawns and fresh water shrimp. Another traditional favorite is Causa, fresh lime-flavored potato mixture with savory fillings like smoked trout, chicken and crab. Bar Mestizo also crafts house-infused rums and liqueurs, including Spiced Rum, Seville Orange Liqueur, Dried Banana Rum and Pineapple Rum. Classic Latin American cocktails like the Pisco Sour and Mojito join a new line-up of novoAndina cocktails including the Sacsayhuaman (Sexy Woman), with rocoto pepper infused vodka and passion fruit, and the Granada de Amor, Damiana liqueur with fresh pomegranate juice. An extensive South American and Spanish wine list complements Andina’s Peruvian cuisine. Nightly entertainment rotates between many local Latin American entertainers, including Alfredo Muro, Toshi Onizuka and Neftali Rivera.

Happy Hour Peruvian Style:

Bar Mestizo presents happy hour every day from 4 -6 p.m. Peruvian favorites like anticucho, a skewer of beef heart, chicken or seafood is available for $2 per skewer, as well as $1 oysters and $2 butifarras. Enjoy Latin cocktails for $5 and relax by the fireplace or in one of the intimate booths.

About Andina:

Andina is owned and operated by Doris and John Platt, and their three sons. Mama Doris is a native of Peru and brings her culinary criollo traditions to Andina’s menu, in collaboration with Peruvian chef Emmanuel Piqueras Villarán, whose specialty is Novoandina cuisine, a modern twist on the traditional flavors and dishes of Peru. Andina was chosen as one of Portland’s best restaurants in the October 2004 issue of Gourmet Magazine Andina offers lunch, dinner and happy hour and is open from 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m. – midnight Friday and Saturday; and 4 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sunday. Happy Hour is 4-6 p.m. daily.

For more information about Andina, (1314 NW Glisan, Portland, OR 97209), please call 503-228-9535 or visit http://www.andinarestaurant.com.

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