Mama Mita.

There's a spot in Glendale called Mamita's litterally around the corner from my house.  It's right on Brand & Maple next to the Mercedez-Benz dealership.  It was like a 2 minute walk from my pad.

We feel like idiots because we never been here before, and I've lived in this neighborhood forever. Peeps would always tell us "You live right by Mamita's, you should go!" but we just never got around to going until tonight. And we're glad we did.

It's a little hole in the wall spot.  They serve traditional Peruvian cuisine--a rare find. there aren't too many Peruvian restaurants around.  I think Peruvian food is underestimated.  It's not highly publicized in the mainstream food cuisines, but after eating here, I discovered that it should be.  

They serve bread along with butter and an interesting green sauce.  I was a little nervous about trying it at first, but trust me you will love it. Imagine guacamole mixed with jalapenos. but be careful, it can be pretty spicy, so put on as little or as much as you want, depending on how spicy you like it. and the butter evens the spiciness out a little bit too.

For our appetizer we went with the Chicharrones de Calamares, which was delicious. Deep fried and served with a salsa type salad, consisting of diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and a zesty lemon-lime sauce. the sauce went perfectly with the crispy crunchy calamari. perfect.

For our main dish we chose the Pescado A Lo Macho.  The Pescado (meaning fish) is a fried fish fillet topped a variety of seafood including shrimp, squid, and octopus all sauteed together in a zesty sauce with tomatoes, cilantro, and onions. What stuck out to us most was that there was a huge lemon taste to these sauces. which we love. lemon tastes so fresh and tangy.

Adrian ordered an Inca Cola, and he loved it. He said it tasted similar to bubble gum.  I was like "Really?" So I tried it and it really did taste like Bubble Yum from your childhood.  I did not like it. But hey everyone has their own thing.  Adrian tends to like the extremes: really sweet, spicy, salty...  I'm more on the mild side. 

The atmosphere is warm and cozy.  There's a mural up on the wall displaying scenic views of Peru, showing ancient Incan pyramids.  After reading up on Peruvian cuisine, I discovered that the Incan influence is prominent in Peru, having settled there generations ago. 

Service is excellent.  Parking can be found behind the restaurant. The only one downside I would say is the restrooms--you have to go to the back and they are in a separate little building by the dumpster. A little scary but it's cool just have someone come with you and you'll be fine. 

So if you're feeling a little adventurous, or just craving some new exciting flavors, go ahead and try Mamita's.  For the full menu click here http://www.menupix.com/losangeles/restaurants.php?id=201574# 

We knocked off a few points cuz of this other Peruvian spot in LA called Mario's--the food doesn't compare.  Mario's is actually a little better. We'll elaborate on that next time we go there. 

Adrian: 8 forks out of 10

Rose: 7 spoons out of 10