TAMPA, FL — If you’re in the mood for authentic and eclectic Latin bistro dining and in the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa area, we have a place for you to try!
When we’re in town, my wife, Belle, and I make a point to dine at Lima Rotisserie Chicken and Peruvian Cuisine. Located in a strip mall several stores down from the Publix Supermarket at New Tampa Center off Bruce B. Downs Blvd., it never fails to delight. Against the backdrop of upbeat Latin pop music like the Gipsy Kings and bright and lime green environs, the cheery staff serves up a tasty, fresh-made menu steeped in seafood, chicken, and other zesty, Peruvian delicacies.
Recently, we kicked-off dinner with their Choros a La Chalaca, which is essentially mussels on the half shell in a dark brown broth (conjuring Chinese Brown Sauce with hints of soy), topped with Peruvian pico de gallo, and garnished with cilantro. Apparently, they were out of mussels, so to our pleasant surprise, there were scallops in their place (we love scallops, so we were pleasantly surprised!). It was very tasty, although perhaps a touch salty.
Next up, we had Arroz con Mariscos, a savory yellow Peruvian-style jasmine rice paella in aji panca/beer salsa madre with shrimp, calimari, mussels, clams, and green peas — with thin, fresh slices of onion and tomato served on the side. The aromas were intoxicating as it arrived, heaping, on a lovely black plate with a serving spoon. Mixing in the tomatoes and onions, we relished each bite and devoured repeated servings of this delicious paella!
The Arroz con Mariscos paired well with the Pino Grigio that Belle was sipping (I stuck with Perrier water with lime). Unfortunately with the brisk Saturday night traffic, they’d run out of Pino. However, they did have Chardonnay!
Butter Turned to Gold
One of Chardonnay’s attractions, for some, is that it often comes with a certain oaky butteriness. Maybe it’s because, growing up, Belle’s mother slathered everything in butter — to the point that she does not like it.
However, as she wasn’t in the mood for a sweet Sangria, but a decent white wine, she opted to give it a try. And to our pleasant surprise, they served a mellow and refreshing Woodbridge California Chardonnay that wasn’t buttery at all. Problem solved!
We continued to relish our meal, repeatedly complimenting the proprietor, Aron Gasco, a Peruvian expatriate who’s a lovely and knowledgeable man on all things Peru, on the wonders of his cullinary creations.
All too soon, we finished, properly stuffed and ready for display at the Tampa Tourist Museum! (No, there isn’t really such a place).
Several days later, we were in the area and jonesing for more of their paella, so we dropped by again. However, this time, we elected to begin with their Tostones con Camarones, a large, hearty appetizer with breaded and deep-fried shrimp, calimari, mussels, clams, peas, and carrots over deep-fried plantains — served with a delightful, zesty cilantro/yellow pepper house sauce with thin, fresh slices of onion and tomato served on the side.
Aron cautioned us to first eat this dish first before ordering an entree. A veritable feast, it paired equally well with Belle’s Pino Grigio my Perrier and lime. Thankfully, we took Aron’s advice, as after consuming it, we were elatedly stuffed and would have had to take the paella to go had we ordered that.
Reflecting on their menu, we noted that a lot of their offerings are breaded and deep-fried, however, if that’s a dietary consideration, they have other dishes like the ceviche, mussels on the half shell, and tenderloin tips, for example, that are not (you can view their menu HERE).
Summed up, Lima makes for an excellent and delectable casual dining experience. Good food, good prices, and great ambiance — what’s not to like about that? As such, I highly recommend it and, no doubt, we’ll be visiting it again when we’re back in town again!
Lima Rotisserie Chicken & Peruvian Cuisine
19062 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33647
(813)304-0205
https://www.limatampa.com/