Aji Picante - Peruvian on Murray Street

Aji Picante is a new restaurant which recently opened in Squirrel Hill. It features Peruvian cuisine, and is truly a delight. Located in what had been a Panera Bread (is this a sign of a swing from national chains to locally owned restaurants), Aji Picante has a relatively small and tight menu, but it is very well executed. I recently stopped by with a group, and had a seared pork shank which was delicious; the menu also featured a variety of the Peruvian version of traditional seafood dishes such as paella and bouillabaise. One interesting dish is Lomo Saltado, which has strips of steak stir fried with onions and peppers Chinese style. There's also a number of vegetarian options.

The service was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Aji Picante is BYOB, but does not charge a corkage fee. It's well worth a try.

Read China Millman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's recent review of the Aji Picante here.