602 South Park St.
Madison 53715
608-310-4282
http://www.inkaheritagerestaurant.com/
Wisconsin may not be widely known as a bastion of culinary diversity besides a few stereotypical dairy offerings, but its capital city – Madison – certainly should be. The cultural hub thrives on organic foods and locally-grown staples, a diverse array of fine dining and popular hang-outs fueled by ravenous hordes of University students and sophisticate townies.
My favorite sushi bar competes for the gastronomical attention of the local passerby with a Peruvian establishment across the street, one that has always intrigued me. Recently I dropped in and sampled a dinner for two. Inca Heritage stays true to its title with stellar Peruvian classics both tame and adventurous, and is worth a stop if only for an appetizer. But don’t leave without trying a Pisco Sour.
That was how we started our dining at Inca Heritage and the sweet cocktail, along with the traditional Peruvian appetizer of ceviche, proved regional fair is really the establishment’s specialty. The walls, advertising and manner in which the owner handles customers all suggest Inca Heritage aims to be an authentic taste of another culture’s fine dining, but never too risky for a cheeseburger-and-Coke sort of palate. That would explain the horrendous (but entertaining) pan-flute covers of American classics on the sound system. Heritage is certainly the kind of restaurant people visit to find something out of the ordinary, special, even daring. While I wouldn’t call the Inca Heritage take on the most widely popular Peruvian namesakes daring, they were both complete successes.
The fantastic Inca Heritage Pisco Sour paired the popular white-grape brandy with shaved ice and egg to creamy perfection. In my experience, few local restaurants – or even bars for that matter – know to mix a drink for a discerning cocktail snob but Heritage pulled it off. The Pisco sour is chock full of potent flavors but doesn’t include any syrups or odd additions to violate the simple intoxication of the Peruvian original. The drink’s sweetness neither dulled the tongue nor masked the fine tones of such a unique liquor. Interestingly, the drink featured a lovely cinnamon head and finish; perhaps Inca Heritage pulls out all the stops and uses regional bitters.
The appetizer I mentioned should be on your check list must be the (pricey) ceviche. To leave without trying ceviche in a Peruvian restaurant would be a sin, but when it’s this good? Cardinal. Perhaps not a dish for the sensitive palate, this incarnation of the South American sushi-challenger is potent and spicy. The fresh talapia is rich with cool cilantro and tangy heat, marinated with garlic and smothered in onions. In other words, don’t try to get cheeky with a date over this dish. But it’s still a good choice – the contrasting side of sweet potato and bed of nutty choclo will have you swooning instead.
In fact the only part of the meal that won’t might be the safer options on the menu. Our Tallarines Verdes con Lomo, pasta served with beef tenderloin and a “Peruvian pesto sauce,” ate like an unappetizingly creamy version of its chunky Northern cousin and the pasta was cooked well past al dente. Still, the tenderloin was smoky and cooked through without any toughness or stringy meat. The wok-flambéed tenderloin bites in the Lomo Salta Do (curiously bedded on onions, rice and french fries of all things) were similarly wonderful. It seems Brazil isn’t the only South American country with a knack for all things a-la-cow.
So if you’re in Madison and want to try something a little more challenging than a hamburger, give Inca Heritage a try. The meat is top notch and the seafood options are just as good. But stick to the Peruvian specialties and stay away from the simple appeals to American naiveté. Now is the time to try some dishes you can’t anywhere else; Inca Heritage proves they’re regional specialties for a reason.
by Michael Merline
[Photos: Matthew Herndon]
