Taurus Steakhouse

Anyone with a modicum of skill can take a dry-aged, 24-ounce prime rib eye and render it edible; that the chefs at Taurus Steakhouse can take unconventional cuts and bits of steer and transform them into something greater through spice, flame, and nearly 40 years of accumulated technique is a thing of beauty. This Peruvian steak house, or parrillada, serves eight cuts of beef, everything from prime tenderloin down to entraña (skirt), vacio (flank), and picanha (top round), each magiced into steaks as unique in texture and flavor as their luxurious counterparts. You'll find lamb, delicately seared as savory costillas (rib), or thin-cut slices of pierna (leg). Pork shows up as tender chops and loin. There's not much else besides meat: no ceviche, no yucca, no lomo saltado, all staples of Peruvian cuisine. Even though the menu more closely resembles an Argentine parrillada than a typical Peruvian restaurant, the flavors employed by Carlos Habaue and family are distinctly Peruano. Prices reflect the common-man cuts as well - dinners range from $12 to $24, and an executive lunch complete with bread, salad, steak, and side runs only $7.95.