Take your time with that cup of coffee

In one 24 hour period I consumed a piece of heart, a slice of stomach, liver, and tongue. The tongue was the best of the four - but that’s not completely fair, it was prepared at Astrid and Gastón in the form of a flaky croquette. We spent 3 days in Lima following 3 days in Cusco and 1 day in Macchu-picchu. I worked hard for that mountain climb earlier in the week, so Lima was always going to be the food tour of a yuppie New Yorker’s dreams.

Astrid and Gastón, in a new almost mystical location, was everything I imagined. The cocktail menu was overwhelming with perfectly curated recipes. The Pisco based cocktail I chose, garnished with flower petals and served in a tall coupe, may never be beat - and I order a lot of cocktails. The tongue croquette was just a starter, followed by clams, mussels, ceviche, and finally scallop ravioli with truffle. Surprisingly I was able to stand up afterwards.

The following morning I ventured to Puku Puku and ordered black coffee and carrot cake in my best sad broken Spanish. I took in the view of the South Pacific. Later, we embarked on a food tour that took us from the far points of Bogata and back.

Our first stop was a local market where we were the only Americans walking in a happy daze past butchers and women sorting fruit. In the back we were greeted by a young woman who was anticipating our arrival with avocado toasts at Cafe Negro. These were not Brooklyn avocado toasts though. These were avocado sandwiches with bread grilled in local oil and expertly salted. Such perfect flavor, I had trouble focusing as the young woman tried teaching us the history of locally sourced Peruvian coffee and the best way to brew Peruvian beans into a French press. Thankfully though I got to enjoy a cup and promised to practice with my own French press when returning to New York. Take your time and be patient she said. Unfortunately, with weekly practice in the weeks since then - the young woman is of course a superior brewer.

But this was just one of several beautiful Peruvian coffees I got to sip. Each morning all week long, from Cusco to Lima, the coffee was a bright shining example of how sweet and intoxicating Peru can be. Also a reminder that coffee and everything else for that matter, tastes a little bit better when you take the time to be patient with it.

Locations: Monkey Coffee (top photo), Cusco Peru; Cicciolina, Cusco, Peru; El Cafetalito 189, Cusco, Peru; Cafe Negro, Lima Peru; Puku Puku, Lima Peru