DELICIOUS

From South American cevicherias to Preston Hollow

Biting into an exotic taste from below the equator

By ELISSA CHUDWIN

Areal estate lawyer- turnedrestauranteur gets divorced and travels to South America. He becomes so captivated by the culture and cuisine that he decides to open a Latin American restaurant once he returns to the US, and the business venture becomes a cathartic experience.

While the storyline may be reminiscent of a Hollywood movie, Nazca Kitchen’s inception traces back to Craig Collins’ first trip across the continent. Collins — who also runs longtime barbecue franchise Red Hot & Blue — was impressed with the robust flavor of the food he ate as he traipsed across Brazil, Argentina and Peru.

“I thought, ‘Man, someone could do well if they had a restaurant that put all the best of South America into one concept,’ ” he says.

Nazca Kitchen opened along Walnut Hill Lane on Dec. 21, 2012 — ironically, the last day of the Mayan calendar, when

Nazca Kitchen

Ambiance: contemporary, casual restaurant

Price Range: $6-$22

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. SundayThursday; 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Friday-Saturday

8041 Walnut Hill Lane

214.696.2922 nazcakitchen.com some predicted the world would end. The carefully crafted menu includes dishes based on South and Latin American specialties, and determining which recipes made the cut was slow and deliberate.

“We made every item 17 times, at least twice a week, before we knew we had it,” says Juan Chavez, director of operations.

Four years later, the restaurant is opening its second location in West Village, and Collins has taken a dozen trips across the continent for research and inspiration. He spent a week in Peru and Chile in December just to master the Peruvian cocktail Pisco Sour and to hunt for the “penultimate empanada” recipe, he says.

DID YOU KNOW: Nazca Kitchen owner Craig Collins named the restaurant after the Nazca Lines, which are mysterious geometric shapes etched into the Peruvian desert more than 2,000 years ago.

“We’ll add a couple items, tweak the menu and hopefully have it pay dividends,” he says.

Collins’ main priority is authenticity, and he goes great lengths to achieve it. Before acai was readily available in the US, he flew in 40 pounds from Brazil for Nazca Kitchen’s Acai Bowl, which is served with the pureed berry, homemade granola, strawberries and bananas.

As determined as Collins is to share a taste of South America with Dallas, his philosophy on hospitality is as southern as it gets.

“I think a lot of restaurants lose track that when you have guests in a restaurant, they’re guests They’re doing us a favor by being in our restaurant.”

Maple Leaf Diner

Scratch-made homestyle cooking and baking featuring a sampling of Canadian favorites like Poutine, and house-cured Peameal bacon. Beer, Wine, Liquor available. Open

- 9pm

Terilli’s roasted red bell pepper dressing

Terilli’s is one of Lower Greenville’s signature restaurants, surviving longer than most on the increasingly hip block. When Jeannie Terilli first opened the business 31 years ago, she wanted to blend her Texas upbringing with her family’s deep Italian roots.

“My recipes are my dad’s recipes,” she told the Advocate in 1998. “I had three brothers, and my mother and father worked. It was my job to have dinner ready when everybody got home. That’s how I got into food.”

Serving up classic Italian with a Texas twist proved a popular practice for the East Dallas eatery. The dish that put her on the map was “Italchos,” and it’s easy to see why — the Italian spin on nachos is like a deconstructed pizza with chips made from dough topped with cheeses, meats and veggies.

Fans of the fusion flavors were briefly devastated in March of 2010 when a four-alarm fire rang out at the Lower Greenville complex that housed Terilli’s. While the restaurant suffered extensive damage, it rose like a Phoenix the following year, this time with a rooftop deck. Today the classic dishes on which the business staked its reputation remain in heavy rotation.

PHOTO BY MARK DAVIS

That includes several dishes that feature Terilli’s signature roasted red bell pepper dressing, a creamy and tangy blend that goes with just about everything. You’ll find it on the restaurant’s warm grilled chicken pasta salad, but Terilli says it can also be used as a pasta sauce or as a marinade.

TERILLI’S ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER DRESSING

(makes about 10 cups)

5 cups mayonnaise

4 cups roasted red peppers

3 tablespoons garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons shallots (minced)

½ cup balsamic vinegar

Juice of two lemons

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon white pepper

3 tablespoon fresh dill

To roast the red peppers, coat them with olive oil and place on a baking sheet under the broiler until the skin blackens. Cut open and remove seeds and outer layer. Blend all of the ingredients together in a food processor. Refrigerate.