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Community Corner

Chimu Opens, Red Hill Eyes a Late July Launch

News, notes, specials and steals keep you in the loop on the area's restaurant and nightlife scene.

When’s the last time you grabbed lunch downtown at Grand Central Market? Yeah, us too—until recently, thanks to the opening of Chimu. What can we say, “Peruvian soul food” is a hell of a motivator.

The takeout joint is the brainchild of Mario Orellana--who spent time in the celebrated kitchens of both Lazy Ox Canteen and Mo-Chica--and Jason Michaud, owner of Silver Lake’s Local.

Situated just outside the market, the set-up is an order-at-the-window affair, but the breezy, umbrella-shaded courtyard is a fine place to settle in with some soul food. While you wait, you can watch the Angel’s Flight funicular chug up and down Bunker Hill directly across the street.

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The chalkboard menu changes daily, based on what’s available that day—only the finest ingredients go into dishes like pork belly, lamb leg and yellowtail ceviche. And while Orellana calls his offerings “street food with a home-style feel,” that feels like a bit of an undersell to us.

Chimu certainly delivers the soul, but the freshness and layered flavors of ingredients like sweet potatoes, peaches and English peas up the ante to make this a certified foodie destination. Even the fat papas fritas that come with the lomo saltado are something to be celebrated.

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Dishes run from around $10 to $13, and to drink you can sip on a refreshing maracuya (passion fruit) drink, or chica morada, a vibrant purple corn concoction. 

While Orellana has been manning Chimu’s kitchen, Michaud has stayed busy with Red Hill, Echo Park Avenue’s highly-anticipated eatery that’s moving into the former site of Phoenix Bakery across from Allston Yacht Club.

While the space is making progress, Michaud has had to deal with some outstanding permit issues; seems property owner Walgreens allowed the permits to lapse in the years the space was vacant.

Still, the duo hopes to open right around the end of July. As for the menu? Red Hill will stay a little closer to home than Chimu. Orellana dubs it “urban American fare with ‘minority riffs’,” or “acculturation of American food.”

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