Fresca (on Fillmore)

We made the most of C's surprise visit by escaping the bustle of downtown and cabbing over to Fresca after a long morning at Slow Food Nation and the Ferry Building.

A half pitcher of sangria and a Peruvian beer started things off nicely.

We started off with the Ceviche 5 Alimentos, the most traditional version on Fresca's menu. As always, it was extremely tart with large chunks of fresh halibut and accompanying hominy, yam, onions, and what I called homemade Corn Nuts.

The tuna ceviche just might be a new favorite of mine. Not as zesty as the 5 alimentos, with a really beautiful herb dressing.

The steak salad is something I almost always order at Fresca. The combination of tender skirt steak, cilantro dressing, and fresh avocado and greens really can't be beat. The salad seemed smaller than it did a few years ago, but I guess everyone's feeling the squeeze these days.

The Aji de Gallina was a brand new dish for me. I don't know what the sauce base was for the shredded chicken, but it was delicious over rice. Anyone who likes comforting, saucy rice dishes like curry should really enjoy this homey dish.