Chef Rene Arroyo - El Balconcito, 658 E. Godfrey Avenue, (215) 342-2340; 7326 Castor Avenue, (215) 342-3165; 20 S. 2nd Street (coming soon), elbalconcito.com
ChefEl Balconcito has become a name synonymous with Peruvian and Portuguese cuisine in Philadelphia, thanks to the cooking of Arroyo, who opened his first location in Lawncrest in 2005 and a second outpost in Northeast Philly four years later. At this family-owned mini-chain, the emphasis is on quality ingredients, from the signature ceviche mixto on down. Arroyo recently traveled to Peru to research new ideas for his growing brand’s fast-approaching Old City location, which will juggle traditional and modern influences via its menu and dedicated second-floor pisco bar.
Philadelphia's Latino Chefs & restaurateurs - Philly's national reputation as a thriving, open-to-all city extends to its flourishing culinary scene, which features a multitude of executive chefs of Latin descent. From nationally renowned luminaries with multiple successful restaurants (Jose Garces, Guillermo Pernot) to upstarts making a solid name for themselves here (Jezabel Careaga, Adan Trinidad, Cristina Martinez), these talented chefs come from all over Latin America, the Caribbean and South America, bringing a highly diverse set of flavors and traditions to the communal table
7 Facts About Philadelphia's Latino Community - Philly honors Hispanic Culture thought the year with food, fun and fiestas. Revelers can catch the Latino spirit at the Mexican Independence Day Festival on Penn’s Landing and the Puerto Rican Day Parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.Thought the year, arts and culture lovers have more to look forward to: the such as last years opening of the El Corazon Cultural Center in El Centro de Oro and the North American debut of the exhibition Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism, 1910-1950 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
