Ceviche & Grille Peruvian Restaurant

Jeff Kleinman10/8/2010

It's not everywhere you can approach the takeout counter and say: One ceviche to go, hold the octopus, extra squid rings. But this is South Florida, and another quick stop for Peruvian food has arrived. So what better to bring to a potluck feast at Grandma and Grandpa's than heaping portions of Peruvian-marinated roast chicken; churrasco chunks with tomatoes and fries; basa "macho'' smothered in squid, shrimp and yuca; and, of course, a mountain of lime-juiced ceviche. 
 

At the new Ceviche & Grille in North Miami Beach, all this can be yours in about 15 
minutes. The long, narrow space is made for takeout, with a pile of paper menus at a 
counter right up front and a flat-screen TV that helps pass the time while the kitchen 
cooks the order. The restaurant excels at its namesake, serving three kinds of ceviche: fish, seafood and vegetarian. With its sloshing lime juice, it isn't made for a foam takeout container. At least we were warned and kept the box upright. Amazingly, we got it home without a drip and dug right into a mound of perfectly marinated fish cubes accompanied by a slice of sweet potato and a pile of fat white corn kernels.

Grandma and Grandpa stayed away from "that raw fish'' but gave thumbs up to the plump rotisserie chicken made with "secret'' herbs that the staff wouldn't divulge. The chewy churrasco tested everyone's chompers but not the tasty fries buried in the gravy. The ‘‘macho'' fish also melted in the mouth, although the chef got a little too macho with the salt. Still, we sopped up the sauce with rice and a generous topping of squid and shellfish. Sides and appetizers include standard black beans and rice, plantains, salad, beef-heart brochettes, fried squid and slices of cold potato in a creamy but bland yellow dressing.