La Feria (Peruvian restaurant in Shadyside)

 I recently re-joined this newsgroup after a long absence, so I don't
 know if "La Feria" has been "reviewed" lately or not. But I was
 impressed enough when I ate there tonight to post a testimonial
 (unfortunately a rare reaction after eating in a Pgh restaurant!)

 La Feria, which has been open for about a year, specializes in Peruvian
 and Latin American fare. The menu is quite small, consisting of several
 daily $6.99 specials (almost always at least one of which is
 vegetarian), a few appetizers, a soup-of-the-day, and several sandwiches
 ($5.50, including side dishes or soup in some cases) and salads ($5.50).
 The food is made from fresh ingredients without additives or MSG. La
 Feria also has an expresso bar, but there's a $4/person minimum charge
 on weekends.

 I had one of the specials, the "Pastel de Choclo", a delicious, spicy
 Peruvian corn pie with ground beef, raisins, black olives, yellow
 peppers, onion and garlic. It was served piping hot with perfectly
 cooked, fluffy white rice, good bread, and an excellent salad with
 fresh, crisp romaine, spinach, tomatoes (that had real flavor), black
 olives, red onion, Swiss and Parmesan cheeses, and a great, creamy
 Caesar-like "Peruvian vinagrette" (the "secret recipe" for which could
 unfortunately not be extracted from the otherwise exceptionally friendly
 and helpful staff who co-own the restaurant). Everything seemed to go
 very well together; overall, a filling and very tasty meal, and a steal
 at $6.99!

 I also had a taste of the vegetarian special, "Llapingachos", a potato &
 cheese casserole with cilantro and yellow pepper, served with a spicy
 peanut sauce (and the same side dishes as the other special). This was
 quite tasty and definitely a cut above the average (given the
 disappointingly low quality and availability of vegetarian fare in Pgh)
 although I liked the Pastel de Choclo a bit better.

 La Feria is located upstairs in a Peruvian crafts store, above
 "Pamela's", at 5527 Walnut St. in Shadyside (between Ivy & Filbert). The
 ambience is cafe-like, warm and spacious, even though they only have a
 few tables, and it's refreshingly quiet, even when busy. The clientele
 seemed as friendly and relaxed as the staff. Hours are 10 am - 9 pm (but
 if you want dinner, get there by 8 pm, as they close at 9) M-F, and 10-6
 on Saturday (closed Sunday). They take M/C and VISA ($15 minimum). You
 can call 682-4501 and they'll tell you the daily specials.

 - bob