'Tis a sad day

'Tis a sad day for ol' Joltin' Django. One of my favorite restaurants has closed.

I went to El Inca Peruvian Restaurant 'bout noon today only to find the place empty. Upon seeing the "for lease" sign in the window, I said ... well, I don't think I'll tell you what I said. Just know that there is probably a rather large blue cloud still floating over the Priest Lake area.

El Inca was mentioned on the very first A Man's Gotta Eat post -- on a list of my all-time favorite restaurants in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Leave aside the fact that it was the only Peruvian restaurant in Nashville, it served up some damn fine-tasting food. This is what I said last October:

As far as I know, El Inca is the only Peruvian restaurant in Nashville. Peruvian cuisine is quite unlike the cuisine you find in Mexican or Central American restaurants. That is, no dishes come slathered in chili sauce and/or cheese, and no plates are served which feature a pile of dog food-esque refried beans.

My favorite item on El Inca's menu is lomo saltado: strips of juicy beef, grilled onions, tomatoes and fresh cilantro, served on a bed of rice. (The same dish is also available with chicken -- saltado de pollo.)

As much as I like the food at El Inca, what really makes me keep going back is the "green sauce" they place on each table as a condiment. It consists of olive oil, celery, cilantro, boiled potatoes, and imported Peruvian peppers.

I am going to miss El Inca's green sauce. One regret I have is that I never got around to asking for the complete recipe. As many times as I patronized El Inca, often with friend and family in tow, I'm pretty sure they would've given it to me.

Restaurants come and go, I know; however, it's always a sad day when a truly great restaurant closes. El Inca will be missed ...