Encore! Bravo Peruvian Cuisine opening second kitchen in Coral Springs

Coral Springs, Florida – They spent years raising Bravo Peruvian Cuisine from small sandwich counter to casual dining fixture in Wilton Manors, and Vanesa Oliva and her husband, chef Dennis “Beto” Quiroz, are ready for an encore.

Bravo Peruvian Kitchen is scheduled to debut in late December at 9711 W. Sample Road, in Coral Springs. Their upscale 70-seat restaurant will replace Tierra Mia, a short-lived bakery that closed in the pandemic, in a strip-mall storefront across the street from Runyon’s steakhouse.

Oliva is quick to stress that Bravo Coral Springs will be a “modern twist,” not a clone of Bravo Wilton Manors. Prices on both menus will be identical but Bravo Peruvian Kitchen’s menu will be smaller and feature updated versions of familiar Bravo dishes.

Loyal diners have expectations for certain classics, she says, which means their menu will carry Bravo’s anticuchos ($12.50, marinated cow hearts on skewers), and crowd-pleasers like lomo saltado ($17) and Nikkei-style sushi (all $15) washed down with bottles of refreshing Cusqueña.

“Peruvian cuisine has been growing so much in South Florida. It’s very in,” Oliva says. “People love the Peruvian fusion we have now, our Japanese influences, and how we experiment with risotto and quinoa. We experimented all this time in Wilton Manors so we know what works.”

Oliva and Quiroz signed a five-year lease on the Sample Road outpost in September, which will include four patio tables and a dedicated take-out counter. A new 12-seat bar will pump out pisco sours and mojitos – their top-selling cocktails by far – while Quiroz fires up pork belly and pollo a la brasa (rotisserie chicken) on the couples’ new wood chip/gas smoker.

“We’re excited because Peruvian restaurants here don’t use smokers that much,” Oliva says. “That’s one of the twists we’re taking to Coral Springs.”

Bravo Peruvian Kitchen, a five-minute drive from the couple’s Coral Springs home, also makes it easier to keep an eye on their children, ages 10, 8 and 6, Oliva says.

Bravo Coral Springs, still under construction, will look similar, Oliva says. The new restaurant will also offer weekend brunch, which she added based on the popularity of Bravo’s Sunday morning crowds. Top-sellers like the Desayuno Criollo ($15), with crispy slices of pork, tamales, fried sweet potatoes and salsa criollo on crusty French bread, also will be offered.

“Expanding is a big risk because we’re always scared that we might go backwards,” Oliva says. “But we have confidence in our product and the fans have confidence in us.”