Picchu, a new Peruvian restaurant, opens in Selden

Christina and Harry Caldera love to eat. Specifically, they love to eat Peruvian food, as they discovered during many food-driven trips to Queens. Peruvian food is "so colorful and beautiful," said Harry Caldera, who owns a lighting company in Centereach.

About a year and a half ago, Caldera saw that a nearby space on Middle Country Road was vacant, and suggested to his wife they turn their passion into a business and open a Peruvian restaurant.

"She said I was crazy," he said, but possibly in a crazy-good way, because after a year-plus of planning, Picchu Restaurant opened in January, in the same small plaza that holds Sesame Corner and a Shah's Halal.

The cozy space has about 20 seats, a small bar and a modern, crisp feel punctuated by pops of art, murals and, of course, unique overhead lighting. The kitchen build out — there was none here before — centers around a rotisserie oven where dry-rubbed birds spend two hours spinning to a deep burnish before being split and served with aji (a creamy green hot sauce) and a black-olive sauce. (A whole chicken costs $14, or $19.95 with sides; half and quarter versions ring in at $15 and $10, respectively).

Peruvian cuisine has been on the rise on Long Island, though mostly further west, around places such as Hicksville and Commack. Caldera said his two main chefs are Peruvian and put their own spin onto the pantheon of Peruvian cuisine, known for its lively fusion of Andean, Spanish, Italian, African, Chinese and Japanese flavors. Among them is Peruvian-style ceviche, which Picchu serves in a few different versions that vary combos of basa, shrimp and calamari marinated in citrus and arranged with crunchy Peruvian corn, sweet potato and fried plantain ($19 to $26).

Other starters include salchipapas, the Peruvian combo of French fries and sliced hot dogs ($9, or $11 for an egg-topped "super" version) and anticucho, beef hearts that are marinated and grilled, for $14. A $30 "Picchu piccada" sampler melds a few different Peruvian apps on one platter, including leche de Tigre, a sort of liquified ceviche.

The heavy emphasis on fish includes the seafood soup parihuela or arroz con mariscos, the Peruvian spin on paella. Meat- and bean-based dishes range from the stir fries lomo (beef) or pollo (chicken) saltado; chaufa rice (a Peruvian-style fried rice that can be threaded with meat or seafood); and tacu tacu, or egg-topped rice and beans. On the carb front is the Peruvian-style spaghetti called tallarines, which comes tumbled in a green sauce that tastes like pesto but lacks basil or nuts. Main courses begin at $14, for chaufa rice, and top out at $45 for platters for two. Caldera said that despite creamy sauces here and there, almost the entire menu is dairy-free.

At the end of January, Picchu received its liquor license and began pouring sangria, margaritas and Peru's signature drink, pisco sours.

Picchu Restaurant opens daily at 11 a.m. for lunch and dinner at 1245 Middle Country Rd., Selden; 631-320-0206