Chicken
Its name might be all about chicken, but sides (85 cents to $2.25) are the thing at this Peruvian eatery in Ballston, a hit with day laborers, families, and office workers. Stewed kidney beans, rich and earthy, or a ladleful of cumin-scented chickpeas pairs well with white rice. Plantains have a wonderful burnt sweetness. And the fried yucca and steak fries are reliable. The chicken—$6.75 for a half, $12.50 for a whole—is good, too, if not as charred-tasting as other area renditions.