Okay, so maybe it's the only Peruvian restaurant in Pittsburgh.  At least the only one I could find.  Nevertheless, they offer good food for reasonable prices in a cozy space. It is also a nice change from the myriad American and Thai places in Shadyside. 

La Feria is a bit tricky to notice if you don't know it's there.  It's above Pamela's on Walnut Street and is open Monday-Saturday 11AM-10PM, so even if Pamela's looks closed, walk on in. 

Their menu is small, but well done.  They offer a variety of sandwiches and salads as well as one or two dinner specials each day.  One of the specials is always vegetarian, as are many of the sandwiches and salads, so herbivores always have options.  My companion ordered the non-vegetarian special, leaving me to try the vegetarian special, Ocopa.  The Ocopa involved potatoes in a cheese and peanut sauce, which sounded odd, but turned out great.  The chicken was good too, and in fact more flavorful.  Each meal also came with rice, bread, and a side salad, and when I say "side salad," I don't mean a few crummy leaves of lettuce and a slice of tomato.  This salad, topped with walnuts, could have served as a meal by itself.  The rice and the bread were both rather bland (the bread tasted like it came from Giant Eagle a couple days ago), but they were just sides anyway.

Oh, and I want to offer a warning about the drinks.  No matter how cool a drink called "Inca Kola" sounds, and despite the fact that it's the national soda of Peru, it's not tasty.  It is neon yellow and it tastes like sugar water with a hint of banana.  Don't bother.  Instead, go for the homemade lemonade.

I couldn't write a review of La Feria without explaining the reason it exists.  As stated on their website, their goal is to "preserve the quality and tradition of Peruvian folk art by providing a market for it in the U.S."  As such, the restaurant is just a part of a Peruvian art gallery and shop.  They sell a lot of nice one-of-a-kind crafts, including hats, blankets, and little artistic knickknacks.  So support Peru, support folk art, and eat and shop at La Feria.

Restaurant type: Peruvian!
How to get there: Walk to 5527 Walnut St. in Shadyside. 
Price for an entrée: $7-11
Website: http://www.laferia.net

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