DELICIOUS

Nazca Kitchen

DID YOU KNOW: Nazca Kitchen owner Craig Collins named the restaurant after the Nazca Lines, which are mysterious geometric shapes etched into the Peruvian desert more than 2,000 years ago.

crafted menu includes dishes based on South and Latin American specialties, and determining which recipes made the cut was slow and deliberate.

“We made every item 17 times, at least twice a week, before we knew we had it,” says Juan Chavez, director of operations.

Areal estate lawyer-turned-restauranteur gets divorced and travels to South America. He becomes so captivated by the culture and cuisine that he decides to open a Latin American restaurant once he returns to the United States, and the business venture becomes a cathartic experience.

While the storyline may be reminiscent of a Hollywood movie, Nazca Kitchen’s inception traces back to Craig Collins’ first trip across the continent. Collins — who also runs longtime barbecue franchise Red Hot & Blue — was impressed with the robust flavor of the food he ate as he traipsed across Brazil, Argentina and Peru.

“I thought, ‘Man, someone could do well if they had a restaurant that put all the best of South America into one concept,’ ” he says.

Nazca Kitchen opened along Walnut Hill Lane on Dec. 21, 2012 — ironically, the last day of the Mayan calendar, when some predicted the world would end. The carefully

Four years later, the restaurant is opening its second location in West Village, and Collins has taken a dozen trips across the continent for research and inspiration. He spent a week in Peru and Chile in December just to master a Peruvian cocktail and to hunt for the “penultimate empanada” recipe, he says.

“We’ll add a couple items, tweak the menu and hopefully have it pay dividends,” he says.

Nazca Kitchen

Ambiance: contemporary, casual restaurant

Collins’ main priority is authenticity, and he goes great lengths to achieve it. Before acai was readily available in the U.S., he flew in 40 pounds from Brazil for Nazca Kitchen’s Acai Bowl, which is served with the pureed berries, homemade granola, strawberries and bananas.

Price Range: $6-$22

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sunday-Thursday; 10:30 a.m.10 p.m. Friday-Saturday 8041 Walnut Hill Lane 214.696.2922 nazcakitchen.com

As determined as Collins is to share a taste of South America with Dallas, his philosophy on hospitality is as southern as it gets.

“I think a lot of restaurants lose track that when you have guests in a restaurant, they’re guests They’re doing us a favor by being in our restaurant.”

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D.A. Hulcy STEAM Middle

• Project-based learning STEAM school accepting new 6th graders

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CityLab High School

• Brand new high school accepting new 9th graders with a focus on Urban Planning and Architecture

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