9 Puerto 511 Inner Harbor/Downtown

From the outside, this Peruvian restaurant looks a bit rundown. But it will win you over when you walk through the door into a darling room, which seats about 18. (Reservations are recommended.) We had one of our best meals of the year here with dishes like a wonderful arroz con mariscos (Peruvian paella) and a must-order huancaina spaghetti, a creamy concoction with rib-eye, shrimp and mushrooms. The service is sweet, and chef-owner Jose Victorio Alarcon often delivers the food himself.