There’s more to Peruvian cuisine than ceviche and lomo saltado, and that’s why Taita was such a welcome addition to the Denver dining scene when it opened just off Colfax in 2012. While this contemporary Peruvian restaurant does serve all the fare commonly associated with that country, it also offers plenty of other dishes that reflect the diversity of both the food of Peru and the background of chef-owner Jose “Pepito” Aparicio. His family roots are in Italy, but he was born in Peru, spent nearly two decades in Japan, and moved to Denver more than a dozen years ago – and that’s reflected in the fusion on his menu. “Peruvians don’t just use Inca food,” he says. “We use food from Africa, China, Japan and Italy and put it all together.” And he does so in a charming, century-old building shorn of coat after coat of paint to reveal exposed brick walls and a soaring timber ceiling. With pumpkin-colored paint, a pisco-sour-pouring bar and live Latin music on Fridays, the space is vibrant and fun -- except at lunch, when you might be the only one there.