Reader: Chains may dominate the south suburbs, but we have some great ethnic fare

For this week's review (which will be published later today), Gretchen Kurtz ventured south to La Polleria, the Peruvian polleria that opened in a strip mall in 2011, bringing authentic ethnic flavor to a suburban space. And it was a welcome addition, says one reader: See also: - It takes...

By Patricia Calhoun

February 27, 2013

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For this week's review (which will be published later today), Gretchen Kurtz ventured south to La Polleria, the Peruvian polleria that opened in a strip mall in 2011, bringing authentic ethnic flavor to a suburban space.

And it was a welcome addition, says one reader:

Says TheJeff:

It definitely does take pluck to open a polleria in Centennial! I hope he's very successful, and I'll certainly check the place out. I live in Greenwood Village, and I'll admit that most of the residents around here aren't very adventurous. I suppose you find pockets of those sorts of diners everywhere though. There was a commenter in the article on Aurora restaurants who won't try any restaurant in the state's third most populous city because he's irrationally frightened of being "carjacked or shot."

There's no getting around that chains dominate the south suburbs. We do have some great ethnic fare though. Just along Arapahoe road, for example, you'll find Pho Lee and Pho Saigon which would hold their own with any place on Federal; India's Castle, which is as good as any Indian food in the metro area (there's a great Indian grocery in the same strip mall); and Sahara, which does great authentic Moroccan and Lebanese. The latter has been there for 20+ years, so someone must be going.

Watch for Gretchen Kurtz's review of La Polleria later today. And in the meantime, what are your favorite independent, ethnic spots in the suburbs?

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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