El Pollo III

What's the one thing you crave after a somewhat intense and pretty exhausting workout?

Popeyes!  Because there is one right across the street from my gym.

What's the second thing, possibly healthier version, that we crave after a somewhat intense and pretty exhausting workout?

El Pollo III!

El Pollo III (no word on what happened to I and II) is a Peruvian restaurant right at the hub of 18th Avenue and 86th Street.  Plenty of shoppers abound and the neighborhood population has somehow skyrocketed, judging by the waves of people that get off the D train there.  We've walked by it lots of times, but only recently popped in...and then ordered delivery...and then popped in some more because it is really really good. 

Peruvians or people who have travelled to Peru can probably inform me on what proper Peruvian cuisine entails, but I love the simplicity of the pollo at El Pollo III.  We usually get something like a baked chicken and/or chicken stew.  The baked skin-on chicken is always and miraculously moist!  The chicken stew is a revelation: about $6 for a huge plate of chicken in a tomato sauce, stewed vegetables, rice, and beans.  It is juicy and just the right balance of tomatoey flavor, but not cloying or too mouth-puckeringly sour.  Pile on a little bit of their spicy green sauce and you have a dish that's undoubtedly great for clearing up your sinuses and improving your post-workout metabolism.

Hoo haa!