
Rockford Restaurant Week Spotlight | LimaMar Restaurant & Cocktail Bar
Rockford Restaurant Week runs Jan. 23-Feb. 2, and we’re putting a spotlight on different locally owned establishments to celebrate the occasion. Today we feature LimaMar Restaurant & Cocktail Bar, 221 E. State St., Rockford.
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — At Rockford’s only Peruvian restaurant, LimaMar Restaurant & Cocktail Bar, everything from the sauces that flavor traditional dishes to the sweet toppings on its unique cocktails is made from scratch.
It’s part of how head chef Rossana Maya Terry, who owns the boutique restaurant at 221 E. State St. with her husband, Ross, sets out to tell the story of the cuisine and culture of her home country.
“Any dish is who you are,” she said. “It is your roots and where you come from.”
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Maya Terry grew up in Lima, Peru, as part of a family that put cooking first. They ran restaurants in Peru and Colombia, and she brought those traditional recipes and her own creations to Rockford.
“Peruvian people, pretty much everyone likes to cook,” she said. “Since you open your eyes, your mother puts you in the kitchen.”
The husband-and-wife team bring their own specialities to the business. Rossanna is the chef while Ross serves as the chief mixologist, creating drinks such as his cotton candy cocktail that is garnished with housemade cinnamon cotton candy and designed to inspire childhood memories of going to a fair.
“The point of making an excellent cocktail is to tell a story. It’s got to be memorable,” Ross Terry said. “It tells you the story about the ingredients and what is trying to be portrayed. It’s an art.”

They take pride in making everything from scratch, including the sauces, seasonings and drinks made with ingredients brought here from Peru.
That includes the chicha morada, which is a classic Peruvian beverage made with Peruvian purple corn, cinnamon, cloves and pineapple.
Ernie Redfern said he and his wife, Helen, were among the first customers at LimaMar when it opened in 2019. He said the owners have succeeded beyond sharing the unique flavors from Peru.
“The food is exceptional, but they also go above that: The atmosphere, the bringing in of the Peruvian culture is there, the service is impeccable,” he said. “It is really a complete restaurant experience.”
The menu at LimaMar is constantly rotating, and for Rockford Restaurant Week they’ve brought back meals that have been customer favorites over nearly six years in business.
That includes tiradito classic, a Peruvian sashimi style mahi-mahi served in the slightly spicy and citrusy leche de tigre.
There’s also pescado sudado, a slow-cooked mahi-mahi in seafood broth and madre sauce that’s steamed with tomatoes, onions and shrimp.

The owners expect the orzo limeno to be a hit during restaurant week. It’s a beef tenderloin marinated with nikkei sauce and orzo, served over a creamy aji amarillo.
“It’s creamy. The beef tenderloin … it’s going to melt in your mouth,” Rossana said.
The decor is centered around Peruvian culture with some touches from Rockford, such as the ash wood table and bar tops from local ash trees and a series of lights that came from the old Amerock factory.
Ross Terry also leads monthly cocktail classes. The next one is Feb. 26.
The special for Restaurant Week is a three-course meal served with a pisco sour cocktail for $48. The pisco sour is Peru’s national drink, and it’s so celebrated that it has its own holiday the first Saturday of February.
LimaMar will have its own celebration of the drink next weekend as the holiday combines with the final weekend of Rockford Restaurant Week.
Fast facts | LimaMar Restaurant

Here’s a breakdown on what’s being offered for Rockford Restaurant Week and the quick need-to-know information about the restaurant.
What’s the special? LimaMar is offering a three-course meal with a pisco sour cocktail for $48. It’s also offering martinis for $10, including cotton candy, PisCoffee, Lima lychee, black rose and banana splash.
Restaurant Week menu: See it HERE
Location: 221 E. State St., Rockford
Hours: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday
Opened: Sept. 29, 2019
Owner: Rossana Maya Terry
On the web: limamarrestaurant.com
Facebook: @LimaMarRestaurant
Instagram: @limamarrestaurant

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas