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Maritza Paz owns two restaurants, both called Chef Paz, but located 4,000 miles apart. One is in Peru and the other is in West Allis at 9039 W. National Ave.

Paz, who is from Iquitos, Peru, was born into a family of well-known Peruvian chefs who cooked for presidents, military officials, famous entertainers and more.

While living in Peru, Paz married, had four children and worked in cuisine for many years. However, after she divorced her husband, she was left to raise four children, and decided it was in her and her family’s best interest to emigrate to the United States.

"In my country, when you are 40, you are considered too old to work and it is very difficult to get a job," says Paz.

In 2002, Paz obtained a work visa and moved to Miami with her kids. It was a challenging time to move to the United States – Sept. 11 had happened just a few months earlier and newcomers of color were not always made to feel welcome.

Paz started her career in the United States by washing dishes, but before long, found herself consulting for and training at a variety of successful restaurants in Florida.

She later moved to Madison to help open three new restaurants – El Corral, Inka Heritage and Pollo Inka. Inka Heritage is the only one of the three that’s open today, but that’s common in the business.

"The first year is very hard for many restaurants," says Paz. "They either make it or break it."

In Milwaukee, Peruvian restaurants Mr. Sebass, 3427 W. National Ave., and El Tondero, 2462 S 13th St., both closed.

Paz has opened a total of 14 restaurants in Peru, Florida and Wisconsin. She says it usually takes her two or three months to get a new or struggling restaurant on track.

While in Madison, Paz got married again and started a catering business.

In 2011, she took a consulting job in West Allis to advise the owner of La Parihuela, located in what is now the Chef Paz space. Within a month, she decided to go back to Madison. She did not think the restaurant was "rescuable" because, among other issues, she believed the name and the menu were too confusing.

"Parihuela" is a Peruvian soup similar to bouillabaisse, but Paz felt it was too difficult for customers to pronounce and remember. She also believed the menu, a mix of Peruvian, Mexican and American dishes, needed more focus.

"I said, ‘I’m sorry, I cannot do my job here,’" says Paz.

She returned to Madison and a short time later, received a letter from the mayor of West Allis asking her to return to open a restaurant of her own in the La Parihuela building which had closed shortly after she left.

Paz divorced a second time, moved to West Allis and opened Chef Paz on July 27, 2012. She also opened the restaurant in Peru, which is run by one of her sons, also a chef.

Two of Paz’s three sons are chefs and her daughter is an international business student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who will graduate in May.

Peruvian food is a unique blend of Peruvian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, French, German and West African cuisines.

Paz has more than 2,000 signature recipes that she rotates on her menu which changes seasonally. Popular items include the classic lomo slatado, strips of marinated-in-soy-sauce beef stir-fried with onion and tomato and the salteado de mariscos, a sautee of fresh and shelled seafood served with rice, fries and a delectable green sauce.

The cuisine’s fusion is particularly noticeable in items like the linguine, available with either an Italian pesto sauce or huancaina, a cheese cream sauce from Peru.

"It’s a little different, in a good way," she says.

Most items range between $9 and $18.

Although the restaurant has a liquor license, only one kind of beer is one the menu – the Peruvian Cuzqueña. Sangria, pisco sour and other traditional drinks are also on the menu.

"There are eight bars around here and I don’t want to look at drunk people," Paz says.

Non-alcoholic drink choices include Inka Kola imported soda and chica morada, a popular Peruvian drink made from purple corn, pineapple rind, cinnamon and cloves.

Although Paz now has an assistant in the kitchen, she still does much of the cooking herself.

"It’s my passion," she says.

The decor is clean, bright and simple. After she took over the space, Paz scrubbed and painted, hung art given to her by friends and added affordable seating and light fixtures. She believes that when renting a space, it’s not worth the time or money to drastically change the appearance of a place on loan.

Paz says despite the small Peruvian population in Milwaukee she has experienced great success so far because of positive word-of-mouth reviews.

"Some people know the cuisine either because they have traveled to Peru – to Machu Picchu. Others are curious and want to try it because they heard a nice recommendation," she says.

Chef Paz is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. On the second Sunday of every month – January through September – Paz serves a $12.99 all-you-can-eat Peruvian buffet. Reservations are required.

"I don't serve the brunch during Packers season," says Paz.