The Charlottesville 29

For the first 19 years of his life, Eddy Moreno never gave the American Dream much thought. For the last 19, he has been pursuing it.

As a child Moreno fell in love with food at his mother’s restaurant in Peru. When he grew old enough, he went to culinary school and took a job at a hotel in Costa Rica. There, guests enjoyed his food so much that they told him that in America he could have a chance of opening his own restaurant.

That was 2006. Fast forward 19 years, and Moreno and his brother now have two Inka Grill restaurants in Charlottesville, sharing the food of their native Peru. Restaurants run by immigrants like Moreno are a win-win — enabling pursuit of their dreams while enriching the community with new flavors and experiences.

I recently enjoyed an amazing feast at Inka Grill with two other American Dreamers: Maria Salazar-Gil and Jesus Salazar, owners of Charlottesville’s Best New Restaurant, Arepas Steakhouse. Read about it in latest Dinner with Simon, in the July 7, 2025 The Daily Progress. Or find the pdf here.