Andina restaurant is the product of a long and fruitful
marriage between John and Doris Platt Rodriguez, representing two cultures fused into one project. John met Doris in her hometown of Cajamarca, Peru during his 2 years as a Peace Corps volunteer. John had already fallen in love with Peru and meeting Doris gave him the extra incentive to stay an additional 9 years. Two kids later, they returned to John's native Oregon and settled down in Corvallis with their expanded family of three young boys.

In 2002, their second son Peter had the vision of a restaurant where Peruvian culture, old traditions and new horizons could be reflected in a cuisine of great variety and quality. With
andina, John and his family are now completing the circle by bringing a taste of Peru to Oregon. Andina opened in Portland's Pearl District on July 15th, 2003 to favorable reviews and continues to carve out its niche with a unique and delectable cuisine.

The restaurant's interior, designed by Pearl architect Paul Scardina, beautifully updates the attributes of an old Portland warehouse with graceful touches of Peruvian color and antiquity, including a striking wine rack display modeled after a design from the pre-Incan Chimú culture of Peru's north coast. The palette is warm and based on simple earth tones, matching the exposed old Douglas fir ceiling beams and the reclaimed oak flooring. Vibrant wall hangings and photography reflect the equally colorful dishes which are served by an engaging, bilingual wait staff. A large open atrium space is framed by a Spanish style balcony which divides the formal dining area from the more informal mestizo, andina's lounge and tapas bar, where diners can eat and drink their fill from the copper table tops and rub elbows with their neighbors at the two long communal seating areas. Award-winning cocktails and an extensive South American and Spanish wine list complement the city's best cebiche and some of it's most innovative food. If that weren't enough exotic enticement, andina hosts live Latin music weekly.