Piqueo, named after the Peruvian term for tapas, opened approximately 100 feet from owner Gerry Sarmiento's already-existing restaurant, Mezzanote Ristorante, in November.

The restaurant serves a South American cuisine, focusing on recipes from Peru, Argentina and Mexico.

Tapas restaurants, Spanish for snacks, are a popular trend in the local eatery scene, but Sarmiento wanted to open one years ago.

"I am Peruvian and I always had in my heart and my mind to open a Peruvian restaurant, but when we opened our first restaurant in 2005 we decided to hedge our bet by going Italian because everyone is familiar with the cuisine," Sarmiento said.

Piqueo, 13215 Grant Road, Cypress, 281-404-4190, www.piqueo.com