When the weather starts to warm up, there’s something that my husband, Jack and I crave: margaritas and Mexican food! Nearly starving last Saturday evening, we pulled into La Cocina & Cantina located on Chestnut Street in Virginia, Minnesota.
Greeted by authentic Mexican décor, one could have sworn we were transported to a little café south of the border. Glancing at the extensive margarita menu, my husband and I decided to share a delicious Mango margarita and while we decided what we were going to eat, we munched on freshly fried tortilla chips and some tasty pico de gallo. In no time, we had to ask for seconds on the salsa.
After taking a careful look at the menu, Jack tried something traditional-a sizzling mix of beef and chicken fajitas-I decided to try something unique; the waitress pointed out that the Shrimp Ensenada-four jumbo shrimp with a chorizo Mexican sausage stuffing wrapped in jalapeno bacon-could not be found anywhere else.
When our entrees arrived, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into the shrimp. The waitress was right; they tasted like nothing else I’ve tried before: the shrimp had a butter and smoky flavor that had a nice little kick to them. I let Jack taste my shrimp and he nodded in agreement that they were delicious. Of course, I had to have myself a large bite of his fajita which was SOOO yummy; the ingredients were fresh, peppers cooked to perfection and the seasoned perfectly.
As if we weren’t full enough, we let our server talk us into some dessert. We first wanted to indulge in the Jack Daniels Chocolate Cake, but it had almonds in it and Jack is allergic to nuts. Slightly disappointed (He always hinders my dessert choices!), our server suggested we try the Key Lime Pie (that was her favorite). The tangy and creamy pie actually proved to be a swell choice; just enough sweetness without a ton of guilt.
When looking for a taste of ethnic Mexican food, La Cocina & Cantina won’t disappoint. We agreed that the service rated high, the food was tasty and authentic and the atmosphere added a flair to the entire experience.
