Canyon Cafe

I don't know how many years ago Canyon Cafe opened -- it's been a while -- but we were there within a month or so of its birth. That's unusual for us; we tend to say "we need to try this new place," and then promptly forget about it for six months or longer. I think it must've been suggested by friends more eager than we to rub their thumbs along the cutting edge of fashion. Anyway, it was a long time ago, and we weren't impressed. After that, we didn't go back for many years, until someone held some event there that we attended, and at that point we found that things were greatly improved. Since then, we've been back a number of times, and if it weren't for the sheer number of excellent restaurants in town, plus the number of interesting-but-unknown restaurants, we'd probably go much more often.

There are several nice touches that help make Canyon Cafe an enjoyable experience, in addition to very good food prepared with a flair. The decor, to me, evokes the quiet wealth of San Miguel de Allende, without all the dusty streets, stray dogs, and loud tourists in inappropriate clothing. It's a façade, of course, a mix of Southwestern decay and post-modern cheap, but it's effective. And the chips and salsa are particularly good here: the baskets of tostadas contain a mix of chips, some seasoned, some sweetened, some regulár, that never fail to surprise in a good way. And at the end, the cold white chocolate tamale presented to all the diners is a unique and special treat.

I won't bother describing the particular dishes we tried; everything we've had at Canyon Cafe since we renewed our acquaintance with it has been delicious and interesting. The house margaritas are a little on the dull side, but they, too, are effective. And really, isn't that the main thing in a margarita?