Caramba!!

I may have been one of the few people who mourned the closing of La Herradura in Canaan. I liked its quesadilla and I liked the street-vendor-style tacos. But the ambiance was even a little too down-at-the-heels for me, and I have never met a greasy spoon I did not like.

Now another eccentric Mexican restaurant with a clever name, Mexi-Canaan, has opened on Railroad Street next to the video store. It's painted bright yellow and blue inside and you feel like you have stumbled into a typical family-run cafe on a side street in Puerto Vallarta where tourists are not expected to go. It's funky with cheap plastic lawn chairs surrounding the tables, but who cares when you are starved for an alternative to pizza and Chinese?

The restaurant has a good vibe. The young family who own it has an optimistic spirit, and they seem eager to please.

As in Mexico, the kids are hanging out at the restaurant and my chips, salsa, and menu were delivered to the table by an adorable girl who must have been all of 6. The food is promising and carefully presented, but don't expect American style Mexican food or frozen margaritas. I might have liked the savory enchiladas and rice and beans to have been piping hot, but I am guessing that the way they were served (closer to room temperature) was more authentic. For $5, the three "sopes"--thick corn cakes topped with beans, tomatillo sauce, crumbled cheese, onions, cilantro and sour cream--were a very tasty, quick lunch.

The restaurant does not officially open until Friday. There's no liquor license and they are not sure about BYOB or doing take-out, but I get the sense that the folks behind Mexi-Canaan are determined to make us happy, so we'll keep coming back. I know I will.