Queen’s Feast: Cantina 1511

This past weekend I took a little road trip home to see the family.  Maggie’s birthday is later this month and I went to kick off the celebrations with her.  Plus it was an excuse to see my parents and Baby Haines.

Come to find out, it was a GREAT weekend to head to Charlotte.  Queen’s Feast is going on!  Queen’s Feast is Restaurant Week in Charlotte.  Yes,  I grew up in Charlotte but there are so.many.restaurants I’ve never even heard of.  Saturday night, before we headed to Cajun Canvas for some painting action, Dad took his ladies to dinner at Cantina 1511.    After looking at the menu, we knew we were in for a treat.  For $30, we got a margarita, 2 appetizers each, an entree and dessert.  Ummm, we did not leave hungry!!!!

Since it was Maggie’s birthday, we went a little crazy and ordered something that wasn’t a part of the fixed menu.  A flight of margaritas!  We loved trying three of their most popular margaritas with the whole table.  Fresh and delicious!  The blood orange margarita was our favorite…will def go back and order another soon.  Big Guy missed out!

Appetizers:

• Top Shelf Guacamole – made fresh at your table
• Cantina 1511 Fundido – imported Mexican cheeses, melted with fresh herbs, jalapeno bacon, roasted pineapple and onions, served with steaming flour tortillas
• Mexican Chopped Salad – Romaine, chopped tomato, jicama, sweet onion, avocado, scallions, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, corn, roasted red peppers and Cotija cheese tossed in a chipotle ranch dressing
• Tortilla Soup – homemade Mexican classic: a hearty chicken vegetable soup topped with crispy tortillas and avocado

I went with the guac and the chopped salad.  Others at the table got the FUNDIDO!!!  The guac was super fresh (made at the table) and the chopped salad was really tasty.  Honestly, I could have been completely satisfied with just the salad and guac.  But there was more to come…

I did not order the fundido, but of course I had a few tastes.  It was the best cheese dip I’ve ever had.  Bacon, cheese, pineapple?  Shut up.

Entrees:

• Pescado Vera Cruz – market catch white fish smothered in a sweet tomato sauce with pepperoncini, olives and capers
• Barbacoa de Puerco – slow cooked, braised and shredded pork; served with Mexican vegetable rice, charro beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, shredded Mexican cheeses, shredded lettuce and warm flour tortillas
• Camarones Cubano – achiote marinated grilled shrimp placed over red rice, served with black beans, plantains and habanero crema
• Vegetarian Enchiladas – filled with portobello mushrooms, poblano peppers, mixed Mexican cheeses & fresh spinach

Maggie and I got the shrimp – loved, loved, loved the plantains!!!  Perfectly cooked.  And those black beans over rice was unlike any black bean dish I’d ever tasted.  Momma went with the enchiladas and Dad loved the baked cod (the fish of the night).

And that wasn’t even the end of it…

Desserts:

• Cuatro Leches Cake
• Mexican Chocolate Creme Brulee

I went with the Mexican Chocolate Creme Brulee – but don’t worry, I tried the cake.  The creme brulee had hints of cinnamon that I loved.  So rich and delicious.  Not your typical creme brulee.

So full.  But so impressed.  The service was awesome, the atmosphere was ideal and the food was out of this world.  I can’t wait to go back.

And I’m going to leave you with the paintings we rocked out….I won’t be giving up my day job any time soon.

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