Mexican Food
The Cantina opened in Mill Valley in 1980 and became so popular it eventually added restaurants in Walnut Creek and Santa Rosa. In 2007, it sold to a restaurant group that changed its Mill Valley name to Maria Maria (and went for a pricier menu), but that venture didn’t last long. Late last year, it reopened as The Cantina, including the original chef, Jose Luis Barbara, who remains true to its original intent: great Mexican food at affordable prices.
The place has been repolished to include blond wood furnishings, brightly colored accents, two fireplaces inside and a fire pit on the patio. There are several interior rooms and plenty of outdoor seating for groups or couples—a little something for everyone. Speaking of which, there’s definitely a margarita for anyone who likes to imbibe (the menu lists 12 specialty and custom creations, all of which come by the glass or pitcher). We started with the watermelon margarita, which was served up with a sugar rim (but wasn’t too sweet), and a blood orange margarita, which came on the rocks and had a great citrus flavor.
The extensive menu has a wide range of food choices, and there’s also a separate lunch specials menu (shorter but still with a nice variety). We started with Southwest crab cakes, which come two to an order and are quite large. Meaty inside with a golden fried exterior, they were very fresh and colorful with a mild heat, topped with mango salsa and served with a sweet jicama and carrot slaw, fresh lemon and a tasty chipotle sauce.
Our next appetizer was the “mucho combo,” which has spicy chicken wings (with ranch dip), crisp flour tortilla cheese quesadilla slices, flautas and super nachos piled with beef, avocado, sour cream and salsa fresca. This is a good choice for a group.
For entrées, we first had the Torta Yucateca (a new item), which had two crispy flour tortillas layered with grilled chicken, bell peppers, onions, corn, tomatoes and cilantro, topped with green and red sauces (both with some heat), fresh sliced avocado and a dollop of sour cream. Next was the Vista del Mar, which had fresh fish, scallops and shrimp sautéed with peppers, onions and garlic in a white wine ranchero sauce, topped with plenty of melted cheese and a side of Mexican rice and black beans. Both came with a sweet corn cake (as do most specialty entrées on the menu).
Dessert was Kahlua flan, which had a perfect consistency and nice coffee flavor. A big scoop of deep fried vanilla ice cream came next, placed inside a cinnamon and sugar-covered tortilla, then topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce. Each was big enough to share.
