Vail: la cantina

La Cantina means The Cantina. And in Vail, la cantina means the best food in town. If you find yourself in Vail and you're hungry, skip the four-star German and French restaurants and skip the other world-famous eateries there. Head to the bus terminal. Go downstairs. Order anything on the menu. Eat it.

The decor is very un-Vail. You pick up your food at the counter. What's a place like this even doing in Vail?

I settled on the pork burrito.

They aren't fooling around! Before smothering it in one of their salsas up at the counter, I picked up the burrito. Easily 2 pounds. 2 pounds of some of the most flavorful pork you will ever eat. And a shot of guacamole. Normally I have no problem saying "no guac" but this time I forgot to say it and I am kind of glad I did. That's good guac.

Above, coming to the end of pork, pork, and more pork.

T-Bonz ordered the chicken enchilada combination so she got full-size sides of rice and beans. I had just small servings of each. Look two photos up and you can see there is hardly any room for them because of the burrito.

But the beans! Not made with the standard pinto beans but rather made with black beans! I had not had Frijoles Refritos made with black beans for 20 years. A neighbor friend from Honduras always had black Frijoles Refritos on hand. Mashed black beans on white bread - now that's good eats.

Two thumbs up for this place. I don't know if la cantina has been around long in Vail and I don;t know if the clientèle will keep it going so get up there soon and go eat here.