Tarascas

Burritos as big as your head? Who needs 'em when you can have margaritas twice the size? Tarascas International House at 2585 North Clark Street can offer you just that. While the cuisine is closer to Mexican/Carribean than "international," Tarascas is one of the more authentic joints in LP.

However I must warn you: beware of the beverages. Do not order the large Margarita unless you plan to end the night dancing to the beat of your own drum (alone… on some sketchy dancefloor.) Regardless, a wide variety of margaritas are available and seem to please tequila-lovers all around. Not fitting into that niche, I enjoyed a delicious Mojito, chilled to the max, with a slew of fresh mint to boot.

My friends and I could not get enough of the Guacamole and Chips appetizer topped with anejo cheese and had to restrain ourselves from ordering another order as to save room for the fiesta of food that awaited us.

While "Seafood" is generally the category I skip first on any Mexican menu, I was pleasantly surprised by the high-quality jumbo shrimp in Joe's Shrimp Quesadilla Platter. Although a few more pieces wouldn't have hurt, the combination of cheese, mushrooms and spinach really worked for this one. The rice and beans on the side were to be expected, but were relatively flavorless and could have been bypassed.

The authenticity of this restaurant was harshly brought to our attention when our waiter stated: Chocolate is not used in Mexican dessert. So to satisfy my lingering sweet-tooth (note to self: diet starts mañana), I indulged in the Cheese Cake Xangos. Think: flaky, deep fried tortilla pastries stuffed with everyone's favorite filling. I believe the description speaks for itself on that one, folks.