Casa Cantina offers alternative cuisine at affordable prices

by Carrie Lauer
FOR THE POST

rating: 7

Hey, it must be good.

Casa Nueva, 4 W. State St., welcomes customers with a festive, south-of-the-border atmosphere, along with a 30-minute wait if it happens to be Friday night. With Christmas lights strewn from the ceiling and colorful, vibrant art decorating the walls, this is clearly a restaurant that emphasizes good times.

Mexican staples dominate the menu, with items including burritos, enchiladas, beans and rice, tacos, empañadas, and chimichangas.

Casa caters to non-meat eaters, too, by including an abundance of vegetarian dishes. A few vegetarian choices include a vegan burrito, soy cheese, salads and soups and organic, fresh bottled juices and teas. Tofu also is offered in tacos and enchiladas as an alternative to chicken or beef. Some vegetarian desserts are vegan chocolate mousse and vegan strawberry ice cream.

This worker-owned and -operated establishment also boasts an impressive beer selection in the Casa Cantina, including most domestic favorites, along with an array of authentic Mexican imports.

Customers have their choice of seven different salsas to enjoy with tortilla chips, but patrons must pay for chips and salsa at this Mexican eatery. Unlike Don Pablo's or Chi Chi's, free chips and salsa are not rushed out to the table before the order is taken. Salsa choices include house hot, house mild, black bean, salsa verde, chipotle, habañero, and seasonal salsas, which as the name suggests, vary according to the season.

When hunger really strikes, a dinner combination platter may be the logical choice. These entrees fall in the price range from $8 to $10, making them slightly more expensive than the traditional dishes, which range from $5 to $6.

My dining group and I began with a basket of chips and the house mild salsa. The mild salsa truly is mild in every sense of the word, allowing me to eat as much as I desired without needing six glasses of water.

For the main course, I ordered the empañada. This interesting creation is described in the menu as, "crispy puff pastry filled with melted cheese and choice of two of the following: veggies of the day (which were kale and mushrooms), tofu, chicken or beef." This reminded me of a fresher, healthier version of a DP Dough creation. It was very filling and the melted cheese and puff pastry were my favorite aspects of this dish.

The empañada did little to tantalize my taste buds and to fill my stomach, but it was a lot fresher and yummier than something at Boyd Dining Hall, so I was not about to complain.

Overall, my experience at Casa was a good one. The service was friendly and knowledgeable, and the dessert menu looked delicious. My lack of funds ended a stint with the chocolate satin cake with chocolate-hazelnut frosting, a slice of Athens' favorite cheesecake or the apple crisp.

I would recommend Casa to anyone who is feeling caught in a food rut and is having the urge to try something different. It is guaranteed to spice up anyone's life.