When people think of home, they might think of their house, their family, or maybe the feeling of Saturday gamedays in Athens. But for me, I think of my local Mexican restaurant. Fill up on some chips and queso, move on to the enchilada supremas, and if I really want to elevate my experience, I’ll top it off with a sopapilla.
My family and I’s go-to restaurant is Taqueria la Parilla, more commonly known in my personal lingo as “La Pa.” But there might be a close contender on the horizon. Cielito Lindo is a new, authentic Mexican restaurant that opened on October 21. It is located close to the University of Georgia’s campus on Baxter Street. If you are familiar with Kique’s Kitchen in Watkinville, you might also enjoy Cielito Lindo, which was founded by the same family.
The moment I walked in, I was met with the vivid colors within the murals and the tiled tables. I had later learned that the restaurant’s decorations are inspired by the homes in Honduras: there were hanging umbrellas on the balcony and stringed flowers suspended from the ceiling.
Of course, the only proper way to start my full-course meal at a Mexican restaurant is by beginning with a basket of chips in between queso and salsa. The salsa tasted like any salsa made in bulk, but the queso was on a different level. Some queso can taste like cream with a side of cheese. But no. The flavor of this queso was sharp and rich. Just how I like it. I decided to switch it up from my usual enchiladas and chose the street tacos made with homemade tortillas. Even though the tortilla itself was thicker than I would prefer, the strong flavor of cilantro and onions exploded inside my mouth, offering an exhilarating savory experience.
But it wouldn’t be a full food review without some dessert, so I topped off my meal with a sopapilla. If you aren’t familiar with this delicacy, it consists of a fried tortilla coated in cinnamon sugar with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. And I must say, it was phenomenal. Cielito Lindo did not come to play with the cinnamon sugar. Their sopapilla satisfied my taste buds, and it’s safe to say that was the best sopapilla I have ever had.
Cielito Lindo is a spectacular new Mexican restaurant here in Athens, and I encourage everyone to go out and give it a taste!
