The home of one of Aspen’s favorite restaurants, The Cantina, which used to be one of the most reasonably priced restaurants in town, is now home to Mi Chola.  This new restaurant has average food that is rather expensive, but the restaurant has a wonderful interior design.

The Food

The menu at first glance looks impressive, as the meals consist not only of the typical Colorado Mexican dishes—tacos, chimichangas, nachos, and burritos—but also meals from the top of Central America to the bottom of South America. The wide variety of is nice; however, sometimes a cheap street taco satisfies the taste buds more than a fancy risotto.  For the most part, the food is good, but it is not excellent.  That being said, the real test of any Mexican restaurant is its guacamole, and Mi Chola’s guacamole passed the test: it was fresh and had the perfect ratio of tomatoes to onions to lime juice to avocados. So for some tasty, but not great, Mexican food, Mi Chola would be a fine option.

The Atmosphere

Although the food did not wow, the restaurant’s atmosphere was wonderful. The interior of the restaurant is authentic to the Mexican culture, but with a very hip and stylish flair.  The skulls were an interesting reference to the Mexican celebration, the Day of the Dead.  

The outdoor dining stayed true to the popular Cantina patio on Main Street; in the summer months, this will remain a prime spot to people watch. The patio space was updated from the old Cantina, but the renovation was subtle. There is lattice roofing, grey brick, wire chairs, and overhead heaters – the latter being a welcome touch on a chilly spring evening.

Pricing

The pricing was a bit higher than anticipated, as Mexican food is usually reasonably priced.  This was perhaps the biggest disappointment.  Gone is a cheap meal favored by Aspen High School students out with friends.  Instead, the prices have risen significantly, although the food quality has yet to catch up.  It seems as though they tried to spice up the menu to justify the higher prices.  In reality, the food is not as good as the old chimichangas and fish tacos we all loved at the Cantina.  But, as one of the owners, Darren Chapple, told the Aspen Times, they are paying for a 7,000 sq. ft. space on Main Street, so the prices must pay for the location. “Because it’s Aspen, we have to have some flair and some bling,” Chapple told the Aspen Times.  Flair and bling, however, doesn’t have to come with a high price tag, and only time will tell if Aspen locals will embrace Mi Chola’s new twist on an old favorite.