Loco Lizard Cantina

When you think Park City Utah, the logical line of thinking would take you to skiing, Olympic park and perhaps even Mormons and polygamy.

But, fresh Mexican? Surely you jest. Yet in Deer Valley, when the beautiful views can easily distract you and encourage dreams of alpine skiing and gold medals, there is an unassuming restaurant in a strip mall that shouldn't go unnoticed.

After a relatively uneventful, albeit lengthy, my wife and I headed into Park City in our rented Chevy Traverse, guided by our GPS. Famished by Delta's lack of in- flight meals, I acted as if I was an impoverished carnivore, willing to suffer through salad just to achieve satiation.

In the outskirts of, as well as within the walls of Park City proper, the architecture is extremely repetitive, so you won't be able to identify any "M" arches or other trademarks.

Since Mexican sounded much more appetizing than the flavorless cold cuts pressed between two slices of cardboard served to me by an indifferent stewardess, I was optimistic.

The Loco Lizard Cantina fits the mold of what you might picture a Mexican restaurant should be. music playing that you don't know the lyrics to, much less understand; international soccer playing on the TVs and a waitstaff who assumes they can complain about you in Spanish because you can't translate it.

The complimentary chips and salsa started off the meal. Salsa Verde was also there; a nice touch to the typical single salsa offering. I ordered guacamole which was delicious. I love large chunks of avocado in my "guac" and this had it. Also present was just enough cilantro which can very often overpower the side dish. In this case, there was a good balance of each ingredient making it an encouraging start to our meal.

With sodas ordered, we decided on the shredded beef quesadillas. Several common problems will often accompany said dish: Soggy tortillas, uneven distribution of ingredients, and occasionally the "squeeze out of the sides" bites. Fortunately, our order had none of those faults. The tortilla was just perfectly crispy without being to stiff, and the shredded beef stood out as the clear star of the dish. I was able to secure bits of the beef in each bite without overwhelmed by the cheese. The beef, cheese and seasonings all fit the proper quesadilla profile. The marinated shredded beef was also vastly greater than ground beef which would have likely taken away from the standout flavors. All in all, probably one of the best beef quesadillas we've ever eaten.

My wife ordered the carnitas: Pulled pork, refried beans, sour cream and a flour tortilla. It came in "fajita style" where you get to put it all together (not on a sizzling skillet). The pork was fabulous. It had clearly been slow cooked and fell apart when touched with a utensil. I always find that encouraging. In its preparation, the pork was cooked with a sweet marinade. Its succulence permeated successfully and contrasted well with the tart from the sour cream and smooth texture of the refried beans.

I ordered the chicken trio: an enchilada, tamale and taco. I've never been a fan of tamales, and while this attempt didn't make me a fan, it certainly impressed and reinforced to me about what good preparation can produce. This tamale made me consider them in the future.

The enchilada was a step above others I have eaten too. The cheese, chicken and spices worked seamlessly. While it could certainly stand on it's own the side of black beans added depth and complexity to each bite.

Short of being serenaded by a mariachi band to celebrate the third act of my chicken trio, I couldn't have concluded the dish with a better choice than the taco. I opted for the hard shell because that for me is usually the key factor (at least for me) in how enjoyable tacos can be. A premade and uniform shell (like those found at Taco Bell, Baja Fresh, Qdoba) really can ruin it. I like the taco to be puffy, super crispy and made to order. Doing so creates a lightness and crunch that will enhance all the flavors it holds. The crispy, airy blisters in the freshly made taco shell maintain that lightness you want. The pulled chicken was marinated in adobo and you could sense it throughout the taco and it's blend of shredded cheeses. The sour cream's cooling effect worked well also.

I was also pleased to find that when I bit into the crunchy taco, it didn't split in half along the bottom hull of the shell depositing the ingredients at my plate.

For less than $40, this is probably one of the best Mexican restaurants I've ever visited. If you ever make your way to Park City, skip Main Street Pizza & Noodle and make your way to Loco Lizard Cantina.

Oh and if you’re thirsty, you can wash it down with a nice cold bottle of Polygamy Porter. (Yes…that’s a real beer out there)