Discreet Diner: Tortilla Press Cantina
An overflow crowd often lingers on the sidewalk outside Tortilla Press in Collingswood as diners await a weekend table. The BYOB restaurant on Haddon Avenue has quickly gained popularity with its affordable, Mexican-influenced menu.
An overflow crowd often lingers on the sidewalk outside Tortilla Press in Collingswood as diners await a weekend table. The BYOB restaurant on Haddon Avenue has quickly gained popularity with its affordable, Mexican-influenced menu.
Diners should welcome Press' roomier cousin, Tortilla Press Cantina, which opened in November in Pennsauken, just over the Cherry Hill border off Haddonfield Road. Owners Mark Smith and Lydia Cipriani were looking to expand to a place they could serve real margaritas. They found a good spot - with ample parking and an affordable liquor license.
As in Collingswood, the Pennsauken dining room radiates with warmth - bright yellow, purple, orange, blue and green chairs and napkins; bold paintings; and wood floors. It seats 150, plus the lounge. There's room for live entertainment on Wednesday and Saturday nights, and karaoke on alternate Fridays. It's a slightly different kind of fun - and crowd - from Collingswood.
And the food is just as good.
By "Mexican-influenced," chef Smith explains on his Web site, he's aiming for tastes familiar to the American palate but served with Mexican seasonings and sauces. Sure, the menu offers a sprinkling of quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos and fajitas, but not always with the expected meat and cheese fillings. Smith creates different "American" items with unusual combinations, such as the rajas poblano burger, a spice-coated burger topped with peppers, onions and Mexican oregano. There are tortilla strips and pico de gallo in the chef salad, and cilantro mayonnaise on the turkey wrap.
We started with a twist on a standard appetizer: blue corn-meal-crusted calamari ($8). Once we got past its unusual color, we polished it off in no time, especially when dunked in tasty jalapeño dipping sauce. We also enjoyed small baskets of chips, mild salsa, and black bean dip.
Our teen deputies opted for shrimp fajitas ($18), which were a bit too heavy on sautéed peppers and onions. One loved the coating of Mexican barbecue sauce; the other wasn't quite sure. The accompanying guacamole was a bit pale that night and overly crunchy with onions. The sides of red rice and refried pintos, however, were scrumptious.
The Cantina's burritos burst with filling. Having enjoyed a sweet potato dish in Collingswood, I went with the portobello mushroom and sweet potato burrito ($13) here. It also contained lettuce, tomato, avocado and salsa, plus a side of sautéed squash, carrots and green beans - a veritable vegetarian feast! I had the leftovers for lunch the next day.
My dining partner raved about the quality of the scallops in the shrimp-and-scallop burrito ($16.50). More robust than I, he cleaned his plate.
If you're open to new taste combinations, Tortilla Press Cantina (or the original in Collingswood) is the place for you.
Discreet Diner: Tortilla Press Cantina
7716 Maple Ave., Pennsauken.
856-488-0005.
Hours
: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (lounge closes at 10 p.m.); Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (lounge closes at midnight); Sunday, 3-9 p.m. (lounge closes at 10 p.m.)
Parking lot
: Yes.
Children's menu
: Yes.
Cocktails
: Yes.
Handicapped accessible
: Yes.
On the Web
:
» READ MORE: www.tortillapresscantina.com
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