
The blue-lit dining room at Nueva Cantina in St. Pete. Photo: Ben Montgomery/Axios
I took your Mexican food challenge.
Flashback: I said I love La Fiesta, arguing it may be the best in the area. And everybody southwest of the Gandy Bridge said I should try Nueva Cantina — née "that Mexican place," née El Gallo Grande — at 1625 Fourth St. South in St. Pete.
- I worked in downtown St. Pete for a decade and can’t believe I’d never heard of this place.
- I had the chili rellenos, a sauteed poblano that was egg-battered and pan-fried and topped with a rich and smoky mole and cheddar cheese (the menu said queso fresco, but I didn’t mind at all).
- And I might’ve had a delicious margarita.
Thanks for the recommendation. It was really very good. But my quest for the best continues.

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