The Rocket

Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Kristen Baselj Following a meal of authentic Mexican food, El Canelo in New Castle offers the Super Sopapilla dessert, similar to fried ice cream. [Click to enlarge]

You could easily drive right past it if you weren't looking for it, but El Canelo, a restaurant that offers authentic Mexican food, is worth a second look, or rather, a second taste.

Located in New Castle, El Canelo, which literally means "the cinnamon tree" in Spanish, is one of three restaurants in a chain, with the other two locations being in Erie.

An abundance of menu selections vary from huevos con chorizo (eggs and sausage) to lobster fajitas to tostaguac (a flat tortilla topped with beef) and chiles poblanos (poblano peppers stuffed with cheese). The restaurant even makes and bottles its own drinks in root beer, black cherry, orange, wild apple, strawberry, vanilla cream and blue raspberry flavors.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

At the beginning of each meal, fresh, warm tortilla chips and salsa are served, so my guest and I decided to skip an appetizer.

For the main entrée, we ordered "The Jalisco," which consisted of one chicken burrito covered in an onion sauce and one chicken enchilada topped with a sweet, red sauce. These two Mexican traditions were stuffed to capacity with tender, seasoned chicken and covered with an appetizing Mexican cheese.

Still sizzling and steaming when brought to the table, the Chicken Fajitas platter we ordered came with warm flour tortillas, bell peppers, onions, refried beans, Spanish rice and guacamole salad. This combination allowed you to create your own fajitas with the toppings of your liking.

El Canelo offers a limited liquor selection and domestic and Mexican-imported bottled beers. Imports included Tecate, Negro Modelo, Bohemia and Carta Blanca.

My guest and I decided to go with the Super Sopapilla for dessert. Atop four fried, flour tortillas that were covered in honey, cinnamon and butter sat a large scoop of fried ice cream and strawberries, which I highly recommend. It's a delightful combination of vanilla ice cream coated with a crunchy, fried, cinnamon outer layer.

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