Nov 15, 2005 3:21 pm US/Mountain
Best Mexican Food? It's Not In Denver
By Doug Whitehead
by Doug Whitehead
ALAMOSA, Colo. (CBS4) ―
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Cavillo's Mexican Restaurant (image from the Alamosa County Chamber of Commerce Web site)
As I travel around the state, one thing I'm always on the lookout for is good Mexican food. I usually try the chile rellenos before I form an opinion of a place.
Denver has quite a few good Mexican restaurants, and a few are even worth going back to. But for my taste buds, hot as they may be after a spicy meal, the best I've ever found in Colorado is served in the San Luis Valley.
I always ask locals to advise me on the best in the area. Three different people on three different days told me that "Hands down, that would be Calvillos."
* * *On the east side of downtown Alamosa, the parking lot is already filling up, even though I get there early, around 4 in the afternoon, on a weekday.
My eye, and nose, are quickly focused on the buffet. Two large buffet tables teem with every imaginable Mexican dish you can imagine. And as one entree disappears, kitchen workers quickly replace it with another, piping hot entree. And I haven't even sat down at my table yet.
Jose Lopez joins me to explain the menu. He and his family come from Calvillo, Mexico. In 1997, with only $4,000, they opened a small restaurant in Alamosa. It became so popular so fast that they needed to expand into the bigger building I'm now sitting in. Jose says 80 percent of their recipes come directly from the family's matriarch. After looking at the menu, it becomes clear ... take your plate to the buffet. You'll never have a chance like this to sample so much in one place.
Posole, relleno casserole (great!), fajitas, guacamole, burritos, chicken, beef and pork dishes ... the list goes on.
Jose delivers shrimp to my table with three distinct sauces -- scampi (butter and garlic), "la ranchera" (mild spice w/ vegetables), and "a la diabla" (a zesty hot sauce). I'm in heaven.
I don't doubt Jose's story about a visitor from his country who told him "this food is better than in Mexico!"
The family also operates restaurants in Monte Vista and Center, Colo. Call them to learn more.
And then there's the dessert ...
* * *Cavillo's Mexican Restaurant
400 Main Street
Alamosa, CO 81101
(719) 587-5500
Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Calvillo's serves a lunch and dinner buffet daily.
(Copyright © MMV CBS Television Stations, Inc.)
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