Villa Azteca
157 Main St., Salinas
(831) 256-2669
During their years-long quest in The Searchers, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) and Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) stop at a border cantina. On the menu? Beans. Despite the suspect quality, Pawley calls out, “Mamacita, mas frijoles.” When Chef Suzanna Alvarez prepares beans at Villa Azteca, they are cooked slowly and with care. You want more – of everything – because dishes here are crafted from scratch. Maybe it was the same at the fictional big screen cantina, but the results are much different: moles of intricate savor, tortillas made by hand with a natural husky sweetness, meats that are tender yet bold. Even drinks like jamaica will catch your attention. Villa Azteca probably deserves a Michelin star. And you will come back for more.
