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For the last few weeks, I've been watching Cantarinos Mexican Restaurant taking shape, as it's the new Mexican restaurant in the building that formerly was host Nela's Mexican Restaurant, which closed on the last day of 2022. I just happened to be in downtown Roseville, CA, Saturday morning, February 25, 2023, and almost literally, stumbled in for their "soft" opening. As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's twenty minutes past today's "soft opening" time of 10:00 in the morning... the first day the restaurant opened their doors to business, and lucky me, as I just "happened" to be in downtown Roseville, as I was actually on my way to visit another restaurant. I quickly changed my plans and opted to "open up" Los Cantarinos Roseville, also known as Los Cantarinos Mexican Restaurant. It's about 20 minutes past 10:00 in the morning, Saturday, February 25, 2023, and I plan to ENJOY! Does this building look familiar? For thirty years, it was Nela's Mexican Restaurant, which closed their doors December 31st of last year. I've been watching the construction progress, but I was surprised the restaurant "soft" opened today with no advertising or fanfare. I was certainly lucky to be in the right place at the right time. After I looked at my receipt, I noted that I was customer number three. Number one would have been better, but I'll be glad to settle for three.
Photo: The posted opening time of the restaurant is 08;00 in the morning, and they're open until 21:00 in the evening, every day of the week. Today was the "soft" opening of the restaurant, so they didn't open until 10:00. The friendly owner of the restaurant, Domingo, along with my hostess, Kelly, are making last minute changes to the sign on the font door that posts the operating hours.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll notice the very open floor plan, with booths lining the walls and tables in the center. The pastel walls are bare, except for several television monitors that were tuned to national cable news. The vermilion red of the upholstery contrasts well with the food floor, to make for a very light, airy and attractive decor. The decor is definitely different than most Mexican restaurants!
Photo: Nearly the same view as the above photo, taken on Saturday morning, January 09, 2022, when this was Nela's Mexican Restaurant. Los Cantarinos Roseville has made many changes! Click on the image to enjoy my previous visits to Nela's Mexican restaurant.
Photo: Looking at the open and spacious dining room, from the counter. Note the very sparse decor and the television monitors. Booths line the front of the restaurant, and the large windows provide a great view of Vernon Street, the main street in downtown Roseville. The booths near the window is "people watching" is your sport.
Photo: Los Cantarinos operates on what I call the "taqueria format." The menu is listed above the order counter, and you make your selection from the overhead menu, pay the counter person, receive a number, and when your order is ready, it will be brought to your table by a friendly staff member. The soft drink dispenser, coffee, along with the chips and salsa bar are at the right of the photo, to the right of the order counter.
Photo: The menu - all eight pages - is posted above the order counter, and features something for every taste. It's true Mexican cuisine and it's all delicious! To see the complete menu, click on the image... Since today was the "soft" opening of the restaurant, there were no printed menus and nothing was posted online. The restaurant opened without advertising or fanfare, and it was sheer luck that I managed to be in the right place at the right time for the opening, and to be the third paying customer.
Photo: As you place your order at the counter, you can get a peek into the kitchen, and watch the talented chef at work. At this time, he was busy making burritos, using giant flour tortillas.
Photo: The chips and salsa bar is an all-you-can-eat goodie, that features thick, delicious yellow corn tortilla chips, freshly baked from the kitchen. There isn't a heat lamp, as the chips are fresh, and warm from the kitchen.
Photo: You can choose between several different flavors of salsa, along with fresh and pickled vegetables. I was impressed the salsa bar included Mexican crema, which is a rarity in Roseville.
Photo: After I placed my order for a "Molcajete de Mariscos," I treated myself to a bag of corn tortilla chips, fresh pico de gallo, along with cups of avocado and salsa roja. Rather than little paper bowls, the chips and salsa bar uses paper bags for you to scoop your chips into.
Photo: I love this colorful poster/photo below the chips and salsa bar, that highlights some of the selections the restaurant offers, along with the presence in downtown Roseville. Today was the "soft" opening, and no beer or micheladas were available, as Los Cantarinos hadn't received their beer license at this date. I'm looking forward to stopping by in a couple weeks to enjoy a bowl of "Menudo," along with a michelada or a beer!
Photo: Meet Kelly, my amazingly friendly hostess, who brought my "Molcajete de Mariscos" to me with a smile. Kelly provided amazing service, and treated me like royalty. Considering the complexity of this amazing entree, it was well worth the 20-minute wait. I look forward to the day when the restaurant receives their licence from the county to sell beer!
Photo: Thanks, Kelly, for snapping my photo, as I'm a happy guy as I prepare to enjoy my "Molcajete de Mariscos." During the time it took for my molcajete to arrive at my table, I enjoyed the all-you-can-eat chips and salad bar.
Photo: From the "Seafood Plates" section of the menu, I went with a "Molcajete de Mariscos," along with an order of corn tortillas. The menu's simple description of this elegant seafood classic is, "Mixed seafood on a hot volcanic stone bowl." Along with the 'Molcajete," you choose between flour or corn tortillas... corn tortillas always work better with seafood as far as I'm concerned. I understand this dish has origins in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, but I've enjoyed "Molcajetes" during my travels in several northern Mexican states, including Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon and Tamaluipas. To keep all the delicious seafood hot, my entree arrived in a Mexican molcajete bowl, which is where the name of this amazing stew came from. A molcajete is a mortar and pestle made of fine volcanic rock, and used to grind spices and chilis, and for preparing salsa, guacamole and lots more. No Mexican kitchen is complete without a molcajete! For my delicious lunch, not only did this amazing bowl keep my seafood warm, but it added to the absolutely stunning presentation! "Molcajete de Mariscos" starts out with a rich, red sauce, made with chili peppers, tomato juice, lime juice and more. The sauce was rich, thick and very flavorful, with just a tiny bit of "kick," but not enough to offend even the most sensitive taste. The sauce was simply delicious, and held it all together. This was truly "mixed seafood," as this amazing dish was generously proportioned with grilled shrimp, diced tilapia fillet, scallops, grilled octopus, clams, and a couple of tiny crabs. For added taste and presentation, it was garnished with lime quarters, along with diced avocado. Oh my! The seafood was cooked and grilled perfectly, as each piece was seasoned to perfection, grilled or steamed perfectly... each piece was tender and juicy. Talk about a cornucopia of seafood goodness, as each type of seafood had a different taste, and each one was "standalone" delicious, but when you added them all together, this "Molcajete de Mariscos" was simply "seafood amazing!" The thick, red sauce held it all together, and coated each seafood with a rich, tomato/chili flavor. Each restaurant has a different variation of a classic molcajete, and my dish didn't include green onion, bacon, Oaxaca cheese, or a jalapeņo pepper, as it was all seafood! That was alright on my part! Los Cantarinos Roseville didn't skimp on my order of corn tortillas, as my lunch came with a generous helping of fresh, steamed-warm, medium size corn tortillas. The corn tortillas came in handy to scoop up the last bits of the delicious red sauce. This amazing dish was MASSIVE and even though I'm a great "eater," and a stone-cold "foodie," even I couldn't eat it all and one sitting, and I brought half of it home for dinner. You definitely get your money's worth at this fine restaurant! The "Molcajete de Mariscos" served at Los Cantarinos Roseville is a seafood lovers delight, as it's mostly delicious seafood, served in warm, tomato juice-chili broth, garnished by lime and avocado, which add a cool contrast to the warm seafood. This was one of the best molcajetes that I've enjoyed during my 25 years in Roseville and Placer County, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a molcajete that exceeds the quality and goodness of the "Molcajete de Mariscos," served at Los Cantarinos Roseville. Todo que puedo a decir es Muy Sabroso!
Photo: I loved the grilled octopus, shrimp, steamed clams and more, immersed and coated in the delicious tomato juice/chili broth. The lime wedges and avocado added a delicious and cool contrast to the steaming hot "Molcajete de Mariscos."
Photo: My "Molcajete de Marisco" included a couple of tiny crabs, which added to the goodness of the meal. I must admit the crabs presented a challenge to dissect, as the restaurant only provided a fork, but I'm a good "Boy Scout" and I always carry a pocket knife with me, which helped make short work of the crab. Los Cantarinos Roseville is a welcome addition to downtown Roseville, as this amazing restaurant adds another delicious dimension to the thriving downtown dining scene, with some of the best Mexican food in town, and an early - 08:00 in the morning - opening time for an authentic Mexican breakfast. The delicious food is authentic northern Mexico, the menu is GIGANTIC, the staff is friendly, and the dining room is very comfortable. Los Cantarinos Roseville is truly a fine choice for amazing Mexican dining, in downtown, Roseville, CA! Los Cantarinos Roseville Copyright(c) 2023 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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