Two Bells for Cantina Feliz

Craig LaBan likes what he eats at Cantina Feliz but hopes that Chef Tim Spinner develops more of his own voice.

The best dishes I ate here had the deepest roots in authenticity, like the amazingly tender pork carnitas, brined for two days before its slow ride in molten lard with orange juice, Coke, and evaporated milk. Shredded then crisped on the plancha, and served with little more than an avocado wedge, a splash of salsa roja, white onions and cilantro, each bite exploded like a little piñata in my mouth. The whole roasted suckling pig for four has become a popular special-order event for suburban foodies.Littleneck clams are impossible to stop eating when simply steamed with jalapeños, wine, and cuminy crumbles of chorizo sausage. Pristine shrimp retain their tender snap, both in the terra-cotta crock of garlicky “diablo,” or skewered for the grill “al carbon” basking in their guajillo marinade.

Two Bells – Very Good

Cantina Feliz [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Cantina Feliz [Official Site]