La Margarita was one of the first Mexican restaurants in Indianapolis to offer authentic, upscale dishes along with standards like burritos and tacos. Twenty years later, the field is crowded, but La Margarita still stands out with made-from-scratch dishes that tend toward the fiery. (There is no mild version among the restaurant's seven salsas, but for the spice-averse there is an ego-thwarting "kiddie salsa.")

La Margarita, in its new digs for more than a year, largely turns out the same menu it started with -- flavorful, unique entrees that bear the stamp of the restaurant's founder, Larry Rangel.

The Food

Fresh and smoky-spicy salsa pried our attention from menu-browsing.

Guacamole ($3.25 for a small dish) is mild and full of cilantro and onion. Ceviche ($5.50) is served in a tall dish with slices of avocado and onion springing up like the Fourth of July, but the real fireworks are in the marinade -- hot peppers, tomato, citrus, onions.

A little mix-up in the kitchen meant my dining companion got mole poblano ($10.95) instead of the pollo mole verde he ordered. Our server tried to correct the error, but there was no letting go of the dish after wafts of the rich sauce hit our noses. Tender chicken (and lots of it) soaked in the mole. Rice, beans and flour tortillas rounded out the dish.

The chicken was tasty, but camarones in chipotle ($14.95) handily topped it. Ample shrimp served in a creamy sauce of chipotle peppers and sherry had enough nuance for every bite to taste new. And there was plenty of sauce to embrace the rice, sauteed veggies and spiced potatoes on the plate.

We ended with flan ($2.25), a version with strong caramel flavor and a luscious texture.

The Service

Without being unctuous, our server beamed genuine kindliness, joked around with our kid and kept close tabs on our drinks and dishes, but never hovered. Ideal service.

The Atmosphere

No surprises here: Colors are vibrant, and a fair number of sombreros hang on the wall along with bright ceramics and paintings. Diners sit at heavy wooden tables in the small dining room or the cozy, darker bar; both are well put-together with some particularly lovely elements.

The Price

$54 for two adults and a toddler (kids' meals run about $4), including tax and tip.

-- By Tracy Cumbay / Star Correspondent