Fiestas celebrates three decades of delivering cuisine brimming with mouth-watering authenticity

Editor’s note: This story first ran as a paid feature in EAT magazine.

This year will mark the 30th anniversary of Fiesta’s tenure in the Vail Valley. It is a testament to the quality and place in the community the restaurant has maintained over three decades of delivering cuisine brimming with mouth-watering authenticity, made “con cariño’(with love and affection). Susan Marquez-Ledezma and her husband, Mariano Ledezma, bring to Colorado family styles and recipes from New and Central Mexico. Susan purchases her red chiles from the same family farm that her grandmother did in New Mexico. Mariano brings a wealth of tradition and new ideas to create time-tested cuisine.

Entering the establishment one can’t help but smile at the colorful décor and piñatas swinging from the ceiling. Add a margarita and their incredible house-made salsa, queso and guacamole to start and it’s already a party. Don’t get overwhelmed by the extensive menu, rest assured that you really can’t go wrong and if you want a little bit of everything the Combo platters are the way to go. Blue corn chicken enchiladas with white jalapeño sauce are a personal favorite and the chile rellenos deliver miles of flavor — served crispy and doused in sauce, get the classic, filled with cheese, or venture to the shrimp or chicken fillings. Cold winter nights call for homemade soup like the made-from-scratch posole (think hominy, pork, red chile broth, chile pequin, onion, lime, oregano and fresh tortillas). Susan’s Tres Leches cake is many locals’ favorite way to finish the evening.

Don’t forget that you can reserve the back room for a party, have them cater a private event or stop in for take-out and perhaps even a piñata for your next impromptu…Fiesta!