Ask a foodie: Chip chip hooray: Panelists dip into their favorite salsa

Jessica Medlock

I thought picking the restaurant with my favorite salsa was going to be hard. Most Mexican restaurants' salsa kind of all taste the same, right? Well, that's what I thought, but Becky suggested we check out Seis Amigos in Cape Girardeau. I was doubtful up until the moment I went to pour it in my little dish and it seriously was like trying to get ketchup out of a ketchup bottle. It was that thick! It didn't just run out and you accidentally get too much. Now the flavor was even better. It was spicy and had the perfect amount of heat -- best flavor of salsa I've had at a Mexican restaurant in awhile.

Rebecca LaClair

If we're going to be completely honest, most Mexican restaurants in our area are fairly cookie cutter. They are interchangeable and that doesn't make them terrible. However, Seis Amigos in Cape Girardeau has some drastically different dishes that were memorable to me because they had such extreme flavor. Spicy, yes, but bland, never. Their salsa took the prize for me. Thick and chunky, with easily identifiable pieces of vegetables, it had a "just right" spicy flavor with texture that I adored. I also tried an equally chunky green salsa with my pork tacos. It was delicious, but much spicier, and you'd have to be a lover of heat to bear much.

Nick Johnson

Salsa comes in many forms, each with its own merits.Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo

Well kids, if you have been following along at home you may have read my opinion about the "best Mexican" food. Full disclosure, since the last rant, I have still yet to try all of the salsa slinging joints in town. However, of those I've tried, my favorites are El Sol, Muy Bueno, and Burritoville. The last suggestion may throw a few of you off, but I enjoy their salsa, a lot! At the end of the day, all of these places appear to make it fresh and keep it simple, which in my book, is a recipe for success.

Mary Ann Castillo

I strongly dislike it when people answer, "My grandma's pie is the best" or "I make the best lasagna." Seriously, are you inviting us to your house? Don't be lazy. It. Does. Not. Count. Please forgive me, my son's salsa is, hands down, the best. He has been eating ~fire~ since around 3 years old. His salsa recipe was handed down by his Grandpa Fred (it skipped a generation) and perfected. I had my son in mind when I decided to conduct a taste test. I collected samples from El Torero, Muy Bueno, and El Sol. Salsa and chips usually result in mindless munching as I wait for my entree, but this time I made it a point to really take my time and savor the flavors. El Torero's salsa has a thicker, smoky flavor with a bit of spiciness which is apparent from the first bite. Muy Bueno's has more of a tomato and cilantro flavor with a slight kick that builds up on you. El Sol's salsa has a thinner consistency with a more garden-fresh flavor but no heat that I could detect -- a little something for everyone. I cleansed my palette as I deliberated. Nothing. I have to wimp out on this one and sound like a coach giving out participation trophy's, "You are all special; I love you all." They are all delicious in their own right. Taste for yourself. Like what you like. It's all good.

Devon Smith

Salsa is a pretty basic thing and most restaurants do a pretty good job, but I would say Don Carlos in Cape Girardeau. It has good flavor and a little kick, but not too much.

-- Compiled by Joshua Hartwig