Canyon

Peruse the menu of just about any Mexican restaurant in South Florida and you’re sure to find some take on the chile relleno, a poblano pepper stuffed with cheese, dipped in batter, and fried. More than 20 years since opening its doors in Fort Lauderdale, Canyon’s upscale take — a crisp-thin blue cornmeal shell fried to perfection and oozing with a melty herbed goat cheese — manages to elevate the dish to new heights. It also happens to pair perfectly with Canyon’s signature prickly pear margarita. Made in small batches, the fresh-cut cactus is marinated in blue agave tequila until the fruit leaches both flavor and color, lending the drink its hallmark blush-pink hue. They’re just two of the must-haves from chef-owner Chris Wilber, who’s been cooking many of the now beloved dishes on the Canyon menu since the mid-’90s. One of the first South Florida restaurateurs to define his menu as modern Southwestern, Wilber departs from the straight and narrow definition with hints of Asian, South, and Central American influences.