Authentic Mexican fare, cozy atmosphere intersect at Sergio's

Geneva's dining scene has been as effervescent as a popping can of soda over the last year, spawning everything from fine Italian dining to posh bars and grills to good old traditional Mexican fare. At Sergio's Cantina in the ever-busy town, we found a cozy and original restaurant design with quick and affordable food made with the owner's old family recipes as inspiration.

Housed at the intersection of First and State, the restaurant has a great corner spot that allows it to have two faces at the same time - the bar and beer neon lights on State, and the booths on First. The patio was also immediately spotted, but alas, a pouring rain and fall weather made outdoor dining impossible.

There are about 15 tables in the restaurant, which is made to look like the inside of a beach house, with brick-lined and painted makeshift windows looking out to a sunny beach, as well as a kitchen adorned like a food stand, topped with clay roof tile. As an added bonus, every Saturday showcases live entertainment, usually in the form of a one-man band.

Whether it was unusual or not, we were particularly impressed with the bathroom design, which included an all-copper sink lined with what looked like little bulbs. Hey, it doesn't take much to warm your heart.

The menu sports a nice combination of the classics, including a reasonable selection of mixed and frozen drinks (even wine, always a curious choice at a Mexican restaurant). We started off with the shrimp and chorizo queso fundido, a combination of melted mozzarella and Chihuahua cheeses amid poblano peppers, Mexican sausage and medium shrimp, served with three flour tortillas. Though a touch heavy on the onions and grease, the appetizer did not lack taste in any way; it was a rather guilty pleasure.

We moved on to the shrimp with mango salsa salad, which is a choice of either sautéed or coconut-battered shrimp (we chose sautéed) on a bed of mixed greens, large pieces of mango and a honey lime dressing. The salad was a touch underwhelming as the warm shrimp had heated the mango, and the oil from them had mixed in with the salad dressing. The upside was that the shrimp were good, which, seeing as they were the main ingredient, was just as well.

Because little lime icons next to certain food selections on the menu denoted a family recipe, we settled on one such item: the carne asada, a 10-ounce, thin-cut skirt steak that's been marinated in lime and is served with pico de gallo, cactus, green onion, rice and black beans. If you like lime, then the marinade used on the steak would be a great thing, because it was palpable; the pickled cactus was a definite plus as well. The cut of steak had good flavor, but at times it resisted the fork a bit too much.

Since it is our strong belief that you can't go wrong with churros for dessert, especially if they are surrounded by raspberry syrup and ice cream, we had to have them. The doughy creations never stood a chance.

By the looks of it, the restaurant is treated as a date, family or game night destination by the Geneva locals (flat-screen TVs above the bar were playing American and European football), and it provides a mostly low-key experience punctuated by a young, friendly staff and a smiling chef.

• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. Our aim is to describe the overall dining experience while guiding the reader toward the menu's strengths. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.

<p class="factboxheadblack">Sergio's Cantina</p> <p class="News">30 W. State St., Geneva; (630) 845-9200; <a href="http://www.sergioscantina.com" target="new">sergioscantina.com</a></p> <p class="News"><b>Cuisine:</b> Mexican</p> <p class="News"><b>Setting:</b> Fun beach house "with a view"</p> <p class="News"><b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday</p> <p class="News"><b>Price range:</b> appetizers: $5.50 to $8.95; entrees $7.95 to $15.50; desserts $3.95 to $5.95</p> <p class="News"><b>Accepts:</b> Major credit cards except American Express</p>