*July is local foods month.  I love enjoying our local flair and the fun foods we can find.  This is one of our many hidden gems.*

Tex-mex food brings fond memories of a literal hole-in-the wall place eating with friends on Study Abroad…in Spain, not Mexico, go figure.

In my experience the best American tex-mex food is in the southwest, like a cheese steaks in Philly and deep dish pizza in Chicago.  If you want the best you go where it all started.

However just north of the border – from me in Bennington, Vermont I always pass the Rattlesnake Café. It’s a small place full of character I’d been dying to try but for some reason seemed to pass.  I won’t make that mistake again.

After 2 hours of picking strawberries for canning Hunni and I were hungry.  Instead of heading towards the typical we made a quick decision to give the Rattlesnake Café a try.  Hungry Hunni and cute sign lured us in.  Seeing they had been voted Yankee Magazine Best Tex-Mex 2011 was a nice start. – that’s this year!!!

The chips were fresh and hot and the salsa was filled with enough cilantro to make Chelle proud.

I ate quite a few deciding what to eat. I usually explore menus before trying a restaurant for the first time to find something easy to modify.  Vermont is known for local food and great vegetarian and allergen-free alternatives making it perfect for spur of the moment.  A quick chat with the waitress and she was happy to accommodate me on almost anything.

The veggie quesadilla struck my fancy from the beginning.  I subbed in corn tortillas instead of the traditional flour and skipped the sour cream and cheese.  To keep the moisture it was smothered in red sauce which added a nice kick.

Don’t think this is your typical veggie quesadilla: a few peppers and onions amongst the pile of cheese.  Just look at it.

Filled to the brim with broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, spinach and even cauliflower.  I despise cauliflower but smothered in red sauce I didn’t seem to mind.

A special nod goes out to the chef who served the rice in a separate bowl because it contained dairy.  The extra step was greatly appreciated and Hunni loved every bite.

It’s a bit of a drive for us to eat at the Rattlesnake Café on a regular basis but it’s nice to have the option when we can.

*I was not paid for this review.  I paid them and it was worth every penny.*