After running a few much-needed post-holiday errands at University Village, we worked up an appetite, and had been curious about Sonrisa, a self-described “Modern Mexican” restaurant, so decided to give it a spin. If my college Spanish serves, “sonrisa” translates as “smile.”

Which is just what we did when we were promptly greeted with a basket of freshly fried chips (blue corn and regular) and a glistening bowl of salsa. Quickly, we ordered a coupla Sonrisa Margaritas to quench our thirst and start the afternoon off right.

Here’s my Frontera Salad (dressings on the side per my special request). It’s described as “Ancho-marinated grilled chicken breast, served sliced on a bed of roasted corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, and onion. Tossed with romaine and ancho ranch dressing. Grated cotija cheese.” The Frontera (“frontier” or “border”) salad was the perfect antidote to the holiday feeding frenzy. If not for the margarita, I’d have felt positively virtuous eating this healthy, fresh salad.

Meanwhile, my meat-eating hubby opted for Ancho-Grilled Chicken Fajitas served with sautéed red and yellow bell peppers, white onions, guacamole, pico de gallo, and flour tortillas. They were okay. . .nothing to write home about. . .and a far cry from the sizzling platters of goodness, served with heaping mounds of black beans and Spanish rice, from our days in Texas, home of Tex-Mex cuisine.