Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,  Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Azul Bar-y-Cantina, Leetsdale

If authentic Mexican is important to you, check out Azul Bar-y-Cantina. Owners Donna Peterkin, a San Diego native, and husband Angus spent many vacations south of the border and will allow nothing less than the real deal in their lively restaurant. Poster-sized graffiti-style paintings on the rough brick walls exclaim their favorite destinations -- Mazatlan, Tijuana, Cabo San Lucas.
The happy chatter of the dinner crowd often overpowers the Mexican music, making for a cozy, comfortable atmosphere.
Executive chef Stephen Varela grew up in El Paso, and knows the cuisine from his Latino heritage. Everything is prepared fresh. Even those heavenly margaritas are made from scratch. Venture from the more familiar to experience a banana leaf-wrapped mahi mahi fillet; tacos filled with grilled shrimp marinated a brandy salsa; pork on green salsa; or corn husk-rolled tamales.
You can't go wrong in your selection. The only difficulty is deciding: single or double-size margarita?

Azul Bar-y-Cantina, 122 Broad St., Leetsdale. Details: 724-266-6362 or www.azulbarycantina.com.