Tlaquepaque Restaurant, Canton

At Tlaquepaque, the only thing more vibrant than dishes adorned with multicolored bell peppers and miniature mountains of salsa is the lively decor. While diners settle themselves at booths emblazoned with celestial paintings or upon chairs decorated with carvings of peacocks, the kitchen staff envelopes meat or seafood in chimichangas, braises carnitas, and prepares other Mexican classics. On the outdoor patio, the wait staff ferries shrimp quesadillas and chalupas to tables against the backdrop of a three-tiered fountain that lights up by night, illuminating a trio of stone frogs and the Marshalls, an unconventional-yet-loveable family of pennies.