by MATHILDE RABBAT

The before-last time I came into contact with a cactus, I spent the evening extracting translucent splinters out of my fingers with tweezers. Thankfully, my last experience wasn't anywhere near as prickly. This time, the succulent little sucker found its way into my system via Mexican cuisine from Cactus, the little joint on St-Denis near Mont-Royal, just under the salsa club of the same name.

The nopal cactus (aka Opuntia ficus-indica, prickly pear or Indian fig) will grace your plate if you order either the cactus gratinado or the cactus fajita. But before we talk entrées and mains, a word about the Mexican answer to the pre-meal breadbasket: a small portion of crunchy nachos - also served in a basket - and thick salsa to keep hunger at bay while you impatiently await your order. Raising the chip to my anticipating lip, I braced myself for some hot stuff, but the burnt sienna dip, most likely whipped up on the premises, wasn't nearly as spiced up as it could have been. Nothing that a few shots of Tabasco wouldn't fix. As for the prickly pear entrada ($5.95) that so enticed me on the menu card, it did pack quite a punch. How could I resist slices of nopal cactus hearts sautéed in garlic butter, topped with gooey Monterey jack, drizzled with sour cream and served on a corn tortilla? Hot peppers gave it a caliente kick, but overshadowed the flavour of the cactus itself, which is usually quite tasty.

We were hungry, so one entrée just wasn't enough. Enter the ceviche at $6.95. It's an interesting dish, where the fish, cut into chunks, swims in a pool of lime juice among diced onions and tomatoes. The swimming pool itself was reminiscent of The Flintstones: a hollowed out rock, pretty nifty but somewhat awkward to pass around the table. And though cilantro can make just about anything taste good, the fish seemed to be marinated in the juice too long in advance, giving it a pungent, acidic fishy taste.

As for fish as main dish, the filete empapelado a la veracruzano ($12.95) didn't really step up to the plate. Two lime wedges were a welcome addition to a large, undressed fillet of cod, which was bland due to overcooking. The thick fillet, sprawled on a banana leaf like a centrefold, was served sprinkled with the odd caper, like little khaki army helmets camouflaged under a limp coriander net. Maybe the food's been too toned down for gringo consumption, kind of like how some Asian restaurants give non-Asian folks forks instead of chopsticks. That said, the fillet also shared the platter with a very flavourful scoop of white sticky rice, cooked in broth and crowned with a sparse parsley garnish. Overall, as a main dish my pick would be the roll-it-yourself fajita, chicken, beef or cactus ($14.95 for one, $19.95 for a twosome). Electing to skip dessert in favour of tequila shooters proved to be a very good idea, as the elixir went down so smoothly that we ordered another, and another.

"Charming" isn't usually part of my vocabulary, but it seems to suit this place quite nicely. Terra cotta, muted yet bright ochres and greens, vines and, of course, cacti help create what Trading Spaces would call that "Southwestern feel." I'll call it Mexican flare. The service is right up there and it's got atmosphere to boot, not to mention a fair measure of estrogen. As my gentleman companion duly noted, strangely enough about two-thirds of the seats were occupied by the fairer gender. Was that because the boys were upstairs shaking their bonbons at the Cactus dancehall? Unlikely. You know what they say: it takes two to salsa.

Cactus
ADDRESS: 4461 St-Denis (near Mont-Royal)
PHONE: 849-0349
HOURS: Sun-Thu 4-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 2-11 p.m.
BEST FEATURES: Lots of lime and cilantro, yummy sticky rice,
smooth tequila, friendly service, cozy atmosphere.
ALCOHOL: Si!
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: No
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Technically, but the place is small
PRICE: $20-$25 before drinks, taxes & tip
RATING: **1/2 out of ****