I just tried La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant in Appleton on Friday night with a group of six people. It exceeded my expectations. I had huarachitos, made from nopalitos - a cactus leaf that looks like a thin prickly pear leaf without the spines. It was combined with some of the best fresh, grilled shrimp I've had, and the whole dish was a delicate taste sensation. Others were also impressed with their more familiar dishes.

One detail I noticed was that the homemade tortilla chips were much better than average.

Pleasant interior, good service. One negative: the horchata was made from powder rather than from scratch, an important point for horchata aficionados.

La Fiesta is at 139 West Calumet Street on the south side of Appleton, near Oneida Street. Phone: (920) 734-3517.