READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: What is it exactly that constitutes a great margarita? We've labored long and pondered endlessly trying to come up with an answer to this monumental question, and have finally arrived at one irrefutable conclusion: Casa Molina and Casa Molina del Norte (four locations) have the answer. While we see others slurping away on slushy, pastel cocktails and pronouncing them delicious, we prefer our margaritas a little less frou-frou. Casa Molina understands this, and though they'll accommodate the partially frozen crowd, the password here is "on the rocks." Although we couldn't quite pry all the bartender's secrets from his lips, he did admit that a specially bottled lime juice from Mexico might play a role in the remarkable beverage served up in mass quantities here. This could explain why Casa Molina's margaritas never have any residual aftertaste--the telltale sign that a processed mix has been substituted for the real thing. The other hallmark of the Molinas' margarita is its undeniable ability to give your sobriety a swift kick in the butt with a single serving. These babies pack a nuclear wallop, so the fainthearted better stick to iced tea. This brain-numbing capacity makes Casa Molina margaritas not only the tastiest in town, but also the most streamlined and cost-effective. A friend of ours once sputtered indignantly that the "problem" with these margaritas was that they consisted almost entirely of Cuervo Gold. We don't speak to each other anymore.

1997 Winner: Casa Molina 1996 Winner: Casa Molina 1995 Winner: Chuy's

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