While there is something undeniably sexy about grabbing a meal from a hot pink food truck, a recent trip to Longmont reminded me why we were all so thrilled when Rayme Rossello went brick-and-mortar with her Comida concept. Menu items such as mussels and nachos just don’t work as well as tacos when you are eating by the side of the road.

Take the pastry-trained restaurateur’s queso fundido, for example, which has been on the cantina menu since the Prospect location opened in 2012. The kitchen combines melted Monterey jack cheese, cream, and chipotles in adobo, then tops the mixture with chorizo and roasted jalapeños—all of which makes for delicious dunking with fresh-fried tortilla strips. Finding a good melted cheese starter in Denver is like finding a good bagel in Rossello’s native New York, but there’s a tasty simplicity to her version that has me thinking about becoming a regular.

Happy hour tip: In the early evening, the appetizer is served in a ramekin alongside Tender Belly hotdogs.

Longmont Cantina, 721 Confidence Dr., 720-204-6455

Denver Cantina, 3350 Brighton Blvd., 303-296-2747

Follow Stacey Brugeman on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @denveromnivore.

—Image courtesy of Chris Stackpole for Comida Cantina