Cantina Imperfecto

A restaurant review and a deep dive on embracing imperfection

When you write and post a lot of photos about food and restaurants, your People expect you to go to the latest hotspots and report back. Cantina Imperfecto was on our list after hearing rave reviews from friends. So, my little family marched dutifully into the new Myrtle Beach hotspot on Monday.

(BTW: The name of this restaurant does not, at all, reflect the vibe, the food, or the cocktails.)

The interior is out-of-this-Lowcountry-world. It’s got a high-end, ultra modern Miami vibe with beautiful lighting fixtures, gold flatware, pretty people, pretty drinks, pretty food.

An instagram photographer must be involved in the food presentation because it is all so pretty. (And fun to photograph.)

Dinner had an easy cadence to it - not too rushed, but once we ordered, didn’t feel like we had to wait for long.

Our kids ordered carne asada tacos and to my absolute shock, those picky little eaters loved them.

I had the tampiqueña, which is a grilled skirt steak over poblano peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes. Mexican rice, guacamole, cheese enchilada on ranchero, sauce served with tortillas. Yum.

If you’re 14 and play basketball daily for 2+ hours daily, you never have to second-guess dessert. If you don’t fit into that calories-don’t-count category, dessert is only something to order if it is 1000% worth it. Order the churros piled high with scoops of ice cream and whipped cream. It’s dessert perfection.

Now, let’s talk about imperfection.

I think the one thing that most people have remarked on this new restaurant is the name - it is kind of odd to name a restaurant Imperfecto, right?

But it’s also relatable. Obviously, no meal is perfect because everyone has different taste. What one person adores, another abhors.

And little imperfections make us unique, help us learn, tweak, hone, evolve, adapt, move forward. I could keep going with a slew of adjectives but the point is: perfection is never the goal because it’s not attainable.

We never know what is perfect because the definition of perfect always changes.

Did you notice I skipped last week’s newsletter?

If you did, I’m so sorry…

If you didn’t… ouch. (🤣)

Let me explain.

Last week, on Wednesday, when I’m usually searching through the 18+ websites to find the best events to share in this newsletter… I was exhausted. I’d just finished one of the best events of my career (YAY) but I just didn’t have the mental capacity to write or research or produce this newsletter. I decided, for my sanity’s sake, to skip the newsletter.

And then I spent time reflecting. (Ok, fine. Overthinking. A lot.)

I love writing content and taking photos and producing little videos. I love promoting the Grand Strand. I really love this Substack platform, too.

Ya’ll took a poll and actually voted on the content that I like to write best - restaurant reviews and travel.

So, that’s what this newsletter will be moving forward. I am going to commit to a little bit of inconsistency and send out posts about restaurant reviews, travel recommendations, pretty photos.

I will admit it’s kind of dumb to abandon what was working and popular in favor of something new. Was it the perfect format? I’ll never know.

Follow my friends at

Scoop on Myrtle

for things to do in the area, he sends a weekly email with news + events on Sundays.

BTW: The tiny orchid and dehydrated lime details on the fizzy skinny señorita cocktail were close to perfect.

Cheers, y’all 🍋‍🟩Keep adapting, embrace imperfection, and order a gorgeous cocktail!