Red or Green–New Mexico’s Food Scene Was on Fire in 2018

Over the years perhaps no restaurant across the Land of Enchantment has garnered as much acclaim as Santa Fe’s Geronimo. It’s been long and widely acknowledged that Geronimo is one of the very best fine-dining restaurants not only in New Mexico, but under the spacious skies. In TripAdvisor’s compilation of the 25 top fine dining restaurants in the country for 2018, Geronimo was rated the tenth best. That’s only fitting because many of its devotees consider a meal at Geronimo a perfect ten, a flawless experience with magnificent food, service and ambiance. Also fitting, the restaurants were selected by TripAdvisor readers.

“If you thought seafood was just for the coasts, you’ve got another thing coming.” That’s how Redbook Magazine began its feature on the best seafood restaurants in each state. To compile its list, Redbook used Yelp data on each state’s highest-rated seafood restaurant, discovering that even landlocked locations hundreds of miles from an ocean serve up sumptuous delicacies from the seas. The Land of Enchantment’s very best purveyor of magnificent marine life is Albuquerque’s Poki Poki Cevicheria, the first restaurant in the state to feature Poke (sometimes spelled “poki” and always pronounced poh-kay.) Since its launch in 2016, Poki Poki has cultivated a devoted following.

In the movie Grease, John Travolta and Olivia Newton John gleefully sang “We go together rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong.” Unbeknownst to many, “rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong” translates from greaser vernacular to “burgers and fries,” a combination that goes together better than just about everything. MSN chose “the top burger and fries joints in every single state” to “help make sure your next order is deliciously meaty, crispy and downright memorable.” Nowhere in the Land of Enchantment is this combination celebrated more gloriously than at the Blue Heron Restaurant in La Cienega. MSN noted “Every year, Santa Fe is home to the Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown, which decides which local restaurant has the year’s best variation of the revered local classic, crowning it the “Reigning Chomp”. The Blue Heron Restaurant won in 2017, and it’s certainly worth trying its winning green chile cheeseburger. Nicknamed “The Life Changer”, the creation is made with brisket and rib-eye, topped with vintage cheddar, green chile and homemade pickles and served with brined fries.”

“Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town.” Such was the pessimism which resonated in In Simon and Garfunkel’s 1975 hit song My Little Town. For many of us who grew up in small towns, there’s a pervasive sense of optimism when we consider the small town gems that not only feed locals, but have become beacons of hope for weary and hungry sojourners. Thrillist compiled a list of the best small town restaurants in every state. Repeating as New Mexico’s best is Watson’s BBQ in Tucumcari (population 5363). Thrillist related the Watson’s story: “And after the gut punch of the 2008 economic meltdown, Jimmy and Stella Watson decided to go into the BBQ business, as their hardware store was struggling. Jimmy grew up watching his Texan father conjure up pit BBQ, so he used that familial knowledge to serve mouth-watering brisket, ribs, potato salad, and beans to hungry travelers and locals working in the ranching biz. The BBQ has so many fans, Watson says it single-handedly saved his business. It’s a testament to the couple’s ingenuity that if you ever find yourself on Route 66, you can pull up a white folding chair at a table dressed up like a picnic blanket and dig into a plate of some of the best dang pit BBQ you’ll ever eat. Inside of a hardware store or out. “

John Mellencamp also waxes nostalgic about small towns: “Well I was born in a small town. And I live in a small town. Probably die in a small town.” According to Thrillist, “they’re treasures hiding amazing experiences and some completely unexpected culinary surprises. And pretty much every one has a great bar.” In recognizing the best small town bars in every state, Thrillist noted that in these places “once you’re in, you’re a regular.” New Mexico’s best small town bar is (drumroll please) the world-famous Owl Bar & Café in San Antonio (population 185). “If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of sinking your teeth into one of New Mexico’s green chile cheeseburgers, you’d better hightail to San Antonio — no, not that San Antonio — and track down this 72-year-old roadside stop-off, credited as inventing the house-ground legend to satiate scientists working on the then-covert Manhattan Project. But while the burgers might steal the show, the bar itself is not to be overlooked. “

This being the season of gift-giving and whining about the cold, Thrillist put together a list of the best food from every state that ships nationwide. It comes as absolutely no surprise that New Mexico’s contribution to this list is our sacrosanct green chile. Thrillist says “You can buy these spicy beauties fresh, roasted, or already broken down into a convenient sauce on your behalf. And if you’re REALLY jones-ing on a regular basis, they offer monthly subscriptions.”

Legend has it that Aztec emperor Montezuma II drank 50 golden goblets of chocolate a day.   The Aztecs were especially fond of adding chile to their chocolate, giving the elixir a delightful burn going down.  Red chile and chocolate is still one of the very best ways in which to enjoy hot chocolate.  That was acknowledged by Travel & Leisure in its compilation of the world’s best hot chocolate.  No one in New Mexico will be surprised to learn that Santa Fe’s Kakawa Chocolate House made the list.  Travel & Leisure noted: “Founded in 2005, Kakawa — an Olmec word meaning chocolate or cacao — specializes in drinking chocolate elixirs based on recipes recreated from historical sources. These hot chocolates range from pre-Colombian to colonial American to contemporary creations, and are served in small hand-painted mugs from Oaxaca, Mexico. Try the Chili Elixir, made with spicy chilies, or the Jefferson Elixir, inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s own recipe.”   

Let’s be frank.  There may be nothing as American as the humble hot dog.  From “dirty water dogs” to gourmet dogs, we love them in all their manifestations, permutations and combinations.  We love them in spring, summer, autumn and winter.  Yelp reviewers love them so much that the restaurant review site was able to compile a “comprehensive list of the number one place in each state where people can find the juiciest, tastiest, and most unique hot dog to satisfy their cravings.”  Travel and Leisure took Yelp’s statistics and compiled its own list of the best hot dog in the country.  New Mexico’s best can be found only in JAM-ing Hot Dogs & More, an Alamagordo staple.  Travel & Leisure says “Locals are in love with the Sonoran dog, topped with beans, spicy mayo and wrapped in bacon.”  Sounds good to me.  (Courtesy of Alana Smith)

It was a very busy month for Thrillist which also put together a list of the most underrated city to visit in every state. Considering so many denizens of the fruited plain believe you need a passport to visit New Mexico and that our water may not be safe to drink, you can probably assume the only two cities in the state many of them can name are Santa Fe and Albuquerque. That makes the “underrated city” a one or the other choice. This year, New Mexico’s most underrated city is Albuquerque, about which Thrillist noted “The Southwestern influence also gives ABQ an impressive food scene, with spots like El Pinto and the James Beard Award-winning Mary & Tito’s Café. “

November, 2018

As Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) Year in Food has reported over the years, there are a lot of “best of” lists out there and the Land of Enchantment’s restaurants feature prominently in many of those lists. It’s one thing for a restaurant to be considered among the best. It’s another to be considered “essential…indispensable to their neighborhoods, and eventually to their towns and whole regions,” to “ultimately become vital to how we understand ourselves, and others, at the table.” Eater, a highly respected online “source for people who care about dining and drinking in the world’s best food cities” compiles an annual list of the “38 best restaurants in America,” its most essential restaurants. Eater’s national critic Bill Addison doesn’t take a poll or perform all his research online to publish yet another trite list of “usual suspects.” In 2018, he spent 34 weeks on the road, eating almost 600 meals in 36 cities.

In 2018, the list included seventeen newcomers, places where Addison “had especially meaningful aha moments,” where he thought, for example, “of course New Mexican cuisine should be lauded.” Among the newcomers is Mary & Tito’s Cafe in Albuquerque, a restaurant very dear to my heart. Here’s what Addison had to say about Mary & Tito’s: “The foodways of New Mexico are even more regionalized and misconstrued than Texas’s Tex-Mex traditions. In restaurants, New Mexican cuisine boils down to the quality of two dominant chile sauces: the dusky, fruity, slightly spicy red variation, made from dried pods, and the chunkier, vegetal roasted green chile version. There is no better indoctrination into the state’s culinary nucleus than the cafe started by Tito and Mary Ann Gonzales in 1963. Both have died, but their daughter Antoinette Knight, her family, and the restaurant’s longtime cooks keep the recipes and spirit alive. The crucial dishes: carne adovada (pork marinated in bright, silky, near-perfect red chile sauce and then baked) and stacked blue corn enchiladas with both red and green chiles — which is to say, “Christmas” style.

Thrillist asked the evocative question “If you could only eat in one state for the rest of your life, what state would it be?” Because many of us haven’t traveled to every state across the fruited plain (and probably neither have they), Thrillist ranked all 50 states by their food and drink. Unlike most quality of life polls in which New Mexico tends to rank with Mississippi and Arkansas as the worse in the fruited plain, the Land of Enchantment actually fared pretty well in this listing, ranking 26th. Thrillist noted: “Everyone makes a really big deal about the green chiles, but you know what they’re forgetting?!?! *Checks notes* Oh, I guess I just wrote down green chiles.” As with many online lifestyle sites, Thrillist seems to believe New Mexico is a one-trick pony.

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we had less negativity and more tacos? Though uncredited, that pithy saying resonates with sagacity and truth. Perhaps in the spirit of making the world a better place, Orbitz, a travel fare aggregator website and travel meta-search engine, compiled a list of the best tacos in all fifty states. Instead of following the well-beaten, well-eaten path to Santa Fe or Albuquerque, Orbitz went all the way to Carlsbad to find New Mexico’s best: “Despite what you might think, tacos aren’t the food item the Land of Enchantment is most famous for (that would be either stuffed sopapillas or green chile stew), but of course excellent tacos abound. After hiking around Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Carlsbad, head into town and hit up beloved food truck La Patrona. They don’t serve chicken, much to the chagrin of some (including us), but neither the barbacoa nor the tripe topped with the usual fixings (cilantro, onion, a squirt of lime juice) ever disappoints.”

Every year, Pizza Monthly, a highly respected trade publication, mails out surveys to independent pizzerias across the nation. Using their responses, they compile a “Hot 100 list” — a ranking of America’s 100 largest independent pizza operations based on sales. With nearly eleven-million in sales, Il Vicino Wood Oven Pizza (three locations in Albuquerque, one in Santa Fe, two in Colorado Springs and two in Wichita, Kansas) ranked 12th, just missing the top ten. Mario’s Pizza & Ristorante, with seven-million in sales among its four Albuquerque locations ranked 22nd. With only one Albuquerque location, Giovanni’s Pizza & Subs raked up 3.4 million in sales to earn the 66th spot on the list.

Sometimes reading Thrillist articles is like watching the mayhem at the site of a car accident that’s stalling traffic. No matter how wrong it may be to slow down to observe the carnage, we just can’t turn away. That’s the case every time Thrillist writes something like this: “A master-class in the kind of Tex-Mex cuisine the ABQ is beloved for, these New Mexican nachos are bursting with guac, beans, cheese, and a choice between flavorful ground beef (zzzz… but also mmmmm), chicken (!!!!), or saucy, spicy carne adovada (BINGO!) all on crispy tostadas.” That’s how Thrillist began its description of the nachos at Albuquerque’s Cecilia’s Cafe, one of two New Mexico restaurants to have been recognized in its list of the Best Nachos in America. The other nachos come from El Patron Cafe in Las Cruces. Thrillist’s description of El Patron’s nachos makes more sense than what was said about Cecilia’s: “How El Patron manages to pile a half a cow’s worth of brisket onto these suckers without shattering the chips is a marvel of modern culinary engineering.”

In compiling its list of the 101 Best Burgers in America, The Daily Meal applied very exacting and well-reasoned criteria: “high-quality beef, proper seasoning, well-proportioned components, and an overall attention to detail that many would call “making it with love.” Their list of 101 burgers also doesn’t list any chains or non-beef burgers. Only one burger from the Land of Enchantment was recognized, ranking number seven. Ironically that sole selectee, the Santa Fe Bite, shuttered its doors within days of the list’s publication. Sadly, no other green chile cheeseburger constructed in New Mexico made the list, however, one–Steuben’s in Denver–made the list at number sixty-seven. Here’s what The Daily Meal had to say: “Representing Colorado’s neighbor, New Mexico, the menu presents what is regularly named the best green chile (or chili, as Steuben’s puts it) cheeseburger in Denver. Said to be inspired by the classic version at the Owl Bar in San Antonio, New Mexico...” Hmm, let’s see. The Owl Cafe didn’t make the list, but an imitator did. Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that? Or the fact that no other burger across our enchanted state made the list?

Explaining that culinary innovation ranges “from never-before-conceived sandwich creations that swept the nation to game-changing fast-food chains to agricultural marvels,” Thrillist compiled a “state-by-state ode to the edible (and drinkable!) dynamos that have literally changed the shape of America (because we’re fatter now). Not surprisingly, the Land of Enchantment’s most important food innovation was deemed to be (drumroll, please) green chile. Gee, it must have taken all of about two seconds to figure that out. Thrillist noted: “You might be inclined to think that all those Hatch chiles that go into the incredibly piquant, flavorful green chile people in New Mexico put on basically everything are native to the area, but you’d be WAY wrong. Chiles only came to the region post-Columbus, and the chiles you so enjoy today are the results of painstaking research in the early 20th century at New Mexico State University meant to isolate varieties that would thrive in the arid climate there. So think about THAT next time you’re ladling a bunch of green chile over your nachos or fries or burger or whatever.”

Even if you’re tired of yet another contentious election cycle with all its name-calling and personal attacks, there’s one more vote you should cast. Edible Santa Fe’s annual Local Hero Awards are “people’s choice” awards, nominated and voted on by you. You’ve got until December 17th to cast your ballot for your favorite restaurants, gastropubs, cafes, chefs and more. Somehow your humble blogger was nominated for the Olla Award (Local Hero Award). Even if you don’t vote for me, I encourage you to recognize the great people who feed us so well.

It’s a given that turkey is the preferred Thanksgiving protein among four out of five dentists surveyed (shout-out to an old Trident commercial). A fivethirtyeight.com survey of 1,058 respondents confirmed that Benjamin Franklin’s preferred choice as symbol of the United States is preferred by 82-percent. Dissenters preferred chicken, pork, roast beef. Regional distinctions across the fruited plain are much more diverse when it comes to side dishes. The survey revealed that the side preferred by our part of the country (basically the west) for Thanksgiving is salad. Salad? Maybe if it’s loaded with green chile… (Contributed by Alonna Smith)

October, 2018

New Mexico may be the Land of Enchantment, but it’s also been described as offbeat, quirky and unconventional. That makes us…not unique, just like every other state across the fruited plain. Offbeat, a technology company focusing on entertainment and news media, compiled a list of the absolute craziest restaurants in every state, a list which proves that on a spectrum of crazy restaurants, we’re much more normal than most. Our so-called craziest restaurant is La Cantina at La Casa Sena in Santa Fe whose biggest claim to insanity is serving your meal with a side of Broadway tunes.

“Crazy” might be a good descriptor for the Food Network’s choice as New Mexico’s most iconic food. In a list of the most iconic food in every state, the Food Network’s crack research team declared the Frito pie as our very most archetypal food–even though most culinary cognoscenti agree the Frito pie was invented in Texas. Here’s what the Food Network had to say: “Texas and Santa Fe both lay claim to Frito Pie. Each side has its arguments and documentation, but at Española’s El Parasol the answer is, “Who cares?” Everyone — even Texans —enjoys the crisp and salty corn chips blanketed in red chile sauce and topped with beans, ground beef, cheese and lettuce. It’s messy, filling and decadent. Start with a fork, but switch to a spoon when the chips begin to wilt to fully revel in this so-wrong-it’s-right kind of creation.”

Conde Naste Traveler (CNT) compiled a similar list, titling it “50 States, 50 Dishes, America’s Favorite Foods and Where to Find Them.” Now, CNT’s choice makes a lot of sense, much moreso than the Food Network’s “throw a dart at a list and see what sticks” choice. New Mexico’s favorite dish, according to CNT is green chile enchiladas. Here’s why: “Hatch green chiles, named for their home in New Mexico’s Hatch Valley, are picked early to keep their green color (they turn red as they mature, which makes for another New Mexico staple). While the slightly spicy, slightly sweet, smoky chiles are used in dishes all over New Mexico, the enchilada is my favorite green-chile vehicle. The rolled tortillas, filled with chicken, cheddar cheese, and onion, are covered in a green-chile sauce (the best has visible chunks of chile) and baked to gooey perfection. If you’re a spice-phobe, don’t fear. Green chiles won’t singe your tastebuds.” As to where you can find them, CNT recommends Santa Fe’s The Shed, which “may be most known for its green chile stew but the chicken enchiladas here, served in blue corn tortillas and smothered in green chiles, are some of the best in the state.”

It seems hardly a month goes by without Robert and Kimberly Yacone of the transformative Forghedaboudit bringing more awards to their Deming dining diadem. Melodie K. of the delightful Romancing Southern New Mexico newsletter reports that they’ve done it again. “Winning awards is getting to be a habit with Bob and Kimberly Yacone, chef-owners of Forghedaboudit, in Deming. The cooking couple has returned home from the annual Pizza & Pasta Northeast Expo in Atlantic City, NJ, with two more titles, each for fourth place: Kimberly, for her 18-inch traditional pepperoni in the Caputo Cup Pizza Competition and Bob, for his authentic Carbonara made with guanciale and handcrafted-pasta in the Pasta Showdown. The event marks the first time the couple has competed at Pizza & Pasta Northeast and Bob Yacone declares it won’t be their last. He says he had “a terrific time” and plans to return next year.”

In his terrific tome Kitchen Confidential, fellow sybarite Tony Bourdain blew the lid off brunch, explaining that “brunch menus are an open invitation to the cost-conscious chef, a dumping ground for the odd bits left over from Friday and Saturday nights” adding that “you can dress brunch up with all the focaccia, smoked salmon, and caviar in the world, but it’s still breakfast.” With all due respect, Far & Wide, a digital media presence, will tell you there are plenty of great brunch spots across the fruited plain. They lined up fifty of them in a feature entitled “Best Brunch in Every US State.” The Land of Enchantment’s best brunch was deemed to be The Grove Cafe & Market in Albuquerque. Here’s what Far & Wide had to say: “The Grove is all about fresh and local, sourcing its ingredients from growers and producers in Albuquerque and throughout New Mexico and the Southwest. Brunch dishes like an egg white omelette or smoked salmon with creme fraiche on an English muffin are served all day, with sandwiches and salads available after 11 a.m. as well.”

In the October, 2018 edition of New Mexico Magazine, four-time James Beard award-winning author Cheryl Jamison published a list of the ten best barbecue restaurants in the Land of Enchantment. She would know. One of the four James Beard awards she earned was for Smoke & Spice, a cookbook on American barbecue traditions. One of the ten barbecue restaurants she listed was also selected by Chowhound as New Mexico’s best. In its feature “50 States, 50 Amazing Barbecue Restaurants” Chowhound named Hatch’s Sparky’s as our very best, noting “From wood-fired barbecue to a from-scratch authentic New Mexico green chile sauce, Sparky’s serves up delicious slow-cooked fare to locals as well as road trippers.”

No matter how often the City Different’s sizzling culinary scene makes a “best” or “top” list, there’s always somebody who didn’t get the message. That message has not only been shouted loudly, it’s been shouted for a long time. Decades, in fact. Perhaps Thrillist wasn’t listening because they named Santa Fe as one of the “15 American Cities That Secretly Have Great Food Scenes.” Here’s the case Thrillist makes: “Every day in Santa Fe can be Christmas: Red chile sauce and green chile sauce slathered side-by-side on your enchilada, burrito, or chile relleno like a piquant Yuletide fiesta. Originally sourced during Columbus’ voyages into the Caribbean, chiles arrived in Santa Fe when the Spanish founded the town in 1610, and some of the recipes you’ll find at local landmarks like La Choza and the Shed are almost as old. Because these restaurants — and other longtime favorites like Tia Sophia’s, Palacio Café, and the Pink Adobe — serve pretty much the same classic New Mexican fare in comfortably low-key surroundings, they compete by being meticulous in everything they make, slow-braising, fire-roasting, and generally pouring love into every tortilla and refried bean.

September, 2018

The term “fuhgeddaboudit” was one of more than 500 words, phrases and definitions added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016. In New Mexico there’s only one way to spell that elision of “forget about it” and that’s Forgheadaboudit. Forghedaboudit, is, of course, the fabulous Deming-based Italian restaurant which has brought more gold to the Land of Enchantment than the Spanish conquistadores ever dreamed of. Owners Robert, Kimberly and Caleigh Yacone have earned so much gold in international and national pizza and chicken wing competitions that the silver and bronze they collected at the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, New York probably seem strange to them. At the premier chicken wing competition in the country, the Yacones earned silver for their Spicy Ginger XX Hot and bronze for their Chicken Alfredo Hatch Green Chile wing sauce. The Alfredo-green chile sauce is the brainchild of Caleigh, a 2018 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (whom you met in the June edition of Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling Year in Food.) Though many of us would be happy with silver and bronze, the Yacones undoubtedly see silver and bronze as an opportunity to perfect what are already flawless sauces.

Autumn, particularly September, heralds the arrival of New Mexico’s most alluring and unmistakable aroma as hazy smoke plumes emanating from giant rotating drums waft toward you like an irresistible smoke signal. In Santa Fe, the aroma of roasted green chile paired with the grilling of beef (and buffalo in one case) patties to create a Pied Piper-like effect on 800 hungry diners at the sixth annual Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown. Guests had the opportunity to sample seven of the most delicious and ingenious green chile cheeseburgers imaginable. When the green chile-perfumed smoke cleared, Chef Marc Quiñones of Mas Tapas Y Vino was declared Reigning Chomp with a masterpiece constructed with Hatch green chile, Tucumcari Cheddar, Hatch green chile BBQ, local brisket and short rib, homemade milk bun and housemade honey bacon. The People’s Choice award went to Chef David Sellers of the Street Food Institute for a burger made with roast garlic, bacon, green chile, and Vermont cheddar on a homemade brioche kaiser bun.

The land of Enchantment’s sacrosanct burgers were also celebrated at the tenth annual New Mexico State Fair Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge where Oso Grill from Capitan earned first place accolades from the esteemed panel of judges and People’s Choice from the public after tasting the burgers of all ten participating restaurants. It was the first Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge win for the Oso Grill, but the second consecutive People’s Choice award. Fuddruckers, a two-time state fair champion (2014-2015) finished second in the competition. Fittingly, the defining characteristic for Oso Grill’s winning burger is chile; it’s crafted with diced Hatch green chile as well as battered and deep-fried green chile strips.

In compiling a list of the best doughnut shops in all 50 states, Travelocity advises you “put your cardiologist on speed-dial, and prepare to eat the hole shebang.” Doughnuts are “the reason we can’t fit into our skinny jeans,” earning “their place in the canon of Great American Carbs.” Travelocity scoured the fruited plain “for the best doughnut shops in America: a mix of innovative new places and classic old school shops.” To no surprise, Albuquerque’s Rebel Donut was named New Mexico’s most enchanting donut. Travelocity noted: “We know we’re not unlocking any huge secret here when we say Albuquerque‘s Rebel Donut serves up some of the most memorable fried goodness around. After all, both the Cooking Channel and Food Network have featured the shop’s crazy designs and outrageous toppings (think psychedelic swirls and Fruity Pebbles cereal). But we love that Rebel honors its Southwest heritage with flavors like red chile chocolate, a Mexican sugar skull design and even the Breaking Bad-inspired Blue Sky. Bonus: They deliver.”

Thrillist has its own opinion as to not only the very best donuts in New Mexico, but the best donuts under the spacious skies. In a feature entitled Best Donut Shops in America, Thrillist identified 31 donut shops that stand out. “The common denominator is the kind of eye-rolling satisfaction that’ll dictate a “yes” when you inevitably ponder whether or not to eat another one.” Among the anointed 31 is Santa Fe’s own Whoo’s Donuts, an organic donut shop with a locally-sourced approach. Thrillist noted: “When it comes to sweet things, and to be sure options like pistachio cake with white chocolate lemon ganache or maple bacon with dark chocolate glaze and chili brown sugar deliver the goods. However, it’s a slightly less sweet option that might surprise you: the blue corn donuts. Just imagine a corn muffin that was made with blue corn and then cross pollinated with a donut with fantastic results. Then go eat one so you no longer have to imagine.”

The Daily Meal, which purports to “produce more culinary content than any other resource” recognizes that drive-in restaurants are the essence of Americana. Unfortunately, because the drive-in is going the way of the dinosaur, The Daily Meal scoured the fruited plain to celebrate drive-ins that are still thriving today. Among the 50 Drive-In Restaurants lauded is Albuquerque’s Dog House Drive In on Central Avenue. In the perfunctory nod to Breaking Bad, the Daily Meal noted that though you won’t find Jessie Pinkman at the Dog House, “you will find foot-long hot dogs and other classic drive-in fare like Frito pies, burgers and shakes,” advising that you should “top your hot dog or burger with their signature chili; it’s simply to die for.”

One of New Mexico Magazine‘s most popular recurring features is the “One of Our 50 Is Missing” column in which readers share their experiences by locals with other U.S. citizens who don’t believe New Mexico is a state or that it’s part of Mexico or Arizona. When we lived in England back in the ’80s, we were surprised to learn that our hosts knew more about the Land of Enchantment than did many denizens of the fruited plain. For many Englanders, New Mexico is a travel destination romanticized by movies of the old west. The Independent, a London-based newspaper, put together a guide to Albuquerque: Where to eat, drink, shop and stay in New Mexico’s largest city. The guide advises you “start your day with the avocado toast topped with green chile jam and quail eggs at Campo, Los Poblanos sun-drenched eatery.” Noting that “thanks to a burgeoning community of ambitious chefs, foodies are spoilt for choice in this town,” the guide touts “MÁS Tapas y Vino dishes up inventive small plates.” Also cited were: “New Mexico’s cuisine, which draws on the culinary heritage of the indigenous Pueblo people, is startlingly complex and not to be missed. Dig into a mammoth breakfast burrito in the leafy garden at Casa de Benavidez, an institution for roughly half a century, or load up on enchiladas for dinner at El Pinto, which grows many of its own vegetables and raises cage-free hens.”

Porch.com, a home improvement site, “pored over thousands of Instagram posts that used the hashtag #homecooking to parse out every states’ favorite home-cooked meal.” Data revealed that the favorite home-cooked meal in the Land of Enchantment is tacos. According to Porch: “nearly half (48%) of New Mexico’s population is Latino, so it makes sense that the state would have a soft spot for the traditionally Mexican meal of tacos.” What our neighbors are eating may surprise you. In Colorado, the favorite home-cooked meal is kale salad (no indication whether or not denizens of the Golden State add green chile or their other and more famous cash crop). Arizona’s favorite is the torta while Texans are most fond of wild game.

The New Mexico Restaurant Association (NMRA) held its 2018 Hospitality Industry Awards banquet in a 1920s Prohibition-era Gatsby themed event. Rowena and Adolph, owners of San Antonio’s world-famous Owl Bar & Cafe, earned the Association’s highest honor, Restaurateurs of the Year. Over the years, the Bacas generosity and philanthropic efforts have served as a shining example of community involvement. Earning Chef of the Year honors was Chef Mike White who recently closed The Point Grill in Rio Rancho. Chef White was acknowledged for his “passion for innovation, teaching, and developing culinary talents with the next generation of chefs, creating “The Kitchen Kids Inc.” charity that provides cooking classes and guided recipe instructions to children of all abilities.” Other award recipients are listed here.

“Craving cookies and pie? Find a bit of fresh-baked bliss in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.” That’s how The Food Network introduced its feature celebrating the best baked desserts in America, one dessert from every state. The Land of Enchantment’s best baked dessert is also our official state cookie, the much loved biscochito. Here’s what the Food Network had to say: “The state cookie of New Mexico, biscochitos are the cooler cousin of sandies. Albuquerque’s Golden Crown Panaderia makes tens of thousands of these little cinnamon-sugar-topped treasures every holiday season.” Maybe the Food Network should consult ancestory.com to study the biscochitos lineage.

12 Tomatoes, a lifestyle magazine which provides a wide range of accessible recipes, noted that: “while not all 50 states have an official state dessert, each and every state is at least known for something sweet.” In naming the most iconic dessert from every state, 12 Tomatoes was lockstep with the Food Network. Here’s how New Mexico’s sacrosanct cookie was described: “A sweet, buttery cookie flavored with cinnamon and anise, Bizcochitos became the official state cookie of New Mexico almost 30 years ago.” What 12 Tomatoes and the Food Network are at odds are just how biscochitos should be spelled. My definitive source, the state tourism department’s New Mexico True, spells it biscochito. Whether spelled with an “s” or a “z,” there’s no denying our official state cookie is revered across the Land of Enchantment.

“Best of” lists, even when they’re touted as “official” are, for the most part very subjective. After all, how can anyone proclaim a specific pizzeria “the best in the state.” With data, that’s how. In a joint venture to name “the best pizza joint in every U.S. state,” Money Magazine partnered with Yelp to do just that. Measuring “best” with an algorithm which considers the number of Yelp reviews and star ratings for each contender, data showed New Mexico’s best pizzeria to be Albuquerque’s Straight Up Pizza. Unfortunately, the pies are available only on a carry-out or delivery basis. Many of us who don’t live anywhere near 2801 Eubank, N.E. are hoping Straight Up Pizza launches a sit-down pizzeria, the likes of which it once operated.

“Remember college? Yeah, we don’t either. But amid fuzzy memories of late-night contemplations on Nietzsche and later-night sticky basement floors, there’s one thing that stands out: the food we loved the most.” Tasting Table’s compilation of the 50 best college towns in America makes a valid point. Though this blogger gastronome remained sober throughout my collegiate days, I can well remember all my favorite college haunts for great food. Not surprisingly, Tasting Table named Albuquerque as New Mexico’s best college town for eats and the Frontier Restaurant as an exemplar: “The sweet roll at this campus-adjacent icon is an irresistible plate-sized spiral of sugar, cinnamon and joy. But since one cannot live on dessert perfection alone, there are house-made tortillas (which you can buy to go) and plenty of dishes that use green chile, the hallmark of regional New Mexican cuisine.”

Not that long ago my unofficial publicist Bob of the Village of Los Ranchos (BOTVOLR) began a stirring dialogue regarding the best grilled cheese in the Duke City area. Perhaps taking a cue from the number one commentator on Gil’s Thrilling, USA Today compiled its own list of some of the best places for grilled cheese in all 50 states (and D.C.). Bob, you’ll have to get in your 1970-something Firebird and head to the Standard Diner for New Mexico’s best. According to USA Today, “Grilled cheese and tomato soup is an American classic, so don’t make a right turn at Albuquerque. Stick around at least long enough to hit up the Standard Diner for their crispy, cheesy, creamy, satisfying version when the New Mexico weather starts to turn a tad chilly.”

Unlike most culinary industry recognition which is “based on subjective standards and opaque criteria,” Good Food 100 Restaurants™ inaugurated a new accolade based on “percentage of total food purchases ($) spent to support local/state, regional and national Good Food producers and purveyors vs. same category restaurants in the same region.” In other words, Good Food 100 celebrates restaurants where “truly good food is good for every link in the food chain,” where “sustainability and transparency” are making a positive impact. New Mexico’s two sole representatives on the “Good Food 100 Restaurants” list for 2018 are The Grove Cafe & Market and Campo at Los Poblanos. This is the second consecutive year in which The Grove has garnered this recognition.

Invariably whenever the Albuquerque Journal, The Alibi or Albuquerque: The Magazine publish “best of the city” restaurant lists, a phalanx of complaints pour in from friends and colleagues. They question the veracity of the results and often, the sanity of the voters. After learning the 2018 results of the Harris Poll’s nationwide customer survey of favorite brands, Albuquerque’s “best of” voters will surely have a bit of redemption. Surveying more than 77,000 consumers across the fruited plain on more than 3,000 brands, the results may shock and awe you. Taco Bell was selected as America’s best Mexican restaurant. Other winners include Five Guys (best burger), Krispy Creme (best coffee shop), Chick-fil-A (best chicken restaurant), Blaze Pizza (best pizza), Subway and Panera (best sandwich shop) and Ben & Jerry’s (best ice cream). Never mind Presidential election results. The results of this poll may be reason enough to move to Canada.

August, 2018

A study by the Culinary Institute of America (the real CIA) and the University of California at Davis revealed that the flavor of a traditional ground meat burger can be enhanced significantly when paired with mushrooms. Essentially, you’re doubling the impact of umami, that deep, dark, meaty intensity that leaves you craving more. The Blenditarian partnered with the James Beard Foundation to sponsor the 2018 Blended Burger Project, a competition to recognize the best beef-mushroom blended burger in the fruited plain. More than 600 competitors entered the fray. When the smoke had cleared, two New Mexican restaurants–The Point in Rio Rancho and Toltec Brewing Co. in Albuquerque were among the top twenty vote-getters. Those top twenty were then evaluated by a panel of judges (including television personality Andrew Zimmern) to determine which five would be showcased at the James Beard House in the Blended Burger Bun’anza. The five winners included Albuquerque Chef David Ruiz of Toltec Brewing and the fabulous Royale.

New Mexico is often described (blush, even here) as being a landlocked, high-desert oasis some 800 miles from the ocean. You’d think our chefs wouldn’t recognize the fruits of the sea, much less be able to prepare them. For the second year in a row, Albuquerque Chef Marc Quiñones of Mas Tapas Y Vino proved skeptics and nay-sayers wrong. Chef Quiñones stood tall at the podium once again, earning his second Bronze medal in the prestigious Great American Seafood Cook-Off. Chefs from Louisiana and Massachusetts earned Gold and Silver respectively in the largest seafood competition across the fruited plain. Dishes composed by the competing chefs were judged based on presentation, creativity, composition, craftsmanship, and flavor. Chef Quiñones Spiced Duck Fat Fried Oysters were all that and more.

Southwest: The Magazine, the official magazine of Southwest Airlines theorizes that “the world’s greatest, most comprehensive equation is this: snacks = happiness.” Who can argue with that? In a feature entitled Snack Nation, the Magazine “set out to tell you about irresistible salty, sweet, crunchy, creamy nibbles across the country that are worth their weight in glee,” focusing on “snacks that are freshly made, not mass-produced.” More than anything, however, Southwest Magazine wanted their “picks to reflect another undeniable truth: that when we travel, snacks are truly special when they speak to the flavors or traditions of their region, evoking a sense of place.” One of the 20 bites selected as among the very best exemplars of the flavors of a region were the nachos at Nexus Brewery in Albuquerque. Southwest declared: “Red or green? At Nexus Brewery, the nachos arrive smothered with your choice of chile and are served with ground beef, chicken, or pulled pork. Pro tip: If you can’t pick a type of chile, spring for “Christmas style”— a mix of both.”

Cherrybombe, a dynamic online presence which celebrates women and food, compiled the ultimate list of female-owned and/or -fueled ice cream shops across the country. More than 80 businesses, representing over 100 scoop shops made the list, but only one from New Mexico did. The Land of Enchantment’s sole representative was The Taos Cow Ice Cream Company in Arroyo Seco. Taos Cow is no stranger to “best of” lists, previously having garnered recognition as one of the “ten best ice cream parlors worldwide” in 2013 from Fox News. From a scientific perspective, Taos Cow specializes in all-natural, rGBH-free ice cream, but what it really specializes in is sheer deliciousness that delights children of all ages. Thank you, Alonna Smith, for alerting me to this story.

One person’s crazy is another person’s genius though frankly, most of us are unqualified to determine what’s crazy and what’s not. Still, Passport, a self-described “ticket to worldwide adventure without ever leaving the comfort of your own home,” takes it upon itself to name the “Craziest Food From Every Single US State.” New Mexico’s “craziest” food is also one of its most beloved. Yep, Passport had the audacity to call our sacrosanct chicharonnes our craziest food, describing them as “crispy bits of fried pork fat? Yeah, that’s done everywhere. But in New Mexico, these little things are extremely important.”

Just because summer is quickly drawing to a close (at least on the calendar), it doesn’t mean Americans will eat less frozen treats. As long as “temperatures are “ablazin’, sticks of frozen fruit, herbs, booze and beyond will cool you down and keep you hydrated in a delicious way.” That’s how the Foot Network introduces its feature on the coolest ice pop shops in the country. Not surprisingly Albuquerque’s Pop Fizz made the list of sixteen. Here’s what the Food Network had to say: “Pops come in a wide range of flavors here, including sweet and spicy, and all are made with fresh fruit and real cane sugar. A favorite is the magoneadas, made with tropical mango and then kicked up with the fermented hot sauce chamoy, a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of tajin chile powder.”

So, how do you define “sandwich?” Apparently, Men’s Health believes anything you put on sliced bread is a sandwich. At least that’s the impression you might glean from reading Men’s Health’s feature naming the most iconic sandwich in every state. Claiming to have “researched the signature sandwiches in all 50 states based on longstanding tradition, locally beloved ingredients and sandwich shops that have practically reached celebrity status,” Men’s Health named as the Land of Enchantment’s best sandwich our beloved green chile cheeseburger, indicating: “It’s hard not to veer from the confines of a sandwich when it comes to New Mexico. The signature condiment on their burgers is too iconic to overlook, and the union of melty American cheese and spicy, minced green chiles might just convince you to move there.”

Condé Nast Traveler, a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast, is a terrific resource for dining advice across the globe, but it doesn’t neglect the fruited plain. In a feature entitled 50 States, 50 Dishes: America’s Favorite Foods and Where to Get Them, Condé Nast compiled “an (un)official list of the dishes that capture the hearts, souls, and (oh, yes) stomachs of these 50 states (plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico), and where you should order them.” Its selection for New Mexico was green chile enchiladas which Condé Nast recommends you eat at Santa Fe’s The Shed. Here’s what Condé Nast Traveler had to say: “The Shed in Santa Fe may be most known for its green chile stew but the chicken enchiladas here, served in blue corn tortillas and smothered in green chiles, are some of the best in the state.” Thank you, Alonna, for sending me this article.

July, 2018

Marie Yniguez, one of Albuquerque’s most popular restaurateurs was featured in a segment of NBC News Dateline. As warmly showcased in the feature, Marie’s is the quintessential feel-good story replete with elements of grittiness, determination and surmounting challenges. A stroke at age 32 prompted her to address the direction her life was taking and pursue her dream of someday owning her own restaurant…despite one callous restaurant owner telling her she only had the aptitude to be a dishwasher. She started by selling burritos out of the trunk of her car. Before long, her daughter’s school asked if she could help prepare breakfast or lunch for the students. Instead of the preservative-laden foods the school had been serving, Marie focused on feeding students fresh and healthy food. Preparing meals for schools gave Marie the financial support she needed to start her own restaurant, Bocadillos, a slow-roasted sandwich shop in which everything is prepared from scratch using mostly local ingredients. Marie believes wholeheartedly in giving back to the community and in helping others flourish as she has.

Not quite as contentious across the fruited plain as “red state or blue state” is the question which dominates the summer grilling season: Hamburger or Hot Dog. The only conceivable answer, of course, is “both.” In collaboration with Walmart, Food & Wine magazine was able to put together a profile of hamburger or hot dog states, somehow figuring out that preferences for one or the other can actually be broken down by state lines. Not surprisingly, hamburgers reigned supreme in forty states including New Mexico (we can thank green chile cheeseburgers for that). The ten states which prefer hot dogs are mostly clustered along the west coast.

Chowhound, an online community for the food and restaurant obsessed among us, compiled a list of 50 States, 50 Insanely Expensive Restaurants. New Mexico’s most insanely expensive restaurant was deemed to be Geronimo, a Santa Fe institution. Chowhound wrote “The appetizers at this American restaurant in Santa Fe cost as much as $29. The rack of lamb is $52. At a sit-down restaurant next door, the most expensive menu item is $22.” Considering the per capita income is not quite $44K, it’s not likely many New Mexicans will be enjoying a meal at Geronimo any time soon.

New Mexico basks in 310 days of sunshine, combined with a mild, dry climate and four distinct seasons. That means al fresco dining options are plentiful. Despite sheer numbers, only one restaurant across the Land of Enchantment ranked among the 100 best Al Fresco Restaurants in the fruited plain according to OpenTable. That restaurant is Albuquerque’s own Farm & Table which achieved an 89% “recommended” rating. OpenTable commented: “Farm and Table always provides an exceptional dining experience.”

For eight decades, the New Mexico State Fair has thrilled locals and visitors alike with an incomparable array of concerts, competitions, rodeos, carnival rides, games, farm animals, horses, agriculture, art and food. Where state fairs at other states may offer mostly wacky and zany foods (deep-fried watermelon and fried Kool-Aid anyone), the New Mexico State Fair is renowned for its delicious culinary offerings. It’s no surprise New Mexico made the list of Ask’s #1 Food From Each U.S. State Fair You Must Try. What is surprising is that Ask’s choice was red chile chocolate limeaid about which Ask wrote: “Just Squeezed’s tent at the New Mexico State Fair offers red chile chocolate limeade. The sweet, sour, and spicy drink can’t be found anywhere else.”

Perhaps no state across the fruited plain celebrates its barbecue as enthusiastically as Texas. Barbecue is the Lone Star state’s aqua vitae and no one celebrates the state’s pantheons of barbecue greatness as often or as well as Texas Monthly, the national magazine of Texas. It’s not often Texas Monthly crosses the sacred borders of the “whole other country,” so when it visited New Mexico it wasn’t to annex a part of the Land of Enchantment bordering Texas. It was to celebrate Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue in Cloudcroft where Lockhart, Texas transplant Kirk Jackson is offering Texas style brisket and more. Barbecue aficionados might recognize Lockhart as an epicenter of Texas barbecue. In time, Cloudcroft might achieve similar acclaim thanks to Mad Jack’s.

2017 was not a good year for chain restaurants. Not only are mom-and-pop restaurants actually growing at a faster rate than the once dominant chains, several chains experienced more closures than growth. Still, more than half of the restaurant industry’s $537 billion came from the top 500 chains. From among just the top 100 chains, Albuquerque has the top 31 though almost a third–some 33 of the top 100 chains across the fruited plain–don’t currently have a presence in the Duke City. Among them are In-N-Out Burger, Culvers, and Steak N Shake. Many of them can be found not far away in Phoenix and Denver.

lovefood.com, the self-professed “definitive website for food, recipes and reviews” believes “there can’t be any meal quite as satisfying as a juicy burger and salty fries.” “To help make sure your next order is deliciously meaty, crispy and downright memorable,” lovefood chose the “top burger and fries joints in every single state.” Their selection from the Land of Enchantment comes from La Cienega’s Blue Heron Restaurant. Here’s what lovefood had to say: “Every year, Santa Fe is home to the Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown, which decides which local restaurant has the year’s best variation of the revered local classic, crowning them the “Reigning Chomp”. The Blue Heron Restaurant won in 2017, and it’s certainly worth trying their winning green chile cheeseburger. Nicknamed “The Life Changer”, the creation is made with brisket and ribeye, topped with vintage cheddar, green chile and homemade pickles and served with brined fries.”

June, 2018

Caleigh Yacone didn’t have to look any further for a role model than across the kitchen table. That’s where her dad Robert sat. An indefatigable and driven perfectionist, Robert required that his children establish both short- and long-term goals and that they strive at all times to maximize their potential. When Caleigh, then a precocious ten-year-old, displayed a strong aptitude and talent for baking, Robert nurtured her interests and challenged her to continue honing her skills. In short order, she became an amazing cookie and brownie maker, developing her own recipes. Inheriting her dad’s assiduous work ethic, she achieved four straight years of perfect attendance and a 4.0 grade point average at Deming’s middle and high schools. All the while, she was running varsity cross-country and working next to her dad as much as forty hours a week at the family’s nascent restaurant Forghedaboudit. It was exhausting work, but it was a labor of love.

In May, 2018, Caleigh graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (the “real” CIA), one of the world’s best incubators for leading culinary professionals. Shortly after returning to Deming, her dad and stepmother Kimberly made Caleigh a co-owner of Forghedaboudit, quite a coup considering she’s not even old enough to drink legally. Like Robert and Kimberly, Caleigh is driven to continue growing the family restaurant, perhaps expanding into several locations. She is very proud of the overwhelmingly positive response Forghedaboudit has garnered for its fabulous Italian food and exemplary service. Travelers journey from across the fruited plain and faraway countries to partake of cuisine that has earned significant national and international acclaim and world championships for both pizza and wings.

Caleigh is also delighted at how the restaurant has melded New Mexican and Italian culinary techniques and ingredients to create such uniquely delicious dishes as a 14-ounce green chile bone-in veal chop. She’s not baking as much anymore, preferring to make sauces and focus on continually improving her skills and the restaurant’s dishes. Her favorite sauce is a five ingredient Marsala which she describes as “amazing.” That’s an apt term for everything at Forghedaboudit, Deming’s dining diadem. Amazing also describes Caleigh Yacone, an outstanding role model in her own right.

In a recent poll, Ranker asked more than 10,000 burger fans nationwide to name their favorite burger from a major fast-food establishment or restaurant chain. Data revealed that the Double Double from In-N-Out and the hamburger from Five Guys tie as the most popular fast-food burgers across the fruited plain. Several popular fast food burger joints found in New Mexico–including Wendy’s, Jack-in-the-Box, Sonic Drive-in, Dairy Queen and Fuddruckers–failed to make the list for any state. The most popular fast food burger across the Land of Enchantment is (you might want to be seated for this) Burger King’s Whopper Junior. The poll did not indicate whether or not green chile adorned that Whopper Junior.

My Jewish Learning, a resource-rich online presence designed to help you navigate all aspects of Judaism and Jewish life—from food to history to beliefs and practices–published a map showing the best Jewish deli in every state. The compilation includes “delis with Jewish roots, serving standards like matzah ball soup or overstuffed sandwiches — kosher or not.” If you’re wondering where in New Mexico you can find a Jewish Deli, look no further than Santa Fe where the New York Deli’s “expansive menu features sandwiches named after NYC neighborhoods, plenty of deli sandwich options, and for breakfast, blintzes, bagels, and schmears.”

12 Tomatoes, whose mission it is “to inspire everyday cooks, every day“, may well inspire you to reach for your favorite cookie (assuming you keep them on hand all year-round). That’s because 12 Tomatoes compiled a list of the most iconic dessert from every state. Named the Land of Enchantment’s most iconic dessert was the bizcochito, about which 12 Tomatoes wrote “A sweet, buttery cookie flavored with cinnamon and anise, Bizcochitos became the official state cookie of New Mexico almost 30 years ago.” The only argument about this choice is whether you spell it with a “z” as in bizcochito or an “s” as in biscochito.

Boomerang BBQ of Wolfforth, Texas bested a field of ardent competitors to earned the New Mexico State Barbecue Championship at the Smokin’On The Pecos event held in Artesia. The championship was the seventh for Boomerang BBQ, earning the team an automatic entry into the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue.

May, 2018

For years your humble blogger has been shouting (at least virtually) that while Albuquerque and Santa Fe might be the apotheosis of the Land of Enchantment’s culinary scene, there’s so much more to dining in New Mexico than what these two epicenters offer. Hidden gem restaurants, many of which are yet to be reviewed on this blog, are pervasive throughout New Mexico. In its feature honoring the best tacos in every state across the fruited plain, Thrillist named La Herradura (which translates to “the horseshoe” in English) in Artesia as the best in New Mexico…and “perhaps the entire country.” Thrillist noted “The portions are heaping. The prices are almost embarrassingly cheap. And their world-class tacos — from the red sauce-soaked beef asada to their shredded beef desheredada — are served fresh, hot, and with a delicious plate of rice and beans as a worthy sidekick.”

In its feature honoring the best steakhouse in every state, Business Insider didn’t find New Mexico’s best chops in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. Instead, the Land of Enchantment’s best slab of beef can only be found in Double Eagle in Mesilla, increasingly a dining destination of repute among cognoscenti. Self-glossed the “crown jewel of historic Old Mesilla,” the Double Eagle is situated in an edifice constructed in 1849 which has been the site of many colorful and historic events. Business Insider seemed just as enamored of Double Eagle’s adult libations: “Margaritas and steak? It’s not a typical dining experience, but you won’t want to miss out on this combination at Double Eagle in Mesilla. Try the signature green chili Bloody Mary to spice up your evening.”

Only someone as brilliant as my friend Larry McGoldrick, the professor with a perspicacious palate, can hope to understand the Wilson Score formula used by Yelp to compile its first ever Top 50 Places to Eat in Albuquerque. Though the math may seem like Greek to most of us, we can all agree that this enumeration of exceptional eateries will come in handy when we’re contemplating where to eat. The list is sure to generate water cooler discussions among savvy and casual diners throughout the country. During our inaugural visit to 2G’s Bistro shortly after it was published, the list was a topic of conversation among several diners. It should be that way throughout the summer and beyond.

While it didn’t make it onto Yelp’s list of the top 50 places to eat in Albuquerque, El Pinto continues to garner national acclaim. It’s no surprise that this North Valley institution has one of the largest “I love me” walls in the city. For years it’s been drawing in throngs of devotees for its red chile ribs and generous margarita pours. Its most recent accolades come from fashionbeans.com, an online guide to men’s fashion (or at least men who don’t frequent JC Penney for its husky boy collection). Fashionbeans asked and answered the question “Are these really America’s most favorite restaurants.” On this compilation of one restaurant per state, El Pinto stood tall as the Land of Enchantment’s most beloved dining institution: “Often considered one of the best Mexican restaurants in the U.S., El Pinto has been serving up red chile ribs and margaritas in Albuquerque since 1962. Also, it’s one of the biggest restaurants you will ever visit.”

Via, an online resource from AAA, purports “to excite, to inform, and to entertain Western travelers.” To that end, it recently polled readers as to find the best places for pie across the west. Any way you slice it, no list of best pies in the universe (excluding pizza pies) has got to include Pie-On-Neer Pies in Pie Town, New Mexico. Via reader Barbara Weist commented “Head to Pie-O-Neer Pies in Pie Town, New Mexico, between Quemado and Datil on U.S. Highway 60. All they do is pie. The town developed in the 1920s, serving pies to the masses driving to California and other points west.”

Food and Wine partnered with People magazine to find the best hot dogs in every state. Named the Land of Enchantment’s best was one of its elder statesdogs (circa 1940), Albuquerque’s Dog House Drive In, a “no frills spot on Route 66” which “serves “footlong chili (SIC) dogs (served with red or green chili), tater tots and a killer Frito pie.” If (like me) your spellchecker finds the spelling “chili” offensive, pick up a coffee of my dear friend Becky Mercuri’s outstanding tome The Great American Hot Dog Book. She clarifies “Note, the spelling is chile, not chili, which New Mexico frowns upon as some kind of perverted Tex-Mex soup.” Bravo Becky and kudos to the Dog House.

April, 2018

Former American Idol winner and restaurant owner Taylor Hicks may have the best job in the country..or at least the tastiest. When he’s not entertaining or running his Alabama-based barbecue joint, he travels across the county for the Inspiration Channel’s State Plate program, assembling plates that represent each state’s most iconic foods. “From appetizers to main course to dessert, Taylor piles his plate high with delectable delights, as he makes his way across the country, meeting the people who take pride in their state’s foods.” His visit to New Mexico may have been the most enchanting (and certainly among the most delicious) of all the states he’s visited. The five items comprising the New Mexico state plate included carne adovada made from the increasingly rare Chimayo chile, green chile stew prepared by the great Rocky Durham at La Cienega’s Blue Heron Restaurant, calabacitas from The Santa Fe School of Cooking, stuffed sopaipillas from the Sopaipilla Factory in Pojoaque and for dessert, piñon brittle from Jericho Nursery. It would be so easy for New Mexicans to dispute some of these choices, but frankly State Plate did a pretty good job coming up with dishes which represent the Land of Enchantment so deliciously.

Long a staple of the collegiate diet, ramen’s “mass appeal has solidified it as both a cultural phenomenon and a global food craze.” That’s why Business Insider sought to locate the best ramen in each state. Named New Mexico’s best ramen was Albuquerque’s Naruto, a Central Avenue dining destination with an unimpeachable pedigree. Owners Hiro and Shohko Fukuda opened the Land of Enchantment’s very first sushi bar in 1975 and have been offering sushi nearly as long. Naruto’s Tonkotsu ramen is porcine perfection, an intensely porky elixir concocted by culinary wizards who, over many hours of simmering time, transform pork bones into an opaque broth with a rich, butyraceous flavor and the aroma of heaven.

The Taste SF, a culinary lifestyle website and photography company based in San Francisco is dedicated to sharing the best food, wine and culinary-focused travel experiences. Cognoscenti will tell you any New Mexico-focused culinary adventure has got to include Los Poblanos Historic Inn in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. The Taste SF called Los Poblanos “one of our favorite places in Albuquerque.” A spectacular anthology of photographs accompanied a very respectful tribute with photos of the brunch entrees especially noteworthy.

Over the years few chefs have graced Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) Year in Food as often as Marc Quinones, the über talented executive chef at Mas Tapas Y Vino. In 2017 for example, the New Mexico Restaurant Association’s “Chef of the Year” showed his versatility garnering a third-place-finish in the Great American Seafood Cook-off, a national competition held in New Orleans. His culinary career trajectory, passion and exposure seem to portend future James Beard nominations. Lois Alter Mark profiled Chef Quinones in an article fittingly titled The Secret Ingredient Award-Winning Chef Marc Quinones adds to Every dish. While it’s probably trite and cliche when chefs claim their secret ingredient is love, the interview reveals a rare passion which is suffused into every dish he prepares.

It wouldn’t surprise many people if you told them New Mexico has one of the 23 best Indian restaurants in America. After all, the Land of Enchantment has 23 tribes and an Indian population of more than 210,000. In its compilation of the best Indian restaurants across the fruited plain, Thrillist evaluated east Indian restaurants, not restaurants owned and operated by Native American Indians. Only one Indian restaurant from New Mexico made this hallowed list. That restaurant was Santa Fe’s Paper Dosa which “specializes in, well, its namesake dosa, or crepe made from a fermented batter, which arrives stuffed with ingredients like spiced paneer and peas, white truffle oil, spiced ground lamb, or green chile and not one, but three cheeses.”

“Ah, the American deli experience. This tasty tradition conjures visions of satiating potato latkes, pastrami sandwiches and other Jewish delicacies.” That’s how the Food Network describes delis in its compilation of the 50 Best Delis by State. Now, what Food Network describes as a deli and what some cafes label themselves as a deli are often two different things–especially in New Mexico. More often than not, delis in the Land of Enchantment are usually just glorified sandwich shops. Not so for Food Networks anointed deli, Bodega Prime, a bona fide deli which actually makes its own ricotta, queso fresco, brioche rolls and more. The Food Network noted “This spot takes the concept of an average bodega and blows it up to epic proportions by bringing retail, take-out and dine-in together in one sleek yet charming space.”

There’s so much more to the Land of Enchantment than Albuquerque and Santa Fe. If you’re not already subscribing to Melodie K’s Romancing Southern New Mexico newsletter, you’re missing out on the state’s spectacular southern half. From her home in the Las Cruces area, Melodie ventures out all over the Southwest, lovingly sharing stories on food, travel, and lifestyle. For a couple of years Melodie has also been sharing her photographs with readers of Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog as well as keeping us well apprised of food-centric news from the area…such as the following gem.

It’s official: Diners searching for the best of the best green chile in the Land of Enchantment need look no further than El Patron Cafe in Las Cruces. So say the readers of USA Today who voted El Patron their favorite of ten New Mexico restaurants known for doing the state’s most iconic food particularly well. More than a few legendary eateries figured in the top ten, including The Shed in Santa Fe and The Owl Cafe in San Antonio. But in the end, El Patron’s specialty dishes made with Hatch green chile, such as brisket nachos and a house posole, won the most hearts and votes.

“Whoever first uttered the phrase “American as apple pie” probably did so while perched on a stool at a crowded diner. So that means a diner is somehow more American than apple pie.” That’s how Thrillist began its feature on the 21 best diners in America. While nay-sayers may consider diners an endangered species, there are still several of them serving people-and-palate-pleasing plates of classic American foods…or in the cast of Santa Fe’s The Pantry, classic New Mexican cuisine. New Mexico’s sole representative on the list of sacrosanct diners, The Pantry is “1. damn iconic, 2. a place where you have a decent shot at running into Cormac McCarthy, and 3. serves impeccable New Mexican breakfasts.”

Here’s one from November, 2017 I missed: “Whether you call it a sandwich, a hoagie, or a sub, the combination of meat, vegetables, and condiments between two pieces of bread is a universally enjoyed dish all over the US.” With the help of Yelp, Business Insider compiled a list of the best sandwiches in the US based on the star rating and number of reviews of restaurants listed in the “sandwiches” category. Yelp reviewers gave the most love to the shredded beef sandwich from Albuquerque’s Guava Tree Cafe. With an average rating of 4.5 stars (out of 5), it’s sandwich nirvana for Duke City aficionados.

And another–this one from Road and Track. You might think that an online and print magazine written for the automotive enthusiast would know something about driving to great places to eat…and you’d be right. Road and Track compiled a list of The 50 Most Delicious Things to Eat on an American Road Trip, one from each state in the fruited plain. To absolutely no one’s surprise, there’s nothing better to eat in New Mexico than Hatch green chile. Here’s what Road and Track had to say: The town of Hatch, New Mexico, is so obsessed with its eponymous chiles that come Labor Day, the Hatch Chile Festival draws over 30,000 people to this tiny town of 1,600. And when the harvest comes, Hatch chile makes its way into everything Mexican and nearby Tex-Mex: Hatch chile sausage, Hatch chile beer, Hatch chile chili, Hatch chile and Sweet Lime Sandwich Cookies. You get the idea.

March, 2018

American journalist Anna Quindlen declared “ideas are like pizza dough, made to be tossed around.” At the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, everyone who is anyone in the independent and chain pizza industry gets together to share ideas, expand their knowledge and toss dough in pizza skills competitions. No one tosses dough as well as Robert Yacone and Kimberly Duncan, the high-energy and even higher in personality quotient dynamic duo who own and operate the incomparable Forghedaboudit in Deming. In the 2018 Expo, Kimberly’s pulchritudinous pepperoni and sausage pizza placed third in the Southwest region (California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Utah and Oklahoma) and fifth in the country in the traditional pizza category. In 2017, she won the Southwest region, placed second in the United States and fourth in the entire world.

Competing in the non-traditional pizza category, considered the most difficult competition at the Expo, Robert created a pizza which exemplifies creativity and genius: grilled jerk shrimp, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, mushrooms, Piave 18 month aged cheese, Bacio mozzarella lemon-lime zest topped with basil on a four-day old cold rise crust topped with garlic and olive oil!. Only two points separated Robert’s masterpiece from first place in a competition that pitted the best pizzaioli in the world. If you’re not beating a path to Deming right now (don’t forget to get reservations), you’re missing out on one of the best traditional pizzas in the world and a non-traditional pie I’d give my right arm for. Now go!

For the second consecutive year and third time overall, Santa Fe Chef Martin Rios became a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards in The Best Chef Southwest category, coming oh-so-close to earning the award in 2015 and 2017. One of New Mexico’s most heralded chefs, Rios continues to enthrall New Mexico diners with his innovative Progressive American cuisine at his eponymous Restaurant Martin. Since launching his restaurant, Rios has earned nine James Beard award nominations. Chef Rios is much too talented to become the Susan Lucci of the culinary world.

12 Tomatoes, an online presence whose byline is “Simple Recipes. Serious Flavor,” noted that while not every state in the fruited plain has an official state dessert, “each and every state is at least known for something sweet.” Reading the 12 Tomatoes list of the most iconic dessert in each state just might “be enough to make you want to take one sweet road trip.” So, what does 12 Tomatoes consider the most iconic sweet in the Land of Enchantment? Why, the bizcochito, of course. The feature described the bizcochito thusly: “A sweet, buttery cookie flavored with cinnamon and anise, Bizcochitos became the official state cookie of New Mexico almost 30 years ago.”

New Mexico hasn’t been widely heralded as a state in which great barbecue is to be found. That may be changing thanks to a small purveyor of bodacious barbecue in Tucumcari. Yes, Tucumcari. In February, Tucumcari’s Watson’s BBQ garnered national recognition from Thrillist as one of the best small town restaurants in the country. Just one month later, Watson’s earned an even more significant honor, being named one of the 50 best barbecue restaurants in America according to Yelp. Watson’s ranked 35th in the meaty pantheon. On 89 reviews (as of this date), Yelp reviewers gave Watson’s five stars.

In an episode of Food Paradise entitled “More Bite for the Buck,” the Travel Channel showcased where “frugal foodies across the country” go “to savor the savings while indulging in high quality meals without the high prices, from four dollar fried chicken tacos and one buck shucks to half-priced rib eyes and bargain breakfast bites.” The only restaurant in the Land of Enchantment to make the list is The Pantry in Santa Fe which for some reason, the program’s map depicted as being located in the Farmington area. “Widely known as Santa Fe’s meeting place,” The Pantry “has been a home away from home for generations of Santa Feans” giving guests a “bang for their buck.” Food Paradise noted that ” the food may be cheap, but it’s definitely rich, in particular the stuffed French toast.”

February, 2018

According to 24/7 Wall St., a financial news and opinion company with content delivered over the Internet, there are approximately 41,000 Chinese eateries across the fruited plain. “In recognition of Chinese cuisine’s proud place in the American culinary tradition,” 24/7 Wall St. created a list of the most popular Chinese restaurants in each state. Employing criteria as complicated as Chinese logograms but which included Yelp reviews, the Chinese Restaurant Foundation’s annual Top 100 Awards as well as dozens of restaurants reviews, polls, and other internet sources, the best from among the Land of Enchantment’s 166 Chinese restaurants was deemed to be Albuquerque’s Rising Star Chinese Eatery which has an average Yelp rating of 4.5 stars.

In some cultures, such foods as ballut (fertilized duck egg with its partly developed embryo insidel), chapulines (grasshoppers), huitlacoche (corn smut) and cazu marzu (rotten Pecorino cheese) are considered delicacies. To the editorial staff of Topix Off Beat, a technology company focusing on entertainment and news media, these foods would be considered “gross.” Topix compiled a list of the grossest food from every single US state. Using such terms as “horrifying foods, “worst regional food” and “some of these are bad,” the foods listed may gross out the non-foodies among us, but gallant gastronomes would very likely enjoy most of them. According to the third graders who wrote this feature, the grossest food in the Land of Enchantment is the green chile sundae. Topix had this to say: “New Mexicans put green chile in everything. EVERYTHING. Why should ice cream be any different? I don’t know, maybe it’s because it’s a frozen dairy dessert. What is your damage, New Mexico?” Huh?

“From the world’s most luxurious steaks to the season’s most vibrant veggies, diners across the country are going wild for homegrown goodness at these popular farm-to-table restaurants.” That was the premise of the Travel Channel’s Food Paradise episode entitled “Farm to Feast,” a term synonymous with Albuquerque’s Farm & Table. Since its launch in 2012, Farm & Table has been an exemplar of fine dining using locally grown produce, sustainable seafood and grass-fed beef. The short segment featuring Farm & Table showcased Chef Carrie Eagle’s terrific tortilla burger made with sharp Tucumcari Cheddar and roasted green chiles folded into a perfect bite and served with French fries and a side of pinto beans.

Urban America doesn’t hold exclusivity when it comes to great restaurants across the fruited plain. There are terrific eateries throughout rural America. They may not get the publicity of their big city brethren, but some are every bit as good…or better. Within the Land of Enchantment, restaurants such as Deming’s Forghedaboudit, Peñasco’s Sugar Nymph Bistro, El Rito’s El Farolito and Carlsbad’s Danny’s Place have garnered much-deserved attention from national press. Thrillist compiled its list of the absolute best small-town restaurants in the country. New Mexico’s best small town gem was deemed to be Watson’s BBQ in Tucumcari. Ensconced within a family-owned hardware store, Watson’s serves “mouth-watering brisket, ribs, potato salad, and beans to hungry travelers and locals working in the ranching biz.”

“Setting the table for romance involves an array of ingredients: scrumptious food, alluring ambiance, and bespoke service.” So says OpenTable whose Most Romantic Restaurants list for 2018 honors “the seductive spots at which couples are creating connections and savoring delicious memories.” The list of honorees is based on more than 12,000,000 reviews of more than 26,000 restaurants across the country — all submitted by verified OpenTable diners. Only one restaurant from New Mexico made the list, but it’s one for whom the term “romantic’ is certainly appropriate. New Mexico’s most romantic restaurant for 2018 is Santa Fe’s legendary Geronimo.

Not so fast, Geronimo. Food & Wine has its own opinion as to the Land of Enchantment’s most romantic restaurant. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Food & Wine published its list of America’s most romantic restaurants. In its estimation, Tesuque’s Terra within the Four Seasons Rancho Encantado is as romantic as it gets. Food & Wine declared “If the glorious sunsets and sweeping mountain views at Terra don’t scream romantic to you, chances are nothing will. (Its garden-to-table dishes will also catch your eye.)”

Two of the most prolific and talented chefs in the Land of Enchantment were named semifinalists in the James Beard Foundation Awards for 2018. A 2017 semi-finalist in the Rising Star Chef of the Year category, Colin Shane, chef at Arroyo Vino in Santa Fe, repeated in that category in 2018. Also repeating as a semi-finalist is Martin Rios, a 2017 finalist for Best Chef: Southwest category. Since launching Restaurant Martin, Rios has earned eight James Beard award nominations. Rios is actually a two-time finalist for the Best Chef Southwest category, coming oh-so-close in 2015 and 2017.

It’s probable that if you see a restaurant featuring “Chimayó chile” on its menu, the chile actually came from somewhere else. In an article entitled “Why This New Mexico Chile Has An International Cult Following,” Food & Wine lamented that the Chimayó Chile is so precious that a counterfeit market has emerged. Chimayó chile, a distinctly orange-reddish chile craved by connoisseurs the world over is the most prized culinary item in the agrarian community half an hour north of Santa Fe. Despite being so prized, it is grown only in Chimayó and only in small batches by farmers whose families reap the bounty of their harvests. The chile is grown from original heirloom seeds passed down from generation to generation.

“The humble donut has come along way in recent years, from an obligatory morning staple serving mainly as the basis for cop jokes to an object of obsession that replaced cupcakes as the “everyday sweet treat that everyone’s making all fancy” of the moment.” Thrillist notes “the common denominator” in its compilation of the 31 best donut shops in America “is the kind of eye-rolling satisfaction that’ll dictate a “yes” when you inevitably ponder whether or not to eat another one.” Frankly, you shouldn’t ever have to ponder whether or not to eat another one. That’s especially true at Thrillist’s sole heralded donut from New Mexico, Whoo’s Donuts in Santa Fe. Thrillist raves about the blue corn donut” “Just imagine a corn muffin that was made with blue corn and then cross pollinated with a donut with fantastic results. Then go eat one so you no longer have to imagine.”

Silver City’s loss has become St. Louis, Missouri’s gain. In 2016, James Beard nominated chef Rob Connoley left the very highly regarded The Curious Kumquat and moved to the Gateway City. Two years later, he launched Squatter’s Cafe which was recently featured in a mostly complimentary review from the St. Louis Post Dispatch. The review chronicled his self-taught, second-career chef journey, an unconventional trek that includes modernist cooking and foraged ingredients. The review declared his latest venture ” one of the most interesting and appealing breakfast-lunch restaurants to open in St. Louis in recent memory.”

In 1680, Northern New Mexico’s Pueblos orchestrated a bloody revolt to expel Spanish settlers from the Land of Enchantment. On the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern program, the host explored the route taken by Pueblo leader Po’pay and the united Pueblo peoples during the revolt. In a very respectful tribute to “America’s First Revolution,” Zimmern visited several pueblos and the Jicarilla Apache Nation where he explored native traditions and learned about the pre-contact (the period before the contact of New Mexico’s indigenous people with the Spanish culture) diet and its healthful benefits. Among the delicacies he sampled were porcupine heart, acorn mush cake and elk jerky.

Over the years, Albuquerque has garnered a lot of notoriety. Thanks largely to a television show about crystal meth, it’s been stereotyped and besmirched. What it’s never been called is underrated. That is, not until Thrillist put together a compilation of the Most Underrated Cities to Visit in All 50 States. For some reason, Albuquerque was named New Mexico’s most underrated city. Huh? Thrillist advises prospective visitors to “forget you ever saw an episode of Breaking Bad and you’ll be floored by Albuquerque.” Among the many reasons Albuquerque is underrated is “the The Southwestern influence” which “gives ABQ an impressive food scene, with spots like El Pinto and the James Beard Award-winning Mary & Tito’s Café.”

January, 2018

If you visit a New Mexican restaurant and you’re offered red or green “sauce,” you might have to question if (like Bugs Bunny) you made a left turn in Albuquerque and wound up in Denver. Virtually no one calls our sacrosanct red and green chile “sauces.” That is virtually no one who’s lived in the Land of Enchantment for a while or the Travel Channel. In an episode of Food Paradise entitled “Saucy,” the Travel Channel showcased some of the best sauce-driven dishes across the fruited plain. Recognized for its red and green chile “sauces” was Santa Fe’s Tia Sophia’s, a veritable institution on the famous Plaza.

In its February issue, Sunset Magazine named Albuquerque as one of “20 Game-Changers That Are Redefining the West,” ranking the Duke City 17th. “Considering the strong public-art program, miles of hiking trails, and 310 annual days of sunshine, it’s no wonder the locals don’t boast. They’re too busy living,” wrote Sunset’s editors. Sunset also noted “coffee roasters, restaurants, and food trucks are launching to keep up, many of them focused on local, organic produce, especially New Mexico’s beloved green chile.”

“To get all existential about it – how do I know the perfect donut for me is the perfect donut for you? The truth is there really is no Perfect Donut because we all love different things. So at Rebel Donut, we are all about options.” How’s that for an appealing mission statement or operating philosophy, not that Rebel Donut’s Web site calls it that. With that level of commitment to variety and people pleasing, is it any wonder Albuquerque’s Rebel Donut was named “The Best Donut Shop in New Mexico” by Delish. Like Rebel Donut, Delish believes “there’s no wrong way to eat a donut.” To compile its list of each state’s best donuts, Delish consulted Yelp, increasingly the most reliable crowd-source on culinary matters.

“In most of America, winter sucks. It is cold out. You don’t feel like doing anything, so you get fat. Pipes freeze. Lips, noses, and cheeks get chapped and raw. Black ice kills.” That’s how Thrillist began its feature “Every State Ranked By How Miserable Its Winters Are.” Not surprisingly the state whose winters were deemed most palatable was Hawaii while Minnesota’s winter was rated most miserable. New Mexico was ranked 45th in the winter misery index, meaning our winters are the fifth best across the fruited plain. It may raise your temperature to learn that Thrillist believes “New Mexico is basically Colorado” because we both “have high plains, mountain ranges, deserts, basins, and affiliations to green chile.”

BuzzFeed which purports to have “all the trending buzz you’ll want to share with your friends” consulted Yelp to uncover the top new restaurant that opened in 2017 in every single state. Taking into account the number of reviews and star ratings for every new restaurant on the site, Buzzfeed then compiled a list of “the one restaurant to try in every state in 2018.” New Mexico’s very best new restaurant, according to Yelp’s algorithm was Fresh Bistro in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. Yelper Bella B. described Fresh as “Lovely French- and Italian-inspired creations will keep you enticed at this charming, cozy, and newly transformed restaurant in Los Ranchos.”

Cheapism, an online presence which scours the internet for news stories and resources that are informative and fun and can help you save money, acknowledges that “no shortage of cheap, delicious pizza across America, but sometimes something that demands a little more finesse, like veal parmigiana or ravioli heaped with red sauce, is required.” In tracking down “the best old-school Italian restaurant in every state,” believed there could only be one choice for the best Italian restaurant in New Mexico. Joe’s Pasta House “offers an oasis of Italian just north of Albuquerque. Go traditional with a dish like carbonara, ziti alla vodka or gnocchi, or try the well-reviewed Southwestern fettucine, which has green chile and crushed red peppers for a local twist.”

“A coffee shop’s design often reflects its neighborhood.” Perhaps only an architect would think in those terms. The rest of us typically walk into our favorite coffee shops in a weary and bleary state and only after a caffeine fix do we even notice the ambiance which surrounds us. The Architectural Digest published its list of the most beautiful coffee shop in every state in America. The Land of Enchantment’s most beautiful coffee shop was deemed to be Zendo in Albuquerque. Here’s what the Digest had to say: “On warm days, the outdoor patio at Zendo is open for seating, marked by a colorful mural and covered by sailcloth. The minimalist interior—white-washed brick walls and concrete floors—is pretty sweet, too.”

“Grabbing guac? Craving queso? Dips reflect history, a sense of place and evoke a strong sense of home-state pride, whether they feature locally caught seafood, export-worthy cheese or indigenous produce. So grab that cracker, chip, fry or veggie, and dig into the dips that give each state something to sing about.” That’s how the Food Network Magazine began its feature 50 States of Dips. Arizona’s best dip is salsa while California goes gaga for guacamole and Colorado gets mountain high over choriqueso (from a restaurant called Chili Verde). Representing the Land of Enchantment is the Frontier Restaurant’s Green Chile Salsa. “The salsa gets a double dose of heat from flame-roasted green chiles and jalapenos, which are simmered with sautéed onions, tomatoes and spices and served warm.”

A Travel Channel program called Roadside Eats: Top 20 counts down the “top 20 restaurants in America that might just require a little extra mileage to get to. Just off I-25 in the desert hamlet of San Antonio is the world-famous Owl Cafe where the original owner Jose Miera is credited with having invented the green chile cheeseburger. The Owl Cafe was the only restaurant in New Mexico to have made the list, but savvy New Mexicans know that the Buckhorn Tavern another destination roadside eat lies just across the street from The Owl and it’s not just The Owl’s overflow crowds who visit. San Antonio is an exemplar of roadside eats!

Every year on the Saturday preceding some much ballyhooed football game, Albuquerque’s Roadrunner Food Bank hosts the Souper Bowl, an annual soup and dessert event which brings 1,200 people into the Food Bank facility to enjoy the wonderful creations of restaurants from throughout the metro area. While at the event, attendee are able to vote for and select People’s Choice winners by submitting a ballot voting for their favorite soup and dessert. Drumroll, please. The 2018 Souper Bowl winners were:

People’s Choice – Overall Soup Winners
1st: The Corn Maiden at the Hyatt Tamaya (Sweet Corn Chowder)
2nd: 99 Degrees Seafood Kitchen (Vegetarian Soup- plantain fennel and butternut squash)
3rd: Indigo Crow (Lavender and corn bisque with smoked crema)

People’s Choice – Vegetarian Soup Winners
1st: 99 Degrees Seafood Kitchen (Vegetarian Soup- plantain fennel and butternut squash)
2nd: The Daily Grind (Blue cheese root vegetable)
3rd: Zacatecas Tacos (Negro Modelo-Tillamook Cheddar Soup

People’s Choice – Dessert Winners
1st: Nothing Bundt Cakes
2nd: Garduños
3rd: Theobroma Chocolatier

Best Booth
1st: Zactecas Tacos + Tequila+ Bourbon
2nd: 99 Degrees Seafood Kitchen
3rd: Sage Dining @ Albuquerque Academy

Critic’s Choice Awards were chosen by a panel of six judges (including yours truly) who rated each soup based on appearance, aroma, texture, spice blend, flavor and overall impression.

Critics’ Choice Winners
1st Place: Sage Dining @ Albuquerque Academy (“Street” Elote Soup- Roasted Corn Chowder topped with Cotija Cheese)
2nd Place: Ranchers Club of New Mexico (Crab and Green Chile Chowder with Corn)
3rd Place: Garduños (Elote Soup)

Celebrating its 24th anniversary, Santa Fe’s version of the Souper Bowl was also a huge success. In 2017, over 160,000 meals were served that might otherwise been missed, thanks to the generosity of soup lovers, who supported this event. Some of the city’s very best purveyors of soup accorded themselves very well:

Best Overall Soup: Nath’s Inspired Khmer Cuisine (Chicken Tom Yum Soup)
Best Savory Soup: Nath’s Inspired Khmer Cuisine (Chicken Tom Yum Soup)
Best Vegetarian: Kingston Residence of Santa Fe (Cold Pistachio Soup)
Best Seafood Soup: Dinner For Two (Lobster Bisque)
Best Cream Soup: Jambo Cafe (Curry Roasted Garlic & Coconut Cream Bisque) 

2018 Overview: 78 New Reviews, 547 New Comments  

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