Old timers whose
opinions I respect consistently rate Mary & Tito's as Albuquerque's
best restaurant for New Mexican food, a restaurant that has been
pleasing the most savvy and unindoctrinated palates alike since 1963.
Mary & Tito's was recognized during the 2002 and 2003 annual Cocinita
magazine's critics' choice awards for serving the best carne adovada, best red
chile and best New Mexican food in the state--and that's with different
panelists having their say each respective year.
The walls of Mary &
Tito's cafe could probably be covered with framed certificates and
accolades. Instead, you'll find family photo montages along with
photos of some of their loyal customers. For ambience, this homey
restaurant might not win any awards, but for outstanding New Mexican
cuisine, it has secured a place in the hearts and appetites of their
many patrons.
Although the legendary
Tito passed away in 1990, his devoted wife Mary Ann Gonzales and their
effervescent daughter Antoinette still provide the hospitality for which
Mary & Tito's is renown. Better yet, they oversee an operation
that just may serve the best New Mexican food in the Duke City--and
certainly among the very best red chile anywhere.
The red chile has
culled a legendary reputation among aficionados. Slathered generously on your entrees,
it is a rich red color. At first impression it tastes great, but
the more you eat more of it, the more the piquant heat builds up. Oh,
the wonderful burn! Even when the particular crop of chile isn't
particularly piquant, Mary & Tito's red chile is always wonderful.
Ask the lovely
Antoinette what makes Mary & Tito's red chile so uniquely wonderful and
she'll tell you that the chile starts off like the chile at most New
Mexican restaurants. The difference is in what is done with it.
Mary & Tito's chile has been purchased
from one Hatch grower for years and it's ground from pods, not made from
powder. Beyond that, the restaurant doesn't adulterate the chile
with other than salt and garlic (absolutely no cumin). There is
magic in this purity.
The green chile isn't quite as piquant, but it
is very tasty and generously applied to your entrees. For the best
of both, ask for your entree to be served "Christmas" style so
you can taste both the chile rojo (red) and chile verde (green).
Vegetarians can also ask for it without meat.
The enchiladas are
certainly among the best in town and I appreciate the fact that you can
have them rolled or flat (my preference). Natives and newcomers
alike ask for a fried egg on top of the enchiladas, a flavor-enhancer
that improves on a New Mexican entree that doesn't really need any improvement. An
"extra beef" option means enchiladas with even more
fantastically well seasoned beef.
Burritos are nearly a
foot long and served overstuffed. One of the very best burritos
anywhere features guacamole, beans and cheese along with the
aforementioned red or green chile. It is more than half a pound of
New Mexican food greatness, especially when the guacamole practically
erupts when you press your fork into the burrito.
With chips, that guacamole is
simplicity itself (avocados in their prime, garlic, lime juice, salt),
but it is some of the best guac in town. The freshness of
guacamole made daily from the best avocados is evident.
The chile
rellenos are among the best I've ever had, far superior to their world-famous
brethren served at Mesilla Park's fabled La
Posta restaurant. A thin, crispy batter envelops a
piquant pepper stuffed with a sharp Cheddar cheese. Each bite
produces an endorphin rush and taste explosion.
You won't find sopaipillas with honey at Mary & Tito's, but you will
find a "Mexican
turnover' resembling an overgrown empanada or Italian calzone.
It's made
from sopaipilla dough stuffed with meat, beans, rice and chile then deep
fried. It's Mary & Tito's version of stuffed sopaipillas and
it's (not surprisingly) among the very best in the city.
My friend Ruben, who for more than a year
has been engaged in a Holy Grail type quest to find the best carne
adovada in the Albuquerque area, is absolutely besotted with Mary &
Tito's rendition. It's carne adovada the way it's supposed to be
with tender tendrils of moist, delicious pork ameliorated with the best
red chile in the metropolitan area.
Entrees include some of
the best refried beans anywhere...and I mean anywhere in the
country. They have that "prepared with lard" taste all
good refrieds have. Spanish rice also comes with every entree.
Your
first bowl of salsa is complementary and it's so good you'll certainly
finish it off quickly and order another. The chips are lightly
salted and crisp, the perfect size and texture to complement the tomato
rich salsa. 
Only
the con queso gets a less than outstanding mark at Mary & Tito's. The cheese
has that "melted Velveeta" feel and taste and is somewhat gloppy.
Compliment Antonette on an outstanding meal and she'll
invariably credit "the guys in the kitchen." Those guys are
following Tito's recipes and keeping his culinary legacy alive.
Antonette will, however, take credit for the terrific desserts available
at Mary & Tito's.
For dessert, an
absolute "must have" is natillas, a signature custard not
always on the menu. Whether served warm or cold, they are creamy
and delicious, a perfect ending for a perfect meal. Mary & Tito's
take on traditional New Mexican wedding cake, a yellow cake made with
walnuts and pineapple and topped with a cream cheese frosting is also
delicious.
Mary & Tito's is
one of those restaurants that elicits a craving only it can
sate. It is the essence of red chile Nirvana.
