NEW MEXICO WELL REPRESENTED IN JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AWARD SEMIFINALIST LIST: The Land of Enchantment had another strong showing in the 2026 James Beard Foundation Awards nominations. Eight New Mexico names have moved beyond the nomination stage into the semifinalist category, several reprising previous year’s nominations. “Best Chef – Southwest” nominees were Steve Riley of Albuquerque’s Mesa Provisions, Graham Dodds of the NOSA Restaurant & Inn in Ojo Caliente and Danny Caballeros of Ardovino’s Desert Crossing in Sunland Park. Chef Riley also made the JBF semifinalist list in 2024. The Burque Bakehouse, a 2024 semifinalist in the “Outstanding Bakery” category earned another semifinalist nod. Albuquerque’s Bow & Arrow Brewery is a semifinalist in the “Outstanding Bar” category while Albuquerque’s Daydream Run Bar earned a semifinalist honor in the “Best New Bar” category. The next stage will see the semi-finalist list whittled down on March 31st. Survivors will then head to the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 15, 2026 in Chicago. Please note that Michelin is also now scouring potential honorees in New Mexico’s food scene.
LET A JAMES BEARD AWARD FINALIST PREPARE YOUR MEAL: If you’ve never had a meal prepared for you by Chef Justin Pioche, you’ve missed out on one of the best dining experiences you could ever have. In 2023, Chef Justin was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef – Southwest” honor. Though he did not win the award, he gave the culinary world notice that his unique approach to food inspired by and deeply-rooted in his Navajo heritage is going places. You won’t find Chef Justin and the Pioche family operating out of a permanent brick-and-mortar location. Instead, a dining experience with the chef is centered around LorAmy, a pop-up dining series in which Chef Justin presents a varying seasonal menu (usually around eight courses), inspired by his Navajo culture. Unexpected palate-pleasing twists and turns titillate and wow diners as the Pioche family puts their hearts on a plate. A LorAmy dining experience is slated in Farmington for February 28, 2026 at 6PM. To make reservations, please call 505-258-2907. You’ll not only fall in love with Chef Justin’s innovative cuisine, you’ll marvel at how well he and his family work together.
NEW MEXICO IS A PLACE TO LOVE: In the inaugural episode of Season 9 of Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, the effusive hostess treks through the original Route 66 as it meanders through the Land of Enchantment. During every episode of the Emmy award-winning PBS series, Samantha explores destinations to love by focusing on their unique cultural experiences and passionate people. Unlike many travel shows, she immerses herself in those cultural experiences. Places to Love also includes visits to restaurants to love. Gallup was one of the Route 66 destinations along her journey. In Gallup she dined at Earl’s Family Restaurant, enjoying a humongous fry bread taco. Though it didn’t make the final cut, Samantha also visited Albuquerque’s legendary Mary & Tito’s. My friend (and Mary’s doting grandson) Jordan Knight admitted to being a bit starstruck at the perpetually smiling hostess. I would probably be drooling.
ALBUQUERQUE EATERY A MUST-STOP ALONG ROUTE 66: On 11 November 2026, Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary, To commemorate this momententous occasion, major celebrations, festivals, and events planned across the eight states it traverses throughout the year. USA Today’s “10 Best” joined in the parade of well-wishers with it’s feature on the best restaurants along Route 66. The only honoree from New Mexico’s segment of Route 66 was (most fittingly) Albuquerque’s 66 Diner. Here’s what 10 Best had to say: “Opened since 1987, the fittingly named 66 Diner takes customers back in time to the 1950s, with a retro atmosphere complete with a working soda fountain, jukebox, and servers dressed in period attire. Based at what was once a Phillips service station, this diner serves classic road food like burgers and shakes. That’s in addition to New Mexico-themed specials like the green chile chicken bacon mac and cheese and the Pile Up, a heaping pile of pan-fried potatoes with chopped bacon or sausage, green chiles, eggs, cheese, and green chile sauce. The diner also has a gluten-free menu.”
NEW MEXICO’S BEST SANDWICH ACCORDING TO ONLY IN YOUR STATE: Actor Danny DeVito is a tough guy to impress. During a trip to Italy, he didn’t seem overly impress by one of Lo Stivale’s most famous sites: “I’ve been to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It’s a tower, and it’s leaning. You look at it, but nothing happens, so then you look for someplace to get a sandwich.” At least he has his priorities right. Who among us doesn’t look for sandwiches when we need succor or to sate our hunger? Only In Your State recognizes that “There are few foods as universally loved—or endlessly customizable—as the sandwich, and across the U.S., this simple concept has been elevated into an art form.” In recognition of the sandwich, it compiled a list of the 50 Best Sandwiches in America–one sandwich per state. According to the list, New Mexico’s best sandwich comes from Albuquerque’s Cheese & Coffee. Here’s what Only In Your State had to say: “What started as a cheese and coffee shop has since evolved into Albuquerque’s favorite sandwich shop. With two locations (one in Uptown and one in Downtown), you won’t be far from either location whether you’re a local or visitor. Scratch soups and speciality sandwiches feature local bread and produce, including the state’s famous green chile.
SANTA FE RESTAURANTS AMONG AMERICA’S MOST ROMANTIC: Two of Santa Fe’s very finest restaurants have been named among OpenTable’s Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in the U.S. for 2026. Helmed by James Beard Foundation “Best Chef – Southwest” chef Fernando Olea, Sazon offers a memorable dining experience unlike any other. Open Table described Sazón this way: “Originally from Mexico City, Chef Fernando Olea, formerly Chef of Epazote, has been enthralling diners in Santa Fe since 1991. Chef Olea creates sophisticated flavors using Old Mexico’s indigenous and culinary traditions alongside ingredients from around the world. His menu is deliberately small, featuring fresh and locally sourced produce and meats when possible.” Also making the Most Romantic Restaurant list was Geronimo. Here’s what Open Table had to say: “Geronimo has established a reputation as THE place to dine in Santa Fe. Tradition and innovation merge at this Canyon Road legend, where simplicity and understatement reign. New Mexico’s only Mobil 4 star and AAA 4 Diamond rated restaurant. Winner of TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Restaurants in the United States.”
SAVORING ALBUQUERQUE’S BEST SOUPS: According to analysis released by Legal Sports Report $1.71 billion will be legally wagered in the United States on the Super Bowl. With only two teams to wager on, the odds are high that your chosen team will win. Such is not the case when the Roadrunner Food Bank’s Souper Bowl comes around every year. At the Souper Bowl, almost fourty of the Duke City’s finest restaurants compete for the distinction of being named Souper Bowl Champion. The Souper Bowl is the Roadrunner Food Bank’s largest fund-raising event and my very favorite culinary event of the year. This year, nearly 1,500 people enjoyed soups and desserts, participated in raffles and listened to live music.
SANTA FE SAVORS SOUP, TOO: In Santa Fe, The Food Depot held its 30th annual Souper Bowl, the most delicious fundraiser of the year! At Souper Bowl, attendees got to taste a variety of soups from two dozen talented chefs while supporting The Food Depot’s hunger-relief programming. The following were determined to be the event’s most sumptuous soups:
Best Cream and Best Overall: Cowgirl BBQ’s Shiitake Mushroom Soup by Chef Ismael Garcia-Gomez – The Cowgirl BBQ
Best International: Dr. Field Goods Bar and Grill’s Butter Chicken Soup by Chef Josh Gerwin – Josh Gerwin
Best Seafood: Delancey Street Catering’s Green Chili Clam Chowder by Chef Richard Wheeler
Best Vegetarian: The Dirty Dragon’s Dragonfruit Soup by Chef Lauren Roberts
As usual, great information. It’s interesting to see Ardovino’s in Sunland Park in line for possible recognition. I think they missed out by not nominating Forghedaboudit in Las Cruces several years ago. I did think Ardovino’s was comparable, but I thought Forghedaboudit had better meat balls while Ardovino’s had better sauce. The PBS station in El Paso ran Samantha Brown’s full program on Route 66 last week and I personally thought this was one of the most interesting travel shows I have seen. She definitely made it sound like the features she highlighted were just the tip of the iceberg. She pointed out that Albuquerque was the only place where routes from two time periods crossed each other. Videos of the full program are available on the PBS web site for free and apparently on her site you need to register. I’m sure there are plenty of great candidates for best soup awards. The coconut soup at Thai House beats any I have had in other cities.