Antonio’s: A Taste of Mexico – Taos, New Mexico

In Veracruz, Mexico, the kitchen fire and the hearth are sacred. The “Women of Smoke” is a beautiful, poetic tribute to the grandmothers, mothers, and daughters who spend their entire lives sitting in front of wood-fired stoves, breathing in the woodsmoke as they cook. For generations, the smoke became a literal part of who they were—weaving into their clothes, their hair, and their skin.  Though the poem exclusively honors women, perhaps the progeny of one of them is Antonio Matus, chef and owner of the eponymous Antonio’s: A Taste of Mexico in Taos, New Mexico.  Like the ode, Antonio is from Veracruz and like the Women of Smoke, the kitchen is his world.  It is where he has been filling Taos with utterly unforgettable surprises for more than a decade.

After working in several dining establishments in the Taos area, Antonio launched his self-titled restaurant at the historic El Torreon Hacienda in El Prado, just north of Taos.  The hacienda which dates back to 1847 sits on acreage given to the Valdez family by the famous and infamous Padre Antonio José Martínez, the ecclesiastical leader of northern New Mexico whose unique style of Catholicism was in direct opposition to Archbishop Lamy, the French archbishop who reorganized the Catholic Church in the Southwest.  In 2005, Antonio’s relocated to a modest, but very charming and stylish Norteno adobe hacienda in Ranchos de Taos. Its intimate and welcoming milieu accommodated about 40 patrons in the main dining room with additional seating at the bar.  Naturally distressed dark wood floors, muted yellow viga ceilings and burnt orange walls hosting folkloric murals created a memorable ambience though it was Antonio’s food which made the most lasting impression.

Antonio’s, the restaurant was to close in 2007, but Antonio, the popular chef, opened Rellenos Cafe by Antonio just southeast of the Taos Plaza.  In a maze of tiny rooms, the restaurant focused on less expensive fare including take-away offerings and even free delivery service to businesses on or near the plaza. Rellenos Cafe wasn’t large enough to contain the flavors that needed to express themselves under Antonio’s skilled hands.  In the spring of 2009, Antonio’s reopened, this time in a historical building on Guadalupe Plaza reputed to have housed the town’s original brothel.  Stories abound about tunnels under the plaza that led from the jail to this den of iniquity.  The tunnels were rumored to have been used by local lawmen to come and go unseen.

In early 2013 after thirteen years in Taos, Antonio relocated to Longmont, Colorado where he opened another restaurant.  Alas, the enchantment that he enjoyed in New Mexico couldn’t be duplicated in Colorado.  In 2014, a fire temporarily forced the closure of his restaurant.  Then came a road construction project in Longmont’s downtown area where the restaurant was located.  The project meant the loss of street parking and proved devastating to business.  In November, 2015, Chef Matus and his beauteous bride Sarah, a nine-generation Taoseña, returned to Taos where they had been embraced so fondly.

Initially upon their return, Antonio and Sarah worked at the defunct Trading Post Cafe.  Sarah served as general manager.  Among her initiatives was creating “A Taste of Mexico” which offered weekly specials that showcased Antonio’s cooking.  The specials included cochinita pibil and the dish for which Antonio is best known, chile rellenos en nogada.  It took two years of working for someone else, but in April, 2017, he and Sarah were able to reopen his eponymously named eatery at the former home of the Purple Sage Cafe.  In February, 2026, Antonio opened his second Taos-area location, Antonio’s The Taste of Mexico North in El Prado.

Inexcusably (unless stupidity is an excuse), the span of time in between our visits to Antonio’s was seventeen years (May, 2009 to August, 2026).  We’ll never do that again!  Antonio’s is a special restaurant where guests are treated with a warm welcome you might receive at a family home.  You may even get to meet Antonio and Sarah.  We almost didn’t recognize the now grizzled chef who’s changed a lot since we first met him in 2013.  In fact, we might not have recognized him had we not seen him (multiple times) on the November, 2022 (Season 37, Episode 9) episode of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Fittingly, the episode was titled “Not-Your-Everyday, All Day.”

Fieri explained that Antonio serves authentic, classically trained, high-quality food blending his Mexican heritage with fresh flavors. The two dishes that absolutely blew him away were the chile rellenos en nogada and the illegal burrito Rastafari. He called the former “delicious” and praised the contrast between the savory, spicy meat and the sweet, salty, nutty pecan brandy cream sauce, pointing out the “little kiss of the pomegranate.” He called the illegal burrito Rastafari a “destination dish” and declared that he would “drive an hour to come get that.” The Food Network star praised the complex and creative flavor combinations put together by owner and chef Antonio Matus.

Not surprisingly, Antonio’s menu has changed (evolved) since our 2009 visit.  Some of our favorite dishes (mahi mahi ceviche, cochinita pibil and guacamole prepared tableside, for example) are no longer on the menu, but other wonderful dishes have taken their place.  Whether you visit Antonio’s for something new or a favorite from previous visits, you absolutely need to have salsa.  The salsa is a beautiful, rich red with just a hint of a piquant bite and flavors that explode.  Chips are low in salt and formidable enough to scoop up Gil-sized portions of salsa.  The salsa isn’t watery so it doesn’t run off the chips and onto your lap.  Should you order the Taos queso (Creamy three-cheese queso, roasted green chile, pico de gallo) it’s served with crispy corn chips and salsa.  The queso is outstanding!

When Antonio introduced one of the dishes for which Puebla is best known, he had no idea the dish would become his restaurant’s most popular entree. Although traditionally a Christmas dish, Antonio enjoyed it year round as a child growing up in Mexico and surmised perhaps his loyal patrons might enjoy it as well. Today, his Chile Relleno en Nogada is so popular his restaurant has been known to sell out well before closing time–much to the chagrin of hungry patrons.  You haven’t had a chile relleno unless you’ve had Antonio’s; it’s wholly unlike any chile relleno you’ve ever experienced. Antonio engorges a poblano pepper with pork, apples, pears, tomato, onion, garlic and raisins then seasons the unlikely amalgam with such spices as cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. He then smothers the entire concoction with a walnut brandy cream sauce and serves the beauteous entree with rice and beans.

24 August 2026:  Chile rellenos en nogada may sound like a dessert offering, but it isn’t. Unlike the fusion of sweet and savory tastes in many Asian dishes, there is a clear demarcation between tastes. There is also tremendous synergy as this sweet and savory combination works very well together. Its aroma is like cinnamon-blessed apple pie and there are hints of fruit in every mouthful, but there’s also the flavor and aroma of delicious pork. Every morsel is like an orgiastic competition within your taste buds with all 10,000 of them coming out the winner.  “En nogada,” by the way means “in a nut sauce,” not “from Nogales” as some “food expert” once declared during an airing of my friend Ryan Scott’s “Break the Chain.”

24 August 2026:  Without a doubt, the most interestingly named entree on the menu is the illegal burrito Rastafari.  Antonio explained to Guy Fieri  “We like to say it’s so good it should be illegal.”  Our server elaborated (or embellished) on the entree.  He told us of a Rastafarian customer who loved Antonio’s cooking as much as he loved smoking ganja.  Naturally the ganja gave him a serious case of the munchies.  No matter what Antonio served him, it didn’t fill him up.  Antonio created the illegal burrito Rastafari ( giant flour tortilla stuffed with a crispy cheese relleno, a vegetarian tamale, calabacitas (sauteed squash), beans, sour cream, and pico de gallo) to sate the edacious eater.  The dish is tri-colored: red and green (New Mexican chile) and yellow (queso) like Rasfafarian garb.

It’s been a long time since any burrito surprised me.  I’ve had enough burritos to quell the munchies for a mansion (collective term) of Rastafarians.  Most have been flavorful and many have been gargantuan, but few are so unique that they surprise me.  Guy Fieri might drive an hour to enjoy one, but we’d drive across the country of Texas for another.  It’s an outstanding burrito.  Though the genesis of much of Antonio’s cooking is the Yucatan, Sarah’s influence–flour tortilla, red and green chile–are highlighted on this burrito.  Both red and green chile are superb even though I would have preferred them to be more piquant.  Flavors coalesce wonderfully with every ingredient playing a role in a delicious whole.  The dish includes Spanish rice (among the few in New Mexico I’ve actually enjoyed) and guacamole.

24 August 2026:  Almost as big a surprise to me as the illegal burrito Rastafari was my Kim ordering something other than Antonio’s fabulous fajitas.  Her choice was the chicken mango enchiladas (shredded chicken, sweet seared mango enchiladas, topped in green chile, Served with rice and beans, finished with pico de gallo).  As usual, she asked for substitutions:  no green chile, no pico de gallo, flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas on the enchiladas and no beans (thankfully she spooned the beans onto my plate).  Despite the alterations, the dish was delicious.  Grilling imbued the mangos with a caramelization that blessed them with additional sweet notes. A salty white Mexican cheese provided a delightful contrast.  Beans were stellar.

Antonio’s is a lively restaurant with tremendous appeal for savvy diners thanks largely to owners who really care about putting out outstanding food—and the chile relleno en nogada is worth a visit in and of itself.

The women of smoke would be proud!

Antonio’s: A Taste of Mexico
1379 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur
Taos, New Mexico
(575) 758-2599
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 21 August 2026
1st VISIT:  29 September 2006
# OF VISITS: 3
RATING: Outstanding – A stand-out; delivers a memorable dining experience through a harmonious blend of exceptional food, attentive service, and consistent quality
COST: $$$
BEST BET: Guacamole, Salsa and Chips, Chile Rellenos en Nogada, Illegal Burrito Rastafari, Beans, Spanish Rice,