Diane’s Bakery & Deli – Silver City, New Mexico
In 2011, New Mexico Magazine recruited several local food writers and asked us to introduce readers to ten of “New Mexico’s Best Eats” in several categories: Best Green Chile Cheeseburger, Best New Mexican Soul Food, Best Fine Dining, Best Enchiladas, Bet Vegetarian New Mexican Food, Best Road Food, Beste Local Seasonal Ingredients, Best Contemporary Native American Food, Best Chocolate and Best Carne Adovada. For the most part, writers waxed eloquent about “the usual suspects” in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The most noteable exception was Lesley S. King, a distinguished writer who graced New Mexico Magazine’s as the “King of the Road” for years. Lesley declared The Land of Enchantment’s “Best Road Food” to be the Hatch Benedict from Diane’s Restaurant and Bakery in Silver City. During her tenure as King of the Road, Lesley traveled the length and breadth of the state, visiting virtually every town and city, giving readers a deeper and more enriching experience than what is offered by most travel guides and tour services. She knows New Mexico and she knows where the state’s best foods are served. Though we should have raced to Silver City immediately after reading Lesley’s excerpts, we let life get in…