{"id":61172,"date":"2022-08-05T00:01:51","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T06:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172"},"modified":"2026-04-05T19:46:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T01:46:18","slug":"europa-food-farm-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172","title":{"rendered":"Europa Food. Farm. Festival – Los Lunas, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
Europa Food. Farm. Festival. in Los Lunas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory,<\/em>
\n<\/span> to bring people together, to transport you to other places, <\/em>
\nand I wanted to be a part of that<\/em>.”
\n~Chef-Humanitarian Jose Andres<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

During the dark days of the Cabrona virus, trying our hands at preparing recipes (most culled from edge-worn and tattered cookbooks) of the world\u00a0 became one of the few ways to escape mandated restrictions. \u00a0Food became one of the few remaining ways to connect us to other cultures and travel to destinations we couldn’t otherwise enjoy. \u00a0Whether in bad times or in good, food–enticing aromas, delicious flavors and the experience of sharing them with loved ones–has that unique power to transport us back to many of our fondest memories. \u00a0For my Kim and I, building shared memories literally began in England where we moved two weeks after marrying. Contrary to popular opinion and ill-informed stereotypes, English food can be quite delicious…and of course, there is fabulous food across the European continent, too.\u00a0 For years we’ve sought (with mixed success) to recreate some of the dishes with which we fell in love.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Small Shop With Big Surprises and Very Ambitious Menu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For brief interludes in time, Albuquerque has had restaurants (such as the much missed Baciu’s Bread & Wine) specializing in the cuisines of European nations, but like fleeting comets they’ve all faded away much too quickly.\u00a0 Thankfully, Europhiles no longer have to travel “across the pond” to enjoy the foods of our favorite European nations.\u00a0 Nor do we have to prepare insipid facsimiles of those foods at home. \u00a0 In fact, we need not go further than Los Lunas–not even 25 miles from the Big–I to find a purveyor of beloved European culinary fare.\u00a0 Best of all, the restaurant in which those foods are prepared will itself transport you to a peaceful idyll in a verdant pastoral escape belying its proximity to a city of nearly a million souls.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Fittingly, that restaurant bears the intriguing name “Europa Food. Farm. Festival.”\u00a0 Europa is situated on a\u00a0 lush meadowy valley among a coalescence of rural, suburban and agricultural lifestyles along the braided routes of the Camino Real which skirts the Rio Grande. As its name implies, Europa is a working farm where the sights, sounds and aromas of agrarian life surround you.\u00a0 Should you make it onto NM-314 after traversing the bumper-to-bumper nightmare that’s become downtown Los Lunas, lower your vehicle’s windows so you can imbibe the aroma of freshly cut alfalfa and listen to the euphonious sound of animals at play.\u00a0 Listen to the low drone of tractors toiling on the fields.\u00a0 Admire the lush green fields of corn and alfalfa reaching for New Mexico’s incomparable cerulean skies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
You Can’t Beat Gelato on a Balmy Valencia County Day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are no neon lights or gaudy signage to greet you when you arrive at Europa.\u00a0 Nor are there any of the telltale trappings of a big city restaurant that shout “you’re here!.”\u00a0 Instead, the first time you visit Europa, you might not be sure you’re in the right place until you drive up in front of what appears to be (and actually was) a renovated barn and see a small sign that reads “Europa” over the front door.\u00a0 Walk through that front door and you’ll encounter a small shop selling everything from jams to books, cologne to coffee.\u00a0 It’s a quaint Lilliputian shop so reminiscent of curio shops you might see in a European nation.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the front counter you’ll be given the layout of the land.\u00a0 Because our debonair dachshund The Dude accompanied us, we were directed to a graveled back yard with sun-shielding umbrellas looking unlike any you might see in Europe.\u00a0 Instead, they have a hanging dry grass look you might associate with a tiki hut in a South Pacific island idyll.\u00a0 Even before you’re seated you’ll want to take a gander at the fields behind the al fresco dining area.\u00a0 There you’ll espy a grey donkey named Addis (yeah, Addis the ass) along with a sheep of sheep (the plural form of sheep<\/em> is also sheep).\u00a0 It’s likely you’ll be visited by a cocky rooster strutting around the backyard like he owns it. It was reminiscent of cousin Leandro’s rooster.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
For Outdoor Dining<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though the farmyard fowl and four-legged menagerie could well keep you enthralled for a while, it’s the menu that will ensnare your affections.\u00a0 It’s a multi-page menu in which featured fare is preceded by pithy aphorisms and a nice synopsis of the European culinary culture: <\/span>The Europeans have long known the marriage between the bounty of nearby farms, the celebration of all the diversity and beauty fine food can provide, and the sweetness of creating intimate and lasting memories that invoke comfort and yet wonderment make life vivid and rich. \u00a0It’s this European ethos that drives the ever evolving vision of what is Europa, that is Food. Farm. Festival. \u00a0Come experience our growing vision and allow us to passionately share our little corner of rural Europe in New Mexico<\/em>.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

It’s obvious from that inspiring vision that Europa’s founders are Europhiles.\u00a0 Not surprisingly, during our inaugural visit founders and owners Thomas and Amanda Dollahite were spending two months in Bulgaria (where he procures what he considers the best honey in Europe).\u00a0 Their working farm provides eggs, vegetables, and beef.\u00a0 From great ingredients comes great foods (more on that later).\u00a0 If you overindulge, the Dollahites can put you up in their bed-and-breakfast next door.\u00a0 It’s easy to picture yourself waking up to the cacophonous crowing of the rooster and the bright sun creeping up over the towering shade trees.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Our Server Was a Chatty Fellow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The menu invites you to take “A ticket to a Far-Flung Journey on Every Plate<\/em>!”\u00a0\u00a0 Every item on the menu is listed under the “Signature Dishes” section.\u00a0 That one category is broadly encompassing, taking in such diverse options as quiche, Belgian style waffles, salmon lox and European style muesli.\u00a0 Sandwiches are intriguing, but it’s the casserole dishes that will really transport you to Europe.\u00a0 Picture Swedish meatballs, lasagna, shakshuka, seafood crepe and an apricot and Dijon glazed ham steak.\u00a0 There’s quite a bit more, a menu wholly unique.<\/span><\/p>\n

The beverage menu offers “hydration in so many ways<\/em>.”\u00a0 Europa has a variety of hot and cold coffees and teas along with delicious smoothies (green apple, strawberry, blueberry, pomegranate, peach, mango and pina colada).\u00a0 Tea choices include English breakfast, ginger peach, Earl Grey, green jasmine, Moroccan mint, wild berry and Chamomile.\u00a0 If the peach and green apple smoothies<\/strong> <\/em>are any indication, there may be no better, more refreshing way to quench your thirst in all of Valencia county.\u00a0 Both smoothies had just the right amount of froth and thickness.\u00a0 Better still, both have fruity and chilling qualities that bespeak of a good summer drink.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Peach Smoothie and Green Apple Smoothie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a child, my charcuterie had a first name: O-S-C-A-R. My charcuterie had a second name: M-A-Y-E-R. And if you ask me why, I\u2019ll say \u201cbecause I didn\u2019t have a clue.\u201d Later on, festive events such as graduation parties often included trays of cold-cuts, most often including the charcuterie of my childhood. Still clueless! It wasn\u2019t until the Air Force sent me to Europe that I discovered the true meaning of charcuterie. It was love at first bite, alas an unrequited love for upon my return to the fruited plain, charcuterie was nowhere to be found. Frequent visits to California where artisanal cheese plates were the rage would have to sustain me until the colonies developed a charcuterie culture of its own.<\/span><\/p>\n

Europa not only offers a seasonal charcuterie (chef’s selection of house-crafted artisanal meats, cheeses, spreads, and accents), it offers smaller plates that also offer delicious variety characteristic of charcuterie.\u00a0 One is the Roman Holiday (uncured pastrami, fresh mozzarella, warm bread, bell pepper, sun-dried olives, organic greens, basil pesto and a European candy treat).\u00a0 The other is the French Picnic<\/strong><\/em> (assortment of four gourmet cheeses, four delicious deli meats, organic mayo, cornichon pickles, Castelvetrano olives<\/strong><\/a>, warm bread and a European candy treat).\u00a0 We’ve seen much pricier charcuterie plates that aren’t as generous as the French Picnic.\u00a0 Nor as delicious.\u00a0 The Castelvetrano olives proved a nice palate cleanser in between bites of the cheeses and meats. This is an olive for people who think they don’t like olives.\u00a0 They’re firm, tender and crisp and have a mild, soothing flavor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
French Picnic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not exactly a European dish, shakshuka is North African in origin–the term itself coming from the Arabic term for “haphazard mixture<\/em>.”\u00a0 As with many \u00a0Arabic and Middle Eastern dishes, shakshuka is very popular in Israel where it’s considered a breakfast staple.\u00a0 The New York Times describes it as a “bright, spicy start to the day with a pile of pita or challah served on the side<\/em>.”\u00a0 Shakshuka-like dishes are actually found throughout Europe particularly in Spain and Italy (where a dish called \u201ceggs in purgatory<\/em>\u201d \u00a0calls for similar ingredients.\u00a0 Culture Trip<\/strong><\/a> even contends that “And if you think about it, huevos rancheros is just an inverted take on shakshuka<\/em>.”<\/span><\/p>\n

We didn’t exactly think “huevos rancheros” as we enjoyed the shakshuka<\/strong> <\/em>(farm fresh eggs poached on top of a decedent sauce, of chopped tomatoes, roasted red peppers, middle eastern spices, topped with a falafel crumble and Bulgarian feta cheese, served with olives and naan bread.\u00a0 \u00a0For one thing, there was (nor is it anywhere on the menu) no New Mexico chile on this casserole dish.\u00a0 That doesn’t mean there isn’t any heat, but that heat is courtesy of paprika and chile flake.\u00a0 That heat is tempered somewhat by cardamom as well as the wonderfully tangy sharpness of the feta.\u00a0 A delightful textural contrast is provided by falafel crumble.\u00a0 The poached eggs were a surprise.\u00a0 So were the soft, warm pita bread and creamy, rich, garlicky hummus.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Shakshuka with Hummus, Olives and Pita<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I must confess that in my 39 years on Planet Earth, I’ve never set foot in an IKEA.\u00a0 The Dude and I have spent plenty of time in the parking lot, but never inside the Swedish home furniture megalith.\u00a0 The Dude and I drop Kim off at the front door and remain in our car until she’s done shopping an hour or eternity later.\u00a0 It’s all well and good save for when she comes out raving about IKEA’s Swedish meatballs<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 My Swedish-Irish bride loves them.\u00a0 Her husband, on the other hand, doesn’t care much for any Swedish meatballs courtesy of the Swedish sawdust meatballs served at Penasco High School’s cafeteria.\u00a0 Though I tried to steer her in other directions, my Kim just had to order Swedish meatballs at Europa.<\/span><\/p>\n

Three roundish orbs in a brown gravy arrived in one casserole dish sharing space with creamy mashed potatoes (the real stuff).\u00a0 In another were freshly cut (definitely not out of a can) green beans topped with a cranberry sauce.\u00a0 One of the Mars versus Venus differences of opinion my Kim and I have concerns gravy.\u00a0 Your friendly neighborhood blogger loves it while my Kim would just as soon eat potato peelings than eat gravy.\u00a0 She gave me half a Swedish meatball which I promptly drowned, soaked, saturated and drowned in gravy.\u00a0 It was far better than any Swedish meatball ever served at Penasco High.\u00a0 She rated it “on par” with the Swedish meatballs at IKEA.\u00a0 Surprisingly, the green beans covered in cranberry sauce were a huge hit; they were eye-opening delicious.\u00a0 The mashed potatoes were the way we make them at home…well, maybe with a stick or three less butter, but wonderful nonetheless.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Swedish Meatballs with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to Italian Gelato Info, a trade publication: “Gelato parlours can be found in 76 countries, on all continents, but Europe is well ahead of the pack. The European countries with the most gelato parlours and highest consumption of artisanal gelato are Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland, but figures are rising in others, such as Austria, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Distribution is also increasingly widespread in Eastern European markets<\/em>.”\u00a0 Though Los Lunas doesn’t have a gelato parlour (don’t you just love that spelling?), gelato is available at Europa where several flavors are on display in a freezer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Several years ago, Daniela Bouneau, the vivacious co-owner of Torinos @ Home<\/strong><\/a> introduced me to her favorite gelato flavor, Gianduja (<\/em>chocolate with hazelnut).\u00a0 It’s no surprise she would love it considering the Piedmont region where she grew up grows an intense and uniquely flavorful hazelnut from which the best gelatos are made.\u00a0 It’s been my favorite flavor of gelato ever since.\u00a0 What a wonderful surprise to find it at Europa where two glorious scoops made for a wonderful end to a great meal.\u00a0 My Kim had two scoops of dulce de leche<\/strong><\/em> (which literally means “candy made from milk,” is a thick and sugary caramel-like sauce that’s made by slowly heating sweet milk).\u00a0 It, too, was superb!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Dulce De Leche and Piedmont Hazelnut Gelato<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Follow this advice from the 1970s pop band Three Dog Night: “Whenever I need to leave it all behind Or feel the need to get away I find a quiet place, far from the human race Out in the country.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Not only will a visit to Europa Food. Farm. Festival provide the quiet respite you need to feed your soul, it will feed your belly with some of the best European food you’ve had on this side of the Atlantic. <\/span><\/p>\n

Europa Food. Farm. Festival<\/strong>
\n2105 NM-314
\nLos Lunas, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 328-3874
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 5 August 2022
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$- $$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: French Picnic, Shakshuka, Swedish Meatballs, Piedmont Hazelnut Gelato, Dulce De Leche Gelato, Green Apple Smoothie, Peach Smoothie
\nREVIEW #1285<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory, to bring people together, to transport you to other places, and I wanted to be a part of that.” ~Chef-Humanitarian Jose Andres During the dark days of the Cabrona virus, trying our hands at preparing recipes (most culled from edge-worn and tattered cookbooks) of the world\u00a0 became one of the few ways to escape mandated restrictions. \u00a0Food became one of the few remaining ways to connect us to other cultures and travel to destinations we couldn’t otherwise enjoy. \u00a0Whether in bad times or in good, food–enticing aromas, delicious flavors and the experience of sharing them with loved ones–has that unique power to transport us back to many of our…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,703,141,5647],"tags":[1287,2193,2190,2191,2189,1470,2197,829,2198,2199,2195,828,2200,790,2194,2192,2109,2196],"class_list":["post-61172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-continental","category-dog-friendly","category-new-mexico","category-rating-n-r","tag-charcuterie","tag-diverse-menu","tag-farm","tag-festival","tag-food","tag-gelato","tag-green-beans-with-cranberries","tag-hummus","tag-mashed-potatoes","tag-nm-314","tag-olives","tag-pita","tag-rural","tag-sandwiches","tag-shakshuka","tag-shop","tag-smoothies","tag-swedish-meatballs"],"yoast_head":"\nEuropa Food. Farm. Festival - Los Lunas, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Europa Food. Farm. Festival - Los Lunas, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"“I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory, to bring people together, to transport you to other places, and I wanted to be a part of that.” ~Chef-Humanitarian Jose Andres During the dark days of the Cabrona virus, trying our hands at preparing recipes (most culled from edge-worn and tattered cookbooks) of the world\u00a0 became one of the few ways to escape mandated restrictions. \u00a0Food became one of the few remaining ways to connect us to other cultures and travel to destinations we couldn’t otherwise enjoy. \u00a0Whether in bad times or in good, food–enticing aromas, delicious flavors and the experience of sharing them with loved ones–has that unique power to transport us back to many of our…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-08-05T06:01:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-06T01:46:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Europa08-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\"},\"headline\":\"Europa Food. Farm. Festival – Los Lunas, New Mexico\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-08-05T06:01:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T01:46:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172\"},\"wordCount\":2410,\"commentCount\":3,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/Europa08-scaled.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Charcuterie\",\"Diverse Menu\",\"Farm\",\"Festival\",\"Food\",\"Gelato\",\"Green Beans with Cranberries\",\"Hummus\",\"Mashed Potatoes\",\"NM-314\",\"Olives\",\"Pita\",\"Rural\",\"Sandwiches\",\"Shakshuka\",\"Shop\",\"Smoothies\",\"Swedish Meatballs\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Continental\",\"Dog Friendly\",\"New Mexico\",\"Rating: N\\\/R (Not Rated)\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172\",\"name\":\"Europa Food. Farm. Festival - Los Lunas, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/Europa08-scaled.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-08-05T06:01:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T01:46:18+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/Europa08-scaled.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/08\\\/Europa08-scaled.jpeg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1920},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=61172#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Europa Food. Farm. Festival – Los Lunas, New Mexico\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"description\":\"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,522 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\",\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Gil Garduno\"},\"description\":\"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/%20\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Europa Food. Farm. Festival - Los Lunas, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Europa Food. Farm. Festival - Los Lunas, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"“I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory, to bring people together, to transport you to other places, and I wanted to be a part of that.” ~Chef-Humanitarian Jose Andres During the dark days of the Cabrona virus, trying our hands at preparing recipes (most culled from edge-worn and tattered cookbooks) of the world\u00a0 became one of the few ways to escape mandated restrictions. \u00a0Food became one of the few remaining ways to connect us to other cultures and travel to destinations we couldn’t otherwise enjoy. \u00a0Whether in bad times or in good, food–enticing aromas, delicious flavors and the experience of sharing them with loved ones–has that unique power to transport us back to many of our…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172","og_site_name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","article_published_time":"2022-08-05T06:01:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-06T01:46:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1920,"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Europa08-scaled.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gil Garduno","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gil Garduno","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172"},"author":{"name":"Gil Garduno","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf"},"headline":"Europa Food. Farm. Festival – Los Lunas, New Mexico","datePublished":"2022-08-05T06:01:51+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-06T01:46:18+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172"},"wordCount":2410,"commentCount":3,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Europa08-scaled.jpeg","keywords":["Charcuterie","Diverse Menu","Farm","Festival","Food","Gelato","Green Beans with Cranberries","Hummus","Mashed Potatoes","NM-314","Olives","Pita","Rural","Sandwiches","Shakshuka","Shop","Smoothies","Swedish Meatballs"],"articleSection":["Continental","Dog Friendly","New Mexico","Rating: N\/R (Not Rated)"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172","name":"Europa Food. Farm. Festival - Los Lunas, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Europa08-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2022-08-05T06:01:51+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-06T01:46:18+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Europa08-scaled.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Europa08-scaled.jpeg","width":2560,"height":1920},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=61172#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Europa Food. Farm. Festival – Los Lunas, New Mexico"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","description":"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,522 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf","name":"Gil Garduno","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","caption":"Gil Garduno"},"description":"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/%20","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nmgastronome\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=61172"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61238,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61172\/revisions\/61238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/61179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=61172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=61172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=61172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}