{"id":71650,"date":"2025-12-31T00:02:45","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T06:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=71650"},"modified":"2025-12-31T20:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T02:18:10","slug":"gils-best-of-the-best-for-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=71650","title":{"rendered":"Gil’s “Best of the Best” for 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Welcome to Gil\u2019s list of my favorite dishes in 2025.\u00a0 \u00a0These dishes were selected not for complex culinary preparations and exorbitant price points, but for the simple preparation of dishes that taste as if they were prepared by a chorus of angels in a celestial kitchen. These are the dishes most indelibly imprinted on my memory engrams\u2026the first dishes that come to mind when I close my eyes and reflect on the past year in eating. As with previous yearly compilations, every item on this list was heretofore unknown to my palate before 2025. Every dish was a delicious discovery from within New Mexico\u2019s sacred borders. In chronological order, my \u201cbest of the best\u201d are:<\/p>\n

February, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Mena’s Burger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mena’s Burger From Ramona’s Mexican Cafe<\/a> in Albuquerque<\/strong>: By any other name\u00a0Mena\u2019s burger<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(tortilla burger with American cheese, green chile, lettuce, pickles, tomato and a special secret sauce) is a green chile cheeseburger, albeit not constructed within traditional burger buns.\u00a0 Somehow Ramona\u2019s kitchen staff manages to create a tortilla pocket that limits spillage (otherwise the special sauce would have been all over my shirt).\u00a0 To say this is one of the best green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico would not be an understatement.<\/p>\n

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The Award-Winning Green Chile Cheeseburger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Green Chile Cheeseburger From Isleta Grill<\/a> on the Isleta Pueblo<\/strong>:\u00a0 The two-time winner of the New Mexico State Fair’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge doesn’t get as many visitors as the nearby Isleta Resort & Casino, but the food at the Isleta Grill is much better.\u00a0 That’s especially true of the green chile cheeseburger which ranks up there as one of the very best burgers (top three) to have won the challenge and certainly one of the very best green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

March, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Mud Pie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mud Pie from Yo Mama’s Grill<\/a> in Socorro<\/strong>: When our server delivered the mud pie (Oreo cookie crust, coffee ice cream, and fudge topping topped with whipped cream and toasted almonds), I had to ask where the rapelling equipment was so we could climb it.\u00a0 Seriously, this is a very generous slab of deliciousness.\u00a0 Beyond awing us with its sheer size, it enthralled us with its coffee flavor.\u00a0 On a Monday morning in which I didn’t have my morning barrel of coffee, the ice cream really hit the spot.\u00a0 This may well be the best mud pie<\/strong><\/em> I’ve ever had.<\/p>\n

April, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Elotes From Rio Tacos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Elotes From Rio Tacos<\/a> in Albuquerque<\/strong>: Rio Tacos\u2019\u00a0elotes,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>flawless golden nuggets sprinkled with queso cotija and paired with plenty of personality from lime and chile, are superb.\u00a0 But then, so is everything we’ve tried at this delightful Mexican eatery we don’t visit quite often enough.\u00a0 Many restaurants offer elotes<\/strong><\/em>, Mexican street corn served on the cob, but few do it nearly as well as Rio Tacos.\u00a0 Technically they’re “esquites” but great flavor trumps label accuracy this time.<\/p>\n

May, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Reuben Deluxe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reuben Deluxe From Mucho Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe<\/a> in Santa Fe<\/strong>:\u00a0 Mucho\u2019s\u00a0Reuben Deluxe<\/strong><\/em> (a mound of thinly sliced pastrami, big eye Swiss cheese, sauerkraut or crunchy coleslaw, served with thousand island dressing on toasted light rye bread) is among the very best in New Mexico.\u00a0 My preference is with sauerkraut though if you prefer sweeter notes, the coleslaw should work very well with the thousand island dressing.\u00a0 This is a wonderful sandwich with shards of lean, well-seasoned pastrami blanketed by molten Swiss.<\/p>\n

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Charlie’s Backdoor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Charlie’s Backdoor From Los Altos Grill<\/a> in Albuquerque<\/strong>: Few things in life are as good as Charlie\u2019s Backdoor<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(sour cream and green chile baked into layered enchiladas topped with a white Swiss-American cheese) served with Spanish rice and beans.\u00a0 It\u2019s joy and rapture on a plate.\u00a0 My taste buds were ecstatic at every bite of this delicious plate, the piquancy of fruity green chile and saltiness of the white cheese coalescing.<\/p>\n

June, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Muffaletta (Photo Courtesy of Lynn Garner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mufaletta From Sergio’s Bakery & Cafe<\/a> in Albuquerque<\/strong>:\u00a0 Having lived for eight years on the Mississippi Gulf Coast just 90 miles from New Orleans, we were frequent consumers of the Crescent City\u2019s best muffulettas.\u00a0 Only on very rare occasions have we discovered a restaurant offering a muffuletta<\/strong><\/em> in the Land of Enchantment and most of those places were short-lived.\u00a0 To say we\u2019ve missed one of the most delicious sandwiches in the world is an understatement, so it was a thrill to discover that Sergio\u2019s offers a superb muffuletta as a Friday special.<\/p>\n

July, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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The Bison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n


\n“Bison” From Blackbird Coffee House<\/a> in Albuquerque Old Town<\/strong>: Our server’s most enthusiastic recommendation and very favorite cup of coffee at Blackbird\u2019s is the curiously named Bison<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(espresso, buttered toffee, sea salt and milk).\u00a0 Even without red chile, it was one of the best cups of coffee to ever cross my lips.\u00a0 The combination of buttered toffee and sea salt is magical.\u00a0 This is a swoon-worthy cup masterfully poured with latte art as good as some of the art sold in nearby galleries and stores.<\/p>\n

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Roti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Roti From Eat My Thai<\/a> in Albuquerque<\/strong>: It\u2019s not often we visit a Thai restaurant without enjoying mangoes with sticky rice.\u00a0 It\u2019s not every Thai restaurant that offers \u201cMountain Flat bread with condensed milk, also known as \u201croti<\/strong><\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 Roti is unleavened flatbread made from whole wheat flour in kitchens throughout South Asia, the Caribbean and Africa.\u00a0 Typically called \u201cchapati\u201d at Indian restaurants where it may be served with chutney, it\u2019s best served as a dessert with sweetened condensed milk.\u00a0 The wonderful contrast of smoky, savory flatbread with sweet, rich milk is addictive.<\/p>\n

August, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Tiropita<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tiropita From Dorothea’s Fine Greek<\/a> in Albuquerque:\u00a0 <\/strong>One shareable sure to delight turophiles is the tiropita<\/strong><\/em> (sheep\u2019s milk feta baked in filo, thyme and lavender topped with sesame seeds and honey). Few things in life are as delightful as the melodic crisp of a fork penetrating phyllo dough then scooping up a forkful of absolute decadence.\u00a0 The contrast of salty, briny, slightly sour feta and floral honey is especially delicious.\u00a0 Pity the poor gods of Mount Olympus who didn\u2019t know the pleasures of eating tiropita (whose origins are in ancient and Byzantine cuisine).<\/p>\n

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Pork Lechon Kawali<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pork Lechon Kawali from Barkada’s ABQ<\/a> in Albuquerque<\/strong>: If you love New Mexican chicharrones (and what New Mexican doesn\u2019t), you\u2019ll love\u00a0pork Lechon Kawali.<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 Call them amped up chicharrones.\u00a0 They\u2019re crispier and even more flavorful than most chicharrones.\u00a0 Unlike chicharrones, they retain more fat and have more pork meat.\u00a0 The skin and outer surface is where the delightful crunch happens.\u00a0 Inside, the pork is meltingly tender and absolutely delicious.\u00a0 This dish is served with a slightly tangy garlic white rice and fried cabbage.\u00a0 It\u2019s a wonderful meal\u2026even without the red chile.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Catfish and Hushpuppies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Catfish From Anthony’s Grill<\/a> in Santa Fe<\/strong>:\u00a0 At Anthony’s, I delighted in the very best catfish and hush puppies I\u2019ve had since leaving Mississippi in 1995.\u00a0 Yes, catfish<\/strong><\/em>, that bottom-feeding, mud-dwelling fish that very few (if any) restaurants in New Mexico seem incapable of preparing well.\u00a0 I\u2019ve often analogized that the catfish at New Mexico\u2019s restaurants as \u201ccoated in sawdust<\/em>\u201d and as \u201cdesiccated as a mummy\u2019s dandruff<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 If you\u2019re of the mind that Mississippi ranks at the bottom of the barrel (where it rates comparably to New Mexico) in most quality of life categories, you don\u2019t know catfish.<\/p>\n

September, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Sugar’s Burger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sugar’s Burger From Aly’s @ Sugar’s<\/a> in Embudo<\/strong>: Sugar’s Burger<\/strong><\/em> starts on a grilled sesame bun topped with Sugar burger sauce, a six-ounce Angus beef patty, lettuce, tomato slices, sauteed onions, melted cheese, sauteed mushrooms with garlic, bacon and green chile.\u00a0 That\u2019s A LOT going on in one burger.\u00a0 Fortunately the grilled sesame bun is formidable enough to maintain the burger\u2019s integrity.\u00a0 The Sugar burger is a towering behemoth replete with gigantic flavor to match.\u00a0 Even with all the ingredients with which it shares the sesame bun, the green chile shines.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Foie Gras Done Two Ways<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Foie Gras Done Two Ways From the Pioche Food Group<\/a> in Farmington:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>The very best meal I experienced during 2025 was a nine course extravaganza served by the Pioche Food Group.\u00a0 Every item served could have made it onto this list, but one item stood out just a bit more.\u00a0 Thats the foi gras done two ways.\u00a0 My favorite preparation style has long been as a p\u00e2t\u00e9 where its rich, buttery and delicate flavor and distinctive fatty consistency shine.\u00a0 The mousse-like p\u00e2t\u00e9 was superb!\u00a0 It\u2019s much too rich to enjoy in copious portions, but it impressed itself on our taste buds for a long time.\u00a0 Tia\u2019s contribution to this plate was an outstanding seared foie gras topped with fennel.\u00a0 Peaches, long the agricultural pride of the Navajo nation, provided a wonderful sweet-tangy counterbalance to the foie gras.<\/p>\n

October, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Lamb and Okra Soup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lamb and Okra Soup from Nora’s Cafe<\/a> in Albuquerque<\/strong>:\u00a0 Nora’s offers three soups on the daily menu and a soup of the day.\u00a0 After enjoying the lamb and okra soup<\/strong><\/em> so much we might not ever experience the others.\u00a0 Generous bite-sized chunks of tender lamb and fresh, slightly herbaceous okra make this elixir absolutely mouth-watering.\u00a0 \u00a0Served with every meal at Nora’s is hospitality and kindness, a hallmark of a family ownership group who will treat you like family.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Tula’s 505<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tula’s 505 From Tula’s Kitchen<\/a> in Albuquerque<\/strong>:\u00a0 It’s no secret that my favorite pizza style is Detroit style.\u00a0 Baked in a rectangle pan with a light and airy crust, and caramelized edge, it’s similar to Sicilian style pizza.\u00a0 Tula\u2019s 505<\/strong><\/em> (Tula\u2019s cheese blend with New Mexico green chile, pepperoni and Italian sausage drizzled with marinara and served with a side of Dion\u2019s famous ranch dressing (ask for green chile ranch)).\u00a0 Green chile on a pizza is genius.\u00a0 Green chile on a Detroit style pizza is inspired.\u00a0 This savory, saucy pie is an absolute delight.\u00a0 Though the green chile would barely register on the Scoville heat scale, Dion\u2019s green chile ranch punches up the piquancy quite a bit.<\/p>\n

November, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Karaikudi Lamb<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Karaikudi Lamb From Royal Hyderabad in Albuquerque<\/strong>:\u00a0 Karaikudi cuisine is known for its heat and complexity. Key spices often include star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, peppercorns, cumin, and dried red chilies.\u00a0 Those dried red chilies make their presence felt\u2013in a good way, of course.\u00a0 Karaikudi lamb<\/strong><\/em> is one of those rare dishes that will titillate and scald your taste buds, but you won\u2019t ever want to stop eating it.\u00a0 You\u2019ll definitely discern the complexity of the ingredients with which it is prepared.<\/p>\n

December, 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"
Unagi Dan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unagi Dan From East Asian Kitchen<\/a> in Albuquerque<\/strong>: East Asian Kitchen glazes its unagi with teriyaki sauce which many Japanese restaurants call \u201cunagi sauce.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s a rather sweet sauce so I was grateful that the chef was rather frugal in applying it.\u00a0 A generous slab of unagi draped over a Japanese omelette (made by rolling together several layers of fried beaten eggs) over rice.\u00a0 It had been several years since I last had unagi dan<\/strong><\/em> which made me so thankful East Asian Kitchen prepares it so well.<\/p>\n

\"\"
B\u00f6rek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

B\u00f6rek from Anatolia Mediterranean<\/a><\/strong>:\u00a0 Several years, I proclaimed Anatolia’s pistachio baklava the very best I’ve ever had. Anatolia is no one-trick-pony. Their meat dishes are spectacular as are the Turkish delights.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to understand why b\u00f6rek is irresistable to those of\u00a0 us who love savory pastries.\u00a0 \u00a0Picture thin sheets of pastry (not philo, but dough stretched out to waifishly thin consistency) layered with cheese, spinach or minced meat and baked until crispy and gold.\u00a0 These melt-in-your-mouth treats are likely a \u201cmust have\u201d every time we visit Anatolia in the future.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it, dear readers, a compilation of the best dishes I enjoyed in 2025.\u00a0 Believe me, it was a struggle to limit this list.\u00a0 Several very worthy candidates were left out.\u00a0 \u00a0You’ll note that many of the dishes on this “best of the best” list aren’t the high-brow, fine-dining dishes on most lists.\u00a0 In fact, many of them are of the “cheap eats” variety\u00a0 Being inexpensive doesn’t make them any less delicious.<\/p>\n

Please feel free to share your own \u201cbest of the best\u201d New Mexico dining choices for 2025 by commenting to this post. Who knows? Maybe in 2026 they\u2019ll make it to my list, too.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Gil\u2019s list of my favorite dishes in 2025.\u00a0 \u00a0These dishes were selected not for complex culinary preparations and exorbitant price points, but for the simple preparation of dishes that taste as if they were prepared by a chorus of angels in a celestial kitchen. These are the dishes most indelibly imprinted on my memory engrams\u2026the first dishes that come to mind when I close my eyes and reflect on the past year in eating. As with previous yearly compilations, every item on this list was heretofore unknown to my palate before 2025. Every dish was a delicious discovery from within New Mexico\u2019s sacred borders. In chronological order, my \u201cbest of the best\u201d are: February, 2025 Mena’s Burger From Ramona’s Mexican Cafe in Albuquerque: By any other name\u00a0Mena\u2019s burger\u00a0(tortilla burger with American cheese, green chile, lettuce, pickles, tomato and a special secret sauce) is a green chile cheeseburger, albeit not constructed within traditional burger buns.\u00a0 Somehow Ramona\u2019s kitchen staff manages to create a tortilla pocket that limits spillage (otherwise the special sauce would have been all over my shirt).\u00a0 To say this is one of the best green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico would not be an understatement. Green…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":69750,"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":[533,2615],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements","category-gils-best-of-the-best"],"yoast_head":"\nGil's "Best of the Best" for 2025 - 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=71650\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gil's "Best of the Best" for 2025 - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Welcome to Gil\u2019s list of my favorite dishes in 2025.\u00a0 \u00a0These dishes were selected not for complex culinary preparations and exorbitant price points, but for the simple preparation of dishes that taste as if they were prepared by a chorus of angels in a celestial kitchen. These are the dishes most indelibly imprinted on my memory engrams\u2026the first dishes that come to mind when I close my eyes and reflect on the past year in eating. As with previous yearly compilations, every item on this list was heretofore unknown to my palate before 2025. Every dish was a delicious discovery from within New Mexico\u2019s sacred borders. In chronological order, my \u201cbest of the best\u201d are: February, 2025 Mena’s Burger From Ramona’s Mexican Cafe in Albuquerque: By any other name\u00a0Mena\u2019s burger\u00a0(tortilla burger with American cheese, green chile, lettuce, pickles, tomato and a special secret sauce) is a green chile cheeseburger, albeit not constructed within traditional burger buns.\u00a0 Somehow Ramona\u2019s kitchen staff manages to create a tortilla pocket that limits spillage (otherwise the special sauce would have been all over my shirt).\u00a0 To say this is one of the best green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico would not be an understatement. Green…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=71650\" \/>\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=\"2025-12-31T06:02:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-01T02:18:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/YoMama09-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2136\" \/>\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=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=71650#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=71650\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/28268e3f2056794f14f3b1b033bf5cbd\"},\"headline\":\"Gil’s “Best of the Best” for 2025\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-31T06:02:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-01T02:18:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=71650\"},\"wordCount\":2231,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=71650#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/YoMama09-scaled.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Announcements\",\"Gil's Best of the Best\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=71650#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=71650\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=71650\",\"name\":\"Gil's \\\"Best of the Best\\\" for 2025 - 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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":"Gil's \"Best of the Best\" for 2025 - 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=71650","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Gil's \"Best of the Best\" for 2025 - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"Welcome to Gil\u2019s list of my favorite dishes in 2025.\u00a0 \u00a0These dishes were selected not for complex culinary preparations and exorbitant price points, but for the simple preparation of dishes that taste as if they were prepared by a chorus of angels in a celestial kitchen. 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