Carolyn Graham - New Mexico Food Trails: A Road Trippers Guide to Hot Chile, Cold Brews, and Classic Dishes from the Land of Enchantment (Southwest Adventure Series)

NEW MEXICO FOOD TRAILS

A Road Trippers Guide
to Hot Chile, Cold Brews,
and Classic Dishes from
the Land of Enchantment

CAROLYN GRAHAM

2021 by Carolyn Graham

All rights reserved. Published 2021

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-0-8263-6247-6 (paper)

ISBN 978-0-8263-6248-3 (electronic)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021931612

Cover photo and imagae on

Map by Mindy Basinger Hill

TO MOM AND DAD

For giving me a happy and food-filled New Mexico childhood

that led me to writing a travel guide rather than a tell-all

The main ingredient in this bookand in every person who produced every dish and drink in itis passion. Its passion for the craft of cuisine, for finding fresh ways of combining ingredients, for putting something new in the glass or on the plate. Its passion for sharing something, for serving something that will make people happy. The folks who run or work at New Mexicos wonderful eateries and drinkeries want to make people feel welcome, full, and, on some level, loved.

For those of us lucky enough to be their guests, there is joy in knowing that the plate set before us was the brainchild of someone, the result of an entrepreneurial spark, and that the creator wants us to love it as much as they do.

I am not a food critic. My training is as a journalist, and I discovered a passion for food and food writing later in life. I grew up in Las Cruces, a second-generation New Mexican. My dad was born and raised in the chile heartland of the United States, the tiny farming village of Hatch, which has become synonymous with the states most famous pepper. My dads dad was a cook, a native Louisianan who had traveled quite a bit with his family before settling in Hatch, where he opened Shorts Caf. He served Hatch farmers and farmhands, and everyone else in town. The family story is that he opened a satellite caf in the 1930s to serve workers who were building Caballo Dam, near modern-day Truth or Consequences and Elephant Butte.

I never got to meet my grandfather, but I glimpse a bit of his spirit in the people whose livelihoods revolve around New Mexico cuisine. Everyone believes their home state is full of good things to eat, but New Mexicans know that our food is truly special. The states mix of cultures and landscapes creates a heartiness that shines through in its cuisine, whether its a spicy chile relleno or a crisp viognier.

This guide is an exploration of New Mexicos classic and popular flavors and ingredients and dishes that have inspired our states talented hands to put their own spins on them. Each stop along the way reflects its makers vision in a different way.

Green chile cheeseburgers and other classic New Mexican dishes come in many forms throughout the state.

New Mexicos signature dishes and beverages have evolved due to a variety of factors, and they boast many regional distinctions. New Mexico is practically a square, about 370 miles long and 340 miles wide, and covers three topographic zones: Rocky Mountain, Plains, and Intermountain Plateau. So chile grows differently in the Rio Grande Valley than it does in the hills of Chimay, which sits at the foot of the Sangre de Cristos. The terroir of the vineyards in Lordsburg is different than that of Dixon. The influences of the people who settled near Taoswhere Spaniards, Mexicans, and Puebloans were the primary populationsare different than those of settlers around Carlsbad, where the Dust Bowl, homesteading, and other factors pushed people westward. Las Cruces is close to the borderlands of both Mexico and Texas, so its people have a different story than those in the Four Corners, where the Din (Navajos) lived hundreds of years before Europeans arrived.

What came of all that migration, immigration, and settling? Over the centuries, chile and grapes were planted, cows and sheep were grazed, and corn, beans, and squashknown by the Puebloans as the Three Sistersformed the base of this areas food pyramid.

Over time, a cuisine that could be grown and sown here, based on regional palates and influences, has evolved into foods and drinks that are sometimes about convenience (breakfast burritos) and sometimes about religion (wine), agriculture (red or green?), fellowship (diners), or celebration (spirits).

Go ahead: Spill some green chile on this book. It is here to help you plan a journey, discover a new dish or eatery, or remember why you loved a place you visited. You can use it to create a food-focused getaway or pull it out when youre in an unfamiliar place.

Sometimes its about the food; sometimes its about the establishment. And when those two come together, its magical. And while this book is largely focused on where and how to enjoy New Mexicos most famous foods and beverages, Ive tucked in a few surprises and helpful tips that go beyond the burgers and enchiladas. Ive also called out a few Top Picks in each chapter.

For the most part, I selected the places in this guidebook, based on my experiences, for one or a combination of these reasons: the quality of the food, interactions with the people, history, or significance in the state.

Because this is a guidebook mostly about burger joints and local eateries, the price range is pretty consistent; the typical plate of enchiladas or a green chile cheeseburger will run you between $10 and $15. In Santa Fe, expect to pay about 50 percent more than that, especially if youre dining on the plaza. Ive noted places that are good for cheap eats as well as the ones where tourist pricing is in effect.

As with every guidebook, the specifics about these places can change on a dime. And the covid pandemic has forced unexpected changes across the board, from hours of operation and menu tweaks to closings and relocations. Also remember that small rural establishments might not keep consistent hours, and be patient with the mom-and-pop burger restaurant that had to close so that Mom and Pop could attend a wedding. Call ahead and confirm before you make the drive. Lastly, be sure to appreciate the heart, heritage, and history wrapped up in what is on your plate or in your glass.

May your chile be hot and your beer cold. Buen provecho.

NEW MEXICO FOOD TRAILS