I thought I’d take a different approach with the restaurant review this week and tell you about some great places to eat if you head south this year.  I spent a long weekend in Santa Fe and Albuquerque in March and went to a few of our favorite haunts plus a restaurant that was new to us in Albuquerque.

SANTA FE RESTAURANT FAVORITES

First, Santa Fe.  There is no shortage of good restaurants in Santa Fe.  If you like chilis, you will be in heaven.  I always hit overload and then need to eat something without chilis.  The two favorites we ate at on this trip were Cafe Pasqual’s where the Huevos Rancheros makes you lick the bowl and Tomasita’s, situated in an old depot where the Margaritas are top notch and the food is varied and delicious.  The red sauce is spicy and the green sauce is pure chilis.  For a yummy lunch when we are walking around the square, Tia Sophia’s is fun and good.  It gets busy at lunch, so go early.

ALBUQUERQUE RESTAURANT FAVORITES

Now on to Albuquerque.  Our usual favorite is Sadie’s, where the red and green temperatures start at “Not So Hot”.  If you want spicy sauce and to enjoy local atmosphere, this is the place.  We can now buy their salsa in Colorado and it’s what we eat at home.  But the place we tried this time was El Pinto.  We love going through Chimayo, NM on our way back to Colorado and eating at Rancho de Chimayo, but El Pinto is a close second without having to leave Albuquerque.  It is a sprawling hacienda in a lovely setting and the food is great.  Our pitcher of Margarita’s was a great compliment to the meal.  And if you like guacamole, El Pinto’s was very fresh and flavorful.  It didn’t last long with the 4 of us digging in.

So the next time you are traveling through central New Mexico, stop and smell the chilis.  Just telling you about them makes my mouth water and I’m ready for another road trip!