Summer squash sauteed with corn, green chile and a little cream or cheese; the most quietly perfect Santa Fe side dish. Pueblo at heart, Spanish in execution.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Calabacitas is the Spanish word for little squashes, and the dish is a direct Pueblo and Mexican blend, summer squash and corn (two of the Three Sisters), with the chile that came north from Mexico. Standard on Northern New Mexican home tables for centuries; in restaurants you find it as a side at Atrisco, Estevan and most Pueblo-influenced kitchens.
Common allergens: Dairy
Tip from the editors. Cook the squash less than you think; mushy calabacitas is a common home failure.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Atrisco builds family-recipe red chile from sun-dried whole pods at Devargas Center, served with local Santa Fe lamb, beef and honey-glazed sopaipillas.
Signature: Sun-dried whole-pod red chile, Carne adovada plate, Sopaipillas with raw honey
Why locals love it: Tucked upstairs in Hotel Chimayo, easy to walk past; Chef Estevan Garcia's monastery-quiet plates of Northern New Mexican with French technique fly under the tourist radar.
Tip: Order the mushroom duxelle-stuffed chile relleno; the carne adovada ravioli has been on the menu for years.
Katharine Kagel's Cafe Pasqual's takes no breakfast reservations; a communal table opens at 08:00 and the huevos motulenos has been on the menu since 1979.
Order: Huevos motulenos with black beans, plantain and salsa borracha
Maria's has anchored Cordova Road since 1950 with 150-plus hand-shaken margaritas, 170 tequilas and chile-laced plates served with hand-rolled tortillas.
Signature: Green chile enchiladas, Carne adovada plate, Hand-rolled tortillas
More cities are in research. Want calabacitas covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.