The plates that define Albuquerque: what they are, and where to eat the canonical version.
The plates that define Albuquerque. what they are, where they came from, and where to eat the canonical version.
Smashed beef patty, melted American cheese, and roasted Hatch green chile on a soft bun. The New Mexico Tourism Department codified the Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail.
Where: The Owl Cafe, The Frontier Restaurant, Sadie's of New Mexico, Kelly's Brew Pub
Price: $10-15
Pork shoulder slow stewed in red chile, garlic and oregano until silky. Mary and Tito's Cafe won the 2010 James Beard America's Classic award for this dish.
Where: Mary and Tito's Cafe, Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto, El Modelo Mexican Foods
Price: $10-15
Puffed fried bread served hot with honey, the universal New Mexican dessert. Distinct from the Mexican sopapilla in shape and use, eaten to cool the chile heat from the main course.
Where: Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto, Mary and Tito's Cafe, Papa Felipe's Mexican Restaurant
Price: $4-6
Three corn tortillas layered with cheese, chile and onion, baked or pan crisped, then crowned with a fried egg. The defining New Mexican enchilada style, not rolled.
Where: Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto, Mary and Tito's Cafe, Garcia's Kitchen Fourth Street
Price: $12-18
Anise and cinnamon shortbread cookies, lightly buttery, the official New Mexico state cookie since 1989. Peak season December for Christmas tins, but baked year round.
Where: Celina's Biscochitos, ABC Cake Shop and Bakery, Golden Crown Panaderia, The Frontier Restaurant
Price: $2-4 per cookie
Hominy and pork stew with red chile, oregano and lime, traditionally eaten at Christmas and New Year. Pueblo Indian roots, Spanish refinement, an everyday winter staple.
Where: Pueblo Harvest Cafe, Mary and Tito's Cafe, Sadie's of New Mexico, Barelas Coffee House
Price: $10-15
A puffy disc of fried dough topped with beans, ground beef, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and chile. The Navajo taco, served at Pueblo Harvest Cafe and at every state fair.
Where: Pueblo Harvest Cafe, New Mexico State Fair, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Cooking Workshops
Price: $10-15
Eggs, hash browns, bacon or chorizo, cheese and green chile rolled in a flour tortilla. The Frontier across from UNM since 1971 set the standard for the city.
Where: The Frontier Restaurant, Garcia's Kitchen Fourth Street, Cervantes Restaurant and Lounge, Java Joe's
Price: $6-12
Summer squash sauteed with green chile, sweet corn, onion and a hint of cream. The New Mexican summer side dish, peak June through August at the farmers markets.
Where: Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto, Mary and Tito's Cafe, Pueblo Harvest Cafe
Price: $5-8
Blue corn tortillas, blue corn pancakes and blue corn enchiladas, the Pueblo Indian heritage grain at Pueblo Harvest Cafe and Cocina Azul on Mountain Road.
Where: Pueblo Harvest Cafe, Cocina Azul, Range Cafe Albuquerque, Sadie's of New Mexico
Price: $10-16
The variety of green chile grown in the Hatch Valley four hours south, the variety canon for New Mexican cooking. Roasted citywide late August through September.
Where: The Frontier Restaurant, Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto, Mary and Tito's Cafe
Price: $3-8 per pound roasted
The dried, ripened version of the New Mexican green chile pod, blended into a deep mahogany sauce that defines carne adovada, enchiladas and posole.
Where: Mary and Tito's Cafe, El Modelo Mexican Foods, Sadie's of New Mexico, Cervantes Restaurant and Lounge
Price: $8-14 per dish
An oversized cinnamon roll glazed with sugar icing, served at The Frontier on Central Avenue across from UNM. The city's most photographed pastry since 1971.
Where: The Frontier Restaurant
Price: $4
Sweet corn steamed in the husk in a horno (outdoor adobe oven), then sun dried, the Pueblo Indian dried corn that simmers into a chewy stew through winter.
Where: Pueblo Harvest Cafe, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Cooking Workshops
Price: $5-12 per side
Masa wrapped pork in corn husks, steamed and unwrapped at the table, the Christmas Eve and New Year tradition across Albuquerque kitchens and counters.
Where: El Modelo Mexican Foods, ABC Cake Shop and Bakery, Sadie's of New Mexico, Garcia's Kitchen Fourth Street
Price: $10-15 per half dozen
Smashed beef patty, melted American cheese, and roasted Hatch green chile on a soft bun. The New Mexico Tourism Department codified the Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail.
History: The green chile cheeseburger emerged in the 1950s when Hatch green chile became commercially available statewide. The Owl Bar and Cafe in San Antonio NM is credited with the early canonical version. The state Tourism Department launched the official New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail in 2009 to recognize the dish as a state signature.
Where to try it: The Owl Cafe, The Frontier Restaurant, Sadie's of New Mexico, Kelly's Brew Pub
Watch out for: Gluten, Dairy
Pork shoulder slow stewed in red chile, garlic and oregano until silky. Mary and Tito's Cafe won the 2010 James Beard America's Classic award for this dish.
History: Carne adovada is the Spanish Pueblo fusion that defines New Mexican cooking. Spanish colonists brought pork from Mexico in the 16th century. Pueblo cooks combined it with the native chile pod. Mary and Tito's Cafe on Fourth Street received the James Beard America's Classic award in 2010 for its rendition, the first national recognition for an Albuquerque restaurant.
Where to try it: Mary and Tito's Cafe, Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto, El Modelo Mexican Foods
Puffed fried bread served hot with honey, the universal New Mexican dessert. Distinct from the Mexican sopapilla in shape and use, eaten to cool the chile heat from the main course.
History: Sopaipillas trace to Albuquerque's Spanish colonial era. The New Mexican version is square, hollow inside when fried, and served at the end of the meal with honey to tame the chile. Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto and Mary and Tito's serve them with every plate. The Mexican sopapilla by contrast is generally flatter and often dressed with cinnamon sugar.
Where to try it: Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto, Mary and Tito's Cafe, Papa Felipe's Mexican Restaurant
Watch out for: Gluten
Three corn tortillas layered with cheese, chile and onion, baked or pan crisped, then crowned with a fried egg. The defining New Mexican enchilada style, not rolled.
History: While Mexican enchiladas are typically rolled, the New Mexican stacked style emerged in the early 1900s as a home cooking shortcut: layer rather than roll. The fried egg crown became canonical at heritage New Mexican counters across Albuquerque. Sadie's, El Pinto and Mary and Tito's all serve them this way.
Where to try it: Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto, Mary and Tito's Cafe, Garcia's Kitchen Fourth Street
Watch out for: Dairy, Egg
Anise and cinnamon shortbread cookies, lightly buttery, the official New Mexico state cookie since 1989. Peak season December for Christmas tins, but baked year round.
History: Biscochitos arrived with Spanish colonists in the 1600s and adapted to New Mexico ingredients over centuries. The recipe traditionally uses lard, anise seed and a hint of brandy. In 1989, the New Mexico legislature designated the biscochito the official state cookie, making it the first US state to do so. Celina's Biscochitos and ABC Cake Shop are the canonical Albuquerque bakers.
Where to try it: Celina's Biscochitos, ABC Cake Shop and Bakery, Golden Crown Panaderia, The Frontier Restaurant
Watch out for: Gluten, Dairy
Hominy and pork stew with red chile, oregano and lime, traditionally eaten at Christmas and New Year. Pueblo Indian roots, Spanish refinement, an everyday winter staple.
History: Posole has Pueblo Indian roots in pre-Columbian New Mexico, using nixtamalized corn (hominy). The Spanish added pork after colonization in the 1600s. Across New Mexico the stew is the Christmas Eve and New Year's tradition, eaten for prosperity in the new year. Pueblo Harvest Cafe at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center serves the modern Pueblo version year round.
Where to try it: Pueblo Harvest Cafe, Mary and Tito's Cafe, Sadie's of New Mexico, Barelas Coffee House
A puffy disc of fried dough topped with beans, ground beef, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and chile. The Navajo taco, served at Pueblo Harvest Cafe and at every state fair.
History: Frybread emerged in 1864 during the Navajo Long Walk, when the US government rationed flour, lard and salt to the displaced Navajo people. The bread became a survival staple. Today it is served as the Navajo taco at Pueblo Harvest Cafe at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and at the New Mexico State Fair frybread booths. The dish carries a complicated history of forced relocation and cultural endurance.
Where to try it: Pueblo Harvest Cafe, New Mexico State Fair, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Cooking Workshops
Watch out for: Gluten, Dairy
Eggs, hash browns, bacon or chorizo, cheese and green chile rolled in a flour tortilla. The Frontier across from UNM since 1971 set the standard for the city.
History: The breakfast burrito originated in 1970s New Mexico when home cooks combined Mexican burrito form with New Mexican green chile. The Frontier Restaurant opened in 1971 across from UNM and made the green chile breakfast burrito a daily 05:00 to midnight Albuquerque institution. The dish spread statewide and is now codified as the New Mexico breakfast.
Where to try it: The Frontier Restaurant, Garcia's Kitchen Fourth Street, Cervantes Restaurant and Lounge, Java Joe's
Watch out for: Gluten, Dairy, Egg
Summer squash sauteed with green chile, sweet corn, onion and a hint of cream. The New Mexican summer side dish, peak June through August at the farmers markets.
History: Calabacitas is the Spanish word for little squash. The dish has Pueblo Indian roots in the Three Sisters tradition (corn, beans, squash). Spanish colonists added pork or cream variations. Today it appears as the seasonal side at Sadie's, El Pinto and Mary and Tito's, peaking when summer squash hits the Albuquerque farmers markets in June.
Where to try it: Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto, Mary and Tito's Cafe, Pueblo Harvest Cafe
Watch out for: Dairy
Blue corn tortillas, blue corn pancakes and blue corn enchiladas, the Pueblo Indian heritage grain at Pueblo Harvest Cafe and Cocina Azul on Mountain Road.
History: Blue corn is a heritage grain cultivated by the Pueblo peoples of New Mexico for centuries before European contact. The grain produces a sweet, earthy flour with a slate-blue hue. Pueblo Harvest Cafe at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center serves blue corn pancakes and enchiladas. Cocina Azul on Mountain Road built its name around blue corn enchiladas, and the heritage grain is canon at the heritage New Mexican counters.
Where to try it: Pueblo Harvest Cafe, Cocina Azul, Range Cafe Albuquerque, Sadie's of New Mexico
Watch out for: Dairy
The variety of green chile grown in the Hatch Valley four hours south, the variety canon for New Mexican cooking. Roasted citywide late August through September.
History: Dr Fabian Garcia at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces released New Mexico No. 9 in 1921, the modern Hatch variety. The Hatch Valley four hours south of Albuquerque became the primary growing region by the 1950s. Late August through September is roasting season; outdoor propane roasters set up in Albuquerque supermarket parking lots and the smell of charred chile carries for blocks. The state question (red or green?) and the Christmas answer are direct cultural artifacts.
Where to try it: The Frontier Restaurant, Sadie's of New Mexico, El Pinto, Mary and Tito's Cafe
The dried, ripened version of the New Mexican green chile pod, blended into a deep mahogany sauce that defines carne adovada, enchiladas and posole.
History: Red chile is the same New Mexico pod as green, but left on the vine until ripe and then dried into ristras (decorative hanging strings). Spanish colonists brought pork; combined with Pueblo dried red chile, the carne adovada style was born. Today red chile defines the New Mexican breakfast burrito, the stacked enchiladas and the posole at every heritage counter in Albuquerque.
Where to try it: Mary and Tito's Cafe, El Modelo Mexican Foods, Sadie's of New Mexico, Cervantes Restaurant and Lounge
An oversized cinnamon roll glazed with sugar icing, served at The Frontier on Central Avenue across from UNM. The city's most photographed pastry since 1971.
History: The Frontier Restaurant opened in 1971 directly across from the University of New Mexico campus. The Frontier sweet roll, a massive cinnamon and sugar glazed pastry, became the unofficial UNM late night cult food alongside the green chile breakfast burrito. Open daily 05:00 to midnight since the start, the sweet roll has fed three generations of students and Route 66 travelers.
Where to try it: The Frontier Restaurant
Watch out for: Gluten, Dairy, Egg
Sweet corn steamed in the husk in a horno (outdoor adobe oven), then sun dried, the Pueblo Indian dried corn that simmers into a chewy stew through winter.
History: Chicos are a Pueblo Indian heritage preparation: sweet corn is harvested in late summer, steamed in the husk in an outdoor horno oven, then sun dried for storage. The dried kernels last all winter and rehydrate slowly into a chewy, smoky-sweet stew base. Pueblo Harvest Cafe at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center serves them in seasonal posole and stew preparations.
Where to try it: Pueblo Harvest Cafe, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Cooking Workshops
Masa wrapped pork in corn husks, steamed and unwrapped at the table, the Christmas Eve and New Year tradition across Albuquerque kitchens and counters.
History: Tamales arrived in New Mexico with Spanish colonists from central Mexico in the 1600s and adapted to local pork, red chile and Pueblo cornmeal. The Christmas Eve tamale-making tradition is family work: extended families gather to assemble dozens at a time. El Modelo and ABC Cake Shop sell ready made tamales by the dozen through December for households that no longer make their own.
Where to try it: El Modelo Mexican Foods, ABC Cake Shop and Bakery, Sadie's of New Mexico, Garcia's Kitchen Fourth Street
Watch out for: Gluten
Albuquerque's signature dishes include Green chile cheeseburger, Carne adovada, Sopaipillas, Stacked enchiladas with fried egg, Biscochitos. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.