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.
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.
4 editor picks for Calabacitas in Santa Fe, ranked by editorial score. All Santa Fe signature dishes · Calabacitas across every city.
Cafe Pasqual's ★ 4.8
downtown · 121 Don Gaspar Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Chef Katharine Kagel has cooked seasonal Pueblo-meets-Mexico-meets-Mediterranean at Cafe Pasqual's just off the Plaza in Santa Fe since 1979.
Estevan Restaurante ★ 4.5
downtown · 125 Washington Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Chef Estevan Garcia cooks Chimayo red chile, posole, chicos and calabacitas with French technique upstairs in Hotel Chimayo near the Santa Fe Plaza.
Maria's New Mexican Kitchen ★ 4.4
southside · 555 West Cordova Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505
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.
Atrisco Cafe & Bar ★ 4.3
downtown · 193 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501
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.