Hola, fam! Who’s hungry? Let’s talk about South West Eats! What do you say?! Como ya saben, we spent a month on the road traveling all across the American Southwest… that meant muchas oportunidades to try new regional foods and you know, I was TOTALLY here for it!
Southwestern food has always intrigued me porque it has this vibrant mestizo heritage β a mix of Native and Hispano, with a dash of Anglo thrown in. Es una bella combinaciΓ³n of many cultures and people groups that live and have lived in the area for hundreds of years. La gente of the “southwest” — which, for our purposes, includes New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada β expertly crafted delicacies using the crops that were indigenous to the desert and the result is a slam dunk for the whole US food scene.
Green chiles, anyone?
When you RV, you typically try to eat at “home” as much as you can and save money while you’re on the road. RVing is in large part about saving money, ya lo se. BUT, but, I also know that travel is 50% about the things you taste; el sabor de el lugar en donde estas. Not only that, but how can you really understand a culture or a people without trying their food? AMIRIGHT?
So, we made the deal that en cada cuidad that we stayed the night, we would eat out at least once. #winwin
Our compromise had some rules though: It had to be a local place (no national chains) and it had to be authentic to the flavors of the South West (nothing that we could eat back home), it had to be highly-reviewed, and it had to serve locally-sourced eats. I’m a big fan of yummy fresh food, sustainable produce, and inventive menus.. thankfully, the fam was board too.
Con our lista de “must haves” in mind, we set off to taste our way through America’s Southwest. And boy did we! From Texas to Nevada, we devoured some of lo mejor que the West had to offer.
Lemme tell you about what we ate….
You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.”
-Paul Prudhomme
Antonio’s “The Taste of Mexico”,
Taos, New Mexico
Primero, lets discuss the gem that is Antonio’s “Taste Of Mexico” in Taos, New Mexico. This place serves the type of food that you find everywhere in Taos: Mexican… pero lo hacen diferente. They put a different spin on la comida Mexicana while still remaining as authentic as you can get.
La cosa que makes them unique is the fact as opposed to los otros restaurantes in the area, they take traditional Mexican food and bump it to fine dining status. They class it up.
Lemme tell you, Antonio’s is highly reviewed ( it’s the reason we found it). Trip Advisor calls it the #1 in Taos because the food is delicious, well-presented, and creative. Antonio’s has a lovely sit down environment with an artsy back patio garden y platos big enough to fill up 2 personas. The last time we had authentic Mexican food was when we visited the keys, but its was a taqueria stand with limiting seating… this was completely the opposite. Having the chance to slowly enjoy truly delicious comida Mexicana was such a treat.
Worth it…
Preparense, the food is not exactly cheap. Nah. Pero, the prices were certainly reasonable given the quality of the food. Aaron had the Chiles Rellenos en Nogada (their scrumptious signature dish) and it was $17. This is not a place to go to for cheap eats. Yes, some of their tacos are affordable but la gente no va a Antonio’s para eso. People go to taste meals that were meticulously made, expertly plated, and that are bursting with extraordinary flavors.
Aaron’s Chiles Rellenos, for example, fueron como un work of art. Listen to these ingredients: Poblano pepper, seasoned ground beef, apple, pear, raisins, tomato, onion, spices, walnut brandy cream, pomegranate, cotija cheese, cilantro. I told you… extraordinary.
We had the loveliest time watching the Taos sunset from our dinner table while slowing relishing our delicious art, I mean meal. π If you are ever in New Mexico, don’t sleep on Antonio’s. Trust me on this, mi gente.
- Do you enjoy eating out and sitting down to a nice meal, or do you like to eat on the go so that you can see more of the town you are in?
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience”
-James Beard
Red Mountain Brewing, Ouray, Colorado
Switching gears un poquito, let’s move on to Red Mountain Brewing in Ouray, Colorado. This isn’t un lugar “authentico” and it isn’t owned and operated by people who have lived in the area for generations. No, no lo es. BUT its friggin’ magic, friends. This BrewPub right in the heart of mountain-surrounded Main Street is just plain magic, so I have to tell you about it..
3 words: views, flavor, & vibes
You know a place is good cuando they master the simple things, y no solo eso, but take them to a whole nother level. Even with the amazing eats that I’m going to share with you in this post, I have to tell you… Red Mountain Brewing provided my favorite meal of our entire trip. I’m dead ass.
Que te puedo decir, Aaron had a simple house burger and fries that made him grin with delight. The kids had mac and cheese that brought them to silence. Y Yo? I had a Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Seems like a pretty basic option right? NOT. This might be El MEJOR chicken sandwich que I’ve ever had… quote me on that. π
Antes de que you give me a huge side eye, this is the description: “All natural Red Bird’s Ranch chicken breast, bacon, avocado, red pepper relish, red onion cilantro mayo, swiss cheese on a Brioche bun.” Every ingredient was fresh, crisp, and flavorful. Locally sourced and made from scratch. I cant! Just out of this world.
Oh, y este fue el first time on our trip que I was able to enjoy a fancy cocktail. I NEEDED ONE SO BAD! This cannot be overstated! Haha. It was called… pues, no me recuerdo what it was called because I’m pretty sure it was something our waitress had made for me, but it was a sweet grapefruit flavored concoction that gave me a yummy push into Tipsy-Ville and helped me forget we’d been stuck in the car together for 6 hours that day.
Que delicia!
I can’t believe that of all things, a chicken sandwich fue mi plato favorito of our whole trip but there it is. Check it out for yourself and let me know if it knocks your socks off too, mmmkay?
- Tell me about a place that takes simple, common meals and elevates them to magic status!
” I’d had no particular interest in the Southwest at all as a young girl, and I was completely surprised that the desert stole my heart to the extent it did.”
Chico’s Tacos, El Paso, Texas
Legendary addiction. El Paso STAPLE. Southwest INSTITUTION! That’s what Chico’s Tacos es.
Since it’s 1953 opening date, it has maintained street cred among la gente of West Texas. La razon es muy simple: It’s FOR Latinos, BY Latinos. For the culture, if you will! Tourists will come in and have very mixed reviews of the food at Chico’s; some love it and others hate it. But you have to understand… no es para los touristas, it’s for the people of the area who grew up loving the flavors of the Southwest.
We went out of our way to try it porque Chef Aaron Sanchez always raved about this place on the Food Network. He always said it was the first place he hit when he landed in El Paso. Tuvimos que probarlo; we had to taste it! Going into one of the locations, you see people of all ages comiendo; young and old united in their love for Mexican comfort food.
So, what’s it famous for?
Imagine if a taco and a flauta and an enchilada had a three way marriage. It’s funny, pero no hay a better way to describe what Chico’s is famous for. These little fried, ground beef roll ups (hechos con corn tortillas) are laid out on a paper tray, drenched with a yummy, but thin tomato-y chile sauce, and then loaded con un montΓ³n de shredded queso. Sounds simple, and maybe even unappetizing, right? WRONG.
Something magical happens when the ingredients all combine. No se. It morphs into the kind of meal you legit DEVOUR, and come back to get seconds for. Some people even slurp the juice. No joke! π
Here’s the thing, Chico’s isn’t fancy, its not super healthy, and it’s not for everybody. You either love it or your hate it- that’s a fact. But that its an El Paso institution; that’s indisputable. Te va dejar con una impresiΓ³n, one way or another (it left a great one on me, that’s for sure). For that reason, its on this list. Oye me, mi gente– if you are ever in West Texas, GO and try it for yourself!:) Make up your own mind about Chico’s!
- Is there a place in your home town that locals DIE for? What is it?
3.14 Sweet & Savory Pi Bar,
Colorado Springs, Colorado
3.14 Sweet & Savory Pie Bar in Colorado Springs, Colorado is the shit! Full stop! In a city en donde hay a plethora of yummy eateries; its easy to be overwhelmed by the amazing choices. Nevertheless, allow me make it muy facil for you… go to this pie shop! Done and done! It’s the shit, I tell you:)
Why?
Ok, pues, its a small locally-owned bakery/cafΓ© that specializes in delicious individual pies, both savory and sweet. Todo lo que cocinan is fresh (made from scratch within a couple of days) and all the ingredients they use are top notch. Sounds fairly uncomplicated, I know, BUT these are not your ordinary pies. Estan hechos with tremendous love and SKILL. They are bursting con sabor, the kind of pies you can imagine your grandma cooking. Totally friggin’ different from the rubbish pies you buy at the grocery store.
“For the love of Pi”
As una verdadera “pie geek”, I elected to try both a savory AND sweet pie on my first visit. Carbs be damned. Ha! Primero provΓ© “Rosemary’s Baby” which is 3.14’s take on a chicken pot pie, but totalmente NEXT LEVEL. The crust was thick and buttery, the veggies flavorful but crisp, and the gravy was seasoned the perfection. El Marido’s mac and cheese pie lulled him into blissful stupor. No tengo que decir mas… π
Next up: dulces! We tried the Nutella Italian the Silk, Strawberry Rhubarb, and the Nutty Professor pies so we could have a good variety. End result: we licked our forks and our plates clean. #sorrynotsorry
En fin, The Pi Bar is a kick-ass place for a lovely lunch date or better yet, a date night *in*. Did I fail to mention that they do “take-n-bake” too? Pues, CLARO! You can literally bake their savory pies at home and present them as your own creation (they recommend sprinkling some flour on your apron to make it 100% believable). HA!
Colorado Springs is special because The Sweet and Savory Pi Bar is there. Fact. Just TRY IT if you’re ever in town!:)
- What’s your favorite type of pie?
“American food is the food of immigrants. You go back a couple of hundred years, and we were all immigrants, unless we’re going to talk about Native American cuisine.”
Antica Forma, Moab, Utah
Moab is a tourist destination in the middle of Nature heaven. Esa es la mejor forma to describe this teeny city in Central Utah. People go to it and through it para explorar the 2 national parks nearby and the great out doors in general. Esta preciosisimo (Moab), it really is, but the town itself doesn’t have much to offer besides miles and miles of restaurants and shopping on it’s main strip. There are so many eateries to choose from que puede ser demasiado, as overwhelming as the massive crowds. Total bummer unless you have a plan. I, por supuesto, did. π
I had 3 criteria for my evening meal: great food, fantastic ratings, and outdoor seating.
Antica Forma hit ALL of my marks! Dejame decirte, they specialize in authentic wood-fired Neopolitan style pizza, AND as someone who’s bar is set at Naples’ pizza with second place going straight to the NY pie, I was especially emocionada. What’s more, we had just traversed Arches National park, so a bitch was starving!.
Los chefs no estan jugando at this place, yall! I’m talking hand-stretched mozzarella, tomatoes from the plains around Mt. Vesuvius, hasta el dough is made EXACTLY como lo hacen en Italy. But how’s the flavor, you say? Oh man! That shit came out every bit as good as I remember Neopolitan pizza to be. #legitAF
So, which pizza did you order?
I got my Italian fave: “La Capricciosa”. Mamma Mia! *Chefs kiss*. I ate the whole thing by myself; no me juzges! $17.95 though… Moab aint cheap, folks. Now, I know that this isn’t really “South Western” cuisine, but it makes the list porque it was authentic and phenomenal. That was enough para mi, especially in a touristy town.
Ambience, flavor, value= BANGING. And I didn’t even mention the fruit pizza desert….
- Are you a sucker for pizza? What’s your favorite style pie?
Rolled: Mountain Creamery, Reno, Nevada
The list wouldn’t be complete without a dessert stop, verdad?
Rolled: Mountain Creamery in Reno, Nevada took the prize for “kid fave” during our month on the road. Huge shocker! Ha! El lugar es pequeno pero muy hip and trendy. Bonus- it overlooks Reno’s lively Riverwalk. Inspired by street vendors in Thailand, the ice cream creations they make are yummy AND fun to watch. I mean (an aside), why is watching people roll helado so damn mesmerizing, tho? Amiright? π
Which flavor did you try??
I had “Danika’s Kooky Dough” and mi amiga ordenΓ³ the “Lemon Raspberry Sorbet” roll up. Los dos were positively delightful and totally refreshing on that warm spring day.
Ice cream is good pretty much everywhere you find it, esto lo se muy bien, but what makes Rolled so damn note-worthy is the creamy attention to detail. I keep saying this, but it matters. Son los details that take comida from good to fucking amazing. At Rolled, solo usan fresh ingredients (word of the day) to make their ice cream, and it really comes through in the flavors. They are bold and memorable. Another thing that works in their favor is the outdoor ambience that it provides cerca de el bello rio… quite the cool spot.
The Riverwalk really is the cherry on top.
Picture cute wooden mesitas under a canopy of trees overlooking a flowing river junto a un path lleno de all kinds of interesting looking people. It’s Reno, afterall. π Es el lugar perfecto to meet up with friends and chill. Or if you prefer alone time, it’s also pretty great for catching up on a good book with a rolled chocolatey creation.
Tienes que ir.
I promise you wont regret to time you spend at this spot, there’s a reason the kids gave it their top prize. π
- Have you ever tried Thai style rolled ice cream?
Most Mexican restaurants serve fake, heavy versions of my home country’s cuisine. But real Mexican food is full of brilliant, fresh flavors.
Tomasita’s, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Tomasita’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico has a pretty extensive list of people who recommend it. That’s actually how I heard about it. Cada blog, cada articulo, cada video said we had to try it if we were ever in Santa Fe. There were lots of other options, but who comes to the South West to try burgers? No seΓ±or, yo no! I came to taste authentic flavors indigenous to the area… and thankfully, Tomasita’s provided just that.
They are a family owned business that’s been open for about 40 years, proudly showcasing los sabores que vinieron from the melding of the cultures of the South West. The ones that depended on the corn, beans, chiles, and fruits of desert for their recipes. The owners of Tomasita’s are REAL ONES, mi gente! They totally play up their roots as New Mexicans.
Its what sets them apart.
It’s what made them a MUST for us.
Why they’re legit: Their red and green chiles (a staple of southwestern cuisine) are grown by local farmers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico, su carne is locally and humanely sourced, their raw honey is native to New Mexico, and their corn products are local and GMO free. Que devocion, verdad!? They do comfort food, the right way.
Here for it!
What we ate: Enchiladas de pollo con frijoles y arroz… topped with a shit ton of queso y chiles verdes. YASSS! Oh, and portions were yugggeee too! The kids tried the plato de tacos and it also did not disappoint.
Puedes creer que no hablamos throughout our whole meal? We ate in silence and all that could be heard was an occasional moan. Especialmente after we pulled out the Sopaipillas with honey. Sopaipillas are these warm and flaky pillow-shaped fried pastries, not dissimilar to Navajo fry bread, that are topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar and drizzled with tasty honey. They were the show stopper! Heaven in pastry form.
You guys know the feeling of biting into something that tastes exactly like you imagined it would taste like? Pues, eso es lo que nos paso con Tomasitas.
Southwestern food dreams come true. Go see for yourself!
- Have you ever tried green chiles? How about sopaipillas? What’d you think?
All in all, Southwestern food is special.
Tiene algo! Its not like the food I’ve tasted in other places around the US because it pulls from the mix of cultures and people que vienen de ahi, the people who live there and have lived there for generations upon generations. The food represents the unique flavors that only the desert can provide. Es increible in its uniqueness.
The food is vibrant, its fresh, its colorful, and by God… its yummy.
If you take nothing else de este food guide, take this: The south west is worth visiting. It’s worth TASTING. Go, if you haven’t already! Drive around and hit some of these places I’ve mentioned. Pruebalos. See if the flavors excite your palate, like they did mine! And then, por favor, circle back y dime what you thought… or about some of the great places you’ve tried that I didn’t mention. I love to hear it all! Bring it! Hasta next time!
Con mucho cariΓ±o,
Joana
