Favorite Las Cruces Restaurants (Mesilla: homes, refrigerator, inspection)

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

They are dismally slow, yes. I've gone in at 3:30 in the afternoon....the only customer there, and they still took forever.

Cathy,

Have you ever been to Hi-De-Ho? It's more expensive, but they serve a pretty good burger.

Tecpatl mentions that LC is a restaurant challenged town. Alamogordo makes LC look like Santa Fe in this regard.

[tito]

Coming from a big city like Chicago, I found that Las Cruces restaurants were no match, even for Mexican Food, however they aren't a disaster either. I found them adequate for a small size city where eating out is not a big business. The ones in Mesilla are perhaps the most interesting.

[tecpatl]

Hey Tito...have you savored the genuine Mexican cuisine of Frontera Grill/Topolobampo? I would assume so. Mrs Tecpatl and I have been Rick Bayless fans for 20+ years.
Nothing like that here in S. New Mexico, despite the endless number of "Mexican" restaurants. I'm not sure there is much in Alb. or Sta Fe that can compete, either.
Of course, there's no comparison between Chicago, a world-class big city, and LC..... I just have a hard time convincing people in New Mexico that one of the world's great Mexican restaurants is in Chicago!
People in and around LC just have to demand better, then support it when it's offered, if they want to see better places to eat.

[domino]

Originally Posted by tecpatl

Hey Tito...have you savored the genuine Mexican cuisine of Frontera Grill/Topolobampo? I would assume so. Mrs Tecpatl and I have been Rick Bayless fans for 20+ years.
Nothing like that here in S. New Mexico, despite the endless number of "Mexican" restaurants. I'm not sure there is much in Alb. or Sta Fe that can compete, either.
Of course, there's no comparison between Chicago, a world-class big city, and LC..... I just have a hard time convincing people in New Mexico that one of the world's great Mexican restaurants is in Chicago!
People in and around LC just have to demand better, then support it when it's offered, if they want to see better places to eat.

Agree, but you are comparing apples and oranges. The "Mexican" food served in LC is NM-style indigenous cooking found in this area, not the more sophisticated cuisine of central Mexico. It's like comparing chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy to fine Continental cuisine. Chicken-fried steak is good as far as it goes, but no one is claiming it's fine dining.

[tecpatl]

We agree, domino, and I don't compare 'yer general Mexican LC chow with actual Mexican food, except to express a personal longing for the latter.

What passes for most of Mexican food in LC is campesino cuisine....the traditional chow of (generally) poor Northern Mexico ranching(and by extension New Mexican) folks. Fine (in most cases) for what it is, but rarely distinguished.
I am still seeking foods "New Mexican" in LC that don't have deep and direct roots to north Mexico, and have discussed this often with friends. Other than the prevalence of red or green chile sauces (w/ or w/out meat) available on most everything, which you don't see as much in Mexico, I can't say that I've found anything else particularly unique hereabouts.
I"m open for suggestions or ideas here...this isn't an anti-LC food rant.
One friend points at sopapaillas and biscochitos, for example. Use of pinons might also qualify, if anyone actually used them here in LC.

This is not to disparage traditional New Mexico eats...not at all. It is what it is and, when well prepared, deserves credit on that basis. I am a lover of all things red and green when quality is present.

But when, over a period of years, I visit so many restaurants and find so much ordinary (or worse) food I can't help having the feeling that I'm seeing the same chicken fried steak n mash 'taters over and over and ...over, in varying levels of quality, as if that in some way sums up American or Southern or Texas or, more likely, truckstop food.

The cuisine of Oaxaca or Yucatan, for example, is not rich man's food or fancy Mexico City stuff..it's the product of relatively (and often extremely) poor agrarian Spanish, Mexican and Native American cultures doing what they can with what they have.....cultures that also exist in strong and varying forms in New Mexico. European/American influences are here too, of course, but are present in Mexico as well, though to a lesser degree. I'm not sure what Eastern US culture brought to NM food...not much is apparent except maybe an increased use of wheat flour tortillas. Oh yeah...frozen yogurt!
I wish there was a genuine Mexican restaurant in the area....but there really isn't as far as I know, and who knows..maybe it wouldn't succeed if there was one. I'm not expecting to see duck breast in rose petal sauce garnished with pomegranate seeds here....but a good chicken mole would be cheerfully welcomed.
Local efforts to produce a Mole Poblano, for example are pretty pathetic and disappointing (I've spent the time and energy to look hard), nearly always chunked or shredded chicken topped with the dark sauce and rolled in a burrito in the two or three places that have it at all. My wife had a copy of a slick magazine aimed at Hispanic women and there was an article about the mysteries of Mole...and also a short listing of restaurants in and about LC that served it. Visited all...a few had no mole whatsoever and the other two served the aforementioned burritos.
Feeling like a food crank today...

[domino]

I enjoy a good mole and chile en nogada, etc. Unfortunately many people in LC are looking for familiarity (i.e. local food) and not exotic. The local NM food served in restaurants fills a niche, but it's nothing I can't make as well or better at home. Still it's nice to have someone else cooking for you, so I don't complain, unless it's obvious that it comes from a can.

[tecpatl]

The appreciation for same-old-same-old is deep and wide. I am doomed..lol

[fnord]

Originally Posted by kathleenssal

The new pizza place and bread bakery is very good! Always busy. It's on Water on the Water side of the downtown mall.

It sure is good. There were a lot of comments about this place on the Sun News message boards when Zeffiro first opened. Their bread is awesome, but get there early because they often sell out, especially on Saturdays. The place is usually packed, even for dinner during the week. For downtown LC, this is surprising. Very reasonable prices.

I hear they may be opening a smaller pizza place near NMSU that will offer pizza to go.

[Wisteria]

Tito: Coming from a big city like Chicago, I found that Las Cruces restaurants were no match, even for Mexican Food, however they aren't a disaster either. I found them adequate for a small size city where eating out is not a big business. The ones in Mesilla are perhaps the most interesting.

I agree about the big cities and better food. Believe it or not, I had a hard time adjusting to what I consider "mediocre" Californian food! I think New York City has the best food -- but we all can't live there!

Things I avoid in California, in particular, are pizza, chicken wings, and Chinese food. I'm from the birthplace (Buffalo, New York) of chicken wings, so I know what they are supposed to be like! Pizza here is downright nasty. Crusts like biscuits, hardly any toppings, little sauce and little flavor. Only in desperation do I sometimes take to that. And Chinese food -- not sure why it's so awful here, considering there is a large Asian population -- my guess is that in New York City where there is loads of competition, that only the best survive.

So....that brings me to my next suggestion: since we seem to be foodies, I suggest that those of us in the Las Cruces area have a "Foodie Potluck" once a month -- rotating between homes. I'm sure we could cook up things that we wouldn't normally get there. I could even cook you "real" chicken wings.

I love to cook, anyway, and I love ethnic cuisines. It could be fun -- who knows -- we might find something to peddle around there. Here, where I work, someone in town will bring in homemade tamales for a dollar each -- nice big ones and spicy, too!

I have a nice Fillipino recipe for a "mochi"-type food that I got from a friend here. I also do a nice Malaysian spicy chicken in coconut sauce!

I'm not much on desserts, but there are all kinds of things we could treat each other to! If they take free advertisements for free events, we could advertise in the Las Cruces Sun....just an idea.

I love eating good food, and I usually cook at home because a lot of the stuff out here isn't that great (I know that sounds snobby, in a way, but I grew up in a multi-ethnic city, so I got used to some good food!). Plus, my grandparents had a 56-acre farm, so I was used to lots of fresh foods straight from the garden!

Anyway, if anyone is interested, hopefully, I and Nancy will be there in the not too distant future. My house goes on the market May 31st -- after that, only time will tell!

I trust the judgment of those already there, so just keep the suggestions coming! You guys on the New Mexico forum gave me the suggestion of El Pinto and the Frontier restaurant across from the University of NM, Albuquerque -- never would have found them without you -- it was great, and also great fun! Thanks!

[W5UXH]

I do not find any references to Paola's so far. It has been open about 7 weeks now and we finally tried it for lunch today. First impressions are very positive. They offer Panini sandwiches, Pupusas, soup, salad and many pastries. Also, Breakfast Burrito and Breakfast Croissant.

I had the Grilled Veggie (zucchini, yellow squash, peppers & portabello mushrooms) for $5.25. My wife had the Turkey Pesto Panini for $6.75. Both were very tasty. Sandwiches come with choice of House, Greek, Garden or Macaroni salad.

We almost never buy dessert when eating out, but we brought home a slice of Tres Leche cake and a slice of a quesadilla which they tell us is a Salvadoran desert, nothing like what we think of as quesadilla. It was sort of a light yellow batter cake. They say it does have cheese though, as well as cream. (We made the mistake of trying the quesadilla taste sample while waiting for the sandwiches, resulting in buying deserts.)

There are tables for eating in and the decor was fresh and bright. Nothing fancy but clean and pleasant. The location is in a small strip mall at Main and Madrid, just across Madrid from Fiesta foods.

Hours were listed as M-F 7AM to 5 PM and Saturday 8 AM to 2 PM.

We really enjoy New Mexican cuisine (El Comedor in Mesilla is our #1 choice) , but it is nice to have some alternatives. We will go back.