New Mexico Food Diary

Bring on the green chili, blue corn, and giant burritos

It’s been a few weeks since my fall weekend trip to New Mexico. (You can read about the Hacienda Nicholas B & B here and my hiking adventures here and here.)

While this post talked about my special dinner at Sazon, I never shared some of my other food adventures until now.

Here are some of my favorite snacks and meals.

DAY 1: Breakfast (Central Grill and Coffee House).

Because it was balloon festival time and a perfect fall morning, we wanted to sit outdoors. A quick google search led us to the Central Grill and Coffee House.

We couldn’t resist the giant breakfast burrito with eggs, potatoes, bacon, and both red and green chili generously poured on top.  (in case you’re wondering, we shared this monster and yes, we did catch a few glimpses of ascending balloons)

Dinner (Sazon)

Looking forward to dinner, we shared a sandwich for lunch. Then we went all out for this fabulous meal at Sazon and the very special avocado dessert ice cream we tried for the first time.

Day 2 Breakfast (Hacienda Nicholas)

Whenever possible, we try to stay at B & B’s when we travel. It feels like you’re staying in someone’s home and the breakfasts are tasty homemade affairs. This inn featured local produce and ingredients from nearby farms.

On this morning, they prepared a green chili egg casserole with black beans and sour cream. We ate outside in the rose garden! (I’ve already made this recipe since I’ve been home)

Snack (Whoo’s Donuts)

Feeling hungry after our hiking adventure, we stopped at this unique donut shop.

As soon as I spotted this blue corn lavender donut… I was sold. I mean, look at the beautiful color! I’ve never had a corn based donut before, and this first experience was really great. It tasted similar to sweet corn bread.

Our other selection was the spicy red chili chocolate donut, which carried some heat. (try only if you like spicy with your sweet)

Late Lunch/Dinner (Harry’s Roadhouse)

After exploring Bandelier monument for hours that afternoon, we ended up starving at Harry’s Roadhouse. I went in thinking this place would be all about burgers and fries, but I was so wrong.

They have a wide menu with all sorts of interesting regional and international dishes.

We started off with a big steaming bowl of green chili stew, but unfortunately we gobbled it down fast before we could take a picture.

Then I had vegetarian stuffed acorn squash with black beans, quinoa, rice, and green chili sauce. I loved all the colors and flavors going on in this. (plus, I got a new idea about how to eat acorn squash)

Then husband got the Thai steak salad with the most delicious grilled vegetables on top. Such a healthy and unique meal from a roadside diner, right?

Last Day Breakfast

Imagine waffles made from blue corn, loaded with pine nuts, and topped with fresh blueberries. That was our breakfast at our B & B on the last morning.

I’m sad to say we enthusiastically ate it all up before we remembered our camera!

Snack before flying home (Kakawa Chocolate House)

A huge fan of drinking chocolate, I was so excited to find out about Kakawa Chocolate House in Sante Fe.

They serve different varieties of sweet and non-sweet chocolate elixirs every day, some of  them with unique spices and herbs like Aztecs might have consumed.

When you go in, there’s a big board with the day’s selections and they’ll give you samples before you make a final decision.

I knew I wanted something on the sweeter side, so we ordered the Modern Mexican versions, made from 70% chocolate, traditional Mexican cinnamon, and almond milk. 

Because this place was rather touristy, I worried the hot chocolate would be overly sweet, but it was the perfect balance between sweet and bitter and I recommended it to others staying at our inn. You can even buy some of the chocolate blends to take home for chilly nights!

Overall, I was blown away by all the delicious fresh tasty food we tried. Needless to say, I may have added a few pounds, but who’s keeping track, right?