“El Pinto is very New Mexican, and it’s one of those faithful restaurants where you can’t go wrong choosing anything on the menu. New Mexican cuisine is very different from Mexican cuisine and also Tex-Mex—they use specific New Mexican chilies, and generally eggs are served with enchiladas. El Pinto’s near the Rio Grande, and it has a great atmosphere. If you want to experience New Mexico, it gives the feeling of the architecture, the design, the food, and the place. It’s very romantic.”

“Saggio’s is on my list because they have the best premade pesto salad. It’s right next to the university, so it serves mainly the university market. They have a great slice of pizza, and you get a side salad with it. It’s supposed to be just a filler, but it’s really good. It comes with broccoli and tomatoes. It is a special salad, and that’s mainly the reason that I go there every time I go to Albuquerque.”

“The Owl Cafe is such a great place to go. It’s located in the eastern part of Albuquerque, near the Sandia Mountains, and the building is designed like an owl. There’s a neon light that goes around it, so at night it’s this neon owl. They have this bean-and-green-chili appetizer they serve to you with crackers, and it’s so comforting. When it’s chilly in the fall or freezing in the winter or just brisk in the spring, it’s a wonderful dish to have: a simple bowl of pinto beans and green chili.”

“The Dog House Drive In is one of those places that everybody goes to in Albuquerque…no matter who it is. It’s a place for hot dogs, and you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. It’s always packed, so expect a long wait, but it’s worth it.”

“Indian Pueblo Kitchen is a very special place. During my Native American food studies, my independent study, and my traveling, I’d always go there just to see what they were doing. I’d often order the Indian tacos or the Pueblo tacos. They have a really great variety of squash dishes and bean dishes, which reflects the food eaten by the Pueblo tribes in New Mexico.”

“This family-run restaurant also serves New Mexican cuisine, but it has its own distinct flair. My favorite thing to order there is the chicken enchiladas. As far as I know and as much as I’ve traveled, they probably have the best chicken enchilada that anyone serves!”

“Blake’s Lotaburger is a local New Mexican burger chain, and they serve this great New Mexican green-chili cheeseburger. A few years ago, New Mexico actually created a law that specifically gave the green-chili market its own terroir, kind of like France does with wine. If it’s not from New Mexico, you can’t call it New Mexican green chilies or Hatch green chilies or Chimayó red chilies. So Blake’s serves New Mexican green chili with their cheeseburger, and it’s absolutely wonderful.”

“My good friend Marc Quinones is the chef here. Mark has been voted the best chef in New Mexico for many years. He was raised in New York, but he’s made New Mexico his home. He knows how to tell the New Mexican story from a visitor’s perspective—his food is brilliant and he plates beautifully. It’s a great space in a small Hilton boutique hotel. It’s very romantic, and it’s where I go for special occasions.”

“Frontier is very Albuquerque. There’s no place like it. Its architecture is a big red barn, and it sits right outside of UNM, but people from across the city and across the state go there. It’s fast food, but everything tastes real and natural. They have the best breakfast burrito—it’s absolutely delicious, and they make it there by hand.”

"High Noon Restaurant is in the historic part of town, where Albuquerque was first settled. It’s in an old adobe structure, so the structure itself is an actual historic site, and it’s a very quaint, small area of Albuquerque. The first time I went there was when I used to rent an apartment from the owners. It’s a great place to have a steak and margarita.”