Many will agree with me when I say that there is a clear difference between northern New Mexico Mexican food and southern New Mexico Mexican food. And then they'll agree when I say southern New Mexico food is the best.
Growing up in northern New Mexico, I hated Mexican food. I didn't like either of the green or red sauces, I didn't like chile and I always ordered a hamburger when my family and I went to a Mexican restaurant. Nothing was very special for me. (Actually nothing in the Gallup and Farmington area -- where I'm from -- is special to me.) I hated all this stuff because it was always so hot too. Eating Mexican food was painful; it hurt. And I didn't like it.
I seems, to me, that in the northern part of the state, people judge the quality of the dish by how hot the chile is. If it's making your throat bleed and your eyes and nose water, than it's good. That's how it was in my hometown (Crownpoint, N.M.). It was like a tough contest to brag to everyone how hot things are. I always got "it's not even hot" when in fact, it was smouldering hot.
When I moved to Las Cruces as a college student at New Mexico State University in 2008, I saw the light. First, I resisted and never went to Mexican restaurants. Then I tried one place, and then another, and another, and another. I tasted the difference and was satisfied.
The red and green sauces were a lot more flavorful and didn't have such a strong focus on heat. (I'm still a green chile girl. I'm not particular to the roasted red chile sauce yet). The salsas were more flavorful too. It wasn't just tomatoes and fire-hot chile, I could taste the garlic, cilantro and limes for the first time. (Cilantro was another thing I disliked for a long time until I came here). I tasted Muenster cheese for the first time. In northern New Mexico they use cheddar/yellow cheese, which, really, does not go well with everything and is a lot greasier. A whole world of Mexican food items were introduced to me when I moved to the Borderland. Up north, the menu is pretty plain compared to the variety served down here.
And no wonder why. Las Cruces is closer to the border. Restaurant owners come from Mexico and make it their living to cook all this food. This is famous Hatch Green Chile land, this is where we host an annual SalsaFest and The Whole Enchilada Festival. There is a Mexican restaurant on every street corner. Las Cruceans take it seriously here.
I'm addicted to the stuff now. I eat Mexican food every week, sometimes more. My favorite things are street tacos and any fish dish on the menu. I'm also crazy for chips and salsa, even when the chile is hot, it's all very satisfying. (I guess, over these few years, I've built up my chile-heat tolerance too.)
When I'm back home in northern New Mexico I don't bother going to Mexican restaurants except for Delicia's in Albuquerque (they have a restaurant in El Paso and two in Las Cruces). I tried, but once you eat here, nothing else tastes the same. I notice the difference and I prefer the south.
If I ever move away I'm going to miss the food. I'll miss enchiladas from Delicia's and Andele, homemade refried beans at Ranchway, huevos rancheros at El Patron, fish at La Guadalupana, green chile cheeseburgers from El Sombrero and soup from Chachi's. And the chips and salsa from anywhere in town is the best.
I have to give Chachi's another try because I've only had the albondigas there. I also have to try El Jacalito again for the tacos al pastor. Oh, I'm hungry.... for Mexican food!
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