The Bite

After seven years of establishing themselves as a Las Cruces favorite, the Rios family has returned to their roots—or should I say wheels? The savory aromas of Hatch chile and carne asada on the grill hit me as I walk up to Matteo’s Eatery food truck, then I spot the containers of their signature aguas frescas lined up on the table next to the truck. I’m not the only one in line looking for a midday fix of carne asada tacos and ice-cold horchata.

Admission: I don’t particularly like the buffet—not even the most widely loved of all buffets, those at Indian restaurants in the United States. This can make me a disagreeable dining companion, one who either grumbles about caving to the pressure to “just get the buffet” or who insists on ordering off the menu even when no one else at the table is doing so.

Whether I’m commuting to Socorro for work or making the four-hour drive to see my parents, it seems I’m always behind the wheel. As the single momma of a five-year old, if I can get her out the door and to school with her hair brushed, matching socks, and something in her tummy, I am content. But once the morning adrenaline wears off, the rumbly in my tumbly reminds me that I, too, need nourishment.

When I branched into loose-leaf teas as an undergraduate student, my first stop was a café called the Root Note, where I would sometimes drop in on Tuesday nights to listen to a friend’s jazz combo. As a neophyte tea drinker who only brewed by the bag at home, I was daunted by the requirement to have anything more than boiling water on hand, and even reading through the scant descriptions of different teas that lined a small shelf in the corner of the café provoked a little anxiety.

If “baking is love made edible,” as the popular saying goes, then each of the following pastries, handcrafted by artisan bakers across Santa Fe, spreads a little love with every bite. The origins of these unique treats span the globe, from Scandinavia to eastern Europe, from France to Spain to the Middle East, reflecting the diversity and range served up in Santa Fe bakeries.

The first time I drank tea, my grandma placed a bag of Lipton green tea in water and nuked it in the microwave. She then mixed in what I can only describe now as a horrific amount of milk and honey. I politely sipped the strangely curdled and astringent brew a few times as we watched Top Chef before secreting away to the kitchen to rinse out my mug. Although that was not my cup of tea, the experience put me on a mission to tinker with tea tastings as I entered adulthood.

Attention locals: Old Town isn’t just for tourists anymore. Newer cafés and restaurants are breathing some much-needed fresh air into the tried-and-true lineup in this historic Albuquerque neighborhood. And those places you’ve passed a hundred times and never thought to visit are still as rich in lore and classic staples as ever. What better time than now to take a stroll in your own backyard?

Socorro sits right where history, science, and culture meet. Founded in 1598, it’s one of the oldest towns in the state, with deep roots in Spanish, Indigenous, and ranching traditions that still shape daily life. In 1889, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology was established, putting the city on the map for cutting-edge scientific research.

The road to Guadalajara is a long one, about eighteen hours from Las Cruces by car, in fact. But if you take a slight detour on New Mexico State Road 28, you’ll come across a little Guadalajaran oasis by the name of Casa El Camino Restaurant & Cantina in La Mesa. Right across the street from longtime local favorite Chope’s Bar & Cafe, Casa El Camino celebrated their two-year anniversary in December 2025. An explosion of color, warmth, and aromas hit you when you walk through the door.

The Vegan Creamery by Miyoko Schinner As I was shifting to a plant-based diet in 2013, one of the most frequent questions I got was, “You’re from Wisconsin and you’re not going to eat cheese?” After twenty-three years of gorging on all varieties of sharp and aged cheddars, squeaking my way through fresh and fried cheese curds with regularity, and guzzling 1 percent milk with most meals, my choice was as much for health reasons as it was in response to concerns about the inhumane treatment of...