New Mexican Flavor Across State Lines

Welcome to the only source for artful, bite-sized stories and diverse perspectives on the New Mexico food and drink scene. This week, we’re heading east of the Mississippi to visit restaurants serving New Mexican–inspired cuisine. And before you ask—yes, every proprietor you’re about to meet is from here.

If you enjoy this story, share it with fellow New Mexicans and food lovers everywhere.

When New Mexican Cuisine Travels

It doesn’t happen often, but every time I stumble across a New Mexican restaurant outside the Southwest, it feels like running into someone who speaks my secret language.

At home, our culinary identity is unmistakable: smoky red and spicy green chile, fluffy sopapillas, braised pork, calabacitas, blue corn, beans, and biscochitos. Even if you order Vietnamese or Caribbean food, the moment you step into the parking lot you’ll smell green chile roasting somewhere nearby—and suddenly enchiladas sound like a pretty good second lunch.

So while it’s expected to see a New Mexican restaurant on any street back home, it’s a genuine surprise to spot the Zia symbol on a restaurant sign anywhere else in the world. But it does happen.

To see what unfolds when New Mexican cuisine crosses state lines, I spoke with three restaurants doing it their way.

Ursula — Brooklyn, New York
Est. 2020

Albuquerque-born Chef Eric See named his critically acclaimed Bed-Stuy café and bakery after his maternal grandmother—Ursula—who remains the heart and muse of the restaurant. The day after we spoke, Eric flew to New Mexico and drove back with 1,200 pounds of freshly harvested green chile from Deming for the annual chile roast.

NK: Tell me about the early days of Ursula.

Eric See: I never planned to open a restaurant. I moved to Brooklyn to study pastry and launched a café called the Awkward Scone. New Mexico was sprinkled into the menu—green chile apple pastelito, a blue corn scone—and New Mexicans kept coming in saying, “Oh my god, I’m from New Mexico!” My baristas were losing their minds because everyone wanted burritos. My mom was shipping Grandma’s Tortillas and Bueno chile from Albuquerque just to keep up.

When the pandemic hit, I had to close the Awkward Scone. Brooklyn was different, but still alive, and I knew I could sell breakfast burritos. People were leaning into their cultures and communities, so I did too. We opened in a small space, and on day one the line wrapped around the block.

NK: Why the name Ursula?

ES: The restaurant is named after my grandma. I had been through a lot in New York, and thinking of her resilience grounded me. She still lives in the same house she and her kids built sixty years ago. She loves visiting the restaurant—dressed in turquoise—and talking to everyone.

NK: What’s it like dining at Ursula?

ES: Daytime feels like New Mexico. The artwork is all from Albuquerque artists, the space is designed like an abuela’s home—turquoise in the counters, vigas across the ceiling. Dinner is where we get more explorative, giving the food a New York lens.

NK: Has New York influenced your menu?

ES: Absolutely. We’ve done burrito collaborations with chefs from all kinds of cultures—Indian, Palestinian, Cambodian, Filipino, Ethiopian, and more. The rules are simple: eggs, potatoes, and New Mexico chile must be included. Everything else should reflect their culture. Food evolves when it lands somewhere new, and that’s how our dinner menu grows too.

Flo — Chicago, Illinois
Est. 1999

Located in Chicago’s West Town, Flo is famous for its Fruity Pebbles French toast—but their New Mexican red and green chile is what caught my attention. Originally from Belen, Chef Leonard Sanchez brings smothered burritos and Hatch chile to the Midwest.

NK: Tell me about Flo.

Leonard Sanchez: Flo opened in 1999, right in the heart of West Town. Our cuisine is rooted in New Mexican flavors but influenced by Chicago’s diverse food scene. We’re open for lunch and dinner during the week and a beloved brunch spot on weekends.

NK: How does New Mexican culture show up on your menu?

LS: All our Hatch green chile and New Mexico red chile is shipped directly from back home. Our menu includes sopapillas, Hatch green chile stew, carne adovada, and Christmas-smothered burritos—just like you’d find in Albuquerque or Santa Fe.

NK: How has Chicago influenced Flo?

LS: Chicago’s food culture is all about fresh ingredients and thoughtful execution. We apply that to everything—cocktails, dishes, and even the wine list.

NK: How do Chicago diners respond to New Mexican food?

LS: The response has been amazing. Flo has served generations of guests looking for a taste of New Mexico. Lots of locals grew up there or attended UNM. Every year we host the UNM Alumni Association party and serve our famous Hatch green chile burgers. It’s a celebration of home right in Chicago.

Taqueria Acosta — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Est. 2021

Born in Las Cruces and raised between Wyoming and New Mexico, Chef Chris Acosta left a corporate chef career to open Taqueria Acosta in Pittsburgh’s North Side. Though the restaurant closed in November 2025, plans are in motion for reopening in 2026.

NK: Why open a New Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh?

Chris Acosta: I like to say we were born in the desert and forged by steel. In 2020 things felt dark, and I asked myself what the world needed—love. But how do you share that? I thought back to my grandma’s kitchen in Las Cruces: tortillas on the comal, beans on the stove, meat braising, chorizo con papas y huevos. My legs swinging at the table as a kid. That’s where comfort lived. The idea came in September 2020, and we committed to a taqueria with New Mexico roots.

NK: What’s it like introducing Pittsburgh to New Mexican food?

CA: We get excited when someone tries New Mexican food for the first time. I’m a total voyeur—I watch that first bite. Seeing the warmth hit them reminds me of a forehead kiss from my grandma. It makes me feel like I can kick ass in a dark world.

NK: What set your restaurant apart?

CA: We kept the New Mexico foundation but added freshness—pickled vegetables with braised meats, produce from the Allegheny Commons community garden like golden fennel and goji berries. We offered lots of vegetarian and vegan options.

NK: What was it like returning to your roots as a chef?

CA: Getting back to New Mexican food brought me back to life. Running a restaurant that values people over profit showed me how powerful it is to show up for others.

We’re going to keep serving up love.