The Foodie’s Bookshelf

There are now so many texts that make up what might be called the food writing canon that our bookshelves bow under their weight. Some of that strain, we suspect, comes from books we’ve carried with us for years—moved from apartment to apartment, half-read, patiently waiting their turn. M. F. K. Fisher, Michael Pollan, Ruth Reichl, Anthony Bourdain: the giants of the genre gaze back at us, sometimes warmly, sometimes with something like reproach. There is only one lifetime in which to read them all, and doing so would require not just devotion, but space—literal and mental.

From time to time, it’s tempting to wonder why we keep trying at all, especially amid the endless churn of glossy, hollow food content flooding our screens. The question answers itself. We keep reading because food writing, at its best, asks us to participate more fully in our lives. As Alicia Kennedy writes in a recent essay, the thinkers and writers who came before us invite us to engage with our meals beyond mere acquisition. Our relationship to food is shaped not only by recipes and pleasure, but by power, labor, and inequity. A meaningful appetite must hold room for both delight and responsibility.

That pairing—pleasure and responsibility—is the heart of the matter. To eat without regard for how food arrives on our plates is to reduce it to surface-level enjoyment, and shallow pleasures rarely linger. In the same way that learning the story behind a painting deepens our appreciation of it, understanding the forces behind our food enriches the experience of eating. Flavor becomes layered with history, influence, and care. The result is a satisfaction that lasts longer than the meal itself, a knowing delight that feels earned.

Amuse-Bouche

In recent weeks, Golden Crown Panadería has been doing more than turning out their beloved green chile cheddar bread, pizzas, and blue corn biscochos. The bakery quietly produced a thousand loaves of bread to donate to Roadrunner Food Bank—a gesture as nourishing as it is beautiful.

On a broader stage, New Mexico has joined forces with neighboring states to form a new Southwest region within the Michelin Guide. Inspectors are already exploring the area, seeking out culinary standouts. The first selections are expected next year, signaling a wider recognition of the region’s depth and creativity.

Entrances & Exits

At Drop Café on Albuquerque’s Westside, the menu blends visual charm with substance: Turkish and Yemeni coffees, Dubai croissants, affogato, and tiramisu lattes topped with actual slivers of dessert. Beyond the aesthetics, it’s the intensely brewed Yemeni-style coffee that sets the place apart.

After months of construction disruption, Tortillería Cuauhtémoc has reopened in a new location on Isleta Boulevard, settling near familiar bakery neighbors. Meanwhile, Sala Thai has returned to dine-in service in a new Carlisle-area space, restoring tables and chairs that had been absent since the pandemic.

Several new ventures are on the horizon. Seemo’s Slices, a forthcoming pizzeria tied to the team behind Old Town Olive, is preparing to join Albuquerque’s growing pizza scene. Vigilante Pizza, long operating from a truck in Española, has expanded pop-ups to Taos and Los Alamos, bringing finely milled, 00-flour dough along with them.

In Santa Fe, 2 Floyds Southern Kitchen has opened at CHOMP, serving hanger steak, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, collards, okra, and sweet tea. Chef Randy Tapia of Poki Tako is also offering dinner service at the Mystic, with a menu that ranges from charcuterie and pot pie to tacos and a striking whipped beet salad.

Not all news is celebratory. The Range Café on Central Avenue is set to close at the end of December, though its other locations will remain open. Bosque Brewing is also shuttering multiple locations as part of a broader restructuring, a sobering reminder of the risks of rapid expansion.

Still, growth continues elsewhere. Buen Provecho is opening a second location near Barelas Central Kitchen, expanding access to their tamales, queso frito, aguas, and other favorites.

Occasions

Local bakers are deep into holiday mode. From elaborate Buche de Noël cakes adorned with meringue mushrooms to cookie boxes and citrus pies, this is the moment to finalize festive pastry plans.

Holiday markets are also in full swing, offering winter gatherings filled with cocktails, biscochitos, roaming puppeteers, handmade goods, and warm drinks.

Looking ahead to the new year, celebrations range from intimate prix fixe dinners highlighting Rio Grande flavors to music-driven parties marked by disco balls and dessert-forward finales.

Distillations

Shiprock may not immediately come to mind as a food destination, but assumptions can be limiting. A recent exploration invites readers to look closer, revealing places that reward curiosity and resist easy discovery.