El Pinto

After church today we hiked the Pino Canyon trail for the second time.  The scenery was spectacular, the weather a sunny 82 degrees with a light cool breeze.  Gorgeous!  We had a date to meet a couple that Stephen knows from work at El Pinto Restaurant for a late lunch.  Our favorite Abq restaurants we've found so far are Vietnamese, Greek, and a couple of vegan places, but we hadn't found a favorite Mexican or New Mexican restaurant, ironically.  I googled "Best New Mexican Food in ABQ" and came up with El Pinto.  Stephen's friends said they love it, so we went to try it out.  Apparently, New Mexican cuisine differs from Mexican cuisine in that it has a Native American influence in ingredients and cooking techniques.

El Pinto is huge, with many indoor and outdoor dining areas.  Sunday brunch was wrapping up as we arrived, and lots of people were just leaving, so we only had to wait a few minutes for a table.  We were on a patio under a portico, next to a fountain, with wisteria overhead.  What a lovely setting!

 Our companions have lived here their whole lives, and they were able to guide me through the menu.  I ended up ordering a calabacitas and bean burrito. Calabacitas is a traditional dish in New Mexico, which the Pueblo Indians taught to the Spanish. Calabaza means squash or pumpkin in Spanish, and this dish uses any squash that is in season.  Summer squash and corn are the main ingredients.  I had my burrito with mild green chile, but our friends ordered a side of the hot green for me.  I tasted it, and it was delicious, but TOO hot for me!  We brought it home for Stephen to have with another meal.  Stephen had a pork dish with red chile.  

We stretched out our lunch to two hours savoring our lunches and talking about a variety of topics.  Good food, good company.  We'll definitely take guests to El Pinto for a taste of New Mexico!