It all started with an Easy Bake Oven

Since moving to El Paso in late 2011, we received several recommendations about Ardovino’s Desert Crossing. It was about time we checked it out.

Ardovino’s is located just down the road from us, in Sunland Park, NM. It truly seems “out in the middle of nowhere”, even though it’s not. We loved the quirky desert parking lot and building collection and anticipated more of the same as we walked inside. But…..lo and behold, we were instead met with an interior that was much more “sleek and sophisticated” as opposed to “desert quirky”!

We were led to a great red, round booth in a lovely dining room. What a great setting in which to dine! Our server, Russell, promptly greeted us and brought us glasses of water with sliced cucumber (very refreshing and quite good). We ordered up some wine and then got busy perusing the menu.

The Spinach Salad caught our eye…..baby spinach tossed with dried apricots, cranberries, golden raisins, dates, roasted local pecans, and feta in a honey sherry vinaigrette. What’s not to like about that? Richard ordered the regular-sized version while I went with the picollo-sized (translation: smaller version. Was so glad this was an option). This salad was oh so good. It truly was one of the best salads I’ve ever had. The tastes and textures all blended together beautifully, and the presentation was lovely. Russell had also brought us some good Italian bread (which Richard chowed down on).

For his entree, Richard had the Desert Crossing Ribeye. This was a he-man steak…..Heritage Ranch char-broiled, 1-pound bone-in ribeye rubbed with cracked pepper, garlic and olive oil. It came topped with merlot brown sugar sauteed mushroom, and was served with a side of chive crushed potatoes. He could not resist making it a surf-’n'-turf by ordering up a side of shrimp. Oh my – this was quite a steak! Richard said it was the best steak he’s had in El Paso, and he raved about the shrimp. He is not much of a side dish person so didn’t have much to say about the taters and shrooms, but they sure looked tasty.

As for me, I’m a gnocchi-aholic and could not resist the Gnocchi with Spanish Chorizo. This dish consisted of handmade potato gnocchi with fresh peas, shallots, and Italian parsley in a spicy Cantimpalo chorizo cream sauce, topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano. The serving size was perfect, as were the seasoning and taste. This was a fantastic pasta and one I’ll likely order many times in the future.

Time for dessert! Richard loves his cherries, so he had to get the cherry cobbler. I went with the chocolate lava cake with ice cream. Mmmmm……these were good, homemade, and very delicious desserts. Not a bit was left on our plates!

Russell was a very skilled server. We had a bit of a wait between our entrees and dessert, as Russell had to provide service to a somewhat large table of attention-needy peeps (if ya know what I mean). But when I asked for the check, Russell brought it super-pronto and all was good with the world (I hate it when I have to wait to pay $!).

It’s fantastic that a restaurant with such great atmosphere, food, and service is right down the road from where we live in El Paso. Ardovino’s Desert Crossing will be just the place to bring visitors (and OURSELVES!) for a wonderfully unique dining experience. We’re looking forward to a return visit.

Ardovino’s Desert Crossing is located at 1 Ardovinos Drive Sunland Park, NM 88063

Richard’s “Big Ass Jeep” arrived this week! So of course, at the first opportunity we took that BAJ out to Guadalupe National Park for a full day of off-road wheeling. And I got to drive that BAJ (aka “Bruiser”). What fun!

Not surprisingly, we were exhausted after our big day out and about. But our refrigerator was empty, and we were pretty darn tired. What to do? How about heading right down the street to Sunland Park Mall and eating at the Greenery Restaurant and Market?

We’d been wanting to try out the restaurant. We had ogled the breads and dessert case a few times since we moved here a few months ago, and Richard had enjoyed several loaves of their sourdough bread. But it was high time we checked out the full restaurant offerings.

We arrived to a surprisingly crowded restaurant (especially given the off-hour: around 3:45pm on a Saturday afternoon). We were asked about our choice of seating (I always appreciate that!), and we were led to a comfortable booth. The restaurant decor is simple and fairly functional, but I really liked the twinkling lights! I was impressed that we saw a lot of diversity among the diners, including families and couples. Judging by all the packages and shopping bags in the restaurat, it was clear that some patrons had stopped in after an afternoon of mall shopping.

We were ready for some wine after our day of driving, so we ordered 2 glasses of Dona Paula cabernet sauvignon. There was a nice selection of wines by the glass, and we enjoyed this selection while we eyed the menu. The menu had plenty to offer, with some good sandwiches and salads, several Southwestern choices, as well as pastas and pizzas and even steak.

Richard had been craving a burger, so he went with the 100% Prime Bakka Ranch Beef Burger on a toasted kaiser roll with sauteed Green chiles, tomatoes, onions and monterey jack and beer-battered fries. He said that the burger was excellent and extremely tasty with high quality meat. He thought the fries were ok, but then he’s not a beer-battered fries kinda guy (he prefers a thinner fry).

I was in a more Southwestern mode, so I selected the Brisket Burrito (brisket simmered with spices, green chiles, onions and tomatoes served in flour tortillas with spanish rice, refried beans and house made salsa). The burrito was very good, though I thought it could have been kicked up a couple of notches in terms of spice. The beans and rice were fine – not stupdendous, but well seasoned and good accompaniments to the burrito.

Well, you know me – no way was I leaving until I’d tried something from that tantalizing dessert case! Several of the dessert menu selections sounded tempting, but I do love a good carrot cake. And I knew this one would be homemade. So – Carrot-Spice Cake it was! This was a very tasty carrot cake. It came with cream cheese icing, pecans and a delicious cinnamon caramel sauce. The cake was not overly sweet, and the icing had a nice tang to it. This was one yummy cake!

Our server was friendly and very attentive. There was a rather long wait between our wine and our entrees, and she apologized for this. She brought the check when asked, and she stopped by frequently to make sure all was ok.

We love that the Greenery is located so close to where we live. The menu had a lot to offer, it had a relaxing and casual atmposhere, and we enjoyed the food that we tried. We also liked being able to easily walk over to the market area afterward, to buy some of the excellent bread to eat at home. I have a feeling that we’ll be making the Greenery one of our in-the-neighborhood go-to restaurants.

Greenery is located at 750 Sunland Park Dr # F5 El Paso, TX 79912 inside Sunland Park Mall (west side)

I had a three-day weekend. Oh yeah! Time to scan the travel websites and hotel specials and see what looked good. And Santa Fe sure looked good. Neither Richard nor I had ever been to Santa Fe, but we’d heard great things. With a nice deal at Inn and Spa at Loretto, we had our weekend trip to Santa Fe all lined up. Except for….where to eat?

The Inn has an on-site restaurant, Luminaria Restaurant and Patio. After reading some very favorable reviews, we decided to make this a true lazy vacation and just walk a few steps to our dinner each night at Luminaria.

What few steps we had to take from our Inn room each night were well worth it! We had an excellent experience in Luminaria both nights of our stay, from the very personable hostess and restaurant manager to our fab server Melissa. And let’s not forget to mention the beautiful, cozy dining room (with a very inviting fire blazing each night in the fireplace). And let’s definitely not forget to mention the delicious food (with Chef Matthew Ostrander at the helm).

On our first night, Melissa gave us an excellent wine recommendation and we enjoyed that while sitting in our comfy booth. The bread basket arrived right away, and it was filled with all sorts of wonderful goodies: sliced baguette (from Sage Bakehouse in Santa Fe, we were told), savory biscotti, and blue cornmeal muffins (I sure loved those). I think that the bread served in a restaurant really says a lot about attention to detail. And this bread basket showed a lot of attention.

For his dinner that first night, Richard had to go with the special: a Cowboy Steak served with Fries and Beans. Richard said that the steak was fabulous and the fries were a real standout. In fact, he said that those fries were some of the best he’d had (and he’s had a lot o’ fries over the years). I was eyeing his beans – they looked so good that I could have gone with a meal of those on their own. For my dinner that first evening, I opted for the Cena Pronto served from 5-6:30pm (a great deal at $29). I started with the Traditional Caesar Salad (very fresh greens and topped with a very tasty blue corn crouton). I enjoyed the Polenta Lasagna (with wilted spinach, portabella mustard, and marinara) for my entree. One word for this main dish: yum! It had no cheese (which Melissa clued me in on in advance), and it was by no means a traditional lasagna. But the flavors and textures combined wonderfully, and it was perfectly seasoned.

For dessert on “night one”, Richard opted for the Frangipane Apple Galette (with champagne rosemary caramel and vanilla ice cream). Dessert hog that I am, I finished up his dessert remnants (can’t let that fine buttery pastry go to waste!). And I must say – that one one tasty tart. For my dessert choice, I was swayed by (no surprise here) the Warm Mexican Chocolate Turtle Cake (with ganache, cajeta, pecans, and dulce de leche ice cream). It was absoluately as good as one would expect for that great combo of ingredients (Yum!).

For night two, Richard went with his love-of-the-duck and ordered the Seared All Natural Mallard Duck Breast (with mascarpone chipotle polenta, cherry demi, and basil oil). Melissa let him know that the cherries were so good they were “like candy”, and Richard had to agree (his description: “they were fabu”). He’s not much of a polenta fan though. In fact, he said he would have enjoyed those oh-so-good fries from the night before a lot more than that polenta (though it sure looked good to me). I once again opted for the Cena Pronta. I liked the caesar salad so much on night one that I went with it again on night two and I loved that blue corn crouton just as much! For my entree, I went with the All Natural Chicken Breast. While the chicken was good, I was really bowled over by what it was served with: red potato, poblano chile and sweet corn ragout agave gastric. I just loved that stuff!

Now on to dessert on our second (and final) night. Richard had the Red Chile Creme Caramel (with orange cranberry sorbet and sliced oranges). He said it was an interesting combo of tastes and a very flavorful dessert. I went with one of my other dessert-loves (I have so many, but this one is among the top): Carrot Cake. This carrot cake came with orange Riesling carrot puree and candied carrots. I opted to make this rich dessert all the richer by adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Good call! Ooooh, this was one good carrot cake and that ice cream took it over the top.

We really enjoyed our stay in Santa Fe. It has a great vibe, is in a gorgeous location, and is close to even more gorgeous scenery (Bandelier National Monument – we loved it!). Our dinners at Luminaria really topped off a fantastic Santa Fe weekend. The setting was lovely, the food was delicious, and the service was excellent (thank you for that, Melissa! We really appreciated all your great hospitality and recommendations).

Luminaria is located at 211 Old Santa Fe Trail Santa Fe, NM 87501

Richard and I have eaten a lot of BBQ in our time. All those years living in the Carolinas translated into lots of pulled pork (and lots of arguments over which sauce is best: mustard-based? tomato-based? vinegar-based? We’ve even had some more obscure Cheerwine soda-based and root-beer based sauces on occasion).

We do love BBQ. And since we’re now living in Texas, we figured it was high time to try out some of the local variety. And that led us to this restaurant: The State Line right here in El Paso. It turns out that the State Line (which straddles both Texas and New Mexico) is part of the County Line BBQ chain that was founded in Austin in the mid-70s. I’m sometime hesitant about chain restaurants, but this is a small chain that did not disappoint.

The State Line is right down the road from where we live, and it’s also very close to Sunland Park Race Track & Casino. On the outside, The State Line has an interesting Spanish structure and some fantastic signage. On the inside, we found all manner of Western-style “stuff” adorning the ceiling and walls. We loved the casual, comfortable atmosphere.

We’d heard that this restaurant becomes very crowded at times, but when we arrived for a Saturday lunch we were seated right away in a comfortable booth with nice lighting. The restaurant remained busy but was never overly crowded or noisy. Service overall was good with one exception: the wait between finishing our meal and being asked about dessert was quite long (and anyone who knows me knows this…….when I’m ready for dessert, I am READY!).

But now, for the main reason for our visit to The State Line: the BBQ. We managed to resist the All You Can Stand meal highlighted on the menu (a BBQ extravaganza, for $27.99 per person), and ordered more dainty-sized offerings. Richard went with the in-reality none-too-dainty 5-Meat Smokehouse Combo Platter. He was in heaven when this plate-o’-meat came out, all heaped up with every type of BBQ protein product anyone could want. While he enjoyed the pork ribs, beef brisket, smoked peppered turkey breast (and some other tasty meat offering we can’t recall!), his fave was the sausage. Richard raved about this meal, stating that he’s now a Texas BBQ convert.

As for me, I went with the shredded beef sandwich with potato salad. The bun was excellent (quite possibly homemade), and I loved the sweet sauce that accompanied the beef. The potato salad was nicely seasoned and was a great contrast to the sandwich. This meal really hit the spot for me, and I didn’t leave a single bite.

I love a dessert tray, and The State Line brings out a tray that tempts the taste buds. I had a hard time choosing from that lovely array of desserts. The bread pudding with ice cream and the brownie with ice cream sure looked fantastic, and I have those in mind for future meals at The State Line. But I was in a cheesecake frame-of-mind and went with that. While I could have opted for strawberry topping, I (of course) opted for caramel and chocolate sauce instead. This was an excellent cheesecake – smooth and creamy, graham cracker crust, yum. Richard (the purist) went for Blue Bell vanilla bean ice cream and enjoyed that. Dessert-a-holic that I am, I noticed that fruit cobbler and several other Blue Bell ice cream flavors also were available for a grand finale to a big BBQ meal.

We really enjoyed our lunch at The State Line. Several diners seated around us ordered steak and prime rib rather than BBQ, and we may have to try those on future visits. But I also could have a hard time ordering anything besides the ‘Q (and one of those lovely desserts from the dessert tray).

State Line BBQ is located at 1222 Sunland Park Drive El Paso, TX 79922 (west side)

Ever since we found out we’d be moving to El Paso, Richard and I have heard that we needed to check out Ruidoso. The mountain town of Ruidoso, New Mexico is about a 2-hour drive from El Paso, and the area is a destination for vacationers who like to ski, enjoy the mountain views, and….gamble! Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino sits right outside Ruidoso. Richard and I plan to return for an overnight stay sometime, but today we were able to do a day trip to Ruidoso and Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino.

Inn of the Mountain Gods is situated in a lovely spot, with great views of the stunning Sierra Blanca. The inn and casino were nicely decorated for the holidays, and that put us in the mood for a festive lunch. While the Resort & Casino has a buffet restaurant, we instead chose to eat lunch at Wendell’s. At night, Wendell’s is a fine dining establishment with what looks like an excellent steak menu. But at lunch, we had a more casual menu of sandwiches, soups, and salads (with the breakfast menu also available).

We were seated at a nice window table. As I sat down, I noticed some leftover food crumbs on my chair. But hey – I’m not going to go crazy over that, and I just brushed them away myself. Our server came by immediately to provide menus and take our drink orders. Richard was debating among 3 different sandwich options, but our server gave him excellent guidance and he opted for the Southwest French Dip. This sandwich consisted of shaved prime rib with horseradish mayo and pepper jack cheese on Ciabatta bread, served with fries. The sandwich also came with au jus. The fries were nice and crispy, and the sandwich looked and tasted delicious. It was definitely a great choice. I opted for a bowl of the the New Mexico Tortilla Soup. The soup was beautifully presented in a ceramic bowl, and it combined chicken, smoked chiles, and avocado, accompanied by lime and crisp tortilla chips. The soup was very nicely seasoned, served piping hot, and it had a nice, spicy kick to it. It tasted as good as it looked!

When dessert time came around, we were offered a choice of creme brulee (not a fan), cheesecake (oh yes, a fan!), or chocolate torte (sounds good too!). But in the end the cheesecake called my name, and Richard went with the chocolate torte. Our server was kind enough to show us the evening dessert menu, which includes several other delicious-sounding options in addition to what we were offered. But we were quite pleased with what we got! While I suspect that the cheesecake and chocolate torte were not homemade, they were excellent quality and very nicely presented. I ate every bite of my cheesecake (and I will admit – it was a big slice), and Richard did major damage to that massive chocolate torte. Our server came by multiple times to refill our drinks and to make sure we had what we needed. And – major kudos – he also brought the check immediately after I asked for it (yeah!).

We had a very satisfying lunch at Wendell’s. The service was great, food was very good, and the view from our table was gorgeous (golf course, lake, and Sierra Blanca in the landscape). We are looking forward to a return trip, when we will stay overnight at the inn, put a few quarters in the casino slot machines (big gamblers that we are), and eat a big ol’ steak dinner at Wendell’s.

Wendell’s is located at 287 Carrizo Canyon Road Mescalero, NM 88340 (just outside Ruidoso)

Richard and I were the lucky recipients of a gift card for Ripe Eatery, a restaurant not far from us on the Westside of El Paso. While Ripe was high on our “gotta try” list of El Paso, restaurants, the gift card pushed it up a few notches and we checked out Ripe last night. I sure am glad we did!

Ripe is located in a shopping center (often a good sign, as we’ve learned!), so parking was easy. We entered the restaurant prior to 6pm on a weeknight, and plenty of tables were already taken by the after-work crowd as well as families. As the evening went on, more and more couples and even some fairly large groups came in to eat. The space was nicely decorated, and it had a great feel to it. We were immediately seated and informed that since it was still happy hour, alcoholic beverages and appetizers were 1/2 off (oh, yeah!).

We each ordered a glass of the Root 1 cabernet sauvignon (a Chilean wine), and Richard went for the Korean BBQ Ribs appetizer (served with sweet sriracha appla slaw). The ribs were obviously popular – nearly every table seemed to have placed an order for this dish. And we know why – they were delicious!

Richard had to have the Osso Buco for his entree. This dish was beautifully presented, served with root vegetables, smoked gouda mashers, and horseradish cream. Richard said it was wonderful, and it sure looked it. As for me, I was busy scarfing down my Curried Coconut Veggie Tagine. Our excellent server, Buddy, informed us that this entree could be ordered with chicken or shrimp, but I was very happy with my all-vegetable version. This entree looked gorgeous and tasted as good as it looked. The seasoning was perfect, and I could not have been more pleased with this dish.

And now for dessert! Richard just had to get the Root Beer Float, and did he ever enjoy that. Not a drop or spoonful left on his plate. As for me – now, how could I ever resist Texas Sheet Cake with Ice Cream? Take a look at that photo – mmmmmm! Yep, it tasted just the way it looks (meaning – scrumptious). This was a true comfort food dessert, and hey – that is my kind of dessert. The cake was rich and chocolatey, and the vanilla ice cream was the perfect contrast. A just-perfect dessert, in my opinion.

We could not have been more pleased with this restaurant. It is a great place to have nearby, with delicious food, excellent service by Buddy and the hostess, and an inviting atmosphere. We had several visits during the evening to make sure all was ok, and even the owner stopped by to inquire about how things were. We’ll definitely be back (and soon)!

Ripe is located at 910 E Redd Rd # A El Paso, TX 79912 (west side)

Richard and I were thrilled to have our first “move-free” weekend since we arrived in El Paso. Those moving boxes are a thing of the past (thank goodness). To mark our new-found freedom as well as Richard’s upcoming birthday (whoo whoo!), we planned a Saturday day trip to City of Rocks State Park and La Posta (both in New Mexico).

City of Rocks was a small but spectacular state park that is well worth the drive from El Paso. It was cold, and ice and snow made their presence known at the park. But even a winter non-lover like me could not help but be amazed at the beauty of these rock mazes. And what a great place for a future picnic, once that warm weather hits.

Since a picnic was not in the cards today, we stopped instead at La Posta, on the Plaza in Historic Old Mesilla, NM. According to the restaurant website, the building has been in existence since the 1840s and is a former stagecoach stop. La Posta has operated in the site since 1939, and the restaurant has been written up as a “must-do” in many food and travel guides.

When Richard and I entered, we were struck by the colorful restaurant decorations (including the colorful holiday decor) as well as the festive atmosphere. Locals, tourists, and large holiday get-to-gethers were all being efficiently served by a friendly and competent wait staff. The restaurant itself is a maze of multiple rooms and dining areas, which I think just adds to the charm.

Soon after being seated, our server brought us some delicious, spicy salsa and chips and he promptly took our drink order (merlot for me, Pepsi for Richard). When entree order time came, I had to get the chimi (can’t resist ‘em) – I went for the chicmichanga refritos (with beans) and green chile. Richard ordered the steak La Posta (tenderloin covered with green chile sauce and melted Monterey Jack cheese), accompanied by salad and steak fries.

Richard’s salad was nice and fresh, and the honey-mustard dressing he requested came with a kick (as in spicy). He said that his steak (ordered medium rare) was perfectly cooked, with great taste that came especially from the green chile especially. He said that his fries were good, and the accompanying bread was ok though nothing special per his description. My chimi was beautifully presented and came accompanied by rice and refried beans. The chimi was quite good (my fave chimis are still those made at Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe in Tucson. But —- this one was still darn tasty), and I also really enjoyed the accompanying rice and beans (both of which were nicely seasoned).

Now (speaking of faves……) on to dessert! Richard had been eyeing the empanada, and he went with the apple empanda with ice cream (other choices were cherry, apricot, and pumpkin). The empanada was hot and golden, and Richard loved the cinnamon-y flavor. I had the chocolate chip-pecan pie with (of course) a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yummmm – how could this food and flavor combo not be just delish? And it did not disappoint!

We really enjoyed La Posta. The tasty food, the fun decor, and the festive atmosphere all combined to make it yet another great welcome for us to the Desert Southwest. While there are some additional restaurants in Old Mesilla that we plan to try, I have no doubt we will be returning to La Posta (and it will be a great place to take out-of-town visitors).

La Posta is located at 2410 Calle De San Albino Mesilla, NM 88046

When I arrived in El Paso, Richard had already unloaded a big ol’ chunk of our belongings (thank you, thank you!!!). But I had some unpacking to do. And thank goodness, at long last, the move was DONE. Yeah!

In honor of that Texas-sized accomplishment, we had to go out and have us a meal. And I mean BIG MEAL!

I knew just where we needed to go. I’d read about this place called Cattleman’s Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch. It’s located in Fabens, which is about a 35-40 minute drive from El Paso. We drove and drove, until we were in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere (maybe because it was the middle of nowhere).

And then, there it was. Cattleman’s Steakhouse was right there in front of us. Oh what a place! We drove into the entrance, and then we drove and drove some more. Finally, we saw it – a big, bad (in a good way) Texas steakhouse. As we got out of the car, a coyote trotted across the parking lot. Hmmmm – I knew we were in for something good!

We didn’t even make it in the door before a friendly gentleman walking behind us chatted us up and welcomed us to El Paso. Once in the door, we were seated in a wonderful room-with-a-view. Our view was not only of fantastic old West this and that, but also of the gorgeous desert and mountains that surround the ranch. Like I said – a room with a view!

We were immediately greeted by our “cocktail waitress” who took our drink order (2 glasses of cabernet sauvignon, please!). Soon after, Richard ordered (while salivating) the fire-grilled sausage, along with the rib eye. I was craving a good burger, so I requested the ranch burger. Before we knew it, Richard’s sausage arrived and wow – he went on and on and on about how great that was. He also really enjoyed his steak which came with coleslaw, beans, and corn on the cob. He especially loved the corn. My burger was perfectly cooked (for me, anyway. I don’t want any pink in my burger!). The ranch fries needed some salt, but after some salt shaker action were a good accompaniment.

Time for dessert – Richard just had to order the queen of Sheba, which is touted as their house specialty dessert. It was right up his alley – frozen layers of vanilla and chocolate with a cherry surprise buried at the bottom. My pecan pie (topped with vanilla ice cream at my request, of course) was quite excellent with plenty of pecans and just the right amount of sweetness (and that vanilla ice cream “cuts the sweet” of course. Gotta have that!).

As we left Cattleman’s, we felt like we had really had not just a meal but an “experience”. We did not even get to tour the grounds and all the sites that there are to see at Cattleman’s Ranch. We were just too tired – the move (and the major Texas-sized lunch) did us in! But that just means we’ll have to go again to see (and eat) all the other things that Cattleman’s Steakhouse has to offer.

Cattleman’s is located at 3450 S Fabens Carlsbad Rd Fabens, TX 79838

I stepped off the plane in El Paso, TX and my first meal was right down the street from our new home – at Barriga’s Sunland Park. Richard wanted Mexican, by gosh, and so Mexican it was. And what an appropriate culinary introduction to our new hometown!

We arrived at Barrigas at around 2pm on a Thursday afternoon, but there were still quite a few people arriving and eating (even as we left). After being seated at a comfortable booth, our young and very friendly server arrived. His English was a bit limited, and he immediately went and obtained assistance so that our ordering process went smoothly.

I of course had a glass of cabernet sauvignon to celebrate my arrival in El Paso! The restaurant decor was festive, Richard and I were back together (after he took care of the “big move” for us), and life was good – much to celebrate.

When our food arrived, we had even more to be happy about! Richard had the Arrachera (skirt steak with Barrigas own seasoning), which came with a baked potato, some plant matter, and tortillas. He said it was wonderful, and judging by the speed with which he scarfed it all down – I believe him (“it sure was good” – his quote). I’m a big mole fan, and I could not resist ordering the chicken mole. The mole was delicious with a complex combo of flavors all in one, just as a good mole should be. The beans and rice were delish as well.

What was also delish was my tres cake – mmmmmm! I do love tres leches cake, and this version was a good one. Richard ordered vanilla ice cream, and Barrigas dressed it up with chocolate sauce and even a cherry on top.

What a great place to begin our new life here in El Paso! Our servers were gracious, the setting was nice and comfortable, and the food was excellent. We’ll be back!

Barriga’s is located at 664 Sunland Park Drive El Paso, TX 79912 (west side)