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Published: August 4th 2012
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Last left off with the Blackberry Jalapeno Margarita at a lovely brewery/restaurant in Las Cruces, New Mexico. All I can say is, thank you Yelp! The place is called
De La Vega's Pecan Grill and specializes in, you guessed it, Pecan Ale. Before the margarita, we sampled the unique brews - Pecan Ale and Green Chile Ale. Flavorful and bold with the scents and taste of respective names. The menu was a bit too pricey given that so many amazing New Mexican restaurants were available, we passed on dinner here, but did follow through on the recommendations of the bartender who recommended
El Sombrero Patio Cafe.
We arrived at this seemingly tiny restaurant with a very packed parking lot a bit after 6pm. We nabbed the last four top table before the wait for tables began, hopping in front of a much larger party who needed a highchair. Child-free...it has its privileges. The menu included everything imaginable from mexican to hamburgers, but clearly the green chile sauce the reason folks were here. We ordered a shredded burrito and rainbow enchiledas, but first, the salsa! The chips were fresh as all get out the salsa was OUT OF THIS WORLD! I could have drank the stuff. Tons of
onion and garlic, salty and so fresh - I imagined folks blending this to order. I could have eaten a shoe if there was this salsa to dip them in. No kidding!
Dinner was also amazing and so inexpensive. No wonder this place was standing room only on a Thursday night.
This morning, we awoke to celebrate Jim's 37th birthday. A lazy day of breakfast, a movie and some sightseeing, we had a perfect plan to celebrate his birthday right. The phone started ringing at 8am with family and friends wishing him a happy birthday. A very loved man. I am an extraordinarily lucky woma to have such a fantastic husband and am so happy we are able to celebrate his birthday on the road again this year.
After breakfast at the
Mesilla Valley Kitchen, we scouted the area and headed to the movies to catch a matinee of
The Dark Knight Rises. Another homerun for Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale (not to mention a kickass Catwoman). The film, shadowed by a national tragedy, was worth waiting out the crowds and a perfect birthday stop. Every moment was action packed, great character development and given that I laughed, gripped the edge of
my seat and had a weep or two - I'd call it a hit!
After the movie, we had a few hours before the shops closed in the
Old Mesilla, a beautiful plaza rich with so much history. Peppered with shops, restaurants and galleries, the plaza was a perfect way to end the day. We shopped, purchasing some Green Chile Pistachios and a jar of green chile salsa and swung in for a quick beer at the plaza's oldest cantina -
El Patio. I love the fact that the jail and courthouse on the corner of the plaza was where Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced to hang in 1881. Wild, wild west!
We had already made plans for Jim's birthday dinner - cooking back at the rental house - a Jenson classic - Shrimp Diane. A buttery shrimp and mushroom dish served over rice, rich with herbs, spices and fresh parsley. It was a guilty treat perfect for a birthday celebration. Tonight we will call it an early night to prepare for a drive day tomorrow. We are on to Santa Fe, the crown jewel of our trip.
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Mom
non-member comment
Thanks
Thanks for the update we really have a great time reading them, Las Cruses looks like a great little town, be safe on your drive, enjoy every minute and we'll look forward to your next post. Much love, Mom