Attendees will know they’ve hit the mother lode of taste bud satisfaction when they are first asked “red or green?” It’s actually the official state question, which is posed mainly in authentic New Mexican eateries when the waiter would like to know which flavor of chile pepper sauce is desired with a meal.
With such restaurants where lucky diners will have a most memorable meal, cooking classes that tackle sopapillas and other New Mexico favorites, local farms, wineries and food-inspired festivals, there are many ways to celebrate the state’s culinary output during a meeting.
Following is a veritable cornucopia of ideas found throughout the Land of Enchantment’s group-friendly destinations.
Albuquerque
Albuquerque is home to two hands-on cooking opportunities that allow team bonding among attendees, and a couple of great representatives of New Mexico wine.
The El Pinto Salsa Factory, which produces salsa that’s sold throughout the country, offers cooking demonstrations, and groups can participate in a green chile cook-off competition, according to Cecilia Padilla-Quillen, director of convention services at the Albuquerque CVB.
“El Pinto is the largest restaurant in New Mexico, seating up to 1,000 people, but you don’t feel that way, as the restaurant is divided into quaint rooms and stunning patios,” she says. “Groups can also take tours through the plant and learn about the process of making and distributing salsa.”
Blue Plate Special offers cooking classes for groups and a team-building activity called Tasty Teaming, a three-hour affair during which attendees whip up appetizers, an entree and dessert.
“They can incorporate the flavors of New Mexican cuisine for a local angle,” Padilla-Quillen says.
Two wineries that welcome group visits are Gruet, which accommodates up to 50 people for events in its Barrel Room, and Casa Rondena, which has a variety of rooms for group gatherings.
Both offer tours that explore the state’s wine history, as well as wine tastings. PageBreak
Santa Fe
If the group happens to descend on Santa Fe in September, there is no better way to sample the destination’s culinary scene than at the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta, according to Jim Luttjohann, executive director at the Santa Fe CVB.
Highlights of the event include cooking classes and demos, wine tastings from more than 100 vineyards and tastings of signature dishes from some 80 Santa Fe restaurants.
The Santa Fe School of Cooking is another standby option that offers several culinary experiences for groups, including demonstration classes that teach participants how to prepare dishes starring chiles and other indigenous ingredients.
“Hands-on classes for up to 50 are a great team-building experience in which groups are divided into teams, each preparing part of a dish,” Luttjohann says. “These can include tamales, tacos, rellenos or hot sauces.”
New on the scene is the Santa Fe Culinary Academy, which offers in-depth cooking classes ranging from Northern New Mexico classics to foods of classic operas.
The facility also has indoor and outdoor special event spaces for group functions.
Taos
A good indicator of the flavor and vibe of Taos is its most famous local specialty cocktail, the Cowboy Buddha, a margarita creation that can be found at the Adobe Bar, also known as the Living Room of Taos, inside the Historic Taos Inn.
According to Joanie Griffin, spokeswoman for the Town of Taos, the drink is as memorable as the venue it’s served in, which is a fun place with live entertainment and celebrity sightings.
The Taos Winter Wine Festival, which is held annually the last week of January, mixes skiing with fine wines and great cuisine. Event highlights include seminars, wine and area restaurant tastings, and wine dinners paired with the creations of Taos chefs.
Generally, where there is a ski slope there is a microbrewery, and Taos is no exception.
At Taos Mesa Brewing, which Griffin says is a terrific gathering spot for groups, attendees will find a variety of hand-crafted beers, live music and “the best mountain-view sunsets in Taos.”
Meanwhile, Cooking Studio Taos features hands-on classes taught by Chris Maher, a James Beard-recognized chef. Each class lasts four to five hours and cost includes food, instruction, a recipe booklet to take home and a seated meal at the end of each class paired with wines. PageBreak
Northwestern New Mexico
Situated five miles southwest of group-friendly Farmington is Cedar Bow Restaurant, which is located inside Northern Edge Navajo Casino, the newest casino in the Four Corners region.
According to Amy Dickson, group sales coordinator at the Farmington CVB, the restaurant serves modern and traditional Navajo cuisine as well as popular Southwest dishes.
“The Navajo people have rich and unique foods, including the very popular fry bread, Navajo tacos, steamed corn and mutton,” she says. “In Navajo culture, sheep means life, and the people utilize the entire sheep for food and textiles.”
Farmington also has beverages covered, as groups are welcome to visit the Wines of the San Juan Vineyard, Winery and Tasting Room, and Three Rivers Brewery, where great food and beer go hand-in-hand.
Located in historic downtown Farmington, the brewery sports a variety of handcrafted beers, two restaurants including a pizzeria and a pool hall with a tap room, and a banquet hall that accommodates large groups.
The unique foodie options in Los Alamos, according to Katy Korkos, member services coordinator at the Los Alamos Meeting and Visitor Bureau, include New Mexico’s oldest farmers market and Don Quixote Distillery and Winery, which has a lovely wine-tasting room and purveys spirits such as blue corn bourbon and gin made from New Mexico botanicals.
Southern New Mexico
In Ruidoso, the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium, held annually the second weekend of October, features the World Champion Chuckwagon Competition, which is featured on the Food Network’s All American Festivals and Cowboy Challenge.
Gina L. Kelley, director of tourism for the Village of Ruidoso, says people buy tickets in advance for the chuckwagon cook-off so as not to miss tastes of the food that is prepared.
“The setting is very casual and visitors are able to chat with the cooks,” she says. “This event brings together Old West storytellers, musicians, Western artists and craftsmen for three days of events, cowboy competitions, horse demonstrations, Western swing dancing and dozens of vendors selling Western-themed art and all things cowboy.”
In Las Cruces, the CVB offers a Tastebud Travelers program that specifically targets culinary outings for visiting groups, according to Andrea M. Lawrence, tourism sales manager at the bureau.
“This collection of talks, tours and tastings is the framework from which we customize itineraries for groups to experience the rich culinary past and present of Las Cruces and the fertile Mesilla Valley,” she says.
An itinerary draws from numerous options and might include visits to the Chile Pepper Institute and Las Cruces Farmers & Crafts Market; a meal at an area eatery such as La Posta de Mesilla, which offers a colorful dining experience in a historic adobe compound; a Taco 101 class at Casa Camino Real Cultural Center; and an outing to an annual event like September’s Whole Enchilada Fiesta or Blessing of the Field, a celebration of New Mexico’s 3,000-year farming history held every May at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.
When she spent time in New Mexico, freelance writer Carolyn Blackburn responded “Christmas” to the state question because she likes both red and green chile peppers.
