An Albuquerque classic comes to Nob Hill
First Visit: February 17, 2012
The Masterful Cecilia Baca
There are 128 restaurants in Albuquerque that serve New Mexican food, according to Urbanspoon. Most, but not all, are good. Some are overblown hypes (you know which they are). A few are fancy and great. And a few are small family owned places that you may consider dives, and they are superb. Cecilia’s is one of the small and great ones.
Cecilia’s second place is in Nob Hill (the other is Downtown and doesn’t serve dinner) . Our Friday night crawl brought us here, partly on a recommendation from Andrea Lin, and we were knocked out. Cecilia has been crafting some of the best New Mexican food since 1999, and you would swear that she is cooking it especially for you (more about this later) . I started with my benchmarking dish: a Carne Adovada Stuffed Sopaipilla.
Carne Adovada Stuffed Sopaipilla
Carne Adovada Stuffed Sopaipilla. I have had these things all over this state, and Cecilia’s is one of the two best to be had anywhere. The pork is perfectly done. The Red is the stuff that dreams are made of: Chimayó chiles prepared with garlic, Mexican oregano, and loving care. This chile is nearly incendiary without shorting on the flavor. Texture and color are outstanding, and the piquancy is 8 – 9 on my unofficial scale. The Sopa is huge. You can watch Guy Fieri wrap his mouth around a handheld version of this thing in the video from his TV show embedded in this review. I prefer mine smothered in Red, and you should, too. The beans and rice added to the enjoyment of this dish instead of just coming along for the ride. The beans are properly ladry, which imparts that unmistakably silky mouth feel to each forkful.
Enchilada Relleno Combination Plate
Enchilada Relleno Combination Plate. Jane settled on this dish for her dinner. Flat enchiladas and two chile rellenos graced the plate with more of the beans and rice. The rellenos are lightly battered and cooked to a slightly crispy golden brown. She had been warned about the Red, and got Red and Green. Good choice for her, because the Red is just too much for her taste buds. She loved the taste, but wisely shunned the Red. The Green was quite fine. She allowed as the rellenos were quite possibly the best she has ever had. From the sample I tasted, I agree with her.
Chicharrón (Chicharonnes)
Chicharrón (Chicharonnes). I am a sucker for chicharonnes, and these are as good as any New Mexican style that I have had. They are perfectly cooked —just slightly crispy and not hard, like some that I have had. Our server brought a small cup of Red for dipping. You might want to wrap a handful inside a tortilla and add some Red. Sublime.
There is, as I have found out, a big difference between Mexican and New Mexican chicharonnes. The best Mexican ones that I have had are not nearly as crispy, but remain quite soft. Try them at La Cocina De Doña Clara, a no-holds-barred Mexican cocina in Santa Fe.
Cecilia shares het time between het two restaurants. She arrived at the Nob Hill place as we were half way through our dinner. Shortly, she came over to our boot and we asked her to sit with us for a wile, which turned into a half hour. She is charming and loquacious, and is immensely proud of her food, and for good reason. She told us how her Red is prepared (she showed Guy Fieri, and you can get the method from the video). When I asked her about the super hot Red that Andrea Lin wrote about, smiled and said that she now only makes that version on special order for folks that she knows will appreciate it. And she knows me now, and said that I should call her when I want the real hot stuff, and she will make it for me. Game on, Cecilia.
We then chatted about desserts. I told her that I love natillas, and she said that she makes them here from scratch, along with flan and bread pudding. The mention of bread pudding got my full attention — I am a bread pudding freak, an affliction I share with my friend Gil Gardoño, New Mexico’s Sesquipedalian Sybarite . I then recalled that he told me about Cecilia’s Capirotada, a Savory bread pudding that is served during Lent and sometimes Advent. It is one of his favorites. Cecilia will start having it available this week. Count me in. Maybe I’ll meet Gil there.
I’ll surely be back for the super-Red.
What others are saying
Watch Guy Fieri interview Cecilia Baca on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives
Andrea Lin — The Journal and Duke City Food
“Hottest Red Chile EVER.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. I have liked Cecilia’s for awhile, but her red just keeps getting hotter and hotter.
“Now it is at the level that will make sweat drops appear on the forehead of diners that request “extra super native Thai Hot” at Thai restaurants (which would be me). It is insanely, painfully hot in the best way. If you order it and find it TOO hot, don’t send it back or at least don’t say you weren’t warned.”
Gil Garduño — Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog
“When Cecilia says the secret ingredient in her cooking is love, she knows it comes from her heart, but she also doesn’t discount divine inspiration from her kitchen’s patron saint. One meal at Cecilia’s Cafe and you’ll probably be disposed to believe her food is inspired. If you’re a native New Mexican, you might even call it miraculous. That’s because this is New Mexican food the way it’s been prepared by and for New Mexicans for generations. It is unadulterated and in no way “anglicized” for touristy tastes. This is the real thing!”
Cecilia’s Cafe (Nob Hill)
