8 New Mexico Restaurants Make 2025 James Beard Semi-Finalists List

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January 22, 2025

A person picks up a packed taco from a New Mexico restaurant off a white plate full of other tacos.

The restaurants of New Mexico provide us with innovative menus, traditional ingredients and influences, and a whole lot of deliciousness. This year, the 2025 James Beard Awards has chosen eight of these New Mexico establishments, chefs, and beverage professionals as semi-finalists for awards honoring their exceptional food, food media content, and better food systems, all while demonstrating a commitment to racial and gender equity, community, and sustainability. TABLE Magazine congratulates the semi-finalists!

8 New Mexico Restaurants Make 2025 James Beard Semi-Finalists List

Coda, Albuquerque, NM for Outstanding Bakery

This bakery in Albuquerque is servings up the freshest Vietnamese treats possible as their bakers start early each morning to deliver quality results. Each pastry or baked good is handcrafted with time and true techniques along with the finest ingredients to bring tastes from across the ocean to New Mexico.

Campo at Los Poblanos, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

While the outstanding food from Campo at Los Poblanos may be your first thought when you hear their name, their wine and beverage program is just as excellent. A lot of the components of their drinks are made in-house but they also outsource fresh organic ingredients and small-batch barrel-aged spirits. Their cocktail program’s success truly takes a village all the way from gardeners to mixologists.

Kate Gerwin, Happy Accidents, Albuquerque, NM for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

Kate Gerwin at Happy Accidents Bar is an award-winning bartender who’s dedication expands from cocktails to customers alike. Her service at Happy Accidents oozes professionalism mixed with a sense of unique creativity. A lot of her recipes use unexpected ingredients such as leeks, mushroom infused tequilia, cocoa puff cereal infused mezcal, and much more.

Cristian Pontiggia, Sassella, Santa Fe, NM for Best Chef Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

Authentic, Italian fine dining are the ways of Cristian Pontiggia, chef of Sassella. Pontiggia’s work focuses on the Lombardy region of Italy, serving up dishes like Branzino Natalizo and Risotto alla Valtellinese. Just one bit of his modern twist on traditional Italian foods and you’ll be able to see his prestigious kitchen background shine.

Kattia Rojas, Buen Provecho, Albuquerque, NM for Best Chef Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

Her roots in Latin American cuisine influences Kattia Rojas’ goal of cultural representation within New Mexico. For over 10 years, she has been infusing her own Latin flavor into dishes we all know and love. Her work at Buen Provecho shows itself through a menu including deep fried plantains, various tamales, and Costa Rican specialties.

Fernando Ruiz, Escondido, Santa Fe, NM for Best Chef Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

You may recognize Fernando Ruiz from his three Food Network wins on Beat Bobby Flay, Guy’s Grocery Games, and Chopped. At Escondido, he combines a blend of Coastal and Northern Mexico regions using only the freshest seafood and other ingredients available. Even his dishes using chicken mole, barbacoa, al pastor, and carne asada are sourced from Northern New Mexico ranches and the US Southwest.

Sean Sinclair, Level 5, Albuquerque, NM for Best Chef Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

Highlighting the flavors and cultural cuisine of New Mexico is the work horse behind Sean Sinclair’s menu. This chef at Level 5 is always creating new seasonally inspired menus to amaze guests. Most recently he works red chili into different dishes such as ABQ Style Popcorn, Bison Sliders, and their Ramon Perez Ranch Beef.

Joseph Wrede, Joseph’s Culinary Pub, Santa Fe, NM for Best Chef Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

Joseph Wrede of Joseph’s Culinary Pub works to bring local dishes and ingredients to the New Mexico table. He enjoys playing with various textures and flavors to make something entirely new. He’s especially known for his use of duck fat to elevate dishes you would not expect. Through it all, he keeps a rotating, seasonal menu at the heart of Joseph’s Culinary Pub so you always have something new and in season to taste.

Story by Kylie Thomas
Photo Courtesy of Escondido

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Proust Questionnaire with Lucas Swallows of Heritage Hotels

By

Emma Riva

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January 16, 2025

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We talk to Lucas Swallows, corporate mixologist for Heritage Hotels, about smoke and mirrors, a dream drink in Mexico City, and why guilt isn’t a word in his vocabulary.

Proust Questionnaire with Lucas Swallows of Heritage Hotels

Tequila or Mezcal?

A balanced menu should include both Tequila and Mezcal as they offer very different aromatics. I use Mezcal as a “smoky seasoning” at times, lending a dynamic contrast to botanical-forward spirits like gin or tequila.

What makes a great bar?

A good bar fits the boundless world of imagination into the strict constraints of reality.

What makes a great bartender?

Bartenders, like all service team members, should be stewards to the ideas and products that their project is putting forth to their community. Proficient menu knowledge, accurate, consistent execution of menu items, and a friendly delivery are a great start.

**What makes you a great bartender?**

Experience. Not being afraid to fail forward.

What inspired you to become a bartender?

I love to cook (back of house) and create layers of flavors, textures and aromatics. I also love being host to the experience (front of house). Mixology was a way to bridge the two.

What you appreciate most in your fellow bartenders?

You know you’re with the right team when a busy service looks and feels like a choreographed dance.

What is your favorite ingredient/liquor to use?

I enjoy adding smoky nuance to fruit and floral driven cocktails, sometimes drops at a time, using Islay Scotch and Mezcal.

What is your signature drink and describe it?

“Smoke and Mirrors.” It’s an example of how fine flavors are derived from balancing freshness with smoke. A playful juxtaposition of floral, fresh citrus, and agave, against roasted barley spirit and smoked peat that includes Tequila Reposado, Elderflower liqueur, lemon, and Islay Whisky.

What makes for a great evening out when you’re not at work?

I’m on the constant hunt for authentic food and beverage experiences. From a hole-in-the-wall to a critically acclaimed project, my hope is to learn to eat and imbibe.

What is your guilty pleasure?

I don’t feel guilt for pleasure.

What’s the best drink you’ve ever had?

1989 Gaja Barbaresco.

If you could visit any bar, anywhere in the world…?

This coming year, I hope to visit Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City, 2024 best bar in the world by The World’s Top 50.

Story by Julia Platt Leonard
Photo courtesy of Lucas Swallows

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Heritage Hotels’ Restaurant Magic in New Mexico

By

Kylie Thomas

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January 15, 2025

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A white bowl of food holds a slice of meat on top of a bed of potatoes with chili peppers surrounding the plate.

There are nearly 800 hotels across the 122,000 square miles of New Mexico. They offer everything from budget-conscious accommodations to luxurious world-class indulgences. Thankfully, tucked inside so many of these gems, you can find some of the best examples of the state’s great and diverse cuisine. Contributing writer Bill Smith shares some of the exciting changes in a number of the dining establishments inside Heritage Hotels.

A shrimp pasta dish in a white bowl with a lime on the side and a beer at the top of the table.

Heritage Hotels’ Restaurant Magic in New Mexico

Founded in 2005, Albuquerque-based Heritage Hotels & Resorts now has a portfolio of some ten properties – from Taos to Las Cruces – where visitors and locals alike can also take in New Mexico’s cultural heritage.

What Heritage also brings to the table are gorgeous and iconic properties that serve as the perfect backdrop for incredible culinary explorations.

“Exceptional dining adds to the customer experience at our properties,” said Jim Long, Founder & CEO of Heritage Hotels. “Our goal is to invest in great talent and give them the resources they need to deliver great food and great experiences for our guests,” he continued.

A chicken salad pasta sits on a white plate with herbs on the brown table below.

A Little Something For Everyone at Heritage Hotels

Over the past many months, evolutions in Heritage Hotels food offerings have underscored what Jim Long described as a “serious effort” on the part of the company to become a bigger player in the space.

An outdoor dining space at Heritage Hotels with a flat roof over it that overlooks the mountains.

Level 5 at Hotel Chaco

The group’s portfolio ranges from large properties with mammoth conference and meeting spaces like Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town and Santa Fe’s Hotel Eldorado to the decidedly more intimate, including Hotel Chaco located in downtown Albuquerque.

Part of a complete reimagination of the neighborhood where the hotel sits, Hotel Chaco is a luxurious feast for the eyes. All the more reason then, that last year, foodies gleefully took note when James Beard Foundation semifinalist, acclaimed Chef Marc Quinones landed at Level 5, the rooftop dining space of the hotel.

A chef stands with his arms crossed in front of him in a white shirt and blue apron.

Chef Sean Sinclair

A New Menu From Chef Sean Sinclair

After his departure from Level 5 earlier this year, Heritage offered the space to Chef Sean Sinclair. Sinclair honed his skills at a number of venues, including the 3-star Michelin restaurant, the Inn at Little Washington, outside Washington, DC. He also developed a sound following in the state for doing extraordinary things at the Castaneda Hotel in Las Vegas (NM).

A white bowl full of a tomato salad with another small white plate with bread nearby and a red drink with a lime garnish.

Chef Sean’s first menu is a stunner. An array of simple “snacks” to enjoy in the outdoor lounge area includes potato tostones with a creamy herbaceous dressing, ABQ-style popcorn (with chile, of course), and a delectable Australian farm cheese served with local Heidi’s raspberry jam and thin, baked crisps. Main courses include suckling pig matanza-style, a duo of duck, and a decadent rainbow trout whose sauce is from a tomato water reduction with butter. This is, pardon the pun, next-level cuisine.

A chef stands in a white jacket with his hands in his pockets in front of a modern fireplace.

Chef Gilbert Aragon

Chef Gilbert Aragon’s Touch on Heritage Hotels

At Heritage’s Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe, Wolf and Roadrunner has opened in the austerely elegant dining room and is helmed by Chef Gilbert Aragon. Aragon has worked his way up through Heritage Hotels over the past 16 years. He also speaks affectionately of the mentorship provided to him by southwest chef extraordinaire, Mark Miller. The initial menu is built around what Aragon describes as his love for “world cuisine.” While the dining room seems to have gone dark for the winter months, Wolf and Roadrunner is still servicing the hotel’s time-tested Secreto Lounge with ample provisions for an evening out.

The brown arch outside of a Heritage Hotels restaurant in New Mexico.

Wolf and Roadrunner at Heritage’s Hotel St. Francis

Taking Simple to Next Level With Chef Jonathan Perno

Finally, at the restaurant Luminaria inside Inn & Spa at Loretto, which Heritage acquired in 2017, Chef Jonathan Perno temporarily came on board as the Executive Chef to help develop and launch a new set of menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Formerly of Campo at Los Poblanos in Ranchos de Albuquerque, where he spent 14 years, Perno earned accolades for innovative cuisine rooted in New Mexico. In 2020 he was a finalist for Best Chef of the Southwest by the James Beard Foundation.

A chef sits against a table in a brown apron and white shirt.

Chef Jonathan Perno

As an appetizer, a humble head of cauliflower is transformed by simple roasting, spiced with zatar and a sprinkling of dried orange zest, and served over a base of guacamole. A marinated shrimp appetizer is accentuated by “hard herbs” and a hint of heat from chile oil, with texture being tended to by a duo of sweet potato chips and a puree. Then, a squeeze of a lime wedge adds acid and citrus.

The sauteed halibut main course benefits from studded rosemary and garlic in the flesh of the fish, imparting a depth of flavor – something Perno said he learned from Chef Eric Ripert. The real star of the dish is “Bobby’s Potatoes,” an honor to Perno’s partner’s mother, the potatoes simmered in cream with onions, celery, and capers. The Red Chile Braised Short Ribs, also served over perfectly seasoned polenta, are every bit New Mexico with the red chile glaze providing just the right amount of heat and flavor.

Various white tableclothed tables sit outside beside a white tent and red umbrellas at Heritage Hotels.

Luminaria at Loretto

This Winter Menu is Just the Beginning

Hal Leonard, General Manager of Inn & Spa at Loretto, told TABLE that while Perno has now departed Luminaria, his menus are in place and the kitchen team was trained to execute them with fidelity.

The winter dining scene is an exciting one for what Heritage Hotels is offering up in their restaurants. And what lies ahead for Heritage’s culinary journey is a point of excitement for Long. “What you see is just the tip of the iceberg for what is coming,” he exclaimed.

Story by Bill Smith
Food Photography by Tira Howard

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Open Kitchen’s Meet the Makers Wine Dinner

By

Lynn Cline

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January 8, 2025

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A plate of food from the Meet the Makers wine dinner at Open Kitchen.

In 2024, Open Kitchen expanded its vision with the opening of Alkemē, a Santa Fe restaurant that brings “Culture-to-Table” dining to life. Within months, Alkemē was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, cementing Open Kitchen’s reputation for creativity and innovation.

Open Kitchen’s First Meet The Makers Wine Dinner at Alkemē

Open Kitchen is known for cooking up flavorful fun at catered events, cooking classes, private parties, and other edible experiences. In 2022, a special gathering of dinner guests took things to new heights when this collaborative hub hosted an artful evening of creativity, camaraderie, and delight.

Part of the joy came from friends and strangers reconnecting after two years of pandemic isolation. But much more was at work. The event marked Open Kitchen’s inaugural Meet the Makers Collaborative Wine Dinner, pairing Beck & Bulow’s premium meats and seafood with Vivac Winery’s award-winning New Mexico wines. Six courses of Open Kitchen’s culinary wizardry followed. The result felt like true alchemy.

“It was such a beautiful night and it really made my heart sing,” said Open Kitchen founder and chef Hue-Chan Karels. “There was a wonderful perfect storm, so to speak. During the pandemic there was such a hunger for gathering and people craved the desire for everyone coming together. We had 45 people, packed, it was a sell-out. Everyone was feeling a specialness to be among each other. There was a hunger for connection, a hunger for seeing food created in a very special way.”

Food as Art

Each dish at this dinner seemed to spring from a meditation on beauty and melody. With a symphony of flavors, the presentations resembled still-life paintings.

Take the passed hors d’oeuvres: Wild Boar Bacon Mille Feuille with Citrus Mascarpone Cheese and Mini Bao with Gochujang-Hibiscus Candied Salmon Belly, featuring Beck & Bulow’s specialty meats. The colors and composition created artistry that looked almost too good to eat. Vivac Winery’s 2020 Rosé of Sangiovese added light, bright berry notes.

“We’re very color-oriented,” Karels said. “We always make a plate like a painting. At Open Kitchen, we do cooking classes and we always want to teach people to honor ingredients, to really look at the beauty of it before you cook it, and how you preserve the beauty despite the cooking.”

The Flavors of the Evening

Plate after plate arrived: Silky Elk Ravioli with Creamy Purple Potato, Blackened Yellow Tomato Sauce & Basil Oil; Pan-Roasted Wild Caught Alaskan Sablefish with Miso Beurre Blanc, Cauliflower Purée, Crispy Swiss Chard & Squid Ink Tuile; and Wild Cedar Muscovy Duck Breast with Pearl Couscous, Roasted King Oyster Mushroom & Wilted Greens.

Vivac’s wines flowed freely—Chardonnay, Abbot Merlot, and a dry Riesling made in an Alsace style. Karels noted the crowd favorite: the ravioli. “Everyone’s favorite dish, it seemed, was the ravioli,” Karels said. “You can’t beat hand-made ravioli. We used spinach and yellow bean, making it by hand. We love the look and the taste of the purple potatoes, and the black and yellow tomato sauce is an inspiration from one of Chef Mark Miller’s sauces so we kind of jazzed that in, and the fresh basil oil. Everything we do, I literally spend weeks, sleepless nights, trying to imagine how the flavors will come together. Most often it does really work.”

A Team Effort

Open Kitchen began as a collaborative culinary center, and Karels credits her team for its success. She highlights chef de cuisine Erica Tai: “Erica Tai is my second hand, the chef de cuisine. She was one of Santa Fe Community College’s Culinary Program students working with me nonstop during the pandemic, when we were making prepared meals, and now we have the ability to make inspiring food for people.

It takes a lot to be a chef these days—it’s not just cooking, it’s creating what you do in a special way and she has been amazing. We’re not like regular restaurants where we have menus that are static for a year. Every menu that we do is new, and creating and executing the vision is a talent that you have to have in your repertoire to make it in this new world of this industry. Erica has that amazing skill to create beautiful food and she’s very disciplined.”

Celebrating the Makers

Naturally, the dinner featured the makers themselves, who were thrilled by the pairings. “It was a knock-it-out-of-the-park evening all around,” said Chris Padberg, co-owner, co-founder and winemaker at Vivac Winery in Dixon. “When we’re doing a wine dinner with a chef, it’s hard to know what to expect. Sometimes the pairing won’t work or the dishes will be awful or the people—you have to win them over and make them love you while you’re talking to them. If you can’t do that, it can be kind of a dead night. But from the get-go to the end, that crowd was ready to party and be happy.”

Beck & Bulow’s co-owners, Tony Beck and J.P. Bulow, were equally impressed. “Our heartfelt thanks goes to Open Kitchen for honoring the makers,” said Bulow. “We want to pass that honor to these amazing, life-changing meats and seafoods that were featured. The best chefs use the best ingredients, so it was great to work with Chef Hue-Chan who highlighted our local bison, elk, and Alaskan wild salmon and sablefish.”

Every menu Open Kitchen creates is new, opening up avenues of culinary creativity and beautiful presentation.

Story by Lynn Cline
Photography by Tira Howard
Food Styling by Keith Recker

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King (Epiphany) Cake

By

Gabe Gomez

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December 29, 2024

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King Cake served on a round, flat, brownish plate with a piece cut and protruded out. Two stylish glasses filled with a drink.

The King Cake is a puff pastry confection served on Epiphany. Its purpose is to commemorate the Three Kings’ arrival at the stable where Jesus was born. As the Christmas carol reminds us, they followed a star to find the way, bringing rare and symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In New Orleans it’s iced in three colors: purple (justice), green (faith), as well as gold (power). Elsewhere, simplicity generally prevails with a bit of sugar and a sprinkle of gold nonpareils.

What is a King (Epiphany) Cake?

Meals with religious and cultural underpinnings, such as the festivities during Mardi Gras are reminder of how food connects us. It takes to traditions, nurtures faith, and by design is meant for sharing. The cake is cut and then distributed among guests. A tiny plastic baby, once made of porcelain, hides in one slice. The lucky person to find the baby in their slice is king for a day. As is the custom, they are also obliged to host the next gathering where a new King Cake is served.

We whipped up this delicious King Cake for TABLE readers. We hope you’ll bake it as a delicious way to close out this holiday season, and that happy memories make even more scrumptious.

Print

King (Epiphany) Cake

Author: Erika Bruce

Print Recipe

Description

We’re making this celebratory dessert as easy as possible.

Ingredients

Scale

For the almond filling:

1 ½ cups slivered almonds
¾ cup (150 g) sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
⅛ tsp salt
1 large egg + 1 large white (reserve the yolk for the glaze)
1 tsp almond extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 (17 oz) package of frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator overnight

For the glaze:

1 egg yolk
1 tsp milk

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

To make the almond filling, combine the almonds, sugar, flour, and salt in a food processor and process until they are very finely ground. Add the egg and egg white, almond and vanilla extracts; process until combined, about 10 seconds. Add butter and process until no lumps remain, about 10 seconds. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula and process to combine thoroughly, about 10 seconds longer. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, lay both sheets of puff pastry and cut a 9-inch circle out of each one. Transfer them to the baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove the dough and almond filling from the refrigerator. Slide one circle of dough from the pan so that there is only one circle of dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the almond filling over the center of the dough, leaving a 1-inch exposed border.
Brush water generously around the exposed perimeter of the dough then place the second circle of dough on top and press down to seal the edges very well, then flute the sides of the galette.
Make the glaze by whisking the egg yolk and milk together and then brush it evenly over the top. Use a paring knife to lightly score a design on the top and then poke 4-5 holes all the way through the dough to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the galette is well browned on top and up the sides. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

We preferred Pepperidge Farm puff pastry because it includes two large sheets of pastry, from which we could easily cut two circles. If you buy a brand that contains less than 17 ounces, or only comes as one sheet, you may roll out or reshape the dough. Be sure to chill the dough frequently if doing this, as it quickly softens and becomes difficult to work with and also needs a long rest after being worked.

Food and Recipe by Erica Bruce
Story by Gabe Gomez
Photography by Dave Bryce
Baccarat champagne coupes courtesy of Glassworks

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Proust Questionnaire with Sean Sinclair

By

Emma Riva

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December 17, 2024

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Chef Sean Sinclair stands in his restaurant in Albequerque, smiling at the camera

Sean Sinclair of Level 5 in Albuquerque talks persimmons, dream meals, and the memory of a baguette in a Parisian park that led him to chase both his personal and professional dreams.

Proust Questionnaire with Sean Sinclair

Red, green, or Christmas?

Always red! I like green chile on burgers but when I eat New Mexican it’s always red.

What qualities make for a great restaurant?

Consistency is everything both in food and service. Great food brings people in. Great service brings them back.

What qualities make for a great chef?

To be a great chef requires that a lot of skills to be linked together. Being just a great cook does not make one a great chef. When you can link great cooking with excellent leadership, top notch organizational skills, deep knowledge of food products and sourcing, labor and cost control management expertise, and a level head…that makes a great chef.

What makes your restaurant special?

Level 5 is special because we have a high level of attention to detail. The restaurant is gorgeous, the food is simple yet focused, and the service is impeccable.

What inspired you to become a chef?

I have always loved the response of people when you feed them well. I loved that feeling as a young man and I chase that still to this day.

What do you appreciate most/look for in your sous chefs?

Our Sous Chef, Todd, is a silent assassin. He’s humble, hard-working, kind, and extremely knowledgeable about food. Sous Chef is the hardest job in every restaurant and ours is top notch.

What is your favorite ingredient?

My favorite ingredient is always changing with season. This year the persimmons have been particularly delicious.

What is your favorite dish you make?

Currently, my favorite dish on our menu is our Foie Gras Pasta.

When you’re not working, where can we find you?

When I am not working, I am at home with my family. I have two kids River (3.5) and Sonny (1). I I try to spend as much time with them as possible.