~ Missed Part 1? Read it here.

Mesilla, NM is the shining star on the Green Chili Trail. People know the Plaza in Santa Fe, and how three cultures collide there: Spanish, Indian, and Cowboy-west. The same is true about Mesilla. It has its own Plaza, and why it’s not better known is beyond me. We loved Mesilla! We loved it for its food, Billy-the-Kid history, green chili, music, and the incredible friendliness of everybody we met. It’s just outside Las Cruses, and an hour south of Hatch, the green chili capitol of the universe.

We found that tourist prices have not hit Mesilla. It’s a place where locals go more than travelers, so they treat everyone like a friend, and not a stranger with money in your pocket. Western flavor, in a very New Mexican way. Here’s what I learned: When you think about it, Mexican food can be fairly bland: the beans, the rice… But there is NOTHING bland about NEW Mexican food. Green chili, red chili, smoked chili, blue corn. It’s very different, and in Mesilla, everyone’s a chili artist.

There’s a great old-fashioned local bookstore on the Plaza with an enormous selection of western lit, wild-west fare, Calamity Jane/Tombstone/pioneer cowboy culture; McMurtry, Cormac McCarthy, Zane Grey, etc.

There are also plenty of amazing outdoor and patio restaurants with green chili in the burgers, eggs, soup, enchiladas. But we were moved by the whole Billy-the-Kid vibe. I guess he made his last stand in Mesilla. He was tried here, and hanged here.For a very special time, go to the Double Eagle Steak House on the Plaza. Set within a fabulous 80 year-old adobe building (walls are 2 feet thick) the Eagle is worthy of any restaurant in the country. It’s built around a courtyard (as if in New Orleans; exotic palms are said to be worth $10,000 each). The stately bar takes you back a century and puts you in a western movie; Baccarat crystal chandeliers and martini glasses; ironwork; oil paintings on every wall. You can dine in the haunted room, the fancy private room with French-cuff waiters, the courtyard, or even the trial room, where Billy heard the bad news.

But don’t miss this: on the wall, for all to see, hangs the original written findings of the NM Justice of the Peace, actually signed by Billy himself. (William H. Bonney) You can touch the fencepost from out front, where, 140 years ago, Billy carved his initials, along with the name of his sweetheart, Marie. They don’t really advertise these items, they don’t point them out. But if you take the time, Mesilla is dripping with history and atmosphere. You can relive history here, eat green chili, listen to music outdoors, shop a little and buy books. Top recommendation.

Speaking of food, if you know a kid who cooks or loves food, ZIN MIGNON makes a terrific gift and a fabulous read. Funny, unpredictable, and shows that any child can be great at something.

Chip Rock and The Catalina Kid is my next book, and can be preordered. I suggest reading Chip Rock and the Fat Old Fart first. The original stories for these novels won some fancy New York awards years ago.

Thank you for reading.

MD in AZ