One of my first thoughts upon learning that my husband and I were moving to Santa Fe was, “Great – I can indulge my passion for red and green chiles, hearty posole stews, homemade salsas and sopapillas drenched in honey and butter.” The second thing that came to mind was, “Wait, I’m going to get really sick of a steady diet of Southwestern food!” Our previous home, Washington D.C., provided a plethora of diverse, reasonably-priced, international dishes right at our fingertips: Peruvian chicken for lunch, Ethiopian for dinner, a bowl of Vietnamese pho to cure a hangover, steak au poivre at our favorite bustling French bistro, or late night pasta carbonara. We could satisfy our global cravings in the course of a meal (saving us a fortune on airline tickets). We bid adieu with heavy hearts, uncertain we’d find their equal. I was happily disabused of that concern. As Santa Fe residents for only a few short months, we are amazed by the variety of restaurants that promise to become favorites – African, Egyptian, Indian, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Chicago style hot dogs, just to name a few. It’s hard to imagine all these restaurants fitting into such a quaint little city, but here they are. The interesting aspect of Santa Fe cuisine is how restaurants put a New Mexican twist on many of their dishes. At Shohko Café, we were delighted by the Santa Fe roll, a shrimp tempura and avocado treat complemented by green chile tempura. The spice is truly versatile and addictive – having enjoyed an embarrassing number of green chile cheeseburgers from Blake’s Lotaburger, the thought of not adding it seems blasphemous. And if you thought mac-n-cheese couldn’t be any more indulgent, the Blue Corn Café and Brewery offers their version with bacon, and you guessed it, green chiles! Another unique meal is the locally inspired “Blue Corn Crust” at Rooftop Pizzeria. The light, thin crust can be ordered with almost any topping you can imagine and offers a fun variation to your typical pie. We may not have found exact replicas of the dining establishments we loved in our last city, but that’s the best part! For now, we’re excited to explore a new collection of restaurants, recipes, ingredients and ways to integrate green and red chiles into everything we eat. Our future is looking delicious.