For a hearty breakfast or lunch before exploring historic Mesilla, stop in at Café de Mesilla.
Mesilla is located on the Camino Real Trail and became a major stop for the Butterfield Stagecoach. Much as travelers stopped in Mesilla to dine in the 1800s, this quaint cafe continues the tradition. From the patio shaded with colorful umbrellas to the brightly painted adobe walls inside, Café de Mesilla radiates a New Mexico vibe.
Café de Mesilla’s Historic Building
Duck through the low doors of the historic adobe to settle at a hand-carved wooden table with brightly painted wooden chairs. Join the mix of locals and tourists who can be found in this historic village, which attracts visitors to explore the history, architecture, and culture of a community established in 1848.
“No one knows the age of the building,” Joyce Zimmer, the owner and a transplant from Canada, said. She has seen photographs from 1948 when the space featured an old handball court.
Southwest Fare at Café de Mesilla
The expansive breakfast and lunch menu is served all day. Go bold for a hearty breakfast with pork stewed in red chile or tackle the scrambled special with eggs, bacon, mushrooms, and avocado topped with hollandaise sauce.
If you are more interested in lunch, consider the classic New Mexico question: red or green — chile, that is. Choose a hearty red pork posole or the green chile chicken posole. Posole, or pozole, is a hearty stew consisting of meat, potatoes, and white hominy in a chile-based sauce.
Another New Mexico classic, the green chile cheeseburger, also is featured on the menu. If you have tender taste buds, skip the chile and order a classic Reuben sandwich or a strawberry spinach salad topped with locally grown pecans.
“Our red and green chile sauces are gluten-free and vegan,” Joyce said. She includes vegan selections on the menu from vegan huevos rancheros to a vegan burrito or vegan papas. Those with special dietary requirements may request changes of additional menu items to meet their needs.
Don’t skip the coffee. Zimmer selects a Costa Rican coffee roasted by a favorite local roaster. Whatever the desert temperatures, Joyce offers hot and cold coffee concoctions — as well as espresso shots.
Café de Mesilla Gift Shop
As you await the arrival of your Southwest specialty meal, peruse the gift shop offerings throughout the restaurant. Admire the Mexican pressed tin sculptures or consider packing home the cobalt blue and white Polish crafted pottery. Several local artists supply handmade jewelry.
The Las Cruces Art Association changes the art on the walls quarterly to highlight local artists. With its international mix of jewelry from India, gourds from Peru, and beaded items from Guatemala, you are sure to find a treasure from the gift shop to take home.
Online sites rate Café de Mesilla as having the best breakfast in Las Cruces — it would certainly be considered substantial.
Exploring Mesilla
When you can heave your stuffed self from your chair, you can walk off the calories as you wander through Mesilla shopping in the boutique stores surrounding the historic plaza. For outdoor enthusiasts, drive up Calle del Norte, which is near the cafe, to the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park to walk the trails, bird watch, or just relax and observe the environment in the native plant garden.
Mesilla and its plaza were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. The preservation of the town’s cultural identity and architectural history makes Mesilla a don’t-miss destination.
“We are staying just as we are,” Joyce said about the future of Café de Mesilla. The historic building, the large menu, and the cultural mix provide a rewarding Southwest experience.
Story by Jackye Meinecke
Story sponsored by CAFÉ DE MESILLA
Posted by LasCruces.com
