The famous Michelin Guide is giving recognition to 12 New Mexico restaurants as part of its first-ever Southwest series .
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The famous Michelin Guide is giving recognition to 12 New Mexico restaurants as part of its first-ever Southwest series that honors locations in our state in addition to Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.
Honorees celebrated this week at an event in Las Vegas with 10 Santa Fe restaurants and two in Albuquerque getting the Michelin bump.
While Michelin didn’t hand out any of its highly-desired stars to restaurants in New Mexico, it did name some of them “Recommended Restaurants” while others received the special “Bib Gourmand” distinction for providing high-quality food at an affordable price.
The two restaurants Michelin honored in Albuquerque are Campo at Los Poblanos and Frontier, which was named a Bib Gourmand selection.
“Love, love Frontier. And it’s wonderful to be recognized along with Frontier,” said Los Poblanos Executive Director Matthew Rembe. “We do something totally different, so it’s kind of the spectrum of Albuquerque. And Albuquerque, you’ve got to peel back the layers to really explore the city.”
While some may have been surprised Frontier was included in the latest Michelin Guide, there are plenty of fans who say it is well-deserved.
“The food is at a good price. You get a lot of it. The people working behind the desk are friendly, you know, it’s a good atmosphere. They’re quick,” said Roy Thundercloud.
For Rembe, the honor for his restaurant and the 11 others across the state represents a shift in how Michelin operates.
“But I really love that Michelin is now rating different regions around the U.S., so it’s not just the big cities anymore,” he said, noting there are talented chefs all over the country.
Rembe also said he was pleased Albuquerque was recognized alongside Santa Fe, because he considers many of the people behind those Santa Fe eateries to be “heroes” of his who have helped shape the culinary arts in our state.
“And there’s really no reason that New Mexico should not be nationally recognized, internationally recognized for what makes our cuisine unique,” he said.
Campo also received individual honors for Chef Christopher Bethony and Spirits Manager Joseph Simonson.
The 10 Santa Fe restaurants that were honored are as follows:
- Restaurant Martin
- Market Steer
- Joseph’s Culinary Pub
- Paper Dosa (Bib Gourmand)
- La Choza (Bib Gourmand)
- Jambo Café (Bib Gourmand)
- Tia Sophia’s (Bib Gourmand)
- Paloma
- Arroyo Vino
- Izanami
