Old West

Green Chile Chronicles begin in Cimarron, NM

Green Chile Chronicles begin in Cimarron, NM

Green chile isn't just a vegetable — it's the iconic flavor of New Mexico. It's a motif that runs through almost all of our experiences in the state. Once we crossed the line from Oklahoma into New Mexico, we could have driven straight to the little Santa Fe casita that we had rented for the month of April. Instead, we hightailed it to Cimarron, a mountain town right out of the Old West. We went for the St. James Hotel (617 South Collison Avenue, Cimarron, NM; 575-376-2664; exstjames.com). The hostelry is the stuff of Western legend — plus it also serves green chile mac-and-cheese in its barroom restaurant. Founded in 1861, Cimarron was a trading crossroads where the high plains met the Rocky Mountains. After...Read More