As a New Englander, I thought I knew everything that anyone would need to know about pancakes. They are pretty simple, really. Just pour on plenty of Vermont maple syrup, add a little pat of butter for good measure. And dig in.

But Cafe Pascual’s (121 Don Gaspar Avenue, Santa Fe, 505-983-9340, pasquals.com) in Santa Fe taught me a thing or two. For more than four decades, Cafe Pascual’s has been serving three meals a day in a historic adobe building just a block off the main plaza. The colorful wall murals and old Mexican tiles make it a particularly cheery place to start the day. (Late risers can order off the breakfast menu until 3 p.m.) Like Rancho de Chimayó, it’s a James Beard America’s Classic.

Cafe Pascual’s leans toward traditional Mexican and New Mexican fare prepared with a modern sensibility and organic ingredients. I was tempted by the huevos rancheros and by the breakfast burrito. But then the corn pancakes caught my eye. I’ve certainly eaten cornmeal pancakes before. Parts of New England (I’m looking at you Rhode Island) even make a festish of them, calling them johnnycakes. But I had never had cornmeal pancakes served with the trio of organic Vermont maple syrup, a dark molé sauce, and red chile. I was a little skeptical, but my server assured me that the pancakes are a local favorite.

Now I can see why. I spread a little bit of molé and red chile on my stack and then poured on lots of maple syrup. That was a start. But with each bite I found myself adding a bit more molé, then a bit more red chile. The dark and spicy flavors were a perfect counterpoint to the sweetness of the syrup. What a revelation!

I haven’t had the heart to eat pancakes since I returned to Cambridge. I fear good old maple syrup alone just won’t hold up. It’s a good thing that I’ll be back in New Mexico in April!