New Mexico's Culinary Treasures Trail in Raton NM

To give you a sense of the value of this list, I’ve lived in NM for a long time, I’m very involved in the food world, and I’ve had only a very peripheral awareness that the list exists. Just looked at it for the first time right now. It’s terrible. Many glaring omissions and bewildering inclusions. And while a few of these places do have steady, nostalgia-driven customer bases despite only serving so-so to bad food, many are just bad and no one really goes there. Three or four are worth a visit, but only because they give a clear representation of New Mexico cuisine, not because they’re doing the best cooking in the state by any means. I’d guess the only criteria for a place on this list were that an establishment should have been around at least 10 years and that its proprietors have ins with the tourism department. Ah, New Mexico, why does it always have to be like this?

PS: None of the restaurants in Raton are very good. La Cosina probably fits the bill as a nostalgic favorite. It serves bland, gloopy, but inoffensive NM comfort food in what’s something of a food desert. Pappas was once a real social hub in Raton, a classic soda fountain/ ice cream parlor from the 1920’s, but it was floundering for many years before it was transformed into a nondescript cafe about 5 yrs ago. The Oasis is the restaurant of a rundown old motel. I suppose the food’s as good as the food at a rundown old motel can be.