A Bit of Southwestern Serendipity

The restaurant reviews in our local newspaper, The El Paso Times, are tailor-made for readers like me.  I love to try out new restaurants, not so much for the food, but more for a different dining experience.

"Indulge your taste buds in Las Cruces" read the article's headline. So much the better, I thought. Here is a good chance to travel to a neighboring city and really try something new.  Las Cruces is located in the state of New Mexico, about 60 miles from my home town of El Paso, Texas. During the hour's drive, the mind relaxes as farms, pecan trees, and homes built with pleasantly rounded corners come into view.

We located the Indulgence Bakery and Cafe in a small shopping center on Main Street. The newspaper article mentioned that the Indulgence had risen from the ashes of a former popular bistro on the same location.  I heard several locals complimenting the restaurant manager and giving best wishes for continued success for the bakery.

The article also mentioned that the Indulgence is like being in a friend's home. I felt it was very much like relaxing in the kitchen of a friend who was a very good cook.  The Indulgence's varied menu made ordering a challenge, a very different experience from eating in chain restaurants that have proliferated in our area, where food is often pre-packaged and, well, boring.

The Indulgence decor was unique as well.  A chalk message on the wall gave a mouthwatering list of baking ingredients, as well as a slogan, "Mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy."

  

The walls were attractively decorated with copper pots and pans

and a old-fashioned coffee poster.

We ordered coffee and made our decisions from the menu.  A new restaurant experience called for a fresh breakfast choice, so I threw dieting to the winds and ordered strawberry blintzes.

My husband, Wayne, the traditionalist, went for biscuits and gravy served with scrambled eggs and hash browns.

The bakery counter had a steady stream of customers.

Maybe it was the cream puffs that were the big draw?  The two lemon ones we ordered for dessert were, in a word, luscious.

I liked the atmosphere of the restaurant, with all types of local customers.  The waitress was friendly and found time to chat with us.

"Serendipity"  (what a great word!) is defined as "good luck in finding things not sought for."  At the Indulgence, we found not only breakfast, but also a relaxing, memorable place to return to soon. Getting out of one's rut is good for the soul!

You know you are a Southwesterner if ...

Is the Southwest lifestyle unique?  Does it differ from other U.S. lifestyles?  Here is my take on those important questions.

You know you are a Southwesterner if ...

You start looking for the first spring blooms right after Valentine's Day each year.

Cactus bloom

Mexican Bird of Paradise

Wildflower

You put a little bit of chile on almost everything you eat.

Perhaps I should begin with the explanation that the southwestern spelling of the name of those hot peppers is  "chiles."  My word processor inevitably marks it as a spelling error. The concept of chile encompasses many varieties of peppers, some fresh, some dried, some whole, some powdered. At a basic level, we have red peppers and green peppers.  In New Mexico, my neighboring state, if you want both red and green sauce on your enchiladas, you ask for "Christmas."  

Both colors of peppers come in various degrees of  "bite," hot, medium and mild, although one man's medium may be another man's hot. I have learned this fact through painful personal experience.  Many times in my life I have had occasion to croak the Spanish phrase, "Me enchilé," which translates to something like "I just ate too much hot chile."

A small amount of chile can perk up almost any type of food —scrambled eggs, tuna salad, turkey sandwiches, corn on the cob, pozole, even chocolate bars. Eventually, Southwesterners find themselves saying, "This dish tastes great, but maybe it could use a little chile?" 

You don't own many winter clothes.

When my husband, Wayne, and I were preparing for a train trip across Canada in January of this year, I came to the realization that I was probably going to freeze to death if I didn't buy winter clothing to pack for the trip.  A person can survive in the Southwest with only a light coat, used only for a few weeks of the year.

I now have a closet full of down jackets, sweaters, boots, scarves, hats, gloves, and fleece-lined tights that will probably languish there until our next trip to another part of the country or the world. And I recently bought another light down jacket from a Canadian retailer just to be safe.  

You relish a multicultural atmosphere.

If you are a native Southwestern, you may identify yourself with any number of ethnic groups. Each culture adds uniqueness to Southwest culture.  You may wear stunning turquoise jewelry made by Native American artisans.  You may celebrate Christmas with a nacimiento  (nativity scene) as well as a Christmas tree.  Or you may mark special occasions with a chuck wagon barbecue dinner. And I'm only mentioning the cultures that I have first hand experience with. Why choose just one culture when you can enjoy the best of all cultures?

Are you a bona fide Southwesterner?