March 6, 2012 Dinner – La Posta, Mesilla, N.M.

March 6, 2012 Dinner – La Posta, Mesilla, N.M.

We arrived in Las Cruces, had a meeting with clients and then I went with three clients, Scott Boyd and Jeanie Boyd and Sammie Singh, Jr. to La Posta in Mesilla, which has become our go to place in Las Cruces for dinner.

La Posta is my idea of a great restaurant because it combines good food with good service and a generous attitude.  They have built a world famous reputation for their food, but I suspect that it is in part based upon their strong commitment to that great Mexican tradition of meeting your every food need with grace and generosity because that little extra food and service makes a happy and devoted customer.  For example, this evening what could have been a meal from hell turned into a love fest with food. 

We were first seated in a smaller room with a lower ceiling than the large tropical motif room, so we asked if we could move and someone said yes and so we moved to a four top in the high ceiling room that was not as claustrophobic.  We were then greeted by our waiter, Ben, who seemed to be a bright eyed college student, because he took our order without writing it down.  We ordered what we usually order.  Here is the menu.

House Specials include your choice of soft drink, coffee or tea. An empanada served hot with ice cream is included as your dessert. SPECIALTY OF LA POSTA - "An unforgettable Dining Experience…" –Duncan Hines Starter of chile con queso and corn tortillas, guacamole salad or tossed green salad. Your main course consists of one rolled red enchilada, tamale, chile con carne, rolled taco, frijoles, rice and a sopaipilla. $14.25

	LA POSTA GRANDE - "A Southwestern Treat" Starter of chile con queso & corn tortillas, guacamole salad or tossed green salad. Your entree consists of one folded taco, chile relleno, green enchilada con carne served with frijoles, rice & a sopaipilla. $13.50

	BANQUETTE ELEGANTE - "A dinner of gourmet foods - this one will be long remembered." Starter of chile con queso, corn tortillas and guacamole salad. Your entree includes carne adobada, camotes Jalisco, refritos, rice and a sopaipilla. $14.50

	LA POSTA CHICA - "A tasty dinner." Starter of guacamole salad. Your dinner consists of a folded taco, one compuestas cup, chile relleno, frijoles, rice and a sopaipilla. $12.50

Sammie ordered the Special meal ($14.95), which includes a choice of one combination plate plus a chili con queso with green chili and a guacamole salad.  . 

LA POSTA COMBINATION PLATE - A combination of folded taco, chile relleno, and green chile enchilada with ground beef served with refritos and rice. $9.25 COMBINATION PLATE #1Rolled red enchilada, tamale, red chile con carne, rolled taco, frijoles, rice and garnish. $9.25

	COMBINATION PLATE #2 - Rolled red enchilada, red chile con carne, two rolled tacos, frijoles, rice and garnish. $9.25

	VEGETARIAN COMBO - A combination of one folded bean taco, chile relleno and cheese enchilada topped with green chile. Served with frijoles, rice & garnish. $8.95

After a ten mile bike ride in the morning and a day on the road without breakfast and only a sandwich in the car for lunch, I chose the red, Duncan Hines with Combination Plate No. #1 and asked to substitute a chile relleno for the rolled taco and double beans and no rice..  Sammie had not eaten that day so he ordered the Elegante with La Posta Combination Plate.  Jeanie and Scott both ordered the beef and chicken fajitas.

I asked if the restaurant had Bohemia and Ben said yes and nodded his head when I indicated that is what I would drink.  We had devoured our chips, so I also ordered another bowl of chips. 

Then Ben brought two cups of chili con queso and a covered plastic tortilla warmer with about six fresh corn tortillas and our drinks.  We all shared the chili con queso, but had to order more tortillas, which came quickly.  Ben was a great waiter.

Then we received plates loaded with a large scoop of quacamole on a bed of shredded lettuce.  Ben saw that we had eaten the second bowl of chips and said, I”I will bring you another bowl of chips and did so immediately.

We were feeling petty good by this time and still had a little chili con queso and guacamole on the table, because we knew what was coming.  The green chili in the chili con queso was a little picante, so I was drinking more beer to wash it down, so I had drunk almost the entire beer by the time our plates of food arrived.   

In another ten minutes or so, our plates arrived, I received a Duncan Hines with two rolled tacos, the enchilada, carne adovado and a separate plate with the chili relleno and a bit of garnish.  I was in heaven.  Everyone else received what they wanted and we asked for more tortillas.  I began eating the egg and flour batter covered chili relleno with a warm center of melted cheese, first with bits of the carne adovado and loved its delicate texture and flavor.  Then I attacked the rolled enchilada, which was the way I love it, soft like a warm croissant because the tortilla wrapper it has been stewed in a red chili and chicken stock sauce.  The carne adovado was delicious also with chunks of pork that flaked to the touch in a thick red chili sauce that had a warm delicious and not too picante flavor.  Actually, what I was served was the regular Combination Plate with rice and two rolled tacos, so I asked Ben to bring me a tamale instead of the rolled tacos and he said, “Sure.”   I removed he rolled tacos to the side plate that the chili relleno had been served on and soon Ben brought a plain tamale that fit neatly where the rolled tacos had been.  In
Ben’s other hand was another Bohemia.  I gladly accepted it, since my glass had gone dry and thought the better of Ben’s attentiveness.  The big surprise for me was the rice.  I had not eaten on my previous trip to La Posta and this time when I tasted it, I loved it. By this time we were all filled to overcapacity, so when Ben mentioned that Sammie and my dinners included a dessert, I groaned but asked if it was possible to substitute a small slice of the featured dessert, which was a chocolate chip pecan pie made with local pecans.  Again, Ben said, “Sure.”  I knew pat of the food experience and one that is underrated and under appreciated.  I felt that Ben and I were both enjoying a special bond because both Ben and I were on the same simpatico food wavelength.  Sharing the joy of the food experience with your wait person is a very important part of the food experience for a foodie.  Soon Sammie’s warm cherry empanada with a scoop of ice cream and my warm slice of deliciously gooey chocolate chip pecan pie arrived.  I loved the warm, soft sweet chocolate, Karo syrup and pecan mixture on its firm pie crust and ate it all.  We still had lots of food on the table so we asked Ben to bring a couple of plastic “To Go” containers and he soon re-appeared with them.  I loaded a container with PPI fajitas, my two rolled tacos and the rice and beans and carne adovado that I had not been able to eat.

 I washed down this wonderful meal with the last of my beer and left the restaurant a happy camper with a container full of wonderful food.

Bon Appètit