NVM Review

Best of the US II: Santa Fe Chile Relleno - Honorable Mention

By Warren Rojas

Long, slender pepper virtually dissolves into a melange of molten cheese, zesty green chile sauce, soupy beans and savory Spanish rice.

By Warren Rojas

Blindside your hunger with the Mr. T platter ($9.95), a workmanlike serving of red chile-soaked pork strips (signature marinade is fantastic) served with home fries, refried beans and warm tortillas. For a lighter touch, try a machaca burrito ($7.59), plump with chicken, eggs, cheese and the milder green chile sauce (full flavor, less fire).

By Warren Rojas

For a New Mexican-style pick-me-up, rustle up a plate of carne adovada ($9.95)-red chile-soaked pork medallions flanked by gooey refried beans covered in melted cheese, Spanish rice and four flour tortillas.

By Warren Rojas

A 30-year veteran of the Northern Virginia scene, the various Anita's New Mexico-style cafés have garnered a cult following out of burritos. Lots and lots of burritos.

Owner and co-founder Tom Tellez claims they sell between 7,000 and 8,000 of their 99 cent burritos-a handheld serving of scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, melted cheese and red chile sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla-a day. Anita's "famous" breakfast burrito platter brings a warm tortilla filled with scrambled eggs and ground chorizo (spicy sausage), flanked by home fries and some delicious refried beans, all covered in a red chile sauce that gives the already overwhelming plate a nice kick in the pants.

Most dishes are under $11, including over a dozen specialty burritos (vegetable, spicy pork, double cheeseburger) which can be ordered as a "basket" (just the burrito), a "platter" (covered in red or green chile sauce and smothered with melted cheese) or an "entrée" (covered in your choice of chile sauce and served with rice and refried beans).