I love Sadie’s. They have the best salsa in the world, and exceptional green chiles. Green chiles are the pride of New Mexico, the base of the state’s cuisine. I spent a lot of time on voting rights suits to protect Navajo and Pueblo voters while I was at the Justice Department. I ate at many wonderful restaurants, but on each trip, I gravitated to Sadie’s. So when Nancy and I went to New Mexico for our 46th 10k state capital walk, our first stop was at Sadie’s.
Sadie’s originally occupied space in a bowling alley, where the seating offered views of often hefty bowlers bending over. Despite the view, Sadie’s was hugely successful, and they moved into cavernous quarters at 6240 4th Street, NW.
You can’t miss it. They have their own stoplight, and the GPS will direct you onto Sadie’s Street.
Nancy and I went early, so there was a relatively short wait. We went to the bar for a beer for me, wine for Nancy, and mainly some salsa and chips.
My heart sang as I heaped salsa onto chips and felt that heat and tasted that wonderful flavor.
A table opened up quickly, and I wolfed down the last of the salsa. We were seated, and the server immediately brought some more salsa and chips.
Nancy tried a little salsa on her fork, and went straight for the water. (She was staying away from the chiles.) She coughed and said, “I can’t believe they serve that to all their customers.”
We ordered. Nancy chose some guacamole and asked for some plain corn tortillas to go with it. Not a problem.
She enjoyed the guacamole and the not-fried tortillas immensely. In moving around the plates (we ordered more things), I knocked about a tablespoon of guacamole onto the table,
and the server brought us more, gratis. Nancy also ordered a bowl of green Chile stew, one of the glories of New Mexican food.
Meanwhile, I ordered the three green chile cheese enchilada plate, or I guess I should say platter,
some more salsa,
and, on impulse, a cup of green chile posole. I seem not to have photographed it. Imagine a cup filled with posole, aka hominy, chunks of pork, and a broth studded with green chiles. The pork was a little tough, alas, but the broth was excellent. Sadie’s knows green chiles.
My enchiladas were delicious, but not quite as extraordinary as I remembered. I think they used to have more green chile, and the server didn’t catch my request for a fried egg on top. To the left of the platter are some diced potatoes with green chile and cheese, something I enjoy immensely, and on the right are beans. I don’t recall there having been beans before, just the enchiladas, potatoes, and a fried egg. And lots of green chiles, bursting with flavor.
Nancy, meanwhile, waxed enthusiastic about the flavor of her green chile stew, a melange of pork, tomato, potatoes, garlic and other seasonings, and green chiles. You can try to make it at home, but you need to get green chiles from New Mexico. They have a depth of flavor and a warmth that’s all their own. Nancy commented that Sadie’s was “very bold and daring about how they spice their food. At most places. other people say things are spicy, but I don’t think they are. This is spicy. And very good.”
I’d like to stress that I did not eat all of that food. I ate only a taste of the beans, I skipped the pork in the posole, and I did not eat every diced potato piece. I especially didn’t eat more than the bare minimum necessary as vehicles for the salsa. Nancy estimated that each salsa bowl contained two-thirds of a cup, so I did end up consuming a pint of salsa, which I grant is a lot, but salsa has very few calories.
I urge everyone to go to Sadie’s and at least, at the very least, try their salsa. It truly is superb, with a depth and intensity of flavor that leaves all other salsas in the dust. Everything else is very good, full of flavor and, as Nancy noted, on the spicy side, but manageable, and that green chile spiciness is an integral part of one of the great American cuisines. Try it.
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