FOOD

Back Road Pizza

This unpretentious Midtown joint sports friendly counter service and tasty pizza available by the pie or by the slice. There’s no reinventing the wheel here, just consistently good food. The particularly fresh-tasting sauce is housemade and tangy, and the thin, crispy crust is whipped up and rolled out in-house, too.

The New Mexican pizza ($22.75 for a large) is a familiar assemblage featuring pepperoni and green chile, with the addition of slightly sweet red onion. The Veggiefest arrives with spinach, mushrooms, Roma tomatoes, the same red onions and black olives, and the trick here seems to be the proportions; there are plenty of toppings, but the pie isn’t laden. You still taste the cheese, the sauce, the crust. Toppings are spread all the way to the edge, too, which means you’re not loading up on dough—unless you want to, then garlic knots ($5) and pesto cheese rolls ($6.50) are there for you.

You can build your own, too ($16.50, large), plus, awesomely, certain grocery items—both for curbside pickup. Even better, during our visits, the staff have been uniformly friendly.

Bonus: there are a couple of pool tables in the loft upstairs and a great patio (though proprietor Piper Kapin tells us they’re unsure when they’ll open up for seating this summer)—and they’ll even make you a vegan pizza if you supply your own vegan cheese—not perfect, but something.

In warmer months, Kapin takes her show on the road with a bright red Back Road food truck, making for a pleasant surprise or a handy pizza run if it’s parked nearby. (Matt Grubs)

1807 2nd St. #1, (505) 955-9055 Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday backroadpizza.com

JOY GODFREY In the pantheon of classic, local New Mexican foods, Tomasita’s has the pedigree and the 45-minute wait to earn its top spot. A down-home melange of all things chile, onion, avocado, tortilla and beyond, it’s also the only place in town where one can slather honey butter within their sopaipilla—and it was good. Did we mention the stellar bar area with the seemingly endless margarita menu? We meant to, just be aware.

For our money, there’s no better way to start than sharing the nachos grande ($12.50), a plate of housemade tortilla chips swimming in melty queso, taco meat, refried beans (a strangely rare menu item in Santa Fe) and sour cream. It’s brilliant for sharing and pairing with a nice marg or cocktail.

When it’s time to hit the entrees, one can’t go wrong with enchiladas with cheese, ground beef, chicken (or some combo of those things; $10.95$13.95), and even a grilled veggie variety. Tomasita’s also boasts one of the most delicious chile rellenos dishes we’ve ever encountered ($14.50), and that’s without mentioning sinfully good chalupas ($11.95$13.95), the vegetarian tamale plate ($15.95) or the Randy Travis plate (sadly off the menu for the moment due to a staff shortage)—two grilled pork chops with refried beans smothered in green chile and cheese ($15.95 when available and Travis himself apparently loves it). If you’re simply dying for similar fare during Sunday’s dark hours, remember Tomasita’s sister eatery Atrisco in the De Vargas Center is open that day. (Alex De Vore)

500 S Guadalupe St., (505) 983-5721 Lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday tomasitas.com

JOY GODFREY

Dumplings Tea & Dim Sum

There are more than 20 dumpling dishes on the menu that fall into three general categories: pinched with a paper-thin dough that becomes crispy and golden when fried or light and noodle-like when steamed; fluffy buns made with a thicker, chewy, slightly-sweet dough that also come either steamed or fried; and soup dumplings that either come in a large bowl of steaming broth and veggies or are filled with broth that bursts into your mouth at the first bite. There are even a few sweet dumplings, which go well with passion fruit smoothies or mango bubble tea ($5.50 each).

Our best advice is to bring a friend along, order at least one dish from both the bun and the dumpling category and share. Fried dumplings are a great choice, satisfyingly crispy at the edges with a juicy, flavorful filling. But if you want to venture beyond the classic pot sticker, explore the many variations of the bun. Our favorites are the steamed pork bun and the red bean bun, each a fantastic combo of sweet and salty. When dining alone, try the chicken wonton soup—a generous serving as comforting as the homemade variety, but the shaved jalapeño, cucumber and cilantro courtesy of chef/owner Fen Wang make it more of a refreshing choice than a comfort food. You can watch Wang work, by the way, which ups any visit into a straightup experience—plus, dumplings are a rare sight in Santa Fe, and one we’re glad to have. (Leah Cantor)

66 E San Francisco St., 646-945-5000 Lunch and dinner daily dumpling-tea-dim-sum.business.site

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