Southwestern Cuisine

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Southwestern cuisine
tips and insights

Southwestern vs Tex Mex

The two cuisines share many dishes, but not in spirit. The Southwestern versions of the dishes listed below are generally more refined and inventive - and have more flair in flavor, color and presentation than their Tex Mex counterparts.

Principal founder

Mark Miller pioneered the Southwestern Cuisine concept in the 1980s in his quality Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Another restaurateur, Bobby Flay, of TV fame, also greatly influenced the cuisine's rise to international stardom.

Major cooking ingredients

Chilies, corn and beans along with beef, pork and chicken lead the way.

"Red or green?"

That may seem like a strange question for a waiter to ask just after posing the red-or-white wine query. It's a local custom for servers to inquire if you want your sauce made with red or green chilies. Tip: If you want both, answer "Christmas".

Beware of imposters

As happened to other cuisines that became foodie crazes, restaurants without the skill or desire to cook the food authentically are putting up the "Southwestern Cuisine" shingle to snag unsuspecting customers.