Tom Anthony is quick to draw a distinction between the Mexican cuisine seen at innumerable restaurants and the New Mexican cuisine cooked up by Chile Verde Cafe.
It all starts with the restaurant’s namesake: green chiles.
In late November, Chile Verde opened its second central Ohio location at 1522 Gemini Pl., which was previously occupied by Shane’s Rib Shack. The restaurant’s other location is in Northwest Columbus.
The Polaris restaurant is much closer to home for owner Anthony, who has lived in Westerville for most of his life.
And it’s just the most recent sign of success for the popular New Mexican restaurant, which has been in business for 22 years. The Northwest Columbus location underwent a significant expansion three years ago.
New Mexican cuisine is a combination of three different culinary styles: Hispanic, Native American and American pioneer. And green chiles are at the center of it all.
Chile Verde gets its green chiles from New Mexico, where they thrive in the desert climate. They’re a perfect component for any meal in New Mexico, adding a smoky, spicy flavor, says Anthony.
“You go to McDonald’s (in New Mexico), they’ll put green chiles on it if you ask for them,” Anthony says.
Until recently, the restaurant was incorporating frozen chiles only in a gravy-like sauce used in many of its dishes. But now, it’s having fresh chiles shipped in from Albuquerque every week, and the menu has changed accordingly, increasing the number of green chile-focused foods.
Among these are the Green Chile Mac n’ Cheese, Green Chile Crab Cakes, Green Chile Cheeseburger, Green Chile Stew and Green Chile Cheese Fries.
Changes to the menu will be noticeable to those familiar with the previous one. Enchiladas were on the menu before, but now they are stacked in the New Mexican style, layered with the diner’s choice of protein and covered with a signature sauce. Also new is the Navajo Taco, a monstrosity featuring choice of chicken, shredded beef or spicy ground beef topped with lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese, black olives and jalapenos on a Navajo flatbread – which, despite its size and potential for mess, needs to be eaten sans utensils for the diner to get the authentic New Mexican experience.
“In New Mexico, they just eat with their hands,” Anthony says. “They’re crazy.”
Because every meal starts with chips and salsa, Chile Verde puts a lot of work into its salsa, making sure it is flavored by its ingredients and not by added spices.
The menu is filled out by such items as the Santa Fe, which is chicken, steak, shrimp or a combination sautéed with corn, black beans and peppers in a spicy tequila marinade on a bed of New Mexican rice; Chile Rellenos, green chiles stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese, then dipped in a light meringue batter and fried, then covered with sauce; the BBQ Grilled Fajita Burrito, which is marinated chicken, steak or a combination of both sautéed with green peppers and onions, then wrapped in a seasoned flour tortilla and covered with the restaurant’s signature Anasazi BBQ sauce; and a selection of specialty margaritas.
The restaurant’s décor includes paintings of scenes such as a mission church and a bullfight; the Agave Room in the back of the restaurant, which incorporates Patron tequila bottles hanging from the lights; and woodwork made from the pieces of an old sugar shack Anthony bought in Gambier, Ohio.
Chile Verde’s local connections go beyond Anthony – the new location was designed by Robert Giuliani and Jason McKee of Westerville-based Giuliani Builders.
Garth Bishop is editor of Westerville Magazine. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
