A
plaque on the side of La Posta de Mesilla Restaurant (New Mexico) says Billy
the Kid was sheltered in the same adobe premises during the late 1870s. Back then it was called the Corn Exchange
Hotel and was considered top of the line for the locale and the era. In addition to the plaque, an early 1940s photo from the restaurant's files offers an image with handwritten notes claiming La Posta was indeed a haunt of the famed outlaw. That's proof enough for us to call the
place Billy the Kid’s favorite restaurant.
And as the late great true crime writer Tom Basinski once told me “if
it didn’t happen that way—it should have.”
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| William Bonney aka Billy the Kid |
But today’s
delicious La Posta Restaurant in Mesilla, NM (finally to the point) has been in
business since 1939 and the building and restaurant has had its share of
notables ranging from Sheriff Pat Garrett, Kit Carson, Pancho Villa to U.S.
Army hero Douglas MacArthur.
Earliest
records indicate the La Posta Compound was originally constructed in the
1840's. Sam Bean and his brother [Judge] Roy Bean, operated a freight and
passenger service line to Pinos Altos from this building in the 1850's.
After the
Civil War, The La Posta compound became an important stop on the Butterfield
Stagecoach Line. During the 1870's and 1880's, the Corn Exchange Hotel, one of
the finest lodges in the Southwest, operated from the building.
John Davis,
the proprietor of the hotel, died in the late 1870's, however, his wife
Augustina continued to operate the hotel, a restaurant and other businesses in
the building until the early 1900's.
La Posta de
Mesilla Restaurant originated in the northwest corner of the building in 1939
by Katy Griggs Camunez. The business has grown to become one of the most famous
restaurants in the Southwest, occupying 10,000 square feet of the La Posta
Compound which now included several shops.
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| Tom and Jerean Camunez Hutchingson, owners |
After Katy
passed away, the property and business was acquired by a great niece, Cuisine and history lovers will rejoice that Jerean
Camunez Hutchinson and her husband Tom, a.k.a. "Hutch" acquired the compound
and who have proven to offer the same quality Mexican food and great service in
the unique dining environment Katy created. The restaurant offers many fine
traditional "New Mexico" Mexican dishes make from century-old recipes
handed down over the years from the Fountain, Chavez and Griggs families.
Owners
insist “One of our most famous dishes, the Tostada
Compuesta, originated at La Posta in 1939. This dish consists of a toasted
corn tortilla cup filled with frijoles, red chile con carne, topped with
chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes and grated cheddar cheese. If you prefer green
chile, the Locals favorite is the
sour cream enchilada. This dish consists of corn tortillas smothered with green
chile sauce, topped with grated cheddar cheese or Monterrey Jack cheese and
sour cream, and includes refritos, rice and our very tasty Mexican slaw.
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| Quesadilla and soup with guacamole |
Other La
Posta favorites include compuesta salad, red enchiladas, folded and rolled
tacos, beef or chicken flautas, chile rellenos, as well as a wonderful
selection of desserts including our very delicious homemade flan and empanadas.
Perhaps one
of La Posta’s best kept secrets is our tasty succulent steaks, served with your
choice of baked potatoes, red enchilada, or steak fries and includes a side of
our green chile (of course!)
The
restaurant’s website invites customers to “browse through our many gift shops,
specializing in gourmet gift items and chile products, southwestern clothing
and exquisite jewelry. Or perhaps what you may really desire is a siesta on a
bench under a tree on our beautiful, peaceful Historic Plaza here in Mesilla!”
Yes, I’ll
have a siesta to go, thank you!
LA POSTA DE VIDEO
Overview:
La Posta de
Mesilla Restaurant video:
How
to make chili
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|
An early 1840s adobe
compound in Mesilla, New Mexico once housed the Corn Exchange Hotel and a
century later housed La Posta de Mesilla Restaurant. The compound was an
important stop along the Butterfield Stage route during the middle of the 19th
century.
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