• Respect our customers’ time and patronage by continually finding ways to increase service and quality.
• Create and maintain a team oriented work environment that respects and supports each team member.
• Contribute to the future of our community by supporting programs that foster basic human rights and dignity.

The unique climate of New Mexico and the culinary fusion of three cultures define authentic New Mexico food.

New Mexico is a landlocked, high-dry desert with extremely low humidity and thin air. Most of New Mexico has a true winter with snowfall. This weather created the need for traditional New Mexico recipes to use dried herbs and spices, like dried red chile, dried oregano, rosemary, and epasote, in the winter months. 

 New Mexico's high altitude (thin air) and cool winters are ideal for hot    

air ballooning. Albuquerque, NM, hosts the largest international hot-air balloon fiesta in the world every October.

Just as grapes are impacted by the soil and the temperature in which they grow, so is chile. The Sunrise Tortilla chile and Sunrise burrito recipes are designed to highlight the unique flavor and tones of the world famous chile that is grown in the volcanic soil of Hatch, New Mexico. 

Both red and green chile come from the same chile plant. The green chile is traditionally picked and roasted in mid to late summer. The red chile is left on the vine to ripen until late summer, early fall. Once it is picked, it is dried on ristras (strings)---traditionally for use during the winter months.

Which is hotter, the red or the green chile? The heat of any chile depends on the amount of a natural compound called Capsaicin (cap-say-ah-sin). For the sake of consistency, the red chile we use is mild heat and the green chile is medium heat. We always have hotter and milder versions available for both so we can "kick-it up" or "turn-it-down" upon request. 

The foundational culture of New Mexico food is that of Native American Indian tribes like the Navajo, Pueblo, and Apache. Both yellow and blue corn were originally grown by Native Americans in New Mexico and have deeper earth tones than the traditional white corn native to Mexico. {Both the yellow and blue corn and the chile grown in New Mexico give New Mexico enchiladas their signature rich flavor.}

The second culture is that of Spain. The Spanish brought many spices used in traditional Spanish dishes that are now key to authentic New Mexico food. 

The third culture is that of Mexico. After being a colony of Spain, New Mexico was part of Mexico for decades. Mexican culture introduced many traditional Mexican dishes to New Mexico that were then modified due to the different climate and Native American and Spanish influences.

The most well-known authentic New Mexico food is the sopapilla, a traditional Native American deep-fried bread, usually stuffed with meat or pinto beans and chile or drizzled with honey as a dessert.

There is plenty of salsa in New Mexico. But it is usually eaten as an appetizer with chips. Because authentic New Mexico food is made with pure chile or a chile sauce, pouring salsa (tomato-based) on a New Mexico dish tends to clash the unique earth tones of New Mexico chile with the citrus and tropical tones of salsa. Yes, (sigh) it is done, but it is a little like putting catch-up on a well-marinated steak.