Green Hot Chili Peppers

Green chilies are the key ingredient in Chile Verde’s unique menu

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 chilies.

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 chilies are at the center of it all.

Chile Verde gets its green chilies 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 chilies on it if you ask for them,” Anthony says.

Until recently, the restaurant was incorporating frozen chilies only in a gravy-like sauce used in many of its dishes. But now, it’s having fresh chilies 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 chilies 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,

Green Chile Stew

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ lbs. hand-cut tenderloin

• 1 ½ carrots, sliced ¼ inch thick

• 2 potatoes, peeled, quartered and sliced

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 3 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 Tbsp. granulated garlic

• ¼ Tbsp. cayenne pepper

• 2 Tbsp. black pepper

• 1 Tbsp. salt

• ½ Tbsp. ground cumin

• ¼ Tbsp. chile powder

• 1 Tbsp. whole leaf oregano

• 8 cups water

• 1 ½ cups diced onions

• ½ cup beef base

• 1 cup mild green chilies

• 1 cup roasted jalapenos

• 60 oz. canned chopped tomatoes

• 2 cups water

• 1 ½ cups flour

Instructions then wrapped in a seasoned flour tortilla and covered with the restaurant’s signature Anasazi BBQ sace; and a selection of specialty margaritas.

Trim meat and dice into 1-inch cubes. Brown stew meat in stock pot.

Add onions and spices to meat. Cook on medium for 5 minutes.

Add potatoes, carrots, celery, tomatoes, water, chilies, jalapenos and beef base to stock pot. Continue to cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, until carrots and potatoes are tender.

Mix water and flour together. Whisk together slowly until a creamy consistency has been achieved.

Bring contents of stock pot to a rolling boil, then slowly add the flour and water mixture to the pot. Turn off heat. Continue to whisk until thickened.

Top with shredded cheese and serve with a warm flour tortilla.

Yields 6 quarts, enough for a large group.

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.