Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post
The influence of Mexico is not to be missed, but its own gastronomic and cultural quirks and charms make this border town unique.
I forgot my passport, but it is not important. I'm in El Paso, not strictly speaking Mexico, but close enough. I know Mexico is there-this country feels like a portrait, the eyes always follow me-but it is also here, on this side of the fence. (A constant reminder of the common border: The U.S. Border Patrol car is parked on Interstate 10, and the helicopter flies overhead.) The sign on the restaurant’s window says menue soup, not just Sunday dinner; in San Ha In San Jacinto Plaza, girls wearing quinceañera are best for taking pictures. In the H&H car wash and coffee shop, a waitress responded to my morning greeting with "buenos dias" and then put down a large plate of Huevos Rancheros. In a bar in town, I learned that Chile is the preferred cocktail condiment. Two customers of Love Buzz introduced me to Palletta, reminiscent of the Chilean watermelon lollipops of their Mexican youth. A bartender at Cafe Central filled with grated crickets, peppers and salt. A rim was added to Skar's glass. Note for Spanish teachers in high school: Add the phrase "sal de Grillos" to your lesson plan. Of course, Jones in the south is not the only influence on this sun-scorched city in the Chihuahua Desert. After all, El Paso is in the United States, which means that the Spaniards left their mark, just like the Pueblo Indians-and still do. A shopkeeper at the Tigua Indian Cultural Center shared her recipe for making traditional oven-baked bread. She told me that I need flour, water, salt, lard and croissant, otherwise I can spend six dollars to eat bread faster. Then there is the Texas link. To feel it, I can look up at the 459-foot-long glowing star in the Franklin Mountains, or look down at the Rocketbuster cowboy boots that taught me how to walk the El Paso Trail.
The monthly series focuses on the best holiday destinations you may never have considered. Other locations include: Greenville, Boise, and Eugene, South Carolina.
The 1 National Border Patrol Museum, 1 National Border Patrol Museum Google Map: 4315 Woodrow Bean Transmountain Rd. Website: borderpatrolmuseum.com 915-759-6060 A non-profit attraction founded by a retired agent and opened in 1984, full of "Who knows?" moment. For example, did you know that the government created the earliest incarnation of this agency in 1904 to arrest or stop Chinese and European immigrants who failed inspections on Ellis Island? (BP as we know it arrived 20 years later, on May 28, 1924.) When African American student James Meredith enrolled at the quarantined University of Mississippi, did law enforcement officials accompany him? Illegal immigrants put horseshoe-shaped wooden blocks and sponges on their shoes to avoid detection? The information from this compact museum arrives to you faster than the "Miami Vice" jet boat that was seized in the Miami area and used by the Buffalo Station to supervise the Great Lakes. In the gift shop, buy Border Patrol souvenirs, such as beer koozies, necklace and earring sets, T-shirts and baseball caps, including two styles that require proof to purchase.
2 Franklin Mountains State Park, 2 Franklin Mountains State Park Google Map: 1331 McKelligon Canyon Rd. Website: tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/franklin-mountains 915-566-6441 The largest city park in the country, like a rock separating Mohawk from El Paso. Nearly 27,000 acres of protected area extends to the New Mexico State Line, including Wyler Aerial Tramway (one-way travel time: four minutes) and more than 100 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Choose your entrance wisely. The Tom Metz unit contains campsites and a diverse hiking network, including relaxing nature trails and gentle Aztec cave trails, ending in the cave where pottery shards, yucca pads and sandals were once stored. In McKelligon Canyon, you can get maps and recommendations at the small visitor center and gift shop, including reality checks for rattlesnakes and high temperatures. (The park is building a new headquarters and visitor center in Tom Metz to replace the old facilities; ETO next summer.) The challenging Ron Coleman Trail stretches a few inches along Franklin's spine, and from here, climbing skills are required. Except for a small part of the covering on the West Cottonwood Spring Trail, the park has almost no shade and no taps, so put on sun visors and water before you set off.
Franklin Mountain State Park, seen from a cave on the Aztec Cave Trail, covers nearly 27,000 acres. The National Border Patrol Museum was founded in the 1970s by retired agents. Aoudads cross the rocks at Hueco Tanks National Historic Site.
First thing: How to pronounce 3 Hueco Tanks State Historic Site. 3 Hueco Tanks State Historic Site Google Maps: 6900 Hueco Tanks Rd. Website: tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/hueco-tanks 915-857-1135 Tell me "Waco". The Spanish noun refers to the void in the igneous rock. After a heavy rain, it becomes a watery cradle of tadpoles and fairy shrimps. (New visitors must watch an introductory video to understand the terrible consequences of stepping into an egg incubator.) The 860-acre park is one of the best bouldering locations in the world, so climbers are seen dragging mattresses to cushion their falls. However, you can view more than 2,000 hieroglyphic samples without leaving the Desert Company, including hundreds of masks; a handful of rock paintings; and historical graffiti on subway cars. The age of drawings and engraving ranges from 10,000 years ago to the 1990s. In the newspaper cave, an inscription read: "Francesco Avila 4-6-69." The park director Ruben Ocampo carefully considered the year: "Although it says 69 years , But is it 1869? 1969?" If only the rock wall could speak.
Along the El Paso Mission Trail, the Ysleta Mission, built in 1682, is the oldest in Texas. Also on this road, the Socorro Mission (Socorro Mission) painted the ceiling beams from the late 1600s.
The 9-mile-long 4 El Paso Mission Trail 4 El Paso Mission Trail Google Map: 131 S. Zaragosa Rd., 328 S. Nevarez Rd., 1556 San Elizario Rd. Website: visitelpasomissiontrail.com 915-851-9997 Combines two missions , A small church and more than 335 years of history are connected, just as dramatic as Larry McMurtry's novels. Moving from north to south, the silver dome Ysleta Mission built by the Spanish and Tigua in 1682 is the oldest mission in Texas. The adobe structure survived the Rio Grande River floods, fires, and the transfer of sovereignty from Mexico to the United States. On the altar are the usual suspects, as well as a statue of St. Cathari Tekakwitha, who was the first Native American to receive the status of a saint from the Catholic Church. In the Socorro Mission, looking up at the sky, you can see the oldest ruins in the state, which is the painted aspen ceiling beams (or vigas) of the original 17th century church. Finally, the Presidio Chapel (built 1877-1882) in San Elizario became the spiritual revolving door for troops stationed in the garrison. Since the Mexican-American War, San Elisario has been at peace. "Hallelujah".
Like Proust, Octavio Zavala also uses the time machine power of food. 5 Valentine’s Kitchen and Bar 5 Valentine’s Kitchen and Bar’s chef instead of Madeleine. Google Map: 4018 N. Mesa St. Website: facebook.com/ValentinesKitchenTX 915-702-0023 Boarding to his El Paso The bone marrow bus puberty. "That was a deep childhood memory," he said of the meat in his grandmother's beef broth. For his modern interpretation of nostalgia, he paired a whole femur with tortillas, pico de gallo, sea salt and limes. He also reviewed his recent memories of studying at the French Culinary Institute in New York, as well as his internships with famous chefs such as Jean-George von Grichten, Thomas Keller, Daniel Blud and David Zhang. For example, the pork belly tacos are improvised on Pak Fook’s pork buns. "They are delicious," said Zavala, who and his wife opened their current location for Valentine's Day in March. "But it doesn't need a bun; it needs a tortilla." After returning home, Zavala was finally able to free the pork belly.
6 Cafe Mayapan 6 Cafe Mayapan Google Map: 2000 Texas Ave. Website: mujerobrera.org/cafe-mayapan 915-217-1126 Promoted a movement: Garment workers created their parent organization La Mujer Obrera in 1981 to fight for rights Many of the female factory workers in El Paso were abused and were later displaced when the textile industry moved to Mexico. The group added this restaurant in 2001 to provide women with new skills and food. The menu contains Mexican food from their ancestors. Hilda Villegas, the community organizer of the non-profit organization, said: “We are promoting ancestral food because we have lost contact with who we are and with the planet.” The kitchen staff integrated. The ingredients grown in the nearby garden-cacti, coriander, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs. Several dishes are vegetarian, and they are all powerful. Roasted cactus stuffed with Assadero cheese and mushrooms with jalapeno peppers, on the one hand, seems to make the world a better place.
Benjamin Herrera (Benjamin Herrera) and the Centennial Café’s Centennial Café is known to commemorate its 100th anniversary. Cafe Mayapan's tortillas are served with locally grown peppers and cabbage. Lily Villalpando provides caring for vehicles at the H&H car wash and coffee shop.
On a recent working day, in the morning at 7 H&H Car Wash and Coffee Shop 7 HandH Car Wash and Coffee Shop sprint Google Maps: 701 E. Yandell Dr. 915-533-1144 Including a person wearing a suit, tie, and A businessman doctor in a gray ponytail, a regular at the University of Texas at El Paso sweatshirt and white pickup truck. In the mixed facility opened in 1958, you can enjoy salon treatments while having breakfast or lunch. The space is as narrow as a gas station convenience store, with a row of orange stools lined up on the cyan Formica counter, a few tables and chairs against the wall, and photos of customers and the owner’s family scattered on the wall. You can also dine al fresco and watch the car cleaning show-or the rock, in a folded chair. The menu specializes in Mexican classics (flautas, carne picada, chile rellenos), as well as a little Denny's (two eggs with bacon or sausage, oatmeal). No dish is more expensive than washing it once.
This year, 8 Cafe Central 8 Cafe Central Google Map: 109 N. Oregon St. Website: cafecentral.com 915-545-2233 will celebrate its centennial birthday, including its early years in the border city of Juarez as a social hot spot suitable for cigars, Gambling and cabaret customers. The founder of the restaurant moved the restaurant to El Paso after Prohibition. In 1991, the current owner improved the dining experience with European-style menus and decorations borrowed from the wedding hall. However, this restaurant has not completely abandoned its roots. Most dishes contain some dust from the Southwest elf: for example, Chilean sea bass is served with a bit of jalapeno sauce, and the tip of the beef is topped with jalapeno. On the anniversary, the bar will prepare celebratory cocktails, including mezcal imported from its birthplace, jalapeno syrup, bitter chocolate, pineapple slices, lime juice and kebabs.
9 Co-founder of Paradigm Texas 9 Paradigm Texas Google Maps: 2719 N. Stanton St. Website: paradigmtexas.com 915-544-7000 You can post their resumes in Anna Wintour's closet. Robert Lomnicki and John Zimmerman opened their lifestyle store two years ago. They have worked in high-end fashion stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Armani and Prada. Therefore, when partners recommend any of their products-Italian glassware from Vietri, black resin skulls with crystal mohawk or pet toys marked "Chewy Vuitton"-you can trust their taste. “If we don’t keep it at home,” Lomnicki said, “we don’t have it in our shop.” You need to go around this well-decorated shop a few times to discover all the surprises and fun, including Kenyan craftsmen’s Recycled brass and horn jewelry, Colombian hand looms, and a large photo politician of local Peter Svarzbein. If your energy starts to weaken, stop at the Sugarfina station and put Champagne Bear Gummy or Kir Royale in your mouth, the champion's candy.
10 TI:ME at Montecillo, 10 TI:ME at Montecillo Google Map: 5001 N. Mesa St. El Paso, TX 79912 Website: itistimeelpaso.com 915-474-3453 A four-year-old development project with nearly 10 stores , Look at the wonders inside the container. Chuco Relic packs its redesigned structure with El Paso-centric objects, such as a drum handmade by Twain prodigy Chance Bailey Johnson; District Attorney's Office prosecutor Patrick Gabaldon (Patrick Gabaldon) A pleasant view of the city; a peculiar postcard of toads and lizards made by Andrew Candelaria, the store manager. The retailer launched this month’s T-shirt design; April is a retro El Paso Sunrise T-shirt. Political insiders in Texas will understand the real message behind the "I love El Paso" shirt: Democrat Beto O'Rourke wore a similar shirt when he was a child, challenging him Ted Cruz's seat in the U.S. Senate. Next door, in Trendy: Decor, Monica Vela is Etsy’s solo station, with a cheeky proverb printed on the cup ("I just want to drink and save the dog"), recycled denim pillows and clothing Tiki flashlight full of empty wine bottles. Buy a card made by her hand and she will enter personal information on her old royal model. Purchase a Tex-Mex bar at the New Mexico Soap Company. The design includes the Lone Star State, Cactus, Frida Kahlo and Chihuahuas. They will delight dog lovers and fans of the local minor league baseball team. Their mascot is a pint-sized puppy.
The TI:ME store in Montecillo is located in a converted shipping container. Artist Xochitl Burciaga painted a design on a pair of custom boots by Rocketbuster. Embroidered cocktail napkins are one of Paradigm Texas products.
"Bored people don't want our boots," said Nevena Christi, who is the owner of 11 Rocketbuster and 11 Rocketbuster. Google Maps: 115 Anthony St. Website: rocketbuster.com 915-541-1300, dedicated to nearly 30 years. Some of the fascinating people who destroy the rocket include Taylor Swift, Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Steven Spielberg. (Check the celebrity wall for extra heel drops.) But even ordinary people wear such anti-traditional shoes. A Chevron geologist commissioned a pair of patterns with scattered layers of fossils and the company's classic logo. A woman submitted 50 episodes of her life, several of which-her jeep, pet dog, tennis, school badge-covered her boots like a quilt. Visitors who cannot afford the starting price of US$1,000 can visit the workshop for free, visit the largest pair of boots and a series of vintage boots in the Guinness Book of World Records, as well as new orders in progress. You can even try on a pair (I chose the Desert Rose style for Coachella) to experience the feeling of being a person who is not boring.
Three generations of Alvidrez-Herreras at 12 The Eagle's Path and 12 The Eagle's Path Google Maps: 305 Yaya Lane Website: facebook.com/theeaglespath 915-920-1746 to showcase their talents in the art gallery of the Tigua Indian Cultural Center. Yolanda (grandmother) and Albert (son) specialize in pueblo pottery molded from red or white clay. Their cups, plates, bowls and wedding vases (two spouts on a container for happy drinking couples) shine in portraits of Native Americans such as bears, feathers, flowers, lizards and Sun. Pamela (daughter) builds nativity scenes composed of traditional and non-traditional characters, and Encarnacion (grandfather) makes animals, birds and insects from metal. Allie Hope (10-year-old granddaughter) and Paul (11-year-old grandson) contributed to the family treasure house with painted wooden crosses, felt decorations, pottery and ojo de dios or the Eye of God conceptualized with yarn. Opposite the shop, two hornos produce freshly baked pueblo bread, sometimes as many as 30 a day.
From 13 Casa de Suenos Country Inn, 13 Casa de Suenos Country Inn’s backyard cactus garden Google Maps: 405 Mountain Vista Rd. South, Anthony, NM Website: casaofdreams.com 575-874-9166 You can check Texas, New Mexico and Mexico. This four-bedroom cottage in the Chihuahua Desert is just 2 miles from West El Paso, but its location is far from the address in New Mexico. Marlene Eichner and her husband purchased the 3-acre property in 2002 and set about renaming and redecorating it. Out: Original cowboy and Indian boards and bunk nicknames and John Ford style props. In: English translation of Dream House and Southwest Mexico theme. Each room is named after a spiritual animal or character. In my Kokopelli suite, there is a private terrace and gurgling fountain, and the god of fertility appears on coasters, wall hangings and even soap dispensers. The price includes a homemade breakfast-if you dare, you can ask for green peppers from Marlene-the terrace is equipped with brushes that can sweep the sand blown up by the spring breeze.
Casa De Suenos Country Inn offers beautiful views of the Mesilla Valley and Franklin Mountains, as well as the cactus garden. The lobby of Gardner Hotel and Hostel is full of nostalgia for the past. More than 200 original artworks decorate the Hotel Indigo in downtown El Paso.
14 Hotel Indigo El Paso Downtown two years ago Google Map: 325 N. Kansas St. Website: ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/us/en/el-paso/elpin/hoteldetail 915- 532- 5200 is a tribute to its home city, from the bed to the bathroom, from the swimming pool to the parking lot. The tribute to El Chuco (the city’s nickname) begins in the garage, where the "El Paso City Center" mural is located, partially painted by a hotel concierge. The street restaurant Downtowner is named after a former resident, a 1960s motel. In the lobby on the fifth floor, the satellite view of the city removes the terrain from the denim, an ode to the early clothing industry. (The same goes for employee uniforms.) On the guest room floor, the corridor carpet pattern echoes the shape of the Franklin Mountains, and each door is covered with (fake, to avoid slow and withered death) succulent window frames. Colorful serapes warmed the bed, and mimbre baskets from the Native American Reservation provided light. If you need a respite from El Pasorama, direct a plastic Acapulco chair in the rooftop swimming pool. Then, close your eyes and let yourself slide to the south.
If you dream of robbing banks at night at 15 Gardner Hotel and Hostel, 15 Gardner Hotel and Hostel Google Maps: 311 E. Franklin Ave. Website: gardnerhotel.com/home-us 915-532-3661 Don’t worry: you are not drifting towards The dark side. More likely, you live in room 220, 221, or 222, where John Dillinger and two of his gang members slept shortly before they were arrested in Arizona in 1934. El Paso’s oldest continuously operating hotel (founded in 1922) has retained most of its old-time look and feel. 44 private rooms and 6 dormitories are equipped with original furnishings, and the evaporative cooler in the corridor blows Arctic air through the transom windows. The lobby displays artifacts from the early years, including Dillinger's death mask and wanted posters. (Further up, the owner can add a novel by Cormac McCarthy, who lived and wrote intermittently in the hotel for two years.) In the basement, guests can use the kitchen and game room, where they can play ping-pong.
16 Five o’clock 16 Five o’clock Google Maps: A section of central El Paso including Piedras Street, Montana Avenue and Pershing Avenue, offering to preserve authenticity and courage without sacrificing fashionable taste A strong reason. "Old companies don't want to gentrify," Adam Bedoya said. "They want to maintain the five-point feeling and at the same time inject new vitality into it." This new vitality includes the year-old Salt and Honey Bakery and Cafe, where the waiter Bedoya serves brunch and breakfast and homemade pastries throughout the day. And coffee beverages, such as three espresso. Across the street, Joe, Vinny & Bronson’s Bohemian Café offers customers a trinity of drinks: coffee, wine and craft beer. The iconic beverage of JVB is Golden Milk, which is a symphony composed of turmeric, honey, soy milk and cinnamon, with a strong espresso flavor. Around the corner, the Pershing Inn, which opened in 1946, brought its drinks and bands to the outdoor open-air terrace, which has a full bar, stage and picnic table to encourage family drinking. Love Buzz hosts live and loud music 3 times a week-metal, punk and indie rock. If you want to try the old five o'clock, please take a table covered with red plastic tablecloth in the Italian kitchen. It is reminiscent of the neighborhood seven years ago.
El Segundo Barrio, "Border Ellis Island", was established by Mexican immigrants in the 1800s. The five-point block is a blend of old and new elements. Several nights a week, Pershing Inn will provide Five Points soundtrack.
17 El Segundo Barrio 17 El Segundo Barrio, known as "Border Ellis Island" Google Map: Pasano Avenue to the north, Cesar Chavez Memorial Highway to the south, Cotton Street to the east, and Mesa Street and The alley between Stanton Street to the west. Established by Mexican immigrants in the late 19th century, it is considered one of the oldest Hispanic communities in the country. This is also a great place to experience Mexico without a passport. "Would you like to try pork skin?" asked a woman behind the counter at Burritos y Carnitas Yoni, which also sells burritos, tortillas and tacos. At the Ruidoso supermarket, buy bilingual religious candles and Costco-sized tortillas. The mural depicts the people and the past of the area in vivid detail. "El Paso Port-All" is a 90-foot-long piece of art on the International Bridge, showing a wonderful fragment of El Paso. The images include alligators in San Jacinto Square (which was once alive and now carved), a taco cart, a Mexican woman harvesting crops, and a giant star on the Franklin Mountains shining on two cities that share a border.
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