DOUBLE EAGLE/PEPPERS RESTAURANTS
On the Plaza
Mesilla, NM
(505) 523-4999
SPECIALTIES
Tournedos Maximillian, shrimp scampi Chardonnay, raspberry seed sauce turkey sandwich, Mesilla chicken
AREA ATTRACTIONS
Old Mesilla shops and
galleries, Las Cruces - Stahmann Farms, Glenn Cutter Gallery, Branigan Cultural Center, Las Cruces Natural History Museum, Gadsden Museum, New Mexico State University's Kent Hall Museum and Williams Hall Art Gallery, Downtown Mall
Farmers and Crafts Market
Two ghosts haunt an old adobe building, circa 1840, in historic Old Mesilla. Once the residence of the Ortiz family, it is now home of the Double Eagle/Peppers Restaurants. Legend has it that
Mother Ortiz discovered her teenage son engaged in, well, a compromising situation with her maid. Outraged, she stabbed the maid (and her son unintentionally) to death. Since then, their spirits are said to cause havoc in the
Carlota Salon room where wait staff occasionally discover broken wine glasses and toppled chairs.
Despite the spirits, the restaurants, owned by W. "Buddy" Ritter, draw
crowds. Double Eagle guests feast on dinner in the regal Maximillian Room, which is adorned with Baccarat crystal chandaliers and a ceiling leafed with 24 karat gold. Specialties include the tableside grilled Tournedos Maximillian
and the supple Shrimp Scampi Chardonnay. Peppers patrons lunch in the lovely sky-lit garden and fountain room. Favorites are the turkey and raspberry sauce sandwich and the Mesilla mesquite chicken.
Buddy also owns a microbrewery. Try the Dog Spit Stout, which in 1995 received a gold medal from the Great American Beer Festival.
SNOW CAP
Historic Route 66
Seligman, AZ
(520) 422-3291
SPECIALTIES
Hamburgers, '"dead chicken'" sandwiches,
chocolate malts
AREA ATTRACTIONS
Hualapai Indian Reservation, Williams Ski area,
Supai Canyon, Grand Canyon Caverns, AZ; Laughlin, NV
Take the kids and the "kid in you" to Juan Delgadillo's Snow Cap located on historic Route 66. The food stand, I'm certain, is unlike any hamburger joint you've
ever visited. But be advised: Arrive with a sense of humor. Seventy-nine-year-old Juan is, well, a prankster of sorts. I won't reveal his practical joke schemes but be prepared for belly-laughing fun.
The Snow Cap is an eye-catcher. Hand-painted depictions of burgers and sundaes dress its glossy, red-trimmed facade. A snazzy, snow-white, 1950 convertible, equipped with a talking
tinseled Christmas tree, is parked in front. In back, modern outhouses are outfitted with - no kidding - television sets.
Snow Cap, circa 1953, is famous worldwide. A German
photographer, for example, recently arrived with female models for a revealing calendar shoot. Just ask Juan about the event and his face turns rosy-red. If you're of age (Juan demands credentials even if you're 110), he'll let you
sneak a peek at the proofs.
The Route 66 Visitor's Center is just a piece west down the road.
WILLIE UPSHAW'S NIGHTMARE
Highway 338
Animas, NM
(505) 548-2444
SPECIALTIES
Hamburgers, turkey and ham sandwiches, fish fry
AREA ATTRACTIONS
Birdwatching in Portal, AZ; Silver City, Pinos Altos, NM
No, Willie Upshaw's Nightmare isn't the title of Stephen King's latest novel. Instead, it's
the name of Pat Upshaw's burger joint in the tiny ranching and farming community of Animas. The nightmare, says Pat's daughter Aurora Jensen, occurred when her father Willie, now deceased, began gathering the building materials to
construct the restaurant. "Dad traveled to El Paso, Texas and Tucson, Arizona and then hauled the supplies back. It was quite an ordeal. So, when friends inquired as to how things were going, Dad always replied, 'Just working
on the nightmare.' "
Later, Willie's "nightmare" became a pleasant haven for locals in search of juicy hamburgers. Experienced diners favor the Willie Burger, a
double-fisted, double-cheese number that fills you up half way through - but you finish it anyway. Monday's roast beef sandwich, prepared with Sunday's roast beef dinner, is another winner.
Pat also retails secondhand goods at her New To You Shop. Other Animas stores include auto parts, grocery and gas, mercantile and bakery. That's all, folks.
