Before I moved back to Oklahoma City about eight or so years ago, I had been living in Colorado for around a decade. And while I missed the true Tex-Mex eats that I was born in and raised on, I was carnally satiated by the then-unknown to me craft of New Mexican cooking, with its sensual emphasis on the glory-bound green chile.
Though I have had random bowls of green chile since moving back, to be honest, they’ve been at best alright, never coming close to deep helpings I’ve had ladled out for me in places like Santa Fe, Pueblo or even Denver. I don’t know whether it’s the sheer artistry or inherent love that’s missing from the spicy processes of local cooks, but I had given up on finding a decent green chile here.
And then a restaurant like the Green Chile Kitchen, 12 East Main St., comes into my full life and, more importantly, my empty stomach.
Located in the suburban outpost of Yukon, the unassuming restaurant sits on Route 66 near the old flour mill that gives the town’s skyline some character. As my ladyfriend and I walked in last week, we were greeted by a rather large portrait of the Virgin Mary, a nice tribute to the rustic churches of New Mexico. I made the sign of the cross.