Now Where Did They Go?

We heard about a great restaurant, and decided to try it.  It's located in the Old Mesilla Square District of Las Cruces, New Mexico, 272 miles east of Tucson.  The highlights of the trip east were signs near the Arizona/New Mexico border indicating the locations of the Chiricahua Indian National Monument and the Cochise Stronghold, where the warrior fought both the Mexicans and the Americans for years.  We didn't have time to explore either of these, but they are on the list for the next time we're in the area.  32 miles west of Deming, NM, we crossed the Continental Divide at 4585 foot elevation.

So back to the food:  The restaurant is called the Double Eagle and is located on the east side of the Mesilla Old Town Square, which is the original location of Las Cruces.  The area retains most of its heritage, including narrow streets, but the buildings have been refurbished and turned into shops and restaurants. The building that houses the Double Eagle is acknowledged to be the oldest structure in town, having been built in 1840 as a private residence in the spanish style with an open area in the center and walls surrounding the building.  It is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a servant girl that died by the hand of the house owner after discovering that the owners son had fallen in love with the girl.  The building remained a private residence until the 1970's when it was refurbished and redecorated.  I can tell you that the floors are completely original brick, made in the area.  As a restaurant, the Double Eagle is divided into two sides, one specializing in beef that has its own aging room.  It's known far and wide for the tenderness and taste of its beef.  The other side, the one we chose, specializes in Southwest cuisine.

We ordered the Hatch chili rellenos, the Wednesday night special.  Donna ordered a seafood stuffed chili, and I ordered two cheese stuffed rellenos.

But first, we started with an appetizer of wonton stuffed with cheese and green peppers and served with a pineapple-jalapeno salsa.  I would post pics, but ......well, you know.

The Old Town Square has a number of historical stories surrounding it, including a tale about Billy the Kid.  More on that as we explore the area tomorrow. One rather special building on the north side of the square is the Cathedral of St Albion, build in 1855 and still in use today, with masses in both english and spanish.

We've booked a space in the Hacienda RV Resort while we're here in Las Cruces.  It is a particularly nice place with a number of special touches.  Each space is provided with a fence and shrubs nicely placed around it. The spaces are graded with small gravel and raked in the fashion of a Japanese garden.  I almost felt bad driving in! We are within sight of the freeway, but we don't hear any of the noise, probably due to the fencing and landscaping. The weather report is for very cold nights over the next week, so we'll be enjoying the hookups!