Folks can act like the inflation-spurred new world order is normal all they want, but we here at SFR are still mad as hell that even a couple fast food burgers are racking up a pricetag of more than $20 sometimes. We’re journalists—which is to say that we’re quite poor and quite hungry. And we know you are, too, so what are folks to do when they’re practically starving and only have a few bucks to spare? Check out the items on this list. The following is designed to not only highlight a number of local businesses around town this summer, but to fill you up and stave off them hunger pangs. Go forth and nosh!
Single Cup of Moody Coconut Non-Dairy Ice Cream @Hello Sweet Cream
505 Cerrillos Road, hellosweetcream.com
This one represents the newest kid on the block, as the Eldorado ice creamery recently opened inside the CHOMP Food Hall, and is a banger. Not only is this particular item dairy-free for those of us who don’t want to live that farty lifestyle, it tastes pretty much precisely like a Samoa, which remains the best Girl Scouts Cookie despite the ridiculous Thin Mint agenda your mom so obviously harbors. Hello Sweet Cream has cones and bigger cups, too, but for the $4.50 we spent on this particular variety, we not only defeated our sweet tooth, we had more than enough ice cream to feel satisfied. We’re also here to tell you ice cream flights are available, just saying.
Full Moon Giant NY Slice @Bruno’s Pizzeria
1512 Paseo de Peralta, orderbrunosnypies.com
We’ve tried and failed to fully understand the operational hours at Bruno’s Pizzeria and its enticing pizza-themed bus on Paseo de Peralta, but you’ll definitely want to make sure you at least get a confirmation before you head over. Even so, everybody’s wild about the pies there, and perhaps even more so the gigantic New York-esque slices. For a mere $5.50, you can start with the classic cheese slice, but Bruno’s also has combos and other offerings that run $7.50. Yes, toppings are extra, but if you’re working on a budget, $5.50 seems a wise way to go.
Cinnamon Roll @Counter Culture Café
930 Baca St., (505) 995-1105
In a 2023 blind taste test, SFR staffers named Counter Culture Café’s long-popular Cinnamon Roll the second-best in the city. But this is my piece and I’m comfortable saying it’s the absolute best (sorry, Angel’s Bakery, I still love you) and I’ll fight you about it. A massive one-pound number dripping with icing and served hot if you ask nice, Counter Culture’s take on the classic pastry is not only plenty for two or three people, it’ll only set you back $7.30. Pro tip for later? They make French toast with the cinnamon rolls, too, which feels almost like it should be illegal.
Wild Boar Bacon Croissant @Baked & Brew
1310 Cerrillos Road, (505) 954-1346
Just across Cerrillos from Counter Culture, you’ll find Baked & Brew, one of our fair city’s newest bakeries and a heck of a popular one at that. Owner-founder Kate Holland is a trained chef, y’all, and a heck of a talented baker. But, since we just rec’d something sweet, we thought we’d go savory for the next item—a breakfast croissant made with wild boar bacon from the butchers at Beck & Bullow (holy alliteration, Batman!). For $8, you’ll get fresh eggs and gruyère, plus that boar bacon, and you’d better believe that it’s easy to eat half then save the rest for later. Oh, and they make the croissants in-house, so those are quite tasty, too!
Breakfast Burrito @Baja Tacos
2621 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-8762
Keeping with the breakfast-on-Cerrilos theme, Baja Tacos is still my number one go-to for a quick breakfast burrito when I’m not in the mood to sit somewhere and spend a million bucks simply because a plate came into the equation. Hot, fluffy eggs and gooey cheddar with a thick vein of chile make this a tasty option to begin with, but the Baja secret is in rounding out the burrito with crispy hash browns. Numerous local restaurants have dabbled with this idea now and then, but it’s a matter of protocol at Baja. And yes, the locals are probably all like, “Dude, we know about Baja!” but this one’s for the n00bs and transplants who need to hit that drive-thru and get real.
Pupusas @Pupuseria y Loncheria La Providencia
3920 Rodeo Road, (505) 231-8617
Hats off to Alas de Agua Art Collective co-founder Israel Francisco Haros Lopez for turning the SFR staff onto this most excellent lunch truck some years ago, because when pupusas clock in at a mere $4 apiece, you can fully get two of those, plus a drink, for just under $10 (if you write a letter to be like, “what about tax?” just know that nobody likes you). Some here have been partial to the chicharron variety with cheese and veggies, but you simply cannot go wrong with the vegetarian squash and veggie pupusa or a good old-fashioned bean and cheese number. If you don’t know what a pupusa is, fix your life. Naw, just kidding, we’ll tell you: The pupusa is a Salvadoran dish wherein a thick corn tortilla-type shell gets absolutely stuffed with delicious insides. Pro tip? They’re amazing with stinky cabbage, so you should try that.
Onigitu Umeboshu @Ozu
1708 Lena St., ozusantafe.com
One thing we miss about having an office in Midtown is the proximity to a business like Ozu—an adorable hole-in-the-wall dedicated to Japanese dishes and specialty grocery items, and one that’s kind of insanely affordable given owner/food boss Jeff Ozawa’s prowess. If you simply must try one item (and know there are some tasty rice balls and sushi options), order the umeboshi, a seaweed rice ball with sweet and tangy umeboshi plum. The flavor profile unfolds with each bite, and it’s fully vegan, too. Plus, at $4, you can snag a couple for a quick lunch without spending all day waiting.
Literally Any Cup of Soup @Soup Star
1372 Vegas Verdes Drive, (505) 316-5168
While understandable that not everyone thinks of soup as a summertime thing, the options from Soup Star owners Anita Salar and Miqueas Celote are so freaking food it’s hard to resist. Yes, Soup Star revived that damn Hungarian mushroom number from the old Back Street Bistro days, but with others in the pot including a chilled cauliflower pesto or roasted red gazpacho or even comforting chicken noodle or clam chowder—not to mention rotating specials—there’s plenty more to love in the soup realm. Cups clock in at $6, so slurp to your heart’s content (or until the cup is empty).
Elote @Capital Coal Neighorhood Eatery
326 S Guadalupe St., (505) 772-0192
If you didn’t know the story behind Santa Fe’s one and only multi-concept micro food hall, owners Rich Becker and chef Dakota Weiss basically crammed as many kinds of food under one roof as they could, and Santa Fe has been loving it. Weiss and Becker’s menus include French dips, hot chicken, big salads and Korean fusion, but if you’re looking for something quick and under $10, the elote is a winner. Known to some (wrong) people as Mexican street corn, the dish is a massive ear of corn cooked to perfection then slathered in mayo, queso fresco and tajin and sprinkled with crushed Takis. It’s crunchy, it’s corny, it’s only $8. How Weiss contends with Capital Coal as well as her executive chef gig at Coyote Café, we’ll never know. We just know we want that elote.
Creme Brûlée Cookie at Chainé
38 Burro Alley, (505) 477-3235
As I wrote earlier this year, the creme brûlée cookie at downtown cookie spot Chainé cured my depression, and I mean it. Think of it like a cinnamony sugar cookie, only owner Chainé Peña literally creates a mini creme brûlée on top with the tastiest, crunchiest and gooiest bit of sweet excellence you’ve ever tasted. At $4.75 apiece, you could easily get one for everybody (assuming Peña hasn’t sold out, which she does kind of a lot), but these are so rich and so decadent, it would totally be OK to split one. Oh, cookie…you’re the best.
