RC Gorman

Southwest Cafe Ridgefield, CT 2003

“Hatch chilies are special,” remarks Nevins who works with a chile farmer in Hatch, New Mexico that delivers 1000 lbs of fresh green chilies to The Southwest Cafe each year. The organically grown Hatch Chilies are delivered to Southwest Café each week during late summer. In anticipation of each delivery, Nevins and her staff do the red hot chile pepper dance. “We all get very excited about the chilies,” boasts Nevins. And, the aftermath of the green chile is quite spectacular. “When the New Mexican green chiles dry out, they turn red .We grind them up to make the red chile powder which we use for our red chile sauce,” remarks Nevins.

The décor of Southwest Cafe is as robust as the complex flavors of the food. The artwork that adorns the walls, created for Nevins by renowned Native American artist RC Gorman, has sentimental value. “I modeled for him when I was 24,” says Nevins. The walls, bold colors of apricot and teal, add to the zest of the menu and are fitting for the southwestern style. Even the lighting is authentic. “The sconces were made for me in New Mexico, ” says Nevins.