The Taos News - Best of Taos 2023
À la carte
IF YOU ARE WONDERING where to eat something fresh and fast, affordable and mostly organic in Taos, À La Carte is a best kept secret no longer.
Offering farm to table, global cuisine, À La Carte World Street Food serves food made with mostly organic and local ingredients — quick, easy-to-eat, on-the-go meals, inspired by “world street food and American classics,” said owner Louise Desmarais. Mediterranean, Moroccan, Cuban, Mexican, Thai, the aforementioned American classics and more — you’ll find them here.
Creative and eclectic, this little eaterie next door to Cid’s Food Market, on Paseo del Pueblo Norte, is actually more than a food stand. You can sit down and eat inside (during normal times) or out on the patio. Taos locals come here regularly for breakfast and lunch. There are plenty of options for both meat eaters and vegetarians. In fact, À La Carte strives to make certain there is something for everyone.
Taos News checked in with a couple of die-hard regulars to see what they had to say about “the cart,” as they fondly call it.
“I think they do their best to cater to vegans and vegetarians,” a girl named Sue said. She was masked and said that because she was “faceless, I’d prefer to be nameless, too.” But,” she added, “my name really is Sue.
“I’m mostly vegan and they make a vegan/vegetarian soup daily, and have an awesome veggie pita with avocado, roasted peppers and onions, olive tapenade and salad greens, microgreens, tomato, cucumbers drizzled with homemade balsamic vinaigrette with or without feta cheese, that’s to die for,” she said.
“They also have lots of salads always made with organic greens and other ingredients. I never go hungry here.”
À La Carte buys from small local farms in season. The coffee they serve is organic fair trade from a small Colorado roaster.
For the meat eaters among us, free-range beef and chicken are used exclusively, and all bacon and ham is uncured. People swear by the pulled pork with award-winning barbecue sauce on Telera roll with spicy slaw.
“I’ve eaten the food there too many times to count now,” another masked and anonymous regular “cart” customer said. “Each meal has been absolutely exceptional — it is for sure the best barbecue in Taos.”
Another friend insists the gazpacho is “the best, anywhere, ever.”
The breakfast crowd provide their own accolades, and the coffee really is that good. They offer both drip and espresso drinks.
Hungry yet? You should be — and might we add, the service is equally excellent. The owner and her crew are doing their best to keep their customers safe during these trying times.
This is a perfect spot for a breakfast or lunch, and simply one of the best options for a quick bite in Taos.