Christmas has come to Portland this summer—Christmas-style chile, that is.

Enter La Panza Café, tucked away next to a Plaid Pantry on the corner of SE 26th and Division, offering New Mexican staples from huevos rancheros, blue corn enchiladas, stuffed sopaipillas, and chile rellenos—all smothered in either red or green chile sauce for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The cozy spot decked in glass and metal lanterns and mini succulents is the creation of Santa Fe natives Jessica and Andy Razatos, who moved up to Portland with the dream of sharing their beloved regional cuisine with the Pacific Northwest. Anyone familiar with New Mexican cuisine knows a dish is only as good as its chile sauce, and Andy is especially proud of his rendition, which he picked up from his mother. Razatos strongly believes in the quality of his red and green chiles—which he sources from Chimayo and Hatch, New Mexico, respectively—and the guiding principle behind both recipes is to keep things as simple as possible, to let the chiles speak for themselves.

Unsure of which sauce you want? Order both—lovingly known as “Christmas style” in New Mexican speak. Click through the slide show above to get a glimpse of what La Panza is serving up.

La Panza
2425 SE 26th Ave
503-236-5005 
Tues-Thurs 10 am-9 pm, Fri 10 am-10 pm
Sat 9 am-10 pm, Sun 9 am-9 pm