by Heather Hunter
Level 5’s new chef aligns his menu with the flavors of New Mexico
THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT has one of the most diverse landscapes. Packed with stunning natural topography ranging from mountain forests to sparse deserts with bosques, gorges, mesas, lakes, valderas and canyons— specifically Chaco Canyon.
A national historic park, Chaco Canyon preserves one of the most important pre-Columbian cultural and historical areas of ancient ruins in the country and was the inspiration behind Albuquerque’s Hotel Chaco and the towering rooftop restaurant, Level 5, represents the five levels of Chaco Canyon. Executive Chef Marc Quiñones says, “This is an intriguing story with so many parallels. The entire property was built to honor Chaco Canyon.”
After serving as Masa’s executive chef at Hotel Andaluz for almost six years, Quiñones assumed the lead at Level 5 in March 2023 and ambitiously rolled out a brand-new menu only two months later. “The menu was Europeancentric,” he says, “and I respected that but felt strongly that the restaurant’s direction had to focus on New Mexico—and feature all things New Mexico at its best!”
Quiñones was inspired by how the designers and team built the hotel to mimic Chaco Canyon in a modern era and wanted Level 5’s menu to follow suit. “I proudly work with our ranchers and farmers, sourcing wild game, buffalo and elk, while honoring the amazing hunters to create modern New Mexico ranch cuisine at Level 5,” he says. “We source as many ingredients as we can locally, including microgreens from Corrales, and we have a garden directly south of the property where we grow enough for approximately thirty percent of the dishes.”
The essence of the menu is based on the way people cooked 100 years ago, using preservation methods such as pickling and acidic marinades for meat. “We pride ourselves on the food being lovely to look at, but our passion and purpose is that our food tastes better than it looks and tells a story of truth and honesty,” Quiñones says. “I believe New Mexico cuisine is one of the rarest cuisines out there.”
By introducing a small plate menu along with the entrees, guests choose their experience. “The small plate program puts the decision in the hands of the guest,” Quiñones says. Some of the popular dishes on the menu include a classic calabacitas with asparagus. By using all local vegetables, along with a green chile–infused Tucumcari cheddar with chimayo chiles, corn and squash, this simple dish is elevated by charring the vegetables.
The New Mexico piñon and house-cured bacon fried rice is so good “it’s absolutely silly” Quiñones says. Lobster bao buns with tarragon and pico de gallo is another beloved item on the menu and many tables have two orders. A hearthealthy dish is the guajillo chile braised buffalo short rib, which sits atop hand-rolled fresh torn pasta tossed with cold pink peppercorn pickled corn and au jus to make a succulent and savory dish with the added layer of a cold element playing with the hot and tender short ribs.
“This has been unbelievable, and I am so thankful to be at Level 5 with a great team,” Quiñones says. “My team comes in early and stays late and they are so committed. The continuity that we have is beautiful, and I am excited about this story we are telling. It’s for New Mexico, by New Mexico. We want the locals to be proud to come here because it speaks their language and tells their story, and they can be proud that we are doing it on a world-class level.”
