ENTICING AROMAS OF PEPPERONI, fennel sausage, and oregano waft through the bright, airy dining room at Tony’s Pizzeria, where families and friends savor hearty pies fresh out of the woodburning oven. From the open kitchen comes another scent—the earthy perfume of red and green chile. It’s what draws me to this buzzy new eatery in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill: pizza brimming with the tastes of New Mexico.
“In Italian-American culture, they call them grandma pies,” says chef-owner Tony Nethery, describing the selection of Sicilian-inspired square pizzas on his menu. “I’m Mexican, so my square pies lean into New Mexican and Mexican flavors, and we call those Abuelitas.”
The toppings on Nethery’s seasonal Abuelita pizzas reflect local comfort food: carne adovada, green chile pesto and chicken, and Frito pie, layered with red chile beans, green chile, and corn chips. “We have a Huevos Rancheros Abuelita coming around the corner,” he says. “This is a New Mexico–style pizza.”
Tony’s Pizzeria chef-owner Tony Nethery, left, creates Sicilian-inspired square pies infused with New Mexico flavors…