Dining: Roswell
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| Dig into a banana sundae from Classics Frozen Custard. |
Another World
Roswell is justifiably known for all things alien. Just drive through downtown—at every turn you’ll see stores like Alien Zone and the Cosmic Jukebox, not to mention streetlights fashioned to resemble alien heads. The local Walmart even welcomes “earthlings and aliens.” This town of about 45,000 has enough outer-space paraphernalia to make you want to jump in your own UFO and warp back to Mars. But fear not: As one sign says, there’s UFO parking around back.
However, there’s another Roswell, one offering more than alien life forms, and boasting an eclectic mix of diversions and dining options. Still, when it’s time to start my day here, I can’t resist breakfasting at the only McDonald’s built to resemble a flying saucer. Sure, I order a plain ol’ Egg McMuffin and hash browns—but this place has a play area where an alien holds a Big Mac, and Ronald McDonald floats on the ceiling in a space suit! My tank refueled, I set out to discover more.
My next stop is the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, nine miles northeast of Roswell, off U.S. 285 and Bitter Lake Road. Wandering around, I see a number of dragonflies merrily buzzing the area. That’s because the refuge is home to more than 90 species of dragonflies and damselflies, and each September hosts a festival dedicated to the creatures.
At noon, I stop in for a quick lunch at La Posta, an unassuming joint that serves authentic Mexican food at its finest. With no more than 15 tables, what La Posta lacks in size it makes up for in taste. I enjoy the red-chile enchiladas. (And if you can’t score a table here, there are two other La Posta eateries in town, all owned by the same family.)
Next I visit the Roswell Museum & Art Center, the showcase for a collection of more than 6,600 artworks. Here I find an extensive collection of Southwestern and modern art, and learn a little about Roswell’s history. I view pieces by regional favorites Georgia O’Keeffe, Luis Jiménez, and Howard Cook. Adjacent is the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium, named for the famed rocket scientist, who lived in Roswell from 1930 to 1941. (The city also named a school after him: Goddard High School.)
For dinner, I claim a table at Pasta Café, an upscale and comfy Italian bistro offering wine tastings each day from 4 to 7 p.m., as well as a variety of Italian coffees and desserts. The service and atmosphere are warm and hospitable, the Penne in Vodka Sauce is to die for—and, for dessert, the tiramisu? Amazing!
I close out the night at Classics Frozen Custard, a local ice-cream shop in the heart of Roswell. A very happening place on summer nights, it’s also a nice place to sit outside and watch the sunset—or, if you prefer, stare into the heavens in hopes of glimpsing a UFO.
McDonald’s, 720 N. Main St., (575) 622-4752; Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 4067 Bitter Lake Rd., (575) 622-6755, www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/bitterlake; La Posta, 109 N. Delaware Ave., (575) 625-6726; Roswell Museum & Art Center, 100 W. 11th St., (575) 624-6744, www.roswellmuseum.org; Pasta Café, 1201 N. Main, (575) 624-1111; Classics Frozen Custard, 3009 N. Main, (575) 623-31101—Brandon Call
