New Mexico Guide and Deals

In addition to its perennial made-from-scratch chocolate and vanilla flavors, Chillz prepares one special flavor a day (single scoop, $3) and previews its monthly menu on the site. Like the mayfly, these delicate flavors rise up from the earth and die within a day, their flavor but an ephemeral memory. February's heartbreakingly mortal flavors ran the gamut from horchata to lavender to Lucky Charms to white Russian to carne adovada. The Chillz menu is also populated by sundaes, floats (done up with either soda, coffee, or energy drink, $2–$5), and "concretes," custard blended with a topping of your choice ($4 for a regular). Toppings dot the menu like 33 desert flowers in the spring, including blueberries, cookie dough, pecans, maple syrup, and more. If you feel that a puny cone doesn't challenge your stomach, try the eight-scoop, eight-waffle, eight-topping challenge. Finish the behemoth in 30 minutes and the friendly staff rewards you by giving it to you for free; otherwise, you'll be buried in custard concrete.

Since 2007, Cupcakeology has been working to keep America's miniaturized-dessert technology one step ahead of our enemies. Founded by a mother-daughter duo, the sweet shop continues to push the physical limits of flavor and satisfaction, eschewing pre-made, preservative-laced mixes in favor of fresh ingredients. Taste the figurative fruits of this labor with a dozen cupcakes from Cupcakeology’s rotating menu of flavors, such as the Bit 'o Bubbly with champagne buttercream, the caramel apple topped with chopped walnuts, the cocoa-powdered tiramisu, and of course, the red-chili chocolate (huevos rancheros cupcakes remain a theoretical technology). Flavors are offered on a daily basis, so check the bakery's schedule beforehand to see which flavors will be available to you.

K.I.S.S. features an uncomplicated menu of simple drinks and cafe fare, guaranteeing ease of ordering for the worrisome perfectionist in your geography enthusiasts club. Each of K.I.S.S.'s lemonades ($2.50) are composed of the juice of freshly squeezed lemons and sweetened not with crystalline cane-sugar granules but with syrupy agave nectar, an organic, plant-based sweetener with fewer calories and a lower glycemic index than traditional sweeteners. K.I.S.S.'s spare yet ample sandwich selection ($3.00) offers turkey, veggie, or the "meat of the day" option on either flatbread or ciabatta, grilled hot or served cold.

Your Play scrambles the café paradigm by welcoming children and designing its space around extensive indoor and outdoor play areas, designed to reconcile the often mutually contradictory parental impulses to spend time with the kids and get the heck out of the house. The café aspires to be a family hangout that fulfills both the grown-up need for caffeine and adult conversation and the childhood need to slip down the slide.

Today's deal lets you stun crowds senseless with a custom-designed and agreeably delicious cake. Peruse Say It With Cake's ambitious gallery for past edible achievements, including Twilight book-cover re-creations, Spiderman's head, and fondant sushi. Personal cakes of four to six servings are $10, or keep it non-committal with cupcakes ($1.10–$1.75 each) equally good for serving a crowd or for hoarding by Lone Rangers. Alternately, fork through a hefty sheet cake fit for an army (95–100 servings) for $72.99.

Lead by Chuck and Heidi Weck, the chocolate artists at Theobroma Chocolatier craft creamy chocolate pieces by hand for holidays such as Easter and Valentine's Day, as well as the everyday. Besides truffles, chocolate-dipped Oreos, and chocolate macadamia nut patties, they mold all kinds of chocolate into shapes such as footballs and sports cars for customized gifts. They also make personalized corporate gift baskets replete with chocolate business cards and earplugs for long board meetings.