It is said the major question in New Mexico is “… red or green?”  This is in reference to your chile preference.  There are plenty of articles discussing this question.  To avoid this critical decision, one can order their chile ‘Christmas’ which is half and half.  There are two New Mexican dishes one can order and avoid the question, green chile stew (never red) and posole which is always made with red in the restaurants.   Please note I am aware these are not fine art photographs and may have been taken after a couple beers, but I think you get the idea.  There is, in my opinion, a large difference between southern New Mexico and northern New Mexico food.   We think it is easier to find good New Mexican food in northern New Mexico like Santa Fe and Taos area.  The important concept to grasp is to eat where and what the locals eat.  Stay away from the chains when traveling and experiment with the food with an open mind.