WALKING INTO LA GUELAGUETZA feels like entering an oasis. Bright Mexican papel picado banners fill the dining room like a rainbow of flowers climbing over a pergola. While the rest of the space is utilitarian and functional, with comfortable booths that line the room and tables that fill the center, a great sense of comfort radiates from the restaurant on Old Coors Drive, in Albuquerque.
When I meet four of the five Salazar brothers who run the place—Fidel, Gonzalo, Luciano, and Roberto (Abelardo was visiting family in Oaxaca)—I realize that the lion’s share of warmth is coming from them.
The Salazar brothers are La Guelaguetza’s only employees. While they are quick to credit Abelardo with crafting the menu’s savory recipes and Fidel with the desserts, the brothers work together seven days a week to make everything happen: prepping, taking orders, cooking, washing dishes, and
