EL PATIO DE ALBUQUERQUE serves its sopaipillas with just about everything on the menu. Have one for breakfast stuffed with carne adovada, eggs, and papas, blanketed in red or green chile or Christmas-style, topped with melted cheddar cheese. Order a stuffed sopaipilla for lunch or dinner and get a sopaipilla on the side. “People love our sopaipillas,” says owner Dave Sandoval. The secret sopaipilla recipe comes from Tom Baca, Sandoval’s father-in-law, who was El Patio’s cook for 35 years. Plus, El Patio uses sunflower oil rather than the traditional animal fat for frying. “They come out nice and fluffy,” says Sandoval, who isn’t shy about naming a favorite. “I like the stuffed sopaipilla with refried beans, onions, and red chile,” he says. “We make some good chile.” elpatioabq.com