Where to Eat in Marfa, Texas

4. A Bite at Bordo’s

Recommended by Cactus Liquors owner Faith Gay

“Being able to make an amazing sandwich is the ultimate test of a chef, right? And Bordo’s sandwiches are just wonderful. The DiSimone is vegetarian, named after Anthony, actually. They’re always coming up with new, seasonal versions; in the summer, it has tomatoes, in the spring charred asparagus. In lots of places, a vegetarian sandwich is an afterthought, but nothing’s an afterthought [at Bordo].”

Why Folks Love It

In a little more than a year, chef Michael Serva and co-owner Hannah Texie Bailey’s elegant Italian restaurant and deli, Bordo, has already become a fiercely adored lunch (and occasional dinner) spot. Serva drew inspiration for the unpretentious yet meticulous quality-driven approach after reading about New York’s Balthazar in the 1980s, “where Patti Smith could go in and get free fries if she was broke.” Nearly everything, from the bread to the pasta to the gelato, is made in-house and the restaurant mills its own flour from heirloom grains, but you can still walk out full for under $20. Grab a spritz and sit under the covered porch, where you can watch the rustic, Puccia-style sandwich bread bake in a wood-fired oven. “The artists in town know about elevating material into something that’s meaningful,” Serva says. “That’s exactly how I feel about what we’re doing here.”

Keep In Mind

The line can get long, so show up early for Bordo’s especially limited hours (Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Thursday 6-9 p.m.)

What to Order

The DiSimone; the Cashiola with cured meats, Calabrian chili, stracciatella, and “shrettuce”; crispy, spicy patatas stronzetta showered in lemon juice, parsley, Parm, and bread crumbs; the sunny, tangy orange sorbet.

Pay It Forward

If you’ve had a particularly pleasant interaction during your trip, spring for the “buy a local a sandwich” program; the restaurant will note the recipient’s name on the chalkboard behind the counter.