Priscilla "PC" Ulibarri, the founder and longtime owner of a New Mexican restaurant on Santa Fe's south side known for its legendary red chile and viewed as a classic eatery by many locals, passed away last week. She was 81. Ulibarri and her husband, Reynaldo "Reinnie" Ulibarri, opened PC's Restaurant and Lounge in 1986, an establishment that soon became synonymous with generous and delectable enchilada plates, a family-oriented atmosphere and a bar where sports reliably played on the television.
The restaurant has been on Airport Road since 1996 and continues to serve up Priscilla Ulibarri's recipes. "She was loved by the people. She loved people, and showed it in her cooking," said John Paul Ulibarri, who bought the restaurant from his mother in 2008.
Born and raised in Santa Fe, PC Ulibarri opened PC's Restaurant and Lounge when she was in her 40s. She cooked as a way to "bring people together," her son said. It is a discipline in which Priscilla, who leaves behind a rich culinary legacy, excelled.
"We are heartbroken by Priscilla’s passing, but her legacy will always live on. For those of us that got to know her it was the privilege of our lifetime, PC was such a beautiful soul and forever we are thankful," reads a recent social media post from the restaurant. John Paul Ulibarri described his mother as a kind and caring woman who was well-known in the community.
He said her food and the atmosphere the restaurant has maintained over the decades are key to her legacy. The restaurant is known for its Friday Lenten salmon special and its carnitas plate. But red chile is often considered its signature dish.
"If you ask anyone in this town who has the best red chile, I would say 9 out of 10 people would say PC's if not 10 out of 10 times," John Paul Ulibarri added. After opening on Cerrillos Road in 1986, PC's Restaurant and Lounge relocated to Airport Road about a decade later and has been at the site ever since. John Paul Ulibarri described how his mother and father fostered a close-knit atmosphere at the restaurant.
Reynaldo Ulibarri was a socialite who entertained customers, he said. "That was more of the atmosphere here: It was like his living room," the younger Ulibarri said. Plates Priscilla Ulibarri collected line a wall spacious dining room at the restaurant.
She was a constant presence at the restaurant for years, which helped to establish its hyperlocal reputation; customers were less customers than friends. "It's all locals pretty much, very few tourists," John Paul Ulibarri said. "And it's all locals because the chiles are very similar probably to what their grandmother made.
" "She was the special one," Elfego Vargas, a longtime cook at PC's, said of Priscilla Ulibarri's recipes. Vita Vigil, who worked at the restaurant for more than 20 years, described Ulibarri as someone who was family oriented and approached cooking and customer service with care. "She cared a lot about her cooking and her customers," Vigil said.
To Vigil, Ulibarri was a friend as well as a caring employer. She said the two women bonded over their grandchildren and often discussed their families with one another. "If I needed anything, she was there," Vigil said.
"My gatherings, she didn't miss one. She was there for you.".
