To visit a restaurant review, simply click on the restaurant name below and you will be magically transported to that review. Restaurants rated “25” or higher are noted in capital letters.
Arizona:
Bisbee: Cafe Cornucopia
Chandler: Cyclo | In-N-Out Burger | The Keg Steakhouse | Lee’s Sandwiches | Matty G’s Steak Burgers & Spirits |
Gilbert: Joe’s Real BBQ | Joe’s Farm Grill | Source
Glendale: Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante | Haus Murphy’s
Grand Canyon: El Tovar |
Heber: Red Onion Lounge
Mesa: Gus’s Fried Chicken
Payson: Culver’s
Phoenix: BARRIO CAFE | Cocina Madrigal | The Farm at South Mountain | Hap’s Pit Barbecue | Honey Bear’s Barbecue | La Santisima | Little Miss BBQ | Mora Italian | Pa’La | PANE BIANCO | Pa’La | PIZZERIA BIANCO |Richardson’s Cuisine of New Mexico|
Scottsdale: Butters Pancakes & Cafe | Call Her Martina | Cornish Pasty Company | Culinary Dropout |DeFalco’s Italian Deli: Eatery & Grocery | Fat Ox | Guido’s Chicago Meat & Deli | The Italian Daughter | Lior The Baker | Malee’s Thai Bistro | Patsy Grimaldi’s Pizzeria |Pomo Pizzeria | Roy’s Restaurant |Sugar Jam | Tapas Papa Frita | Zinc Bistro
Seligman: The Roadkill Cafe
Tempe: | Alter Ego | Cafe Lalibela | The Chuckbox | Cocina Chiwas | The Dhaba | Haji Baba | Portillo’s Hot Dogs | Ted’s Hot Dogs |
Tucson: El Guero Canelo | BK Carne Asada & Hot Dogs |
Winslow: The Turquoise Room |
California:
Big Sur: Nepenthe Restaurant | SIERRA MAR AT THE POST RANCH INN |
Cambria (1): Indigo Moon Cafe, Wine & Cheese Shop
Carmel-by-the-sea (1) : CASANOVA RESTAURANT
La Jolla (2): NINE-TEN RESTAURANT AND BAR | Piatti Ristorante and Bar
La Quinta (1): Shanghai Reds at the Fisherman’s Market & Grill |
Malibu (1): Geoffrey’s Malibu
Montecito (1): TRATTORIA MOLLIE |
Monterey (1): Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar
Mountain View (1): Spice Islands Cafe
Newport Beach (1): PIZZERIA MOZZA |
Palm Desert (2): AC3 Restaurant + Bar | Grill-A-Burger
Palm Springs (6): Cheeky’s | JAKE’S | LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO | Sherman’s Deli & Bakery | Spencer’s Restaurant | Workshop Kitchen + Bar |
Placerville (1): Chuck’s Restaurant
Roseville (1): The Squeeze Inn
San Diego (2): EL AGAVE RESTAURANTE Y TEQUILERIA | PHIL’S BBQ RESTAURANT |
San Francisco (2): Crab House at Pier 39 | DESTINO NUEVO LATINO BISTRO |
Santa Barbara (3): La Super Rica Taqueria | Norton’s Pastrami & Deli | Opal Restaurant & Bar |
Santa Clara: Parcel 104 |
Colorado:
Estes Park (2): The Post Chicken & Beer | The Rock Inn & Tavern
Pueblo (2): Gray’s Coors Tavern | Shamrock Brewing Co.
Georgia:
Savannah (1): The Lady & Sons
Idaho:
Boise: Alyonka Russian Cuisine | Ansots Basque Cuisine
Ketchum: Bigwood Bread | The Sawtooth Club |
Twin Falls: Jasmine Thai | Yellow Brick Cafe
Illinois:
Arlington Heights (1): | JOHNNIE’S BEEF |
Chicago (9): Al’s #1 Beef | The Billy Goat Tavern | DAVID BURKE’S PRIMEHOUSE | FRONTERA GRILL | GARRETT POPCORN SHOP | THE PURPLE PIG | Superdawg Drive In| TOPOLOBAMPO |
Kildeer: Bacchus Nibbles |
Lake Zurich😐Gino’s East of Chicago |
Mundelein: Gale Street Inn |
Niles: Graziano’s Brick Oven Pizza | Kimchy Cabana |
Wheeling: Bob Chinn’s Crab House | Weber Grill |
Iowa:
Osceola: Maid Rite
Kansas:
Fairway: STROUDS RESTAURANT & BAR |
Kansas City: Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue |
Maine:
Kennebunkport: Mabel’s Lobster Claw | THE CLAM SHACK |
Wells: MAINE DINER
Massachusetts:
Bedford: Steve’s House of Pizza
Boston: DAVIO’S NORTHERN ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE | MIKE’S PASTRY | SPORTELLO | Union Oyster House |
Essex: WOODMAN’S OF ESSEX
Lexington: Mario’s Italian Restaurant
Missouri:
Kansas City: ARTHUR BRYANT’S | Gates Bar B Q | The Savoy Grill |
Ozark: Lambert’s Cafe II |
St Louis: Super Smokers |
Nevada:
Las Vegas: Amlee Gourmet Restaurant| Bellagio Buffet | BOUCHON | Burger Bar Las Vegas |Carnegie Deli | China Poblano | Fatburger | Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop & Soda Fountain |IL MULINO NEW YORK | Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | LAWRY’S: THE PRIME RIB | Lindo Michoacan | LOTUS OF SIAM | Memphis Championship Barbecue | Mesa Grill | Ping Pang Pong | Satay Malaysian Grille |Spiedini |
Oklahoma:
El Reno: Johnnie’s Grill |
South Carolina:
Charlotte: Butcher & Bee | THE HOMINY GRILL |MAGNOLIAS |
Mount Pleasant: Melvin’s Legendary Bar-B-Q |
North Charleston: EVO
Sullivan’s Island: Poe’s Tavern |
Texas:
Amarillo: The Big Texan Steak Ranch | Delvin’s Restaurant & Catering | The Golden Light Cafe & Cantina | It’s A Punjabi Affair |
Austin: Contigo | Gourdough’s Public House | Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken | Lucy’s Fried Chicken | Via 313 |
Dallas: Celebration | El Ranchito |
El Paso: ELEMI
Fort Worth: Kincaid’s Hamburgers
Lockhart: Black’s Barbecue
Utah:
Moab: Blu Pig Barbecue & Blues | Desert Bistro
Park City: Harvest
Salt Lake City: Banbury Cross Donuts | The Crack Shack | Freshie’s Lobster Co. | Nomad East| Proper Burger | Sweet Lake Biscuits & Limeade | TONY CAPUTO’S MARKET & DELI |
Wyoming:
Jackson: Miazga’s | Genevieve’s |
Nelson Fish Market
For your next visit to the Valley of the Sun, you must visit Nelson’s Fish Market in Scottsdale.
Overall: Excellent!!!
Lobster roll was amazing.
Shrimp ceviche great
Poke fish so fresh
Smoked sturgeon was very moist
Downside is they sell out quickly like the lobster roll flown fresh from Maine.
The Poke,Ceviche and their spicy mariscos ceviche rotate daily and are gluten -free
Nelson’s is expensive impressive. Check them out in Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nelson-s-meat-and-fish-scottsdale?uid=Q87gtM5oc3TYYrVoLANsCA&utm_source=ishare
Thank you, Lenchito. There’s no end to the great dining opportunities in the Valley of the Sun (aka The Valley of The Platas)
Nice to see Lenchito creating beautiful words with what goes in his mouth. Ahh Lenchito, you are like a big brother to me! My Bride would love it and hope for her to try on our return. Maybe they should expand with Fish & Chips for us non-seafood / poke/sushi kind of people…
Have you ever wondered what a Denver Omelette and Skirt Steak have in common.
Just visit Eggstasy in Scottsdale. Now you have a “Gypsy Steak Skillet!”
includes smoked ham, green bell peppers,onions,mushrooms, Swiss & American cheese over a bed of potatoes.
Plus a choice of Pancake,toast or muffin at no extra charge. Easy to split a breakfast.
Eggstasy offers an incredible variety on their menu to choose from!
If you coming to Arizona, a must. Just maybe one of the most delicious restaurant chains in Arizona.
Amazing food choices and affordable.
Thank you, Loren. That sounds eggsactly like the type of breakfast we would love.
The next time you’re in Salt Lake City, I hope you’ll try the mole at the Red Iguana (not to be confused with the Blue Iguana). There are a couple of Red Iguana locations, not far from each other. The original is very small so there’s usually a long wait; Red Iguana 2 is bigger – less wait, same menu. It’s one of my favorite Mexican restaurants anywhere in the U.S. and is a “must” visit every trip (ranks right there with La Super-Rica in Santa Barbara!). I’d be interested in how you’d compare their mole with that of La Guelaguetza here in ABQ.
Thank you, LRob. We travel with our debonair dachshund The Dude so not every restaurant has a patio or is amenable to having a dog dine inside the restaurant. When we called Red Iguana, we were told we could not bring The Dude with us. I’d love to try it and appreciate your endorsement. If the mole is comparable to La Guelaguetza, it’s got to be great.
If you find yourself in Downtown Phoenix, Ingo’s Tasty Food is a place you should check out. Pictured here is the Heirloom Brown Rice Bowl, which consists of sorrel pesto, kale, sweet potato, feta cheese, pickled mushrooms, pepitas, 5-minute egg, sesame seeds, and fresh dill. I added the bistro filet steak, which was totally worth it. It was like comfort food, only healthier. So many restaurants in this area! So little time.
For some, dining is all about, or just in, the food. For the rest of us who might enjoy “ensconcing” dining in a bit of foo foo, I just ran across this “new” (to me), by reservation only, option in Vegas. Knowing Gil gets wanderlust which has included experiences in Vegas, let me add this for his and Kim’s consideration, when I discovered yesterday, there is a webcam https://tinyurl.com/4kawubtk at the Conservatory in the Bellagio. (Be sure to click on the multi-directional arrows at the bottom of the cam screen for the Full Screen effect.) If you scroll down just a tad and click on “Top Videos”, you can click other views per “annual changes” of the display. OMG! it’s been 25ish years since they opened this during my luckily living in Vegas for a few years at that time. Indeed, being in the Conservatory live and besides the visions, the aromas were phantazmic! If ya have time, it can be a hoot to people-watch the cam shot for a moment or two. People obliviously wandering through people taking pics; scurrying through as if they just discovered they gotta pee, i.e. non pulsed by sight; people romancing; people showing they’re from England by strolling on the “wrong” side of the pathways etc! And then there is the dreadful feeling you get “sensing” a Dad is going to mis-steer the front end of his baby carriage onto the back side of your heel…of which Steve Wynn loathed the promotional idea of touting Vegas as a Family Destination.
What? No Caesar (I really need to get out more), leads me to recall history of Cesar’s national boycott of lettuce and grapes in the ’60s to protest working conditions of farm laborers. Last night I was shocked because I couldn’t get a Caesar’s salad at a well known restaurant due to high growing-temps and disease affecting lettuce crops and therefore prices. [Anyone experiencing the same?]
Will future dining be affected by irrigation problems in e.g. SoCal’s Imperial Valley, per lowering of the Colorado River as pictured? (NM gets some water from the Colorado early on.)
Roberto, According to KRQE meteorologist Grant Testarud, the Purgatory Resort area outside of Durango doubled its snow accumulation for the year with the most recent snowfall over the weekend. The area now has over 100-inches of snowpack. That won’t solve the long-term problem, but should offer a modicum of relief over the summer.
Only because you mentioned lettuce, you might enjoy reading about how a head of lettuce outlasted a British prime minister.
I saw this in Az Highways, it’s not listed in your Mesa links. Just wondered if you were aware and had checked them out!
https://www.arizonahighways.com/business/proof-bread
During our most recent visit to the Valley of the Sun, my friends The Hermanos Plata (Bruce and Loren) introduced me to Lior the Baker in Scottsdale. Much as we like to spread our disposable income around at various mom-and-pops, it will be a while before we want to visit any other bakery–even Proof Bread (which sounds fabulous). I’ve never visited a better Jewish Bakery and lament the fact that we don’t have one in the Albuquerque area.
Lest someone be planning being off to vacation in New England in the upcoming months, and, while there, be tiring of lobstaah, fried clams, lobstaah rolls, scallops, oysters etc. and be hankering for some downhome farm to table fare off the beaten path, and yes, be into Little Red Riding Hood, might I suggest https://tinyurl.com/mrxjwdyz as in https://tinyurl.com/autzavh8 My ex and I were dating after a hiatus of eons…giggles…20 yrs ago and stopped by too late in the day, i.e. the visual internet was in its infancy, so we didn’t know the protocol, so can’t give you a 1st hand opinion, but now, in that stead, it’s been Yelped https://tinyurl.com/2p8ynxsu Hope to hear when you do!
Roberto, how did I miss this gem? Probably because I never got tired of lobstaah, fried lams, lobstaah rolls, scallops and oysters?
Yo! Feel free to send me the Shaming Finger, e.g. https://tinyurl.com/9eeh886v and/or https://tinyurl.com/76fnhn22 lest ya feel this https://p2a.co/4GmOfHM is too far afield, politically-off topic…
Elsewise, I am not part of, nor related in any financial manner, nor have any romantic involvement with anyone of the NRA, aka the National Restaurant Association. Just passing on what I think might be relevant to some herein regarding what I take as part of our mutually focal interest.
Giving Y’all a head’s up for tomorrow and wishing Y’all a Happy Guac Day: https://tinyurl.com/4ccsky5y
Tom, thanks for your very generous and very flattering comments. I did have to chuckle because I’m especially grateful that you kindly didn’t relegate me to the category of “historical relics”.
No, my dear, you are not “historical” you are “venerable.”
I’m in central North Carolina grappling from the locals to understand the difference between “central NC BBQ” and “Western NC BBQ” and “Eastern NC BBQ.”
To New Mexicans, this may sound silly. But these folks are serious and ready to argue at the drop of a side of ribs. My next move in two weeks is to the Brunswick Islands of NC. We’ll see if there hush puppies are spherical or not.
Tom, if you figure out a formula that clearly defines the nuances of Western, Central and Eastern NC barbecue, please share it. I’ve tried to figure it out for years but every time I think I’ve found success, someone throws another curve ball.
I’ve never been to the Brunswick Islands but I see there are several promising seafood restaurants there. As for hushpuppies, I think they’re best when cooked in fat that has been used to fry fish. Otherwise, I’ve found them kind of boring. By the way, I discovered this interesting article on hushpuppies by Robert Moss. For once, he’s not claiming that a Southern dish actually originated north of the Mason Dixon line. https://www.seriouseats.com/real-history-myths-hushpuppies. Hopefully, this link works and if so, it’s courtesy of Sarita’s coaching. If it doesn’t, I’ll need remedial training.
Looks like you’ve got this down to a science, Becky! Fun read, though some of those stories are quite silly.
Now I’m craving hushpuppies. Problem is, the only place I can think of in the ABQ Metro area that serves them regularly is the yellow-food place (AKA Long John Silvers). Gil (Or anyone who has suggestions), do you know of any place around here that serves good hushpuppies?
Hi Sarita
You can find hush puppies at K’Lynn’s in our hometown of Rio Rancho. Storming Crab also has them on their menu. At one time, Campo at Los Poblanos actually offered blue corn hush puppies. Now that would have been interesting.
Gil
*Gasp*! K’Lynn’s has them! That must be a somewhat recent addition. At least I don’t know how that could’ve escaped my attention after all these years. Haven’t hit up Stormin’ Crab yet. When I do, I hope my experience is better than your last one was. Thanks, Gil!
Oh, I forgot. Blue corn hushpuppies do sound interesting. I woulda tried them, especially if they were served at a place like Campo.
So when are you going to tell us that Utah chili is superior to New Mexico chili. And I did spell it chili. My spellchecker isn’t broken like yours.
NM Pride? More like NM Troll.
Hi Tom:
You’re very welcome for the info. It looks like pimento cheese with jalapenos has been around for about eight to ten years now. I see that Palmetto, the biggest commercial producer of PC in the South, now offers it, too.
American Sandwich, as requested by the publisher, is an abbreviated version of Sandwiches That You Will Like but it does have some info on pimento cheese – you’ll find it under the state of Georgia. Unlike PBS, they put very strict limits on the size of the book. The PBS book is out of print but you can still find it used on Amazon for as little as $1.50 – a bargain!
Becky: The brand I have is called “Taste of the South” by Duke Foods in Easley, South Carolina.
They make a big deal down here about “Low Country Cuisine.” Do you join the view that Charleston, SC just may be the best foodie town in the US? Many think so.
Hi Tom:
At first, I thought the Duke Mayo company (arguably the most popular brand of mayo in the South) had branched out into the production of pimento cheese but it turns out that Duke Foods is a separate company that manufactures dips and spreads.
Low Country cuisine is most certainly a hallmark of foods made in South Carolina and just across the border into northern Georgia: see Lowcountry cuisine – Wikipedia. A very important segment of it is Gullah cuisine. More info is here: A Beginner’s Guide to Charleston’s Gullah-Geechee Cuisine (afar.com). I apologize if the links aren’t direct – for some reason, I often have a very hard time transferring links to Gil’s blog.
I haven’t been to Charleston and that area for several years so I’m not up to date but I certainly enjoyed eating there in the past. The Charleston restaurant scene is booming but unfortunately, some of the most famous restaurants have closed. Gil has several reviews from area restaurants from 2014 here on his site: look under United States, then South Carolina.
Do I think Charleston is the best restaurant town in the US? There’s no doubt that it’s really good and very dynamic but to be honest, I stand by New Orleans and the Cajun cooking of Southern Louisiana as my all time favorite.
Hi back Becky: Here’s a free culinary consulting tip to anyone thinking about opening a new restaurant idea in Albuquerque: Do BBQ like Mad Jack does down in Cloudcroft and throw in some hush puppies and make sure Rib Tips are front and center on the menu.
Evidently, rib tips are much more common in the South than Texas and the West. Separately, I sent Gil a picture of my rib tips so ask him to send it to you. The corn-studded spherical hush puppies in Florida are an awesome accompaniment to grilled Pompano.
Question, Becky, have you ever written about Pimento Cheese? Starting my culinary tour in Florida last month and North Carolina this month Pimento Cheese in its various applications pops up on Southern menus like desert flowers after a rain.
Pimento Cheese with Jalapeno can decorate my toast any time!
Hi Tom: I agree with you on Mad Jack’s and rib tips – for the life of me, I can’t figure out why no one doing real barbecue in the Albuquerque area hasn’t yet picked up on rib tips which, as you note, are extremely popular in the South. Maybe Marie Yniguez will come through as her new venture Smokin’ Fred’s ’46 evolves.
As for pompano – it has been years since I enjoyed it – lucky you!
Tom, pimento cheese just happens to be one my favorite foods ever – and one of my favorite topics. I covered it in my book “Sandwiches That You Will Like” which was the companion book to the PBS documentary of the same title. Pimento cheese is known as “the caviar of the South”, “the pate of the South”, and as “Carolina caviar” since the latter is the largest market for it. Other than eating it straight up with a spoon or on a humble cracker, it’s excellent for sandwiches, grilled cheese, as a topping for burgers, fries, and fried green tomatoes, and as the featured ingredient in mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, creamy grits, and potato salad. It’s so ubiquitous to the South that it’s available in containers and jars in the humblest of food markets and makes its appearance on innumerable restaurant menus. The best, however, is made by home cooks with each one claiming their version is superior. But I digress.
A few years ago, Gil sent me an article by Robert Moss in which he claimed pimento cheese is not an invention of the South but rather, it originated in New York State with the invention of cream cheese. I went ballistic and spent several hours compiling my own treatise refuting that claim with detailed research and references from my extensive collection of more than 7,000 culinary books. Somewhere along the way, I’ve managed to lose that document and I’ve never revisited the topic, figuring if people actually accepted Moss’s accounting they deserved what they got. Meanwhile, Moss himself recanted his original claim in an updated article where he acknowledges that true Southern pimento cheese was, indeed, created in the South by replacing cream cheese with Cheddar cheese and adding mayonnaise. Moss believes this occurred around the time of WW II but evidence points to the 1930s and the Depression era when affordable hoop cheese was commonly available in country stores throughout the South. Hoop cheese was later replaced by sharp Cheddar cheese used in today’s variations of pimento cheese.
Funny story: When I was first researching the material for PBS, I ran across references to “minner cheese” and “puh-minter cheese” cited by Roger Hudson of Charlotte, NC. I contacted Roger to ask what he was referring to and he politely explained it was pimento cheese. It became abundantly clear to me that I was definitely from the wrong side of the Mason-Dixon line.
Anyway, enjoy your time in North Carolina, a true haven for that glorious pimento cheese. You might want to check out the article below. And be sure and partake of fresh caught North Carolina brown shrimp, currently in peak season.
The Best Pimento Cheese Dishes in Charlotte | Charlotte’s got a lot (charlottesgotalot.com)
Becky: I am awash with gosh at your generous reply – thanks! I just ordered your book “American Sandwich” on Amazon. Is it the same content as “Sandwiches That You Will Like”?
Looking forward to your coverage of Pimento Cheese in your book. There are two vats of it in my North Carolina ‘frige right now – Classic and Jalapeno. Any idea how Jalapeno got into the recipe down South?
Oh, and thanks for the link (charlottesgotalot.com). It’s become my divining work for culinary discoveries.
Please consider: This is a petition from the New Mexico Restaurants Association
https://www.nmrestaurants.org/ i.e. scroll to click link in “Congress must support restaurants this year.” box.
Thanks,
Bob
If your ever in Bozeman, MT do Check out the Cateye Cafe. We had a wonderful breakfast experience. Pictured is a special item from January 18 – stopped there on our way to photograph Yellowstone NP.
Pineapple chicken sausage, andouille sausage, potatoes, eggs and blueberry coffeecake!
All were delightful – and the coffeecake was a pleasant surprise. Baked like a muffin, then split and heated in a pan/flattop. Wonderful thin crunch layer on the heated side! That’s whipped butter on top.
I highly recommend this place in downtown Bozeman – along with our dinner stop: Backountry Burger Bar.
http://www.cateyecafe.com/wordpress/
http://backcountryburgerbar.com/
hanks for the heads up.
I’m sure glad that I told you that I was changing my plan to try their pizza. DiFara’s on line pizza through Goldbelly is similar in price to Bocce. Apparently, they are lighting it up, as some of t5he varieties were listed as sold out.
Hi Becky,
On another subject- What do you know about Bianco’s Pizzeria in Phoenix?
Thanks,
Jeff
Hi Jeff: I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t been there but Gil has – you can find his review under Pizzeria Bianco. I do know this: It has been declared the “Best Pizza in the U.S.” as well as “Best in the World”. Chris Bianco even received a James Beard Award so it must be excellent. They make their own dough and their own mozzarella. It’s best to go at an “off-time” because the waits can be very long. There are now two locations in Phoenix. The place in Tucson closed – apparently due to a poor location – but it was recently announced they’ll soon be opening a new location in LA. This is real artisanal pizza.
By the way, did you see my note to you a few days ago under Forghedaboudit Pizza here on Gil’s Thrilling? It’s in Deming and worth your consideration.
Thanks for the info, Becky
I have a license plate on my car, where after 3 letters there is a hyphen followed by 001. I have kept this plate through at least 4 cars.
Small world! We very well might have met then. I graduated in 1970. Never went to Schwabls. Are you saying that if shipping is $50 on one pie, then shipping only goes up $5 for a second? Are these coming frozen? If not, can I freeze one?
Let me know, please,
Jeff
PS I live and die, based on the Stock Market- Today, I am not in the mood for an $80 pizza: capesche?
I also saw a great deal on Tumi luggage- No way, Jose. Same for an Adidas Black Friday Sale. My partner’s birthday is Saturday. She is lucky that I wasn’t looking for gifts on a day like today (lol)
Hi Jeff:
I was at UB from 1965 to 1969. Of course, I started college at the age of 12. LOL!
I was wrong on the Bocce charges – it’s $10.00 per pie after the first one, not $5.00. The Bocce web site says this about shipping: “Our online ordering system is for nationwide delivery. Shipping rates are $45 for each whole pie shipped and $10 for each additional pie added on top of that. For sheet (party) pizzas, we charge $55 flat for the first one and $10 for each additional one.”
I don’t think the pizzas are shipped frozen. They may ship them “half-baked” which I don’t care for because they never finish in a home oven like a real Bocce baked pie. Even though I typically eat one slice out of a huge pie, they freeze extremely well – I freeze them by the slice all the time. I’d suggest you contact them to ask for details. You can do it via email here: https://bocceclubpizza.com/contact-us/ – or call them at 716-833-1344.
I learned a long time ago not to get hung up on the market. Wall Street goes nuts over some of the dumbest things. Then they get over it and the market swings again. But yes, I can understand your lack of enthusiasm for shopping right now – let alone paying high shipping rates. It’s a good thing you already bought your partner’s birthday gift or the poor gal would have a pretty bleak day.
Speaking of Beef on Weck: I used to be a waiter at the Beef and Ale on Main St., near UB. I served plenty of Beef on Weck.
Jeff, I swear we must have been at UB around the same time. If you ever saw a girl driving a black Fiat Spider convertible (vintage 1960) with a front license plate marked “007”, that was me. Yeah, I know – goofy – but it was the heyday of Ian Fleming as James Bond. That’s my justification and it’s all I’ve got. I used to go to the Beef and Ale with girlfriends for pitchers of beer and beef on weck – maybe you were sometimes the unlucky waiter for our table. Please forgive us. Like so many others, the place is long gone.
Back in 2002, I worked with producer Rick Sebak of PBS WQED in Pittsburgh on a show called “Sandwiches That You Will Like” and I wrote the companion cookbook. It was a hoot. When the crew came to Buffalo, we went to Schwabls, an old German restaurant in West Seneca, to cover their famous beef on weck. Were you ever there? It still exists.
Yes, the shipping for a Bocce is really high but it’s shipped overnight via Fed Ex and it has to be specially packed. It’s not bad if you order more than one pie which is $5 per pie extra. Buffalo Bills fans in other parts of the country get together and order a large number of pies at once. Too bad your mailman thinks Bocce isn’t as good as it was.
Oh, if you’re interested, there’s a guy in Buffalo called Sexy Slices who reviews Buffalo pizza – Gil really likes his reviews. You can catch him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Here’s an article about him: https://buffalonews.com/2019/04/30/how-one-anonymous-man-made-reviewing-buffalo-pizza-his-mission/
Here’s a sandwich for you: Buy. on Amazon (expensive and worth it- 1 small jar makes 2 nice sandwiches- I recommend a baguette); Tonino’s Ventresca Tuna. This is belly tuna (smooth as velvet). a far cry from Charley the Tuna. Then Google to find Sir Kensington’s Special Sauce. Lightly toast. the split open bread then put sauce on both sides then add tuna. I Gawrantee it!
Sounds good, Jeff, but I won’t try it right away. I’m totally focused on purchasing some great smoked white fish as well as the best smoked salmon I can afford. It’s a holiday tradition.
Hi becky-=
Just for grins I pulled up the info on Bocce’s Mail order pizza: Yikes. Shipping would have come to $48, on top of $30 for the pizza. I’ll pass.
Handcut pepperoni! The 2 Italian sons with diamond pinkie rings and: Most important- MAMA supervising. I think that one of the brothers drove a Jaguar that he parked conspicuously in front.
I’ve been in NM for w25 years. Before that I was in Co. 20 (+) years. I had a mailman from Buffalo who told me that their pizza wasn’t what it used to be (Is anything??). I’m glad to hear that it is still good.
Why are you on a food blog site out of ABQ?
Jeff, Bocce’s biggest competitor is La Nova Pizzeria. If you want to talk Mafia and expensive cars, take a look at the Dave Portnoy Barstool Pizza review of La Nova on You Tube. As always, I post the link with a warning about language that could be offensive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPEwAA6G42I.
To answer your question – Back in the day, I used to do a lot of food writing and recipe development. At one point, I was looking for detailed information on New Mexico food and I found Gil’s blog. We struck up an ongoing conversation that has lasted for at least fifteen years now. Gil and his wife Kim have become cherished and dear friends of mine. So of course, I read Gil’s Thrilling which is one of the best food blogs in the entire country. I love Gil’s writing and his wit – not to mention that I admire his knowledge which extends from food and pop culture to Homer’s Odyssey with about a g-zillion detours in between. I also get a huge kick out of some of the folks I’ve had the pleasure of conversing with on Gil’s blog (BOTVOLR, you can raise your hand with pride). Finally, I really and truly do miss the Southwest, home to some of the best food in the world.
Alas Becky, I swear that a year or two ago that The Gil used to highlight or color when looked at Comment listings so we could keep better track of our checking out Commentors Comments. Per the recent and great plethora of interactive Comments, I go lost and missed that ‘hands up’ https://tinyurl.com/s7lxda7 shout-out to me…Blush! As such, a ‘back-@-cha’ to your having an exquisite taste for a ’60s Spider https://tinyurl.com/qu87r5f while I sputtered about LA on my powder blue Vespa!
Elsewise RE mole: in the ’90s while living in Vegas, attended the naturalization ceremony for a couple of teachers who treated me and my then “Princess” to a home made Mexican meal exposing me to mole for the first time…never heard reference to it in 25 years (back then) in ABQ! It was a sweetish, rich, deep brown sauce and alas, there was no reference to there being a variety as noted hereabouts. As such, does anyone remember a song with a refrain of “Mole-Mole”? After a fruitless search attempt, this is NOT it https://tinyurl.com/vuleavd
Bob, Oaxacan food is just now starting to be served at restaurants and understood here in the U.S., most notably in L.A. I found a very interesting article from June of this year that addresses the subject. Interestingly enough, it mentions a restaurant in LA also named Guelaguetza: https://fortune.com/2019/06/08/oaxacan-cuisine-restaurants/
It’s great that you now have your very own Guelaguetza in ABQ. The name, by the way, refers to a festival held in Oaxaca. Maybe a FOG lunch is in order?
Thanks for the reference.
OMG! You are going to be in town to do a FOG lunch?
Elsewise, RE “Maybe a FOG lunch is in order?” A FOG lunch/dinner is always in order!
Bob, I unfortunately won’t be in town for a FOG lunch. I couldn’t possibly tear myself away from the tundra in winter. Hah! I was actually thinking that a FOG lunch at La Guelaguetza would provide you all with the opportunity to check out Oaxacan cuisine, especially the mole. I’d love to hear everyone’s opinion.
I know all about it. You have my sympathies. I spent 4 years at U.B. a hundred years ago.
LOL! UB is my alma mater too. I was in Goodyear Hall and lived on Bocce pizza.
Having devoted my life to the pursuit of food, I feel as though you just kicked me in the stomach. I shared a house with some guys and would regularly get one half a pepperoni pizza for $1.25 (late ’60s). To date, it is the BEST pizza that has ever passed these lips. OMG!.
IMHO the best in ABQ (by a wide margin) is Farina’s (2 locations).
Jeff, I apologize but honestly, I just knew you’d have eaten and loved Bocce. Who doesn’t? And yes, half a pie for $1.25 was a real deal – especially when it’s half of a 17-inch pie. There’s nothing like it – loads of cheese with cup and char pepperoni right to the very edge. I drive Gil nuts with my constant yapping about Bocce. I now live about 30 miles south of the Bailey Ave location and I still drive there for a regular “fix”. Arthur Bovino from NYC wrote a book that was published last year titled “Buffalo Everything – A Guide to Eating in the Nickel City” and he extols the virtues of Buffalo-style pizza.
Dave Portnoy from Barstool Pizza did a You Tube review of Bocce and it’s on line. Warning: the language is definitely not for anyone who is at all sensitive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrVuSE1NQzY.
It’s too bad Dave only orders cheese pizzas for comparison – and you’ll note he mispronounces Bocce at the beginning. He’s at the remodeled Baily Ave. location – some different from the old spot isn’t it?
Farina’s pizza looks delicious but there’s too much crust for a Buffalo gal like me. I well remember going into Bocce withdrawal when living in a number of different cities. However, when you can’t get Bocce, I’m pretty sure Farina’s is the best alternative. By the way, you can order Bocce to be shipped anywhere in the U.S. – the shipping charges are outrageous but tons of Buffalo ex-pats who need a fix do it every week. They make regular deliveries to the airport.
Hi Becky-
I vaguely remember an Italian restaurant called Como’s in Niagara Falls, NY. Good food with VERY low prices and huge portions. It was reputedly owned by a Mafia guy.
MY ALLTIME (as long as I live) favorite Italian restaurant (including Italy) was Carolina’s in Brooklyn, in Coney Island. My parents had eaten there before we were born.
They had a dish, called (incorrectly-no eggplant), Veal Sorrentina- v It came out of a million degree oven in those white oval casserole dishes- homemade mozx bubbling like crazy, around the mushrooms and pancetta, in a sauce kissed with Marsala- When my mom came to visit me in Co., she would carry a shopping bag of six of those dishes surrounded by plastic bags full of ice cubes. When we went there we would start our meal with clams oreganate (easy to make), along with super hard crusted Italian bread. This was accompanied bey complimentary shot of Italian Sweet Vermouth(overflowing). Molto Bene. They have probably been closed for 25-30 years (sniffle, sob).
PS Your friend Dave needs to be turned on to Bocce’s PEPPERONI pizza. Then It was irregular chinks due to being hand cut. I don’t remember the pepperoni being cupped.
Jeff, you have a good memory, Mafia connection and all. Como’s in Niagara Falls is still in business although I don’t think the prices are even close to what you remember. It’s still a good – not great – red sauce joint. If you’re looking for a good place in NM, I think you’d like Joe’s Pasta House in Rio Rancho. Gil, who can be a bit persnickety when it comes to “real deal red sauce joints”, swears by it and I trust his judgment. Take a look at his reviews of it here on Gil’s Thrilling.
Yes, Carolina’s on Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island (how neat is that for an address?) is now closed per a google search. I can envision your mother hauling all that food to Colorado. When I lived in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and New Jersey, no one dared darken my door without bringing Bocce pizza and beef on weck. I do recall that clams oreganata were popular at Italian-American restaurants in NYC and on Long Island. In Buffalo, clams casino were more likely to be found. It looks like Joe’s Pasta House has some variation on clams as part of a “hot antipasta for two”.
Yes, Dave Portnoy really should order pepperoni but my understanding is that he attempts to create a level playing field within the confines of his pizza ventures which take him all over the place and apparently, pepperoni varies too much. The cup and char pepperoni is traditional Buffalo style that I hear is now gaining popularity in the NYC area and other spots around the country. Anyway, you’re right – Bocce always hand chopped their pepperoni and the last time I was there to buy a double cheese, double pepperoni pie (yes, it’s obscene), it looked like it still is. There was a mixture of cuts that included rectangles, rounds, and squares and while the rounds are the best for cup and char, the pie had the requisite greasiness of a Bocce and most Buffalo pizzas.
He got real mercenary. much of the new version of his newsletter was devoted to peddling his VERY pricy foodie trips to Italy that he hosted and curated.
Another newsletter that I adored for years was The Rosengarden report. He lovingly provided mail order sources for a single subject, and then awarded stars. For example- pasta sauce. hew would devote ten pages to 20 purveyors, describing their products in exquisite detail. Then he went Hollywood commercial and it stunk. On another subject: here is a product that you may be aware of (if not, then order on Amazon): Toninno brand Tuna Ventresca (belly tuna) in olive oil. Lightly heat a Fano’s Baguettini, then spread with Sir Kensington’s Mayo (with Chipotle).
One more tip for Christmas. Google it, and buy by the case: Bone Suckin’ Mustard.
Oh, my gosh! I did faithfully read David Rosengarten but you’re right – he went down the tubes. I took a quick look and he still has a newsletter here: https://www.chewingthefat.us.com/category/david-rosengarten. I didn’t have time to look at it closely but I will later.
Yes, the Toninno tuna is fantastic! Thanks for the other suggestions – I’ll be sure to check those out too – they sound great.
Jeff — I was a big fan of David Rosengarten back in the day on the Food Network. He seemed to do a sudden disappearing act; a real shame. His Dean & DeLuca cookbook is a classic, if a bit dated.
This is a hoot. I am tickled that you know his work. What about those two books by Calvin Trillin?
Happy holidays,
Jeff
PS- I am pretty sure that I subscribed to his newsletter. Through several moves they got purged
Hi Jeff:
Happy Holidays to you, too!
I used to work in Midtown and I actually lived at the Grand Hyatt for six months. Meals were vouchered so I had a great time eating out at lots of wonderful NYC restaurants. Britchky’s newsletters were a wonderful resource. I wish I still had them.
Oh, yes, I am a big fan of Calvin Trillin and I have his books. “Third Helpings” and “Feeding A Yen” are others worth searching for if you don’t yet have them. Gil is also a big fan of Trillin. If you do a google search for “Calvin Trillin articles on food” , you should find a few things that may be of interest.
Hi, again
Gil, you are truly a wordsmith extraordinaire. I eagerly look forward to your newest reviews. I used to love reading books that reviewed restaurants, even if I was not going to those cities for a while. Check out Seymour Britschky(?) NY restaurant reviews from around 25 years ago. A couple of books by Calvin Trillin are also a scream for a foodies like us: Alice Let’s Eat and Kentucky Fried.
Thanks for sleuthing out all of the unique new places for your appreciative readers.
Jeff Chefetz
Jeff, thanks for bringing up Seymour Britchky – I had forgotten all about him. Back in the day, I faithfully read his NYC restaurant reviews. Not only were they entertaining but they likely saved me from some potentially disappointing meals.
I just found this article about Britchky which might interest you:
https://www.tastingtable.com/dine/national/who-is-seymour-britchky-nyc-restaurant-critic
Yo Becky.
I think that sets a record for a Gil Review!
Elsewise, Sorry ya missed our once in a lifetime snowfall carrying into Thanksgiving. Alas and except for turning on the seat warmer…tho I haven’t tried the seat AC…I hadn’t figured out the techy stuff RE my new ’15 Mustang (before you go here https://live.staticflickr.com/344/19876597508_6bca7c2de2_b.jpg and if you might have been a real “Hoodsie”…is the Mustang facing Left or Right on the grille?) so I whimpered out not driving in the snow per my S-i-L picking me up in his ’88 Toyota 4WD Roadrunner he uses exploring the Far West Mesa. Do youz Guyz still put chains on? Man, there’s nothing like the lonely sound of ‘clinking’ of a broken link on an evening sparse of other travelers on the roadway while waiting for a bus…Que no? Anyway, that article RE Seymour was really great! Thanks! “As you take a bite of grass-fed steak tartare, you think to yourself, Didn’t this restaurant used to be called something else?…Alas, the former reminded me of my first Father-in-Law, despite or because of being a physician, enjoying shocking co-diners with his Steak Tartare with a raw egg cuddled in the dimpled mound of ground whatever at e.g. Scandia’s of LA’s days of yore. Yo, never heard him grousing about being “done in”…i.e. lo, that we can’t get a medium burger today! Anyway, Britchky calms, but does not quell, my concerns about the “relative” ephemerality of our fine dining scene here in ABQ per e.g. the passing of Elaine’s, Scalo’s, my daughter declining an invite to The Savoy and lesser known ‘down home’ eateries succumbing quickly…albeit I’ll probably lament “What gives?” in a few weeks!
(As an aside, I’d presume your readings of Britchky’s columns were via the NYT…Blessings for having been able to do that!)
Hi Bob:
I can’t say that I’m sorry to have missed the great snowfall out there. There’s plenty to come here in the tundra. And to answer your question: No, we no longer use snow chains given better tires and 4WD vehicles. But if you think you need some to combat global warming in NM, I could probably rustle up a set for you.
That’s a fine-looking Mustang you’ve got. Do you miss your Firebird? I’ve always been into “muscle cars” but as I grow older, I’ve decided that I need to abandon that “look”. My neighbor asked me the other day why I no longer drive Corvettes and I told him it’s because I likely couldn’t get out it.
When you mentioned Elaine’s, I immediately thought of the now-closed Elaine’s that was located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. It was one of my very favorite restaurants. I can see you’re mourning the loss of some great ABQ places too. What a shame our favorite restaurants can’t exist forever. At least you have Gil’s Thrilling to point you in the direction of some other worthy places – and to hopefully stem your hunger for PB & grape jelly sandwiches!
Yes Becky! I deeply mourned the FireBird’s passing, but am so quickly/easily sliding into being cuddled by the Mustang. (So? You weren’t a Hoodsie?…an apparent Back East term for a female pre-teen infatuated with a late, male teen/early 20s Johnny Angel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwIYSofgpY0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukunx21UHCA . When hanging out demo-ing his wheels, she’d lean/sit on his hood to the disdain of Johnny’s Steady. Elsewise, was slang for a “record hop” AND was the name of a cup of Hood’s ice cream that came with a wooden spoon https://tinyurl.com/qv2mcdc whose underlid featured a Celeb https://tinyurl.com/rn3gqym
How wonderful you were “into” Vets…an ’09, <70K miles, tempted me weeks ago per its orangy-gold paint for around $22K… Oh so tempted me!, but an '09?
Can't get out of a Vet? Alas, for me, leather seats were a buying must-find and keeping up going to the healthplex! (Alas, no one apparently remembers the Grand Torino had bucket seat that swiveled 90 degrees.)
Re 'stemming my hunger for PB & grape jelly sandwiches!' Technically, it is PB & (Welsh's Grape) J(elly) WITH Marshmallow Fluff on toast with WISE (salty) potato chips as an enhancement!
Hasta.
Bob, you’re a wild and crazy guy! I completely missed the Hoodsie reference but I can safely say I wasn’t a member of that club. As for my issue with Corvettes these days, all I can say is that there comes a time when a girl must attempt to preserve at least some dignity. And yes, sorry – I did edit my description of your favorite PB & J – I just couldn’t bring myself to think about the entire concoction. Hopefully, Santa will fill your stocking with lots of Welch’s grape jelly and PBR.
Wow! You & Gil are as Nuts as I am about Food (the old saw: Eat to Live or Live to Eat)
I’ll test both of you on three REALLY Moldy Oldies that are ALL TIME FAVES for me. All long departed (VERY), but not forgotten.
1- The Steak Joint- owned by Dan or Henry Stampler- They owned another one uptown with a different name. This was in the Village, on Greenwich Street, across from the women’s prison.
Exquisite Steak -Sliced London Broil, among others), and Superb service by formally dressed, very experienced, African American Waiters over 40.
2-The finest pastrami that EVER graced our planet was on 13th Ave. near 50th st in Borough Park. Skilowitz Brothers- Also made something that has completely disappeared in the fog of time: Rolled Beef. great Specials (Fat franks), and tongue, which my dad liked. No Reubens, as this was strictly kosher, in a very orthodox neighborhood. They made all their own meats from scratch, until the health department ordered them to convert their smoke house and prep area to stainless. It would have cost a fortune, so they hung it up and carried Hebrew National (dreck).
Gil- What a shame that we lost Nosh -South of Scalo’s. Their Pastrami was quite good. I was surprised when they told me that they made it themselves.
3- Joe Yee’s on Flatbush Ave.- Great, , meaty lobster egg rolls along with soups loaded with meat and shrimp; that you could stand a spoon up in v (strange grammar, or lack thereof).
4- Chi Mer on Chatham Square, who had an exquisite rendition of Chestnut Chicken. In Chinatown, when there was only one in the city. Now, they say that there are SEVEN. I’ve only been to 3: The original, Flushing, and Sunset Park in Brooklyn (sort of adjacent to Borough Park).
5)- Esther Eng on Pell St.- The finest Steak Kew to ever pass these lips.
I was on a roll and gave you guys a bonus of 2 extra
Hey Gil- Pepe’s Pizza opened a branch in Yonkers that I never made it to.
While I seemingly do…LOL…places I thought would last forever, seemingly do not. Planning a visit to Vegas? Check out the 28 “best” restaurants according to Conde Nast where just the physical ambiance makes me drool https://tinyurl.com/yg9zvn8c Wouldn’t you know it, Gil didn’t go wrong with his Lotus of Siam, but then his Old Choices go all down hill from there. Lest you yearn for exclusivity…Alas, a setting named Wing Lei…is the first Chinese restaurant in the United States to be awarded a Michelin star, and it’s the only Forbes Travel Guide five-star Chinese restaurant in North America.
Well as you may know, this is National Hamburger Day! but how bland does that sound?!
I did some research and found that “back when” in ’17, former Mayor Berry did something right by declaring June 16 as Green Chile Cheeseburger Day, e.g. http://tinyurl.com/y2ro2t9c On the other hand, these Local Folks http://tinyurl.com/y6cmadcu, in an undated webpage noted their observance of a 4th Annual Green Chile Cheese Burger Day. I called and found out that their GCCB Day celebration will be once again held on Oct. 28th this year!
My work is done here/am dropping the mic as it were, as I’ll pass on getting the GCCB made into a national Day of reverence to anyone herein who Nob-Hobs with our congressional delegation to at least accomplish something.
While on a recent trip to the 49th State, on the land based portion of our trip – We found this most worthy version of chicken-fried steak and eggs at the Noisy Goose in Palmer Alaska.
While a bit far from New Mexico to qualify for SR Plata’s “CFSTrail” it would easily (IMHO) rate among the best!
https://www.noisygoosecafe.com/
Well Bruce, given the mental set of the kitchen staff, i.e. http://tinyurl.com/y6dwnea7 , that would certainly reinforce your assessment of the care they must give making a CFS!
(Elsewise, if I may pause a second on this Memorial Day: http://tinyurl.com/yybs6qt4)
The first half of our Alaskan trip was aboard the Northern Song, Alaska Sea Adventures 8 Passenger yacht that provides small group or family customized trips in Southeast Alaska’s inside passage.
We expected to have a week filled with spectacular scenes of humpback whales, killer whales, dolphins eagles and bears. They delivered as we experienced all that and more.
Before the trip we had heard good things about the comfort of the Northern Song and the professionalism and hospitality of the crew as well as the quality of the food they served during each voyage.
We were looking forward to a great photographic trip and it was nice that excellent food, including the wonderful seafood of the area would sustain us during this adventurous week.
What we didn’t expect was that our bar for “excellent food’ for the future would be raised to such Denali high levels!
The chef – Therese and her steward Ella – provided Michelin 3-star, James Beard award winning quality meals 3 times a day!
Fresh bread was made on board the ship daily. At leas 2 containers of of different styles of rising bread were working in the kitchen daily.
Each morning the aroma of a variety of fresh baked scones or muffins greeted the waking passengers. Any leftovers (of which there were few) were available on the counter – just in case you needed a mid-morning snack or 2nd breakfast.
Lunch was served each day and these were well balanced meals which would have stood on their own as dinner entree’s in many restaurants back home.
Early on in the trip (usually right after lunch) sensible thoughts of the benefits of maybe skipping a meal now and then would enter our heads, along with some discussions. Thankfully these were quickly overruled due to our fear of missing out on something great or by the curiosity and anticipation of what and how Therese was going to top that last meal!
All of the dinners were 3 course – usually starting with homemade soups or fresh salads and ending with a creative desert. The choice of desert for the last dinner aboard the boat ended up being a blind selection of a lottery of choices (1 from each passenger) as to what that desert should be. No restrictions were given!
Now think about that – here we are: 8 passengers, aboard a ship, somewhere along the inside passage – with the chef having no chance to go to a store, or knock on a neighbors door for a missing ingredient! She trusted her skills and the contents of her small kitchen to be able to meet or closely meet that request. We had no doubts about the result of that choice (pictured below).
The lunch and dinner entree’s each day mostly consisted of local seafood – including halibut cheeks, smoked white king salmon, rockfish, black cod, spot shrimp and dungeness crab (the later two fresh caught from the Northern Song in pots thrown from stern by the passengers)!
Some of the cuts of fish on board for this trip included types such as cheeks and tips – were not something most of us had heard of or ever had before. Captain Dennis’s early career as a fisherman brings much knowledge and insight into the mealtime conversations (usually surrounding the food we were about to consume) and we really learned a lot from him!
Just to break up this seafood gluttony-fest, two meat themed meals were squeezed in at the end of the trip: one a lunch of pulled pork sandwiches ( pork butt smoked in a smoker on deck by the captain) and another, lunch on our last day as we headed back to port, of an Alaskan version of a steak sandwich (on fresh made foccacia bread). I assume these were served to ease us back into a lower 48 state of mind (stomach) .
This was as much a culinary cruise as it was a wildlife expedition and we really appreciate the efforts of the Captain and his excellent crew of 3!
What a fulfilling (in more ways than one) trip!
Below find a link to a gallery of iphone pictures of many of the delights prepared by Chef Therese.
Photos taken by my wife Soozi, my brother Ken and his wife Susan and myself!
https://www.bterzesphoto.com/Other/Food-Northern-Song
Whoa Bruce! Tres Magnifique! Thanks for sharing text & Pics…”Muy Sabroso”!
Magnificent photography, Bruce!…and what a fantastic experience you had in Alaska.
Can you schedule an upcoming Friends of Gil (FOG) venture aboard the Northern Song?
I’ll get to work on that right away. How’s your calendar look for 2024?
Would you accelerate the timing if BOTVOLR offered to pay everyone’s expenses for the trip?
I’m sure that might help things a bit.
Of course; why didn’t I think of that….when my lottery ticket proves true!
Sr Plata in AZ had a Great Burger of the month at, course Lush Burger in Scottsdale! We try to come often and I will report out on their Special Burger.
Baah Humbug!!!!
I hate the charitable solicitations that tend to inundate us this time of year per knowing I (we) have KinFolk upon whom I’m obligated to shell out $$$. With that sentiment in mind, pardon me for noting that for several years, our Local/ABQian GastroGuru https://www.nmgastronome.com/ has laboriously volunteered as a judge having to taste YumYums (soups n desserts) at the annual RoadRunner Souper Bowl fundraiser. Lest you are not able to attend this coming Jan. 26,2019, http://tinyurl.com/886f8d6 you can always share your Blessings right now here http://www.rrfb.org/give-now/ or for WHATEVER Org floats your boat!
FOR YOUR GENEROSITY: let me share these Yummies especially as you may be obligated to bring a tasty treat to a Holyday Gathering in the days ahead: http://tinyurl.com/yb93vodw
OMG! Break out your old Fondue Pot of the ’60s-’70s for Chocolate Covered Bacon!
~~~ Say Hey! How about donating for Free? If you have wisdom of ABQ and Environs, you can share your hospitable talent by becoming a Volunteer for VisitABQ http://tinyurl.com/ycp728v6 OMG, I’ve been doing it for about 10 years now! Come on and join us!
Gil,
Soozi and I are in Santa Barbara again and on only our second night here came to discover a gem of a restaurant a bit south of here in Oxnard called Moqueca Brazilian Cuisine (Moqueca is Portugese for stew) . There is a second location in Thousand Oaks.
The Oxnard restaurant is located in the Channel Island Harbor and there are great views of the boat traffic from it’s 2nd story location. They offer Brazilian cusine and specialize in family dishes from Espirito Santo. According to their website Espirito Santo is a small Brazilian state, located in the east portion of the southeast region of the country.
http://www.moquecarestaurant.com/home.html
We were a group of 5 and enjoyed quite a few of their offerings.
To start we ordered an appetizer of Quibes which was minced beef and crushed bulgur wheat mixed with mint leaves and green onions. Served with honey mustard sauce. After the first bite I knew tonight’s meal was going to be special!
Some of us enjoyed Caipirinha’s (supposedly the national cocktail of Brazil). I certainly enjoyed mine.
For our entree’s 3 of our party shared a giant serving of panelo de barro (clay pot dishes) in which the food is both prepared and served in. All the dishes in this category are described as “…a fresh and rich tomato sauce made to order with an addition of onions, garlic, cilantro, squeezed limes, urucum (Brazilian seasoning) and a splash of coconut milk served with a side of rice.” One great advantage to the clay pot vessel is that the food is served steaming hot and it stays that way throughout the meal.
Their selection was a Moqueca de peixe com camarao (whitefish moqueca with large shrimp).”
Urucum is described on their site as “Brazilian Prickly red fruit. Inside the fruit the dark red seeds are used to make the “coloral”, a traditional powder used as a coloring and tasting seasoning. The “urucum” is rich in proteins, iron, calcium and vitamins. It’s recommended as treatment for high cholesterol, hypertension, digestive and skin problems. The Cosmetic Industry also uses the “urucum” to produce beauty and tanning products. The “urucum” is responsible for the exotic color and rich taste of the “moqueca”.
Another of our party chose a single serving of Moqueca de peixe which is the same as the above without the shrimp.
As I usually tend to wander down my own path and knowing that we would probably share I chose another option ordering a brazillian strogonoff – described as “beef or chicken cooked in a heavy cream sauce with tomatoes, mushroom, olives and onions served with white rice or (fettuccine pasta) and topped with shoestring potatoe chips. I chose chicken and the rice!
All these choices were delicious!
This was an unplanned visit and I must say after being told that we were going to a Brazilian restaurant – I had visions of various cuts of beef on skewers being paraded around the room a la Tuncano’s . Boy was I pleasantly disappointed!
I definitely am looking forward to future visits to this venue.
Great review, Bruce! What an amazing menu. It’s refreshing to see that Brazilian cuisine other than churrasco is finally being celebrated.
Best to Soozi.
Gil
And yet we find another gem in Santa Barbara – Milk and Honey Tapas
https://www.milknhoneytapas.com/
My only regret is that it took a lifetime (almost 30 years) of visits to this city before finding this restaurant (11 years in a row voted “Best Tapas” by the Santa Barbara Independent ) and it’s sister location Alcazar (20 years on Cliff Drive). Amazing longevity when you see the turnover that occurs in this town especially along the State street corridor!
On our first visit we tried
Date with a Pig
Battered Sweet Potato Fries
PB&J Sliders
Manchego y Membrillo
Carne con Crema
All were delicious and the portion size of the PB&J Sliders, the Carne con Crema and the Sweet Potato Fries tapas were entree worthy!
Our only regret was that we needed more friends at the table so we could sample more of the menu items.
Some trivia in the shadow of Cinco de Mayo for when your server brings your Margarita: ask them what is the name of the President of Mexico who “brought” the celebration about (http://tinyurl.com/ycoxsfz2) to be later taken advantage of by beer distributors amping up business between St. Paddy’s Day and the 4th! In addition, if there is one of these http://tinyurl.com/y8gklcll in the guacomole, ask what it is called.
– For you travelers herein, do you see that in Mexico? elsewhere in the US? A barista (pardon the mixing of languages) at https://www.nmgastronome.com/?s=Lindo+michoacan who teased me about my Spanglish, asked if I knew what it was and thus told me it was an aleta. Per my perplexed look, she laughingly said…. aleta de tiburon (a shark’s fin). Alas, I was too dumbstruck to ask its origin, but now wonder if it probably had something to do with there most often being a variety of fish dishes typically offered in Mexican (vs New Mexican) restaurants.
Salud!
– RE the previously mentioned Lobster Roll at Red Lobster: They brought it back with mayo! Alas, while Kudos it is served in the traditional New England (hot dog) bun that is shaved on the sides for a buttery grilling, it is so so for $8.95! RE the price, it is a mini-bun and there is some shrimp filller! Elswise, I’ve read the price of lobster might be going up.
Have you always wanted to name the “101 Dishes that changed America”? Write out your list and what you imagine to be their provenance to compare!
Ya know, I’m sure there are other versions of how/where The French Dip came into existence vs my FAV and some of Y’all might have a different version or take umbrage for where Caesar’s Salad is posited as being invented beside TJ, Mexico of all places and some may deny Ignacio Anaya his place in the sun, but if ya have a few minutes to be distracted for pure enjoyment e.g. during commercials for The Big Bang Theory, Y’all will hopefully find this http://tinyurl.com/y8oyhtw8 of interest including where some claim the Reuben was invented…I would’ve said NYC! (For newbies to the Blog, also consider RE Reubens: http://tinyurl.com/y9ugy8qt )
– Alas! My Public Apologies to Red Lobster for my slighting their current (mini) version of Lobstaah Rolls which they are indeed serving as originally fashioned, albeit not what I grew up with and loci-centrically espoused.
Oh Oh….as ya read about Carpaccio, Y’all might enjoy listening to this (as I’ve suggested elsewhere, for those of Y’all who are dyslexic: http://tinyurl.com/qggfgfy )
“Chow!”
From BOTVOLR.
“Have you ever wanted to name the 101 dishes that changed America?
No.
Don’t even want to eat them.
Eaten them, yes, wanted to name them, no. Except for my pet dish meat balls and spaghetti which I named Sophia Loren.
BOTVOLR, thanks for the link to “101 Dishes that Changed America” – as a long time food researcher, I was familiar with the details for most of them but I found it very interesting nonetheless. Although sometimes shrouded in time, the origin of favorite American foods is valuable information and our food heritage is important. I’ve also eaten most of them and I’ll bet “8” has too!
Gil,
We are just back from another visit to Santa Barbara and have a new recommendation for you: Hoffmann Brat Haus. http://www.hoffmannbrathaus.com/
They have a huge selection of brats! 24 different sausages listed under 5 categories: Haus, Traditional, Vegetarian, Exotic and Extreme Exotic.
Of course my inaugural selection was from the Extreme category – Boar. (all of the servers favorite) and Soozi had the Thuringer Brat from the traditional line-up. Both were excellent. The Boar was delicious and a bit spicy; the Thuringer, also extremely tasty, was made from a “100 year old German recipe”. You get to choose 2 toppings from a list of six. I chose cooked sauerkraut and caramelized onions. The buns were fresh and very good and served the sausage and toppings very well.
They also took the trouble to provide suggested beer pairings for each of the 24 brats on the menu from their extensive selection of draft and bottled European beers. Germany, Belgum and the Netherlands are well represented.
As a side we shared a Bucket of Garlic Belgian Fries – described as thick cut Belgian Fries seasoned with Garlic (lots!) and Parmesan Cheese. Crisp on the outside tender within. Very good! You can also choose 3 dipping sauces from a list of 10.
Stepping off of busy State street into Hoffmann’s Brat Haus is a bit like transporting yourself to Europe. We enjoyed sitting on the second floor near the bar and listening to sounds of the street below mixed with the voices of a few german who were sitting on the balcony.
The Brat Haus joins my growing list of must go-to places in Santa Barbara!
If your mother-in-law is only half as sweet and charming as Soozi, it’s no wonder you visit Santa Barbara so often. Well, that and all the great restaurants in one of the country’s most beautiful vacation destinations. The Hoffmann Braut Haus sounds terrific.
I’m glad to see you describe Thuringer as “extremely tasty.” The second time I met my in-laws, they took me to a Bohemian restaurant in Chicago where I ordered Thuringer. My father-in-law’s reaction: “You ordered Thuringer! Why would anyone order Thuringer?” Obviously my food choice didn’t quickly endear me to him. Over time he figured out “this guy is really different” (at least in what I order at restaurants) and we became very close.
I’d love to hear your opinion of the fries at Pete’s Frites in Nob Hill. They’re thrice cooked and sound very much like the Garlic Belgian Fries you experienced.
Have not made it to Pete’s Frites as yet. Will definitely have to give those fry’s a try.
Hmm….are we seeing this regarding “chains” but also “locals” in Albuquerque for the same dynamics. Are we at or reaching a tipping point of too many restaurants?
Here’s an article http://tinyurl.com/gpzr5gx that starts out with….
“Customers have been walking away from sit-down chains as convenience and affordability take precedence….”
– Just pondering on a Sunday Morn as a change of pace from The Bobbleheads making something out of nothing or otherwise microising the zits of Hillary and The Donald.
What??? You are going to use orange tiles on your roof and serve 28 Flavors of ice cream including something called Pistachio way outside of town on the highways? Who ever heard of such a thing?
RIP! Told ya it would never last! http://tinyurl.com/gwkyznt
Bob, I could not have said it better, you are colorful and to the point! Thanks for the links to potential fast food for our beloved ‘Mexican’ city where a passport will get you a Christmas Burrito with our smiles nearby. Happy New Years. From the Land of Enchantment…
Yo Sr Plata. Thank you for your astute observation about my most recent missive. Indeed, as always, I try my best to make succinctly epigrammatic Comments…ya right. Otherwise, what fun would it be to just parsimoniously reflect: “What the freek is going on here http://tinyurl.com/hb6fpp8?”
Seriously, it blew my mind that the article wasn’t touting NM (with all due respect to Mexican) cuisine, especially given the pressure NM chile growers are under, e.g. from foreign imports, difficulty with the scarcity of pickers, etc. Seems the farmers’ org might have tried to incentivize restauranteurs RE expansionist endeavors.
~~ The Pueblo Slopper ~~
Recently I ranted about the apparent(?) lack nationwide of restaurants featuring New Mexican fare versus the many Mexican ones doing that. On the other hand, there is, by/for some, a testiness about Colorado’s efforts to claim fame re New Mexico’s GCCB. Rather than shy away, I just searched, albeit only a tad, to educate myself RE what, for example, is their infamous, Pueblo Slopper. What is that all about? Has anyone dared to have one and care to share? In reality, must admit, it looks/sounds interesting e.g. http://tinyurl.com/pq66rf7. Is it time, ignoring the spelling, that someplace offers one in NM? RE the knife and fork: again, see here: http://tinyurl.com/kfqqdzw if ya missed it.
While I didn’t click your tinyurls…
I have family in Pueblo and therefore have had the slopper. I’ve tried both the Gray’s Coors Tavern and The Sunset Grill versions – the two places in Pueblo who reputably have the best ones in town (maybe the only ones?).
I like it. It’s a different way to eat a GCCB. One has a really great patty and the other has really good chile and I can’t recall which is which (it’s been awhile since I had one – gonna have to change that, I guess). At the risk of being flogged on this blog, I actually like Pueblo Chile. I prefer Lemitar and other NM locations, but Pueblo Chile can certainly hold its own in the piquancy and flavor departments.
I’ve made them at home and it is very delicious. Of course I used Lemitar Chile when I made them, but otherwise they were the same!
Also, another Pueblo food item is the grinder (Italian sausage sandwich). Passkey has a good one, and some other place that just popped up that my brother says blows Passkey away. I’ll have to try that next time as well.
I knew I had made similar comments in the past..
https://www.nmgastronome.com/?p=19
See the comments section of Conway’s Red Top…
Caveat: A Rambling: When Gov. Huckabee ran for President, he started out noting the problem of living in our “bubbles” and thus possibly having little empathy, respect, etc. for/with what’s going on in the world (bubbles) of others…which thus might weaken the country. It reminded me of a New Year’s eve when a well known, staid, non-cable TV news anchor hosted ‘ringing in the New Year’ from Times Sq. After the ball dropped and a commercial, he was back on set in a turtle neck (talk about dating things….LOL)…N.B: he had doffed his freekin tux! to continue blabbing. Per my thin skin, I took umbrage; fired off a “scathing” email to the network for his disrespecting us in the rest of the USA waiting to also (formally) ring in the “New Year! Like NYC is the geo-center of the US?…LOL! All this is my loquacious way of confessing my own geo-centricity RE what’s happening in the world re Mexican/New Mexican Cuisine http://tinyurl.com/hb6fpp8…Except for CO now claiming green chile, others don’t appear to include Chile. Apparently, we are not the center of the universe and I thus got clued in to why tourists ask me, sometimes almost conspiratorially, “Where do The Locals like to go for the best “Mexican” (in contrast to “New Mexican”) food!!!
29 Mexican restaurants in gritty GA! What’s with that? (Back in the day of early oughts with rampant killings in Mexico, Atlanta was noted for being The major distribution hub of drugs from Mexico. Perhaps some Folk retooled themselves into the restaurant trade?) Elsewise: Hmmm….the places listed in the list avoid locating New Mexico. Did the previously home-owned Garduno’s miss the “expansion” boat for New Mexican cuisine restaurants (albeit they had the first New Mexican restaurant in Vegas at the Maloof’s Fiesta Casino and one in Phoenix(?). Twister’s has several locally owned sites and recently ventured into CO. Bottom line: Given the proliferation of Mexican cuisine, why is not New Mexican fare a national restaurant cuisine ala red/green chile and especially given that several chain grocery stores have recently begun setting out GC roasters across the fruited (what does that mean, anyway?) plain. Well, I guess we just got to face the same old same old like this week: http://tinyurl.com/h7y2a7v (Gawd! I hope those agents weren’t some of our high school dropouts!)
– Tips of the Day
1) Ya should’ve seen the sunset on 8/13
2) Buy two jars of these: http://tinyurl.com/ha8vwnz Munch-crunch a cold one now. Keep the other jar intact unless we have a year lacking a Green Chile Harvest!!!
Many Folk apparently think of beer as a food to the point of considering themselves a Mucky-Muck, aka a Cerevisaphile (Cer-a-vehs-a-file) 1.an aficionado of beers and ales, 2.a devotee to the decoction of barley infused with hops and fermented, 3.an imbiber of beer on the highest order, bordering on devotion, 4.one who pursues the very finest in malted beverages.
Ramping things up to the Sommelier level, we have the Cicerone: one who possesses the knowledge and skills to guide those interested in beer culture, including its historic and artistic aspects!!!!
Me? Just like to quench my thirst especially if dining on New Mexican, Polish, and Irish Yum Yums. Could be a PBR or Carlsberg! Elsewise, prefer a Margarita or White Russian.
Speaking of Margaritas: we really need to get Big G involved in legislation (given they are doing nothing else) regarding this!!!!: Do you know the def of “margaritaceous”? I.e. having to do with margaritas???? Nope!!! 1. resembling mother-of-pearl; pearly!!!! What’s with that?
Oh Oh…why am I blabbing? What does Thrillist tell us is the best beer bar in NM (or elsewhere, lest you be soon vacationing)? http://tinyurl.com/hlm4u5q
Salud! on this Cinco de Mayo!