In truth, the Blue
Dragon is a coffee house in the style of New Orleans or San Francisco
more so than it is a Cajun restaurant, but since it serves better Cajun
food than anyone else in Albuquerque, Cajun is as good a category as any
in which to place it.
This Dragon serves up
the best muffalatta
in town, by far--just the right amount of Italian olive salad on four
slices of bread (two slices if you wimp out and have only a half
muffalatta) with Genoa salami, ham, baby Swiss cheese and provolone.
The Dragon doesn't use the traditional muffalatta round bread,
substituting instead with Po' Boy French bread made by the Paris Bakery
just minutes away. During two visits the restaurant was out of Po'
Boy bread but the substitutes--chile cheese bread and sourdough
bread--were fabulous.
Want an interesting
pizza? Try the muffalatta pizza, replete with olive salad just
dripping with flavor (literally). The Mediterranean pizza with
Kalamata olives and feta cheese is also quite savory. Pizza can be
ordered with a traditional red sauce (marinara with fresh basil, Italian
herbs), a Cajun pesto sauce (pesto glaze sun dried tomato, red chile) or
the white glaze sauce (garlic and herb infused). These vegan
sauces, like much of the menu, emphasize healthy and fresh ingredients
with an organic touch.
Several eye-opening
breakfast pizzas grace the menu as well. The list of pizza
toppings allows you to be as creative as your imagination will allow you
to be with such exotic, non-traditional pizza choices as andouille
sausage (the restaurant truly has a Cajun soul).
When on the menu, the
gumbo is positively brimming with flavor and is much better than the one
served at local chain Cajun restaurants. The tomato basil soup,
made with crushed tomatoes and fresh basil is one of those soups you
crave on cold, winter days, but it's great any time.
The Blue Dragon
features all natural soft drinks made in New Mexico including the
refreshingly delicious Carrizozo cherry drink served cold over ice and
several smoothies. Among the smoothies, the aptly named "Sun
Salutation" is an invigorating mix of papaya, pineapple, honeydew
melon with a pinch of cardamom thrown in.
The Blue Dragon is a
quaint establishment frequented by ultra left-leaning students (who
appreciate the wi fi capabilities) of all ages and disciplines (me, I
study restaurants). The ambience is reminiscent of Maulpin's
Tales of the City. Even though eating here makes us feel
old beyond our ears, conservative beyond our political bent and parental
beyond our status, we love the food and the ambience.
