For convenience, if not for fiery
New Mexico authenticity, you can't beat La Placita, a
yawning restaurant housed in the historic Casa de Armijo hacienda on Old
Town Plaza. The Casa de Armijo was built in 1706 and occupied for
many generations by the prominent Armijo family.
Over the course of its three hundred
year existence, the three foot thick adobe walled structure also served
as a fort and a refuge before housing Armijo's mercantile store in which
gentlemen's linen underwear could be purchased for $1 and dainty ladies'
lace gloves sold for 10 cents a pair.
The Casa de Armijo was
restored to its present condition in 1930 when it was remodeled in
conformity to its venerable character. Serving as the La
Placita dining Rooms since 1931, it is one of the oldest continuous
serving restaurants in New Mexico.
Today, the sprawling edifice houses
several dining rooms, each replete with excellent examples of
Southwestern art. La Placita also plays host
to interesting paranormal
phenomena.
In
the foyer is a magnificent staircase imported from Spain by the family
patriarch for his daughter's wedding in 1872. The daughter's
wedding dress had a 30-foot train which must have draped from top to
bottom of the staircase as she wed at the staircase's foot.
The hacienda's center courtyard, long
since enclosed, includes an ancient cottonwood tree still living in the
center of the room. It's just one of the many things about La
Placita Dining Rooms that leaves tourists agape.
In fact, for people watching, there
are few spots in town as good as La Placita. Native Americans ply
their turquoise and silver wares on the restaurant's covered portal to
the delight of passers-by.
In the early 1980s, La Placita Dining
Rooms was
embroiled in a controversy of sorts when it lobbied successfully to
obtain a liquor license and
dispense alcohol in close proximity to Old Town's San Felipe De Neri
church. Today that controversy is a memory of the past with
margaritas and other adult libations flowing freely.
Years later,
Old Town neighbor the "Candy Lady" shop was involved in a
similarly contentious dispute with the church over the Candy Lady's sale
of risqué "for adults only" candy. 
The menu includes all
the New Mexican standards as well as some American food favorites.
Fajitas (a Texas creation) are a popular choice and one that prompts
copious head-turning as the wait staff parades them sizzling hot to a
diner's table.
La Placita's salsa is
cilantro laced and watery, making it difficult for the chips to stay
onboard. Most New Mexicans would consider it
"Anglosized" as in not at all piquant. It has the bite of Chef
Boyardee tomato sauce.
Not everything at La Placita caters to
touristy tastes. In fact, I don't know of many New Mexicans who
bring out-of-towners to this Old Town restaurant, but many tourists do
find it on their own. (It might do New Mexicans a world of good to
see Old Town through the eyes of bewildered tourists so that we can be
reminded of how good we truly have it.)
Fortunately both the red and green
chile are quite a bit more incendiary than the salsa, not that either
will give
Sadie's a run for its money in terms of
degree of heat. The red chile is usually more piquant than the
green, but for the best possible combination, order your meal "Christmas
style" (both red and green chile).
My favorite entree is
the breakfast burrito called Los Caballeros served all day long. Nearly a foot long and
more than an inch thick, a finely formed tortilla envelops the usual
breakfast burrito eggs, but La Placita changes things up a bit with
cubed, roasted potatoes and bacon strips instead of the typical hash
browns and bacon bits. With a nicely flavored Christmas style
chile,
it makes for an excellent meal.
Another popular
breakfast (or anytime) treat is El Jefe, two eggs (any style),
two grilled pork chops and fried potatoes. El Jefe, generally a
term of endearment which can be used to mean "the man," "the boss" or
"the father" is an appropriate term for this breakfast, especially "the
boss."
That's because
everything on this plate is generally delicious, prepared to your
exacting specifications. The fried potatoes are cubed and fried to
a crispy, golden sheen. The bone-in pork chops are thin with grill
marks that leave testament to their preparation style; they are
delicious.
Prodigious portions are
commonplace at La Placita. It's a wonder any tourist has the
energy to walk around after a hefty meal.
La
Placita Original Old Town Special, for example, is a prodigious
plate of two stuffed sopaipillas. One is stuffed with beef and
pinto beans and the other with chicken and pinto beans. Both are
topped with melted cheese and your choice of red or green chile (ask for
both). This is a lunch or dinner entree that can easily be shared
by two with room left over.
You definitely want
room left over for the restaurant's sopaipillas. These puffy
deep-fried treats are wonderful, especially if served piping hot.
It's amusing to see tourists trying to figure out what to do with (or
pronounce) sopaipillas. Fortunately an accommodating wait staff is
on hand to lend a hand. It's not unusual to see additional orders
placed for this uniquely wonderful New Mexico pastry treat.
Other dessert options
(if you have room) include natillas and a flan that is reputed to be
among the very best in the city. Rare is the diner who can finish
an entire meal and still have room for dessert. Rarer still is
someone who won't find at least one thing to enjoy about La Placita
Dining Rooms, an Albuquerque and New Mexico landmark.
