PHOTOS
COURTESY OF STEVE COLEMAN (Steve's
Gastronomic Web Page)
Note:
On June 5, 2006, El Bruno was consumed by a fire which destroyed the
very best New Mexican restaurant in northern New Mexico. El
Bruno's re-opened in early October, 2006, albeit in a smaller location
directly across from the original restaurant.
Fool that I am, I spent
half an hour pondering how best to describe El
Bruno's in alliterative prose--adobe abode of amazing
adovada, beguiling bastion of bountiful burritos, captivating citadel of
chile con queso, earthen edifice of enchanting enchiladas--and while El
Bruno is all of those and so much more, a simplified yet wholly accurate
description would be "one of the three or four best New Mexican
restaurants in the state (along with Chope's,
Perea's
Tijuana Bar & Restaurant and Rancho
de Chimayo)."
El Bruno's is almost
equidistant between Albuquerque and Farmington, about 75 miles away from
each. The drive is spectacular with a preponderance of scenic
vistas and an unbelievable, multi-hued topography that includes hulking
hoodoos (columns or pillars of bizarre shape caused by differential
erosion on rocks of different hardness) and the nipple shaped Cabezon
Peak, a dramatic 7,785 foot volcanic formation. The vistas may
remind you of colorful Navajo sand paintings.
El Bruno's is also an
excellent stopping point on the way to Chaco Canyon and indeed, on one
memorable visit to the epicenter of the Anasazi's world, we had lunch on
the way to Chaco and dinner on the way back. Just as Chaco Canyon
is steeped in legend, El Bruno's has culled a legendary reputation of
its own. In 2000, El Bruno's garnered recognition for crafting a Guinness
World Record largest burrito, tipping the scales at over
4,300 pounds.
While portions at El
Bruno's tend to be prodigious, most diners aren't out to set
records--unless it's for most enjoyment in one meal. The menu is
replete with New Mexican favorites, all of which exemplify the highest
standards of the genre.
El Bruno's salsa is
splendiferous, a magnificent medley of rich, red tomatoes and piquant
green chile. While the salsa is superb and you'll be tempted to
consume several bowlfuls, limit yourself to one then order the
restaurant's signature chile con queso. Not only is the creamy
chile con queso the best you've probably ever had, it's served with
crispy tostadas (fried flour tortillas) instead of chips. The
queso is enlivened with green chile that bites back.
The restaurant is
renown for serving some of, if not THE best carnitas in New Mexico.
Celebrated among patrons who have sampled these cubed carnivore's
delights, the carnitas are available in two dinner combinations: the
poetic sounding carnitas con papitas and the carnitas a la Mex which
come with rolled enchiladas, refried beans and homemade tortillas, all
of which are wonderful. What makes these carnitas incomparable is
the quality of the sirloin which has the charbroiled taste of an
outstanding steak. The papitas are silver dollar sized, dusted
with fiery red chile and on par with those served at Sadie's in
Albuquerque (meaning they're the best).
At El Bruno's, the
sopaipillas are to die for--whether you partake of these puffy treats as
a delicious dessert with honey or as an incomparable entree, stuffed
with chicken or beef and garnished with beans, cheese, chile, lettuce
and tomato.
Not surprisingly, the
ambience is superb (although what can truly compare to the unrivaled
scenery on the way to Cuba). We prefer visiting in the early
summer so we can dine on the charming and rustic patio (a canopy of
branches) but eating indoors isn't exactly "settling" as
you're surrounded by the enrapturing art of Taos artist Miguel Martinez
(renown for painting beauteous women with almond-shaped eyes) as well as
by charming antiques. Eating at El Bruno's is enchanting dining at
its best.
