Modern General – Albuquerque, New Mexico
“I went to a general store but they wouldn’t let me buy anything specific.” ~Steven Wright While nay-sayers may regard …
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Vara Winery & Distillery – Albuquerque, New Mexico
In 1620, King Philip III of Spain issued a royal decree mandating that each of the 19 recognized New Mexican …
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Indigo Crow Cafe – Corrales, New Mexico
Now I lay myself down to sleep I pray oh lord my soul to keep Cause if I should die …
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Hannah & Nate’s – Albuquerque & Corrales, New Mexico
There are just some restaurants at which the stereotypical Ralph Cramden hungry man shouldn’t dine. Hannah & Nate’s might be …
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Freight House Kitchen & Tap – Bernalillo, New Mexico
Many of us look at an unused and timeworn historical building and a wave of nostalgia sweeps over us as …
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Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen – Santa Fe, New Mexico
My friend Schuyler jokes that because the diet of my formative years was mostly beans, chile and tortillas as well …
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Cantina Nueva – Garduños – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Garduños just can’t seem to keep up with the Joneses, at least in terms of familial propagation. The 2010 United …
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JAKE’S – Palm Springs, California
“Now i lay me down to sleep And pray the Lord my soul to keep If i die before i …
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Lucy’s Fried Chicken – Austin, Texas
“I‘m only eating the skins, so the chicken’s up for grabs.” ~Joey Tribbiani Several of my earliest memories of growing …
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Contigo – Austin, Texas
There are a phalanx of “best of” lists online and in print publications that celebrate restaurants deemed true stand-outs worthy …
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POKI POBLANO FUSION LOUNGE – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Starting with a raucous concert in 1954, the idiom “Elvis has left the building” was uttered at the conclusion of …
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The Point Grill – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)
“Get to the point!” Archie Bunker, the irascible curmudgeon on the 70’s sitcom All in the Family frequently chided his …
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Sugar Nymphs Bistro – Peñasco, New Mexico
Peñasco has always been the beautiful stepsister ignored by the dutiful suitors who prefer the company of Taos, its more …
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Seared – Albuquerque, New Mexico
While you might not be able to judge a book by its cover, sometimes a book title will resonate deeply …
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Cheeky’s – Palm Springs, California
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw is widely credited with the aphorism “England and the United States are two nations divided …
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66 Diner – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Known as “America’s Highway” and celebrated by author John Steinbeck as the “Mother Road,” the legendary Route 66 meandered across …
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Albuquerque / Brunch / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / Fine Dining / Gone But Not Forgotten / Italian
Scalo Northern Italian Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)
When we moved back to New Mexico on May 15, 1995, our first priority wasn’t where to live, but where …
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Nob Hill Bar & Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico
There’s talk on the street, it’s there to remind you, it doesn’t really matter which side you’re on You’re walking …
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Albuquerque / American / Breakfast / Brunch / Closed in 2017 / Dog Friendly / Food Network Eats New Mexico / Gone But Not Forgotten / Rated 25
Eli’s Place (formerly Sophia’s Place) – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)
NOTE: In March, 2018, Sophia’s Place reopened. Please click here for the updated review. Picture yourself as a first-year marketing …
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Chez Mamou – Santa Fe, New Mexico
When she asked me to repeat the name of the French restaurant where we were dining one slightly breezy Sunday …
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Standard Diner – Albuquerque, New Mexico
While New Mexico is most assuredly the Land of Enchantment, most locals also accept that it’s also the “land of …
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Slate Street Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico
In 2005, Slate Street and an eponymous bistro just north of Lomas became the toast (a garlicky bruschetta) of the …
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Jhett’s Restaurant – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)
In its halcyon days, the Chamisa Hills golf course and country club in Rio Rancho was considered one of the …
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Cinnamon Sugar and Spice Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Back in the dark ages when I grew up–long before America became the kinder, gentler Utopia it is today–it would …
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Cafe Fina – Santa Fe, New Mexico
Living in the Albuquerque metropolitan area, my nieces expect to stay home on those blustery winter days in which (gasp, …
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Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque’s Nob Hill district largely owes its emergence as the city’s first “suburb” to Route 66, the great Mother Road …
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Breakfast / Brunch / Closed in 2019 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Rated 25 / South Carolina / Southern / United States
Hominy Grill – Charleston, South Carolina (CLOSED)
In May, 2011, Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine invited some of the most prolific culinary bloggers across the country (including yours …
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Cafe Lush – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Urban Dictionary, that oft hilarious, veritable cornucopia of slang, jargon and streetwise lingo, defines “lush” as “someone who drinks a …
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Tune-up Café – Santa Fe, New Mexico
Dave Who? From 1981 until its closing in 2008, the converted residence at 1115 Hickox Street was the home of …
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Albuquerque / Breakfast / Brunch / Buffet / Closed in 2014 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Latin American
La Fonda Del Bosque – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)
In the millennium year, after years of planning and lobbying, the dream was finally realized of a haven dedicated to …
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Timbuctu Bistro – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)
Growing up in bucolic Peñasco back when fires were still started by rubbing two sticks together and mastodons roamed the …
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Gregorio’s Italian Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)
“The definitive recipe for any Italian dish has not yet appeared. We are still creating.” Luigi Barzini The categorization and …
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Ezra’s Place – Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)
When it comes to food, most bowling alleys strike out. Ardent keglers are subjected to such catastrophic “cuisine” as perpetually …
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Lucia – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)
There was a time the name “Hilton” didn’t conjure up images of a ditzy blonde airhead whose celebrity is based …
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Harry’s Roadhouse – Santa Fe, New Mexico
Roadhouses–great inns and restaurants located near major highways traversing the country–once dotted America’s fruited plain, offering respite and sustenance to …
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