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January 26, 2021

Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1201 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 11,700 Visitor Comments…And Counting!

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Gone But Not Forgotten

Albuquerque / Chocolate / Closed in 2020 / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico / Specialty

Cocoa Flora – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

July 27, 2020November 18, 2020 - 3 Comments.

In a 1995 episode of Seinfeld fittingly titled “The Switch” Jerry asked his devious friend George Costanza how he could switch from dating Sandy, a dour woman who didn’t laugh to dating her roommate Laura, …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2020 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Mexican / New Mexico / Tacos

Dia De Los Takos – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

December 5, 2019August 18, 2020 - 19 Comments.

NOTE: Although Dia De Los Takos has closed, founder-owner-chef Dominic “Dom” Valuenzuela has launched a new restaurant called Tako Ten.  Look for a review soon. Felix, a character in Adi Alsaid’s young adult fiction book …

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Albuquerque / American / Closed in 2020 / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

Seasonal Palate – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

November 6, 2019June 9, 2020 - 1 Comment

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck …

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Albuquerque / Breakfast / Closed in 2020 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Hot Dogs / New Mexico / Sandwich

AK Deli – Albuquerque, New Mexico

October 15, 2019November 14, 2020 - 33 Comments.

NOTE: Although AK Deli shuttered its doors in 2020, you can still have many of its wonderful sandwiches at AK Pizza. “You’ll never be one of us,” my brother-in-law Chuck quipped in his best Baron …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2020 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Steak

The Cooperage – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

September 26, 2019April 2, 2020 - 20 Comments.

Reading my sisters’ Archie comic books on the sly 30 plus years ago taught me two things. First, it taught me that teenage boys shouldn’t admit to ever reading Archie much less admit to preferring …

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American / Bernalillo / Brunch / Closed in 2020 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

Freight House Kitchen & Tap – Bernalillo, New Mexico (CLOSED)

September 21, 2019August 4, 2020 - 11 Comments.

Many of us look at an unused and timeworn historical building and a wave of nostalgia sweeps over us as we imagine what life was like when that building teemed with activity. Some see such …

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Albuquerque / American / Breakfast / Closed in 2019 / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

The Kitchen by 135 Degrees – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

August 21, 2019December 12, 2019 - 14 Comments.

Note from The Kitchen by 135 Degrees Facebook Page: 12 December 2019 : The Kitchen by 135 Degrees will be closing to the public to focus on catering and private events at our location. We …

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Albuquerque / American / Bar & Grill / Brewery-Pub / Closed in 2020 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

1933 Brewing Co. – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)

August 16, 2019May 30, 2020 - 11 Comments.

“Why don’t they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as well as prohibition did, in five years Americans would be the smartest race of people on Earth.” ~Will Rogers …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / Mexican / New Mexican / New Mexico / Rated 24

Sophia’s – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

June 19, 2019October 16, 2020 - 27 Comments.

Exterior signage for Dennis Apodaca’s new restaurant venture sports the name of the previous tenant, a short-lived eatery named MIXX. In a February blurb announcing Dennis’s return, the Albuquerque Journal called his new venture “REMIXX.” …

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Albuquerque / Burgers / Closed in 2020 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Hot Dogs / New Mexico

Burque’s Burgers & Dawgs – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

June 13, 2019June 22, 2020 - 3 Comments.

A 2016 quality of life survey conducted by the city of Albuquerque revealed that denizens of the Duke City are split pretty much down the middle when it comes to the nickname “Burque” (which, by …

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Breakfast / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico / Steak

Ponderosa Family Restaurant & Grill- Tijeras, New Mexico (CLOSED)

June 8, 2019January 13, 2020 - 9 Comments.

The teeth, tail and eye of the tiger caused quite an uproar in the Sandia National Forest near Tijeras, New Mexico back in 2015 and it made the national news. A mountain biker took a …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2019 / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico / Vietnamese

Pho 505 – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

April 19, 2019July 8, 2019 - 5 Comments.

“Eating slowly is good for the stomach; plowing deeply is good for the fields.” ~Vietnamese Proverb Imagine if the village of Hatch was granted a trademark that awarded it exclusive rights to the name “chile.”  …

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Albuquerque / Barbecue / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

ABQ BBQ – Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

March 17, 2019June 28, 2019 - 5 Comments.

“It was Kansas City but it was North Carolina I wanted; whole hog smoked low and slow over fruit woods and doused liberally with a vinegar-based sauce. It was North Carolina but it was Texas …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Closed in 2020 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Korean / National Chain / New Mexico

Bonchon – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

February 28, 2019May 21, 2020 - 8 Comments.

Hawkeye Pierce had a very unique (and very sarcastic) take on the Korean War: “I just don’t know why they’re shooting at us. All we want to do is bring them democracy and white bread. …

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Albuquerque / Brunch / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / Mexican / New Mexican / New Mexico

Cantina Nueva – Garduños – Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 9, 2019August 24, 2019 - 4 Comments.

Garduños just can’t seem to keep up with the Joneses, at least in terms of familial propagation. The 2010 United States Census indicates more than a million instances (1,425,470 to be precise) of the surname …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / Italian / New Mexico / Rated 25

M’TUCCI’S MARKET & PIZZERIA – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

December 9, 2018November 30, 2019 - 27 Comments.

NOTE:  Because of the heightened demand for M’tucci’s meats, cheeses, breads and shrubs, on 30 November 2019, M’tucci’s Italian Café & Market will close its retail operation and begin its conversion to a wholesale operation.  …

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Closed in 2019 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Mariscos / Mexican / New Mexico

El Agave – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)

November 30, 2018July 15, 2019 - 5 Comments.

“Why, this here sauce is made in New York City!” “New York City? Git a rope!” No matter how broad-minded we may perceive ourselves to be, most of us are burdened by covert biases and …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Brunch / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / Hawaiian / Latin American / New Mexico / Rated 25

POKI POBLANO FUSION LOUNGE – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

October 28, 2018July 22, 2020 - 9 Comments.

Starting with a raucous concert in 1954, the idiom “Elvis has left the building” was uttered at the conclusion of many of Elvis Presley’s concerts to encourage rabid fans to accept that no further encores …

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Albuquerque / Breakfast / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / French / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

Crepe Crepe – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

September 22, 2018February 16, 2019 - 3 Comments.

Richard Olney, a cookbook author best known for his books on French country cooking described crepes thusly: “their greatest pitfalls derive, no doubt, from their versatility — not in itself a fault, but a quality that …

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American / Bar & Grill / Brunch / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico / Rio Rancho

The Point Grill – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)

August 5, 2018September 24, 2018 - 20 Comments.

“Get to the point!” Archie Bunker, the irascible curmudgeon on the 70’s sitcom All in the Family frequently chided his doting wife Edith with the epithet “Get to the Point, Edith!” One of the series …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Closed in 2020 / Fusion / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

Plum Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

August 1, 2018April 25, 2020 - 3 Comments.

“The branches of the aspen plum To and fro they sway How can I not think of her? But home is far away,” – Confucius According to Urban Farm Online, “plums were domesticated in China …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / Fusion / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico / Vietnamese

Cafe Nom Nom – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

July 28, 2018July 8, 2019 - Leave a Comment

“Nom nom.” It sounds innocent enough. Parents–yes, including parents of four-legged fur babies–utter it in baby talk intonations to get our children to eat something, especially when that something is “good for them” but doesn’t …

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Closed in 2020 / Corrales / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexican / New Mexico / Steak

Las Ristras Restaurant – Corrales, New Mexico (CLOSED)

May 20, 2018July 24, 2020 - 20 Comments.

Based on interviews conducted with Hollywood luminaries who’ve starred in movies or television shows shot in New Mexico, you might think our state either doesn’t have a symbol of hospitality or that symbol is something …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / Mexican / New Mexico

Krazy Lizard – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

May 11, 2018November 21, 2019 - 1 Comment

I count in almost equal measure, friends, family members and colleagues who label themselves as either militant liberals or staunch conservatives. Despite what they may think, they have more in common than they’d ever admit. …

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Asian / Chinese / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Sushi

528 Sushi & Asian Cuisine – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

April 20, 2018July 14, 2018 - 11 Comments.

“No lady likes to snuggle and dine accompanied by a porcupine.” “He lit a match to check gas tank. They call him skinless Frank.” “A man, a miss, a car, a curve. He kissed the …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2020 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / Italian / New Mexico / Rated 24

Farmhouse 21 – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

April 14, 2018July 26, 2020 - 4 Comments.

I love Italian food but that’s too generic a term for what’s available now: you have to narrow it down to Tuscan, Sicilian, and so on.” ~ Lee Child, Author “You don’t want to be …

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Albuquerque / Brewery-Pub / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

Tap That – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

April 7, 2018October 9, 2019 - 8 Comments.

In my review of the Corrales Bistro Brewery, you were introduced to “Le Cochon,” a self-professed God’s gift to women, lady killer, playboy, seducer, Lothario and otherwise philanderer nonpareil. To my knowledge, Le Cochon is …

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Albuquerque / American / Closed in 2018 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico / Southern

South Bourbon Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

March 17, 2018July 7, 2018 - 8 Comments.

“I got a plate of chicken and taters and a lot of stuff like that All, all I need is a biscuit, but I wish you’d look where they’re at I guess I could reach …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Italian / New Mexico

Il Bosco – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

March 4, 2018September 21, 2018 - 4 Comments.

The customer in the Italian restaurant was so pleased that he asked to speak to the chef. The owner proudly led him into the kitchen and introduced him to the chef. “Your veal parmigiana was …

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Albuquerque / American / Burgers / Closed in 2018 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico / Pizza

Groundstone – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

February 21, 2018October 11, 2018 - 18 Comments.

Kids say the darnedest things. That was the premise of popular radio and television shows hosted by Art Linkletter from the mid 1940s through 1969. Linkletter would engage children (usually aged three to eight) in …

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Barbecue / Closed in 2019 / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico / Rated 23 / Rio Rancho

Stack House BBQ – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)

February 18, 2018July 15, 2019 - 10 Comments.

One of my Psychology professors cautioned students about the danger of “amateur diagnosis,” the practice of assigning specific psychoses and neuroses to people we meet solely on the basis of our cursory familiarity with the …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Rated 23

Philly’s N Fries – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED: May 18, 2018)

February 9, 2018October 13, 2018 - 29 Comments.

Over the years, my Kim and I have had the privilege and honor of getting to know and love many wonderful restaurateurs who put their hearts and souls into feeding their guests and giving them …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Mediterranean / New Mexico

Bayti Mediterranean Delicacies – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

February 6, 2018October 28, 2018 - 3 Comments.

“Ashlan Wa Sahlan” (Welcome) “Sahteyn” (Twice Your Health, Bon Apetit) “t’faddalou” (Welcome to the Table, Dinner is Served) How can you not love a culture in which there are numerous beautiful expressions associated with hospitality …

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Albuquerque / American / Closed in 2018 / Dog Friendly / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

Devon’s Pop Smoke Wood Fired Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

January 20, 2018September 22, 2018 - 5 Comments.

The book of Genesis in the Old Testament explains that after the great flood, God commanded humankind to “increase in number and fill the Earth” (be fruitful and multiply, if you prefer). Instead, humanity decided …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / Closed in 2020 / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

The Birds Paradise Hot Pot – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 12, 2018November 11, 2020 - 4 Comments.

It was 2:15AM on a workday, a full four hours before my dreaded alarm clock was set to utter a tone surpassed for annoyance only by the screechy prattle on The View. Inexplicably my brain …

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Albuquerque / Barbecue / Closed in 2019 / Dog Friendly / New Mexico

TFK Smokehouse & Art Barn – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

December 16, 2017January 14, 2019 - 14 Comments.

Every summer, a predictable ritual takes place. After hibernating comfortably since the previous autumn, men attired in aprons emblazoned with the slogan “kiss the cook” will selflessly volunteer to “cook” a meal. This, of course, …

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Most Recent Visits

M’Tucci’s Twenty-Five – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 23, 2021January 25, 2021

Urbano Pasta Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 18, 2021January 22, 2021

Marigold Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 13, 2021January 16, 2021

Dragon House – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 9, 2021January 13, 2021

Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 6, 2021January 10, 2021

Bibo Bar & Grille – Bibo, New Mexico

January 5, 2021January 6, 2021

Nena’s Food – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 2, 2021January 22, 2021

Red or Green: New Mexico’s Food Scene Was On Fire in 2020

January 1, 2021January 6, 2021

Gil’s “Best of the Best” For 2020

December 30, 2020January 8, 2021

Haus Murphy’s – Glendale, Arizona

December 27, 2020January 10, 2021

Richardson’s Cuisine of New Mexico – Phoenix, Arizona

December 26, 2020January 10, 2021

Fat Ox – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 25, 2020January 18, 2021

DeFalco’s Deli: Italian Eatery & Grocery – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 24, 2020January 10, 2021

Barrio Cafe – Phoenix, Arizona

December 23, 2020January 10, 2021

Cornish Pasty Company – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 22, 2020December 24, 2020

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