Category: Farmington

BreakfastBreakfast BurritosFarmingtonNative AmericanNew MexicoRating: Excellent

Juniper Coffee & Eatery – Farmington, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Before heading off for an overnight stay in Farmington back in February, 2023, I scoured the internet for suggestions on where to have breakfast.  My criteria was simple:  preferably a Navajo owned-and-operated eatery.  Restaurants who spell New Mexico’s official state vegetable “chili” wouldn’t be considered.  Yelp came through on its listing of the ten best restaurants for breakfast in Farmington.  At the very top of that list was Juniper Coffee and Eatery on College Blvd.  Little did I know how enthusiastically and overwhelmingly that choice would be endorsed later by people with whom I shared a dinner table and many laughs.  Serendipity certainly played a role in my breakfast venue of choice. Serendipity also played a role in that the address for the LorAmy’s Valentine’s Dining Experience presented by James Beard Award Finalist Justin Pioche and the address of Juniper Coffee and Eatery were one and the same.  Justin had borrowed the venue from his friends at Juniper for the exclusive one night Valentine’s Day extravaganza.  As the only unaccompanied diner at the event, I had the great privilege and blessing of being seated next to the great chef’s three aunts and one uncle.  When I asked them what Farmington restaurant…

2023 James Beard Foundation - "Best Chef - Southwest" FinalistFarmingtonFine DiningJames Beard Foundation (JBF) Award Nominees & WinnersNative AmericanNew MexicoRating: Exceptional

PIOCHE FOOD GROUP – Fruitland, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

As my friend and retired restaurateur Tom Hamilton and I watched the Pioche family prepare a meal for some twelve guests, we both marveled at the quiet efficiency of the kitchen.  A veteran of decades leading highly-regarded kitchens, Tom related that most kitchens are a loud and frenetic hive of activity amped up to high volume.  Communication among kitchen staff is an absolute must to ensure synchronicity, especially when multiple courses are being prepared.  Instead of the characteristic chaotic din of most restaurant kitchens, the Pioche family worked in harmony, focusing on the quiet, efficient, and harmonious execution of the multitudinous tasks involved in the preparation of  a nine-course meal. It probably shouldn’t have surprised us so much that the Pioche family worked in such consonance.  After all, a traditional traditional Navajo (Diné) approach to family and communication is deeply rooted in the concept of K’é, a system of kinship and connectivity. This approach emphasizes respect and collective responsibility.  While Chef Justin Pioche is  the marquee name, he deflects praise and credits his sister Tia and mom Janice.  He’ll tell you he can’t operate without them and he’s not just being modest.  Like concordant instruments in an orchestra, each family member…

FarmingtonItalianNew MexicoRating: N/R (Not Rated)

Joe’s Italian Restaurant – Farmington, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Is it disingenuous for restaurants to label themselves with titles and sobriquets they don’t quite (or at least not quite honestly) live up to?  (Politicians do it all the time, so why not restaurants?) Is it pretentious and haughty to use labels with which English-speaking diners might be impressed even though we don’t know what they mean?  Is it instead great marketing, a clever way to increase the number of guests?   It’s something I actually ponder when visiting Italian restaurants.  For example, when our friend Greg Hamilton introduced us to “Joe’s Restaurant” in Farmington, I momentarily wondered if it could possibly be good considering its humble name. Far too many Italian restaurants label themselves as trattorias, osterias and tavolas.  Not knowing what those labels mean, many of us are impressed, believing those terms must signify much more than an “ordinary” restaurant.  In truth, a trattoria is just a type of informal Italian restaurant known for its traditional, home-style, and regional cuisine served in a relaxed, family-like atmosphere).  An osteria is a simple Italian establishment traditionally focused on serving wine and light snacks, similar to a wine bar or pub.  A tavola calda (literally “hot table”), is an Italian cafeteria-style establishments…

BakeryBreakfast BurritosDonutsFarmingtonNew MexicoRating: N/R (Not Rated)

Johnny O’s Spudnuts – Farmington, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

When we tell fellow New Mexicans we lived in Mississippi for eight years, they look at us like we’ve lived in Mars.  Mississippi is not a dichotomy to many people in that they can’t think about anything good about it.  Most dredge up the Magnolia State’s ignominious past or they bring up stereotypes about the state’s literacy and education (despite Missisissipi’s public schools ranking higher than New Mexico’s).   We often feel we have to defend all that is good and wonderful about Mississippi…and there is a lot to love.  Foremost are the people.  We befriended and have remained friends with so many people along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  Most of them are God loving, God fearing people who love their country.  I stood with Mississippi when most of the rest of the country was protesting the Libyan invasion.  Throughout the Magnolia State, the American flag waved proudly. Okay, this blog is about celebrating food, not about politics.  Mississippi excels in the former department.  Contrary to the stereotype, not every food in the state is fried though we grew to love fried pickles, fried alligator, fried catfish, fried pickles…and of course, donuts made from potato flour.  To the detriment of…

AmericanFarmingtonNew MexicoNew Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail: 2011Rating: N/R (Not Rated)Sushi

Clancy’s Pub – Farmington, New Mexico

Gil Garduno2:42 PM

Characterized by writer Tom Wolfe as the “Me Decade” and derided by cynics as the “Disco Era,” the 1970s witnessed an explosion of copycat fast food chain restaurants and the birth of innovative fusion cuisine in many contemporary restaurants. Fusion cuisine is the inventive combination of diverse, sometimes disparate culinary traditions, techniques and ingredients to form an entirely new genre. In large metropolitan areas, particularly throughout California, the fusion of different cuisines became commonplace. Restaurants featuring the melding of French and Chinese cuisine were especially popular. Still other restaurants had their own ideas as to what constituted fusion cuisine. Instead of intermixing ingredients, they featured menus showcasing the cuisine of several genres. One such restaurant is Clancy’s Pub in Farmington, New Mexico. Though its name practically screams “Irish pub,” Clancy’s Pub is so much more. Founded in 1978, Clancy’s offers one of the most diverse and comprehensive menus you’ll find anywhere in New Mexico. It’s East meets West, surf meets turf, vegetarian meets meat lover, sweet meets savory, and so much more. Now, if you’re wondering if Clancy’s Pub is just another one of those restaurants which endeavors to “be all things to all people” and falls woefully short of…