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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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Albuquerque / Chicken / Food Truck / New Mexico

Wing It Up – Albuquerque, New Mexico

November 1, 2020November 9, 2020 - 7 Comments.

Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern has nothing on my friend Ralph Guariglio. Zimmern who claims to love such “exotic cuisine” as fermented walrus anus probably wouldn’t touch some of the…er, interesting foods Ralph enjoyed during …

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Donuts / Santa Fe

Whoo’s Donuts – Santa Fe, New Mexico

August 29, 2020September 1, 2020 - 2 Comments.

When my corporate group had its employees, a high-performing contingent of information technology professionals, take a strengths assessment, the results were contrary to the stereotypes often painted about techno-geeks. None of us, for example, were …

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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 / Dog Friendly / Donuts / New Mexico

Bristol Doughnut Co. – Albuquerque, New Mexico

July 11, 2020July 13, 2020 - 3 Comments.

While most people speak with fond nostalgia about their first ride on a double-decker bus, the memories of our inaugural trip are tinged with horror that traumatizes us to this day. As with most visitors …

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Albuquerque / New Mexico / Popcorn / Specialty

The Cornivore Popcorn Company – Albuquerque, New Mexico

May 22, 2020July 21, 2020 - 13 Comments.

“Popcorn for breakfast! Why not? It’s a grain. It’s like grits, but with high self-esteem.” ~James Patterson The planet’s very first known popcorn aficionados may have expressed the sentiment “to the batcave”  long before Batman, …

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Albuquerque / Bernalillo / New Mexico / Paletas / Rio Rancho

The Paleta Bar – Bernalillo, New Mexico

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020 - 4 Comments.

A few decades ago, Mad Magazine (or was it Cracked) published a two-panel cartoon depicting a couple of gringo turistas visiting Mexico on a stifling summer day.  On the first panel, one turista tells the …

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Albuquerque / Chicken / Dog Friendly / New Mexico

Chile Chicken Nashville Hot Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 25, 2020April 25, 2020 - 20 Comments.

My brother Mario–seven years younger, much better looking and quite a bit smarter–and I have shared many memorable firsts. There was the time I taught him how to drive on our dad’s 1965 standard transmission …

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Albuquerque / Ice Cream / Mexican / New Mexico

Pop Fizz – Albuquerque, New Mexico

March 10, 2020May 25, 2020 - 5 Comments.

The geriatrically advanced among us who grew up during the golden age (1950s through the 1970s) of the “jingle” were constantly bombarded with earworm-inducing singing commercials, those catchy and memorable short tunes used to convey …

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Albuquerque / Candy / Chocolate

Theobroma Chocolatier – Albuquerque, New Mexico

November 23, 2019November 23, 2019 - 1 Comment

For many men, February 14th is the most dreaded day of the year. It’s a day in which our boundless capacity for bad taste comes to the fore. Though well-intentioned, when it comes to women …

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Albuquerque / Chicken / Dog Friendly / Fusion / New Mexico

Happy Chickenzz – Albuquerque, New Mexico

September 19, 2019September 21, 2019 - 12 Comments.

“And believe me, a good piece of chicken can make anybody believe in the existence of God.” ~Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Two things came to mind when my friend …

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Albuquerque / Chicken / Dog Friendly / Peruvian / Rated 24

Pollito Con Papas – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 28, 2019June 12, 2020 - 22 Comments.

I think a rotisserie is like a really morbid ferris wheel for chickens. It’s a strange piece of machinery. We will take the chicken, kill it, impale it and then rotate it. And I’ll be …

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American / Chicken / Texas

GUS’S WORLD-FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN – Austin, Texas

November 23, 2018November 29, 2018 - 4 Comments.

When I told my friend Carlos my Kim and I would be enjoying Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken during our trip to Austin, he quipped “when did Los Pollos Hermanos open a restaurant in Texas?”.  …

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American / Dog Friendly / Donuts / Texas / United States

Gourdough’s Public House – Austin, Texas

November 20, 2018November 22, 2018 - Leave a Comment

Donuts could have gone their entire existences fat, dumb and happy with a following–mostly cops, adult men my age (39) and households with annual incomes of less than $10,000–who expected nothing more out of them …

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American / Brunch / Chicken / Dog Friendly / Southern / Texas

Lucy’s Fried Chicken – Austin, Texas

November 19, 2018November 29, 2018 - 5 Comments.

“I‘m only eating the skins, so the chicken’s up for grabs.” ~Joey Tribbiani Several of my earliest memories of growing up in agrarian Peñasco, New Mexico involve chickens.  Some of those memories–such as getting viciously …

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Albuquerque / New Mexico / Popcorn / Specialty

Walker’s Popcorn Company – Albuquerque, New Mexico

August 4, 2018May 24, 2020 - 11 Comments.

Who doesn’t love popcorn? Along with hot dogs, apple pie, hamburgers and barbecue, it’s been an American favorite–or should I say tradition–for generations. A humble treat, popcorn can grow in other parts of the world …

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Albuquerque / Donuts

Rebel Donut – Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 18, 2018July 7, 2018 - 7 Comments.

Many years ago if someone proposed a wager of “dollars to donuts,” you might have been well advised to take it. The phrase “dollars to donuts” essentially meant the person proposing the wager thought he …

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Ice Cream / New Mexico / Santa Fe

La Lecheria New Mexico Craft Ice Cream – Santa Fe, New Mexico

June 10, 2017July 8, 2018 - 2 Comments.

Joey: What are you talking about? “One woman. That’s like saying there’s only one flavor of ice cream for you. Let me tell you something, Ross. There’s lots of flavors out there. There’s Rocky Road, …

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Candy / New Mexico / San Antonio / Specialty

San Antonio General Store – San Antonio, New Mexico

April 7, 2017July 8, 2018 - 9 Comments.

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, latte in the …

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Albuquerque / Chocolate / Food Network Eats New Mexico / Ice Cream / Rated 23

ChocGlitz & Cream – Albuquerque, New Mexico

October 30, 2016July 10, 2018 - 4 Comments.

To whom should you turn when you want a recommendation you can trust for great ice cream? Your natural inclination is probably to ask a kid. Kids, particularly those in the age group two through …

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Albuquerque / Chicken

Golden Pride Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 7, 2016February 2, 2020 - 11 Comments.

For years Albuquerque’s cruiser culture has made Central Avenue a favorite destination for showing off souped-up cars and causing windows to rattle and eardrums to throb from the pounding bass in audio systems that reverberate …

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Closed in 2016 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Hot Dogs / Ice Cream / Rio Rancho

Ice Cream Palace and Hot Dog World – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)

October 3, 2015July 15, 2018 - Leave a Comment

Nay-sayers, those nattering nabobs of negativism, have always had it in for hot dogs. First they plied us with horror stories and urban myths about what hot dogs are made of. Essentially, they decried, hot …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2015 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Ice Cream / Specialty

Chillz Frozen Custard – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

July 27, 2013July 16, 2018 - 16 Comments.

“Custard: A detestable substance produced by a malevolent conspiracy of the hen, the cow, and the cook.” Ambrose Bierce, American writer (1842-1914) The Devil’s Dictionary (1906) Ambrose Bierce’s scathing definition of custard is not necessarily …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2016 / Donuts / Gone But Not Forgotten / Specialty

Duke City Donuts – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

March 16, 2013July 17, 2018 - 12 Comments.

If you love donuts (and who doesn’t), you might want to consider being just a bit more generous when you see the ubiquitous Salvation Army bell-ringers and their familiar kettles standing in the chilly winter …

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Chicken / Kansas / Rated 25 / United States

Stroud’s Restaurant & Bar – Fairway, Kansas

September 7, 2012July 17, 2018 - 5 Comments.

Kansas City is often referred to as the “world’s barbecue capital.”  With more than 100 barbecue restaurants, its reputation for outstanding barbecue is known far and wide.  It’s not as commonly known that Kansas City …

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Popcorn / Rated 25 / Specialty

Garrett Popcorn Shop – Chicago, Illinois

September 5, 2012May 24, 2020 - 1 Comment

The favorite weather conditions for many Chicago natives correlates directly to their personal climatic ideals for standing in long lines. Chicagoans are a patient lot.  They’re used to standing in long lines, sometimes for as …

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Albuquerque / Chicken / Closed in 2014 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Specialty

El Pollo Picante – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

August 1, 2012July 17, 2018 - 6 Comments.

Pollo asado, marinated grilled chicken, has been a staple in Mexico for years, but save for those pockets within metropolitan areas heavily populated by scions of Mexico, it hasn’t made significant inroads throughout the fruited …

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Albuquerque / Chocolate

Chocolate Cartel – Albuquerque, New Mexico

June 4, 2011July 19, 2018 - 3 Comments.

“Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands — and then eat just one of the pieces.” Judith Viorst, American Author & Journalist “Betcha can’t eat just …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2011 / Donuts / Gone But Not Forgotten

GoNuts Donuts – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

November 20, 2010July 19, 2018 - 4 Comments.

Their Points of View. ‘Twixt optimist and pessimist The difference is droll; The optimist the doughnut sees – The pessimist the hole. – New York Sun, 1904 It’s almost deliciously ironic that the “Optimist’s Creed” …

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Closed in 2012 / Donuts / Gone But Not Forgotten / Illinois / Specialty

Apple Haus – Long Grove, Illinois (CLOSED)

October 12, 2010July 19, 2018 - 1 Comment

In grade school back in the 1960s, such characters as Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed filled my mind with wonder and awe as I learned to determine fact from fiction (a process I still employ …

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Albuquerque / Chicken / Closed in 2011 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Specialty

Wings ‘N Things – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

August 26, 2010July 19, 2018 - 21 Comments.

The “language of love.”  It can reduce the most eloquent of women to twaddling teeny boppers and the most macho of men to cooing grade schoolers.  It is most active–some would say most infantile–when the …

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Chocolate / Rated 24 / Santa Fe

Kakawa Chocolate House – Santa Fe, New Mexico

February 28, 2009July 22, 2018 - 11 Comments.

In a 1995 episode of Seinfeld, Kramer attempted to deduce George’s ATM code: “You’re a portly fellow, a bit long in the waistband.  So what’s your pleasure?  Is it the salty snacks you crave?  No, …

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Albuquerque / Bakery / Breakfast / Closed in 2012 / Donuts / Gone But Not Forgotten / Specialty

Paradise Donuts – Bosque Farms, New Mexico (CLOSED)

December 27, 2008July 22, 2018 - 2 Comments.

Though often boorish and crude, America’s favorite everyman philosopher Homer Simpson is prone to occasional bouts of insight. Who can argue with such Homeric sagacity as, “donuts, is there anything they can’t do.” At first …

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Ice Cream / Las Vegas, Nevada

Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop & Soda Fountain – Las Vegas, Nevada

February 21, 2008July 22, 2018 - 1 Comment

While Ghirardelli chocolate is available worldwide, there are only a few shop locations–mostly in California with outliers in Las Vegas, Chicago and in two Florida cities. Named after Italian chocolatier Domingo Ghirardelli who brought his …

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Albuquerque / Chicken / National Chain

Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 30, 2007July 22, 2018 - 5 Comments.

Shortly after Louisiana and Mississippi were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, one of the local television stations in South Louisiana actually aired an interview with a woman from New Orleans. The interviewer was a woman from …

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Candy / New Mexico / Santa Fe

Señor Murphy Candymaker – Santa Fe, New Mexico

April 29, 2007July 22, 2018 - 2 Comments.

In the Land of Enchantment, piñon is as valuable as gold if not more, particularly in recent years when drought conditions have ravaged acres of piñon forests.  Piñon trees produce good harvests every seven years …

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Albuquerque / Chicken / Closed in 2007 / Gone But Not Forgotten

Marco Pollo Charbroiled Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

October 29, 2006July 23, 2018 - Leave a Comment

While eating a store-bought rotisserie chicken is somewhat more appealing than than consuming the very last one of Quickie Mart’s perpetually rotating, alutaceous (seared to a leathery sheen under a heat lamp inferno) hot dogs, …

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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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