Category: Albuquerque

AlbuquerqueAmericanClosed in 2008Gone But Not ForgottenNew Mexico

The Cup – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno10:05 AM

Back in the mid 70s, anyone in Albuquerque’s southeast quadrant who wanted privacy knew they could find it at the Burger Chef restaurant in the Gibson and San Mateo area. It was the place in which employees from nearby Sandia and Kirtland conducted one-on-one meetings when they didn’t want to be disturbed. Once a burgeoning franchise second only to McDonald’s in the fast food arena, Burger Chef was in a state of rapid decline and even during lunch hours, few diners patronized it. Our inaugural dining experience at The Cup awakened memories of Burger Chef and the sheer feeling of aloneness I once felt when on the receiving side of bad news (the “Dear John” kind). That’s because on a Friday night when every other restaurant along the Pan American frontage road was overflowing with hungry patrons, we were the only diners at The Cup for nearly forty minutes. Considering The Cup is sister restaurant to the popular Gold Street Caffe, the emptiness seemed like something out of the Twilight Zone. We’re talking the Gold Street Caffe here–one of downtown Duke City’s darling dining destinations, the restaurant with the very best bacon (the thick cut honey chile glazed marvel) in…

AlbuquerqueClosed in 2008Gone But Not ForgottenHot Dogs

Hot Diggity – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno2:59 AM

Oh, hot diggity, dog ziggity, boom what you do to me How my future will shine Hot diggity, dog ziggity, boom what you do to me From the moment you’re mine HOT DOG!! In an age of auditory bombardment, we all occasionally experience a phenomenon known as an “earworm.” Earworm is a literal translation of a German term for a song (particularly an annoying one) stuck in someone’s head. For some it’s the Gilligan’s Island theme song. For others, it might be “It’s a Small World” or the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.” You can guess what earworm infested me the first time I drove by Hot Diggity, a 60s style diner in Albuquerque’s industrial north valley. I hadn’t thought of Hot Diggity (the number one song in 1956 by crooner Perry Como) in a long time but couldn’t get it out of my head after driving by the Edith Boulevard diner of that name. (Hopefully reading this doesn’t introduce the Hot Diggity earworm into your life, but if it means introducing you to Hot Diggity, the restaurant, it might be worth it.) Brothers Steve and Vince Drouillard launched Hot Diggity in October, 2006 and have been winning over hungry patrons since…

AlbuquerqueBrazilianBuffetClosed in 2008Gone But Not Forgotten

Asado Brazilian Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno3:33 AM

When it comes to diplomatic coups, one of the least known for which President George Herbert Walker Bush is credited is the introduction to the United States of the popular Brazilian Churrascaria (steakhouse) Fogo de Chão (literally Fire of the Ground). During a visit to São Paulo, Brazil, the 41st President of the United States was so impressed by the unique dining concept that he told the owners a restaurant like theirs would go over big in his home state of Texas where as in Brazil, beef is king.  As one of the first Churrascarias to open in the United States, the Dallas Fogo de Chao helped blaze the way for other Churrascarias throughout the country. The first to open in Albuquerque was Tucano’s Brazilian Grill which launched in 2000.  In May four years later, Asado Brazilian Grill opened along restaurant row on Albuquerque’s Pan American Freeway West. Albuquerque’s Asado was actually the second in the state, launching more than a year after its sister Santa Fe restaurant (which closed in late 2005).  Still a third Asado is located in Evanston, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. The Churrasco tradition has its genesis in the Pampas, an extensive grass-covered plain in…

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Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno2:49 AM

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 a Boston affiliate, so she asked the interviewee how such total and complete devastation of the churches in the area had affected their lives.  The woman replied,” I don’t know about all those other people but we get our chicken from Popeye’s.” The look on the interviewer’s face was priceless.  That anecdote rings with truism Contrary to the images the name might conjure, Popeye’s is not a nautical themed restaurant which serves spinach.  That might be why the restaurant’s full appellation is “Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits.”  In reality, Popeye’s is named for the irascible character Popeye Doyle from the movie “The French Connection.”   It is the brainchild of restaurant impresario Al Copeland who founded the New Orleans style poultry palace in 1972 after a failed venture featuring mild, Southern-fried chicken. New Orleans style chicken is imbued with the exciting, spicy flavor about which Cajuns are passionate.  In our eight years of living in Mississippi, we rarely dined at Popeye’s, preferring local alternatives with even more…

AlbuquerqueClosed in 2008CubanGone But Not Forgotten

Don Yasmany Cuban Restaurant & Bakery – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno4:26 PM

Cuando salí de Cuba, dejé mi vida dejé mi amor. Cuando salí de Cuba, dejé enterrado mi corazón. When I left Cuba I left my life, I left my love When I left Cuba I buried my heart. In a powerful expression of hope, frustration, nostalgia and introspection, the song Cuando Sali De Cuba reflects the heartfelt anguish and pain felt by every Cuban I’ve ever met who left their beloved Cuban homeland to escape persecution and oppression. It’s the spirit of Jose Marti, often referred to as the “Apostle of Cuban independence” and renown in literary circles as perhaps the greatest Hispanic poet and writer of all time. Marti posited that “Like bones to the human body, the axle to the wheel, the wing to the bird, and the air to the wing, so is liberty the essence of life.” National pride is alive in the heart and soul of all Cuban refugees, some of whom migrated to Albuquerque under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s Catholic Charities Immigration Project. Though many Cubans have acculturated and become enterprising and productive United States citizens, the yen to someday return to a Cuba free of oppression and tyranny remains…

AlbuquerqueClosed in 2011Gone But Not ForgottenSouthwestern

Casa Chaco – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno7:52 PM

In A.D. 850, the ancient Anasazi began building the pueblos archaeologists posit were the hub of an ancient culture inhabited in its heyday by more than 5,000 people. By A.D. 1000, Chaco Canyon was the flourishing heart of religious and governmental life for an advanced culture that has since been assimilated by Native American pueblos dotting the Rio Grande valley. Using remote sensing technology, archaeologists discovered roads radiating from Chaco Canyon like the spokes of the wheel, connecting the canyon with almost 100 Chacoan outliers. In modern-day Albuquerque, the rambling Hilton hotel has also become a hub of activity (more than 27,000 square feet of flexible meeting space) and like Chaco, is on the intersection of heavily traversed thoroughfares. It’s perhaps only fitting that one of its two signature restaurants is named for the “ancient ones.” Casa Chaco is tastefully decorated with Native American art, including the full regalia of Indian women and children. On some nights, the dining experience at Casa Chaco is further enhanced by the mellifluous presence of Hector Pimental and the soothing stylings of his guitar. Similar to the Rancher’s Club, its sister Hilton restaurant, Casa Chaco places you in the lap of luxury with attentive…

AlbuquerqueClosed in 2008Gone But Not ForgottenMariscosMexican

Adelita’s Mexican Restaurant – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno4:26 PM

No matter where you travel in Latin America, you’ll find grilled meat (carne asada) on the menu. Restaurants called parrillas which specialize in grilled foods also grill seafood (mariscos) and poultry. Particularly popular in Argentina and Colombia, the mixed grill called Parrillada Mixta (or just parrillada) can be any combination of grilled meats, poultry and seafood. My inaugural experience with parrillada in San Antonio, Texas left such a huge impression on my taste buds that I behave like Pavlov’s dogs upon seeing it on a menu. More often than not, I’m left disappointed because my very first parrillada set a nonpareil standard for excellence. At Adelita’s, a Mexican restaurant launched in 2004, parrillada is on the menu in three incarnations–parrillada de carne asada, parrillada de mariscos and parrillada mar y tierra (sea and land). While it’s not nearly as wonderful as in San Antonio, Adelita’s one of the few restaurants in New Mexico we’ve found which even offers parrillada. Served on an unheated metal grill, it is intended and enough for two people. Adelita’s version of carne asada parrillada features carne asada, sausage, onions, green peppers and tomatoes, all grilled exceptionally well. Included with the parrillada are your choice of…

AlbuquerqueClosed in 2008Gone But Not ForgottenThai

Thai Basil – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno11:21 PM

Lemongrass, mint, ginger, lime, chile peppers and particularly Thai basil combine in congruent deliciousness to make Thai cuisine among the most popular ethnic cuisines in North America. As one of the most popular culinary herbs in the world, basil is a richly aromatic, slightly spicy ameliorant to many of the best dishes proffered at all Thai restaurants.  Also known as “hairy basil” and by its Thai name of “horapa”, it is used in salads, soups, curries and as a garnish. The aroma of Thai basil is stronger and sweeter than its Italian counterpart and it has a peppery flavor slightly reminiscent of star anise.  Vietnamese cooking also relies heavily on Thai basil.  It’s no wonder so many Thai restaurants across the country are named for this diverse and revered herb. Albuquerque’s Thai Basil restaurant launched in 2004 on the site of the popular Thai Kitchen which closed earlier in the year.  Owned and operated by California transplants well versed in the art of Thai cuisine, it quickly established a reputation as one of the city’s best new restaurants. The Thai Basil restaurant is perhaps more sparsely decorated than other Thai restaurants in town, but what festoons its walls is very…

AlbuquerqueClosed in 2008Gone But Not ForgottenNew MexicoSteak

Great American Steakhouse – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno9:56 AM

Since the nineteenth century, land and cattle companies have been established throughout the west to buy, sell and lease land for grazing and breeding beef cattle. During years of ample water, high beef prices and fortuitous grace, profits are generally high. While most Albuquerque urbanites might not know or concern themselves with the history of cattle raising in the old west, they do know and appreciate great steak. For years they’ve been patronizing the Great American Land and Cattle Company on Tramway and Indian School. Starting in 2006, they won’t be able to do so. That’s because the restaurant has undergone a name change, one that better reflects the restaurant’s culinary fare (and I suspect prevents any confusion with the Texas Land And Cattle Company, a chain restaurant.) There’s another reason Albuquerque’s Great American Land and Cattle Company has changed its name to Great American Steakhouse. Jerry Wright, the restaurant’s affable co-owner once promised his mother that salad would never grace the menu at the Great American Land and Cattle Company (more about that salad later). The addition of salad to the menu is just one of the many changes at Albuquerque’s very best steakhouse. The Great American Steakhouse now…

AlbuquerqueClosed in 2008Gone But Not ForgottenIndianNew Mexico

Bombay Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno9:01 AM

The unmistakably pungent aroma of exotic spices wafts through the air and remains with you long after you’ve finished your meal at the Bombay Grill, a 2004 entrant in the growing northwest Albuquerque dining scene (which, unfortunately, is dominated by mediocre chains). That’s the last time you’ll see “mediocre” and Bombay Grill in the same sentence because this charming and outstanding Indian cuisine establishment is high on our “must return” list. There are many reasons for that and they’re certainly not encapsulated in the gargantuan lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is admittedly a wonderful way to introduce novitiates to one of the world’s most sophisticated and ancient cuisines, one that in which herbs and spices are used liberally to flavor each dish. Bombay Grill specializes in the cuisine of Northern India where dairy products such as paneer (a farmer’s cheese similar to cottage cheese), yoghurt and ghee (clarified butter) are typical ingredients. Chefs in Northern India also employ the tandoor, a large cylindrical coal-fired oven to prepare various flat “breads” such as naan and roti. The Bombay Grill occupies the site of a failed Chinese restaurant and though it can’t hide some of the architectural features of its predecessor, it…

AlbuquerqueAmericanBreakfastClosed in 2017Gone But Not ForgottenNew Mexico Culinary Treasures Trail

Murphy’s Mule Barn – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno5:09 AM

A mule is an animal with long funny ears he kicks up at anything he hears His back is brawny but his brain is weak he’s just plain stupid with a stubborn streak and by the way if you hate to go to school You may grow up to be a mule. – Bing Crosby Murphy’s law, a popular adage in Western culture is commonly formulated as “if anything can go wrong, it will.”  Murphy’s Mule Barn, a popular North Valley restaurant, hasn’t posited any law that I know of, but if it did, the law might read something like “friendly folks, great food, huge portions, small check.” Named for Murphy’s Mule Barn in Salina, Kansas, the restaurant celebrates all things mule in a cutesy sort of way with an ambience that includes barn implements such as stirrups, harnesses and other mule driving tools, many of the antique variety. Pictures of mules and ceramic statues of burros add rustic charm while posters by prominent New Mexico artist B.C. Nowlin give no indication that Nowlin, one of the restaurant’s most famous “local” patrons starts many a day with breakfast at Murphy’s before heading to his studio (and it’s a good bet…