Category: Rating: Outstanding

Outstanding–A stand-out; delivers a memorable dining experience through a harmonious blend of exceptional food, attentive service, and consistent quality

ItalianNew MexicoRating: OutstandingRio Rancho

Joe’s Pasta House – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:02 AM

Much as they might wish for it to happen, no restaurateur can make their restaurant THE hometown favorite.  It happens organically and it happens only by the unanimous will and consent of the people.  Similarly, it takes the acclamation of the dining public for a restaurant to become THE heartbeat of a community–where residents go to interact with one another in a convivial spirit of sharing a great meal. A restaurant has to prove itself every single time with every single guest.  It must offer a combination of memorable food, a homey look and feel and mostly, personable, attentive service. …

AlbuquerqueBreakfastBrunchJapaneseNew MexicoRating: Outstanding

Shoku House – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

My friend and frequent dining companion Bill Resnik has plied his project management skills throughout the world. His travels afforded him the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of cuisine and wine. You might think his culinary memories would be reserved for foods of the fine dining category.  You would be wrong.  One of the foods he frequently waxes poetic about is a simple egg salad sandwich that came from a vending machine at a convenience store in Japan.  It made such an impression on him that he obsessed about figuring out how to duplicate that sandwich.  With his engineering…

AlbuquerqueItalianNew MexicoPizzaRating: Outstanding

Seemo’s Slices Pizzeria & Market – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

College students are known for their poor and unhealthy eating habits. Without mom to ensure they get some semblance of a balanced and nutritious diet, students indulge in copious amounts of cheap foods such as burgers, ramen and pizza. A recent study found that 13 percent of Americans consume pizza on any given day. Right now college students are at the top of that list. About 20% to 22% of children and teens eat pizza on any given day, according to studies published in the medical journal Pediatrics. That doesn’t mean every single student eats a slice every 24 hours.…

AlbuquerqueFine DiningRating: Outstanding

The Artichoke Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno3:29 AM

“These things are just plain annoying. After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual “food” out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps. Have the shrimp cocktail instead.” – Miss Piggy Miss Piggy, that shrill and garrulous walking side of bacon, may not appreciate the humble artichoke much, but among both health conscious and discerning diners, the artichoke has long been a healthful and delicious dining option. Considered a “super food” for its high antioxidant, fiber, potassium, phosphorous, iron, calcium and magnesium content, artichokes have long been used…

Diners Drive-Ins and DivesFood Network Eats New MexicoMexicanRating: OutstandingTaos County

Antonio’s: A Taste of Mexico – Taos, New Mexico

Gil Garduno10:16 PM

In Veracruz, Mexico, the kitchen fire and the hearth are sacred. The “Women of Smoke” is a beautiful, poetic tribute to the grandmothers, mothers, and daughters who spend their entire lives sitting in front of wood-fired stoves, breathing in the woodsmoke as they cook. For generations, the smoke became a literal part of who they were—weaving into their clothes, their hair, and their skin.  Though the poem exclusively honors women, perhaps the progeny of one of them is Antonio Matus, chef and owner of the eponymous Antonio’s: A Taste of Mexico in Taos, New Mexico.  Like the ode, Antonio is…

AlbuquerqueAsianNew MexicoRating: OutstandingVietnamese

Saigon City – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:02 AM

My brother in blogging Ryan Cook describes his first day in Vietnam: “So, my first stop in Vietnam was the capital, Hanoi. My honest first impressions… what the hell have I let myself in for. Seriously…The roads are chaos! The ride from the airport to the hostel was basically 40 minutes of holding my breath and cringing. How someone wasn’t killed in front of my eyes was a miracle! However, this is something you later don’t even bat an eyelid at after a day or two. Throughout the country, the roads are all complete lawless chaos…BUT it works! Everyone is…

ArizonaDiners Drive-Ins and DivesItalianPizzaRating: OutstandingUnited States

Fat Olives – Flagstaff, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Several years and a couple of tons ago, my friend “Macho” Mike Moretti and I were the type of trenchermen that all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurants feared so much they established strict time limits.  When a German restaurant on San Mateo offered a free dessert to any diner who could finish a gargantuan combination plate, we easily surmounted the challenge and asked for seconds.  Perhaps our most impressive culinary conquest transpired when Pizza Inn offered a “order one pizza, get the next size free” deal.  We ordered an extra large pizza and a large pizza then polished them off.  That was the…

ArizonaGelatoItalianPizzaRating: OutstandingUnited States

Gelato Dolce Vita & Italian Grocer – Mesa, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

“La Grassa” (The Fat One) is the nickname of Bologna, Italy.  While that sobriquet may seem unflattering, Bologna bears it with honor.  This city in the north-central region of the country is considered the “gastronomic heart of Italy,” a place where food is an art form and a passion.   This may be best exemplified by one of the foods born in Bologna.  I’m talking, of course, about gelato.  Throughout “Lo Stivale” (the boot, a nickname bestowed upon Italy because the shape of the peninsula resembles a high-heeled boot) gelato is revered.  Not surprisingly, Bologna is not only the home of…

ArizonaDonutsIce CreamRating: OutstandingSpecialtyUnited States

Novel Ice Cream – Mesa, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:02 AM

In the Season 8 finale of Seinfeld, Kramer attends the Tony Awards (for Excellence in Theatre) ceremony as a seat filler for a nominee who leaves his seat. When the musical Scarsdale Surprise wins, the excited actual winners surge past his row and pull him onto the stage. Kramer accepts the award, starts celebrating, and famously declares that “the Tony is taking me to Sardi’s!” Producers of the show find Kramer and tell him he can only keep the award if he fires the show’s star, Raquel Welch, because she does not move her arms when she dances. Kramer nervously…

ArizonaFilipinoRating: OutstandingUnited States

Tambayan Filipino Food – Mesa, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

When my Kim required physical therapy after a brief hospitalization, extraordinary physical therapist Lana Ramos was dispatched to our home where she worked with my Kim for several weeks.  Lana was wonderful–a superb and patient coach for my injured bride and a knowledgeable and patient source of knowledge for me.  Having been around many Air Force colleagues married to Filipino women, I developed a fondness for both the culture and cuisine of the Philippines.  Lana reignited that fondness by answering my questions and clarifying a few misconceptions I had.  When my Kim successfully completed her physical therapy, Lana prepared lumpia…

ArizonaDog FriendlyRating: OutstandingSandwichUnited States

PANE BIANCO – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

When she lived in Tucson, Arizona Republic dining critic Andi Berlin would drive nearly two hours  to Phoenix to enjoy foods that can’t be found anywhere else in Arizona.  One of her five favorites held such sway over her that she actually moved to the Valley of the Sun so that she could enjoy it more often.  Now that’s a gastronome after my own heart!  Among the cinquefoil restaurants was Pane Bianco, whose sandwiches Andi says “are so perfect that they’ve achieved cult status.”  Perfect sandwiches!  Hmm, that’s a good reason to relocate and maybe the reason the Phoenix real estate market…