Mesa Provisions – Albuquerque, New Mexico
When I started Gil’s Thrilling…way back in 1996, my goals were to celebrate New Mexico’s restaurant scene and to provide an escape from the mean-spirited dialogue so prevalent among petulant politicians who have long forgotten they work for us. I’ve tried not to lash out against politics through this medium I’m privileged to steward, but sometimes my frustration leaks out. For those occasions I apologize. I promise to try harder to focus on the joy I experience every time I dine with good friends. When I’m upset with the latest shenanigans in Washington, D.C. and Santa Fe, those friends buoy my spirits with convivial discourse over a great meal. Such was the case when I met Linda Johansen (my former boss and the doyenne of Information Technology at the University of New Mexico) for dinner at Mesa Provisions. You might think when IT propeller heads get together we’d talk shop for hours on end, but that’s not the case when Linda and I break bread. Linda may be even more passionate about gastronomy than this self-glossed gastronome. As a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) judge, she recently had the privilege of judging at the American Royal World Series…
