Papa Nacho’s – Albuquerque, New Mexico
“No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations …
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Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen – Santa Fe, New Mexico
My friend Schuyler jokes that because the diet of my formative years was mostly beans, chile and tortillas as well …
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FireBird Nashville Hot Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico
My brother Mario–seven years younger, much better looking and quite a bit smarter–and I have shared many memorable firsts. There …
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Pollito Con Papas – Albuquerque, New Mexico
I think a rotisserie is like a really morbid ferris wheel for chickens. It’s a strange piece of machinery. We …
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Oni Noodles – Albuquerque, New Mexico
In retrospect, the monsters and bogeymen who frightened impressionable children of my generation were pretty lame. Perhaps the most lame …
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Spring Rollin’ – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Reclusive American poet Emily Dickinson insisted a light exists in spring that’s not present at any other time of year. …
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The Last Call – Albuquerque, New Mexico
“Ah, but after the sunset, the dusk and the twilight, when shadows of night start to fall. They roll back …
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ABQ BBQ – Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico
“It was Kansas City but it was North Carolina I wanted; whole hog smoked low and slow over fruit woods …
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Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue – Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Whether it’s movies, Uber drivers or restaurants, human beings seem to predisposed to take stock in rankings and ratings. Be …
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Henry’s Barbecue – Artesia, New Mexico
“Texas. It’s Like A Whole Other Country.” That slogan, conceived by the Texas Tourism Department, appeared on television commercials, billboards, …
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Chef Toddzilla’s Gourmet Burgers – Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico is a stodgy conservative town where sidewalks are rolled up early. Change comes to the state’s fifth …
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The Farmacy – Albuquerque, New Mexico
In this age of “fake news,” biased media slants and unabashed tell-alls, the one recent headline which has pleased me …
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Cantina Nueva – Garduños – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Garduños just can’t seem to keep up with the Joneses, at least in terms of familial propagation. The 2010 United …
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Sixty Six Acres – Albuquerque, New Mexico
My high school football coach used to call his team “chiquitos pero picosos,” a Spanish term meaning “small but piquant” …
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Gobble This – Albuquerque, New Mexico
“Is there a sound on Earth as joyous as the pat-pat-pat from a Salvadoran kitchen, the gentle rhythm of a …
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High Point Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” …
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Punchy’s Wood-Fired Pizza – Albuquerque, New Mexico
In the parlance of the pugilist, “punchy” is synonymous with punch-drunk, the result of having been battered violently by an …
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The Kosmos – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Even though New Mexico’s license plates have been graced with the sobriquet “Land of Enchantment” since 1941, it didn’t become …
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AC3 – Palm Desert, California
Hollywood’s movie studio system of the 1920s and 30s contractually required its greatest glitterati to remain within 100 miles of Tinseltown’s …
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Sherman’s Deli & Bakery – Palm Springs & Palm Desert, California
Not everyone appreciated my friend Bob’s stark honesty as much as I did. For nearly twelve years, Bob was my …
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Grill A-Burger – Palm Desert, California
California may not have invented the hamburger, but a strong case could be made that no state has and continues …
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LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO – Palm Springs, California
How many times have you heard a transplant to the Land of Enchantment say it just doesn’t feel like Christmas …
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JAKE’S – Palm Springs, California
“Now i lay me down to sleep And pray the Lord my soul to keep If i die before i …
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Workshop Kitchen + Bar – Palm Springs, California
“Good restaurant design is about achieving equilibrium between the food, service and design – in effect telling a complete story.” …
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Shanghai Reds at the Fisherman’s Market & Grill – La Quinta, California
For years, fish tacos have been one of those popular, almost faddish obsessions which have garnered more attention and affection …
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Sammy C’s Rock ‘n’ Sports Pub & Grille – Gallup, New Mexico
Gallup, New Mexico is a city of dichotomies, contrasts and contradictions. As recently as the 1990s, Gallup was known as …
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Burger 21 – Albuquerque, New Mexico
“When people pile seven things onto one burger, it drives me nuts!” ~Bobby Flay Burger meals at the Garduño home …
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M’TUCCI’S MARKET & PIZZERIA – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Greek mythology recounts the story of Tantalus, progeny of a divine parent (Zeus himself) and a mortal one. Uniquely favored …
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Via 313 – Austin, Texas
It’s oft been said that among males (we’re such children), insults are a form of intimacy. Perhaps because of societal …
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Black’s Barbecue – Lockhart, Texas
Yabba-dabba-doo! After finishing another day of toiling at the quarry, Fred Flintsone rushes home to pick up his modern stone-age …
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Gourdough’s Public House – Austin, Texas
Donuts could have gone their entire existences fat, dumb and happy with a following–mostly cops, adult men my age (39) …
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Lucy’s Fried Chicken – Austin, Texas
“I‘m only eating the skins, so the chicken’s up for grabs.” ~Joey Tribbiani Several of my earliest memories of growing …
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Contigo – Austin, Texas
There are a phalanx of “best of” lists online and in print publications that celebrate restaurants deemed true stand-outs worthy …
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Watson’s BBQ – Tucumcari, New Mexico
The Wikipedia article on Eastern New Mexico describes the region as “mostly characterized by flat featureless terrain,” even likening it …
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Pho Garden – Rio Rancho, New Mexico
It should have been a point-counterpoint debate for the ages. My ideologically opposed and perpetually squabbling friends Carlos and Hien …
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Barbecue / Burgers / Dog Friendly / New Mexico / New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail: 2009 / New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail: 2011 / Rated 23
Sugar’s BBQ & Burgers – Embudo, New Mexico
The winding highway meandering along the murky Rio Grande through Embudo is among the most scenic in the state, particularly …
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