After years of design and construction, Ex Novo new taproom and restaurant opened its doors in July, 2024.  The 11,500-square-foot edifice is broken into two levels.  On the first level, you’ll find  the restaurant, kitchen, taproom, indoor seating and a large patio.  A full-service bar with food service can be found upstairs in the spectacular mezzanine.  A large outdoor patio accommodates one-hundred guests and will eventually provide live music.   An adjacent  cafe and deli called Sammy’s Cafe & Deli.opened in October, 2024. Sammie’s offers an all-day breakfast menu as well as some of the most sought-after sandwiches imaginable (a pastrami reuben, banh mi, Italian, etc.)

Brought in to lead Ex Novo during its founding was Marc Quiñones, one of the most heralded and talented chefs in New Mexico.  At  Level 5 Rooftop Restaurant, Chef Quiñones conceptualized the idea of “Contemporary New Mexican Ranch Cuisine’ which celebrates New Mexico’s historical reliance on the bounty of the earth and its plentiful wildlife.  Chef Quiñones channeled the way New Mexicans preserved and prepared foods a century ago.  He brought that concept with him to Ex Novo.   The chef parted ways with Ex Novo not quite a year after having led the restaurant during its inaugural phase.  His next challenge is as Executive Chef at the renowned Michelin Guide recommended Guard and Grace Houston in downtown Houston, Texas.

Ex Novo, a term which means both “from scratch” and “something that did not exist before”  is an apropos term for the impressive venue that is helping make Downtown revitalization a reality.  As a brewery, Ex Novo has had a presence in New Mexico (Corrales) for several years and even relinquished its Oregon properties to focus on the Land of Enchantment.  Seeing how New Mexicans embraced Ex Novo’s libations, owner Joel Gregory conceived of a site which could complement brewery operations with outstanding cuisine.  His search came to fruition in 2021 with the discovery of an old Firestone tire store (circa 1930s) on the corner of Central and Seventh.

As a geritrically-advanced gentleman of 39, I found the vibe at Ex Novo unpretentious,  fun and yes, youthful.  We did espy a few blue-hairs, but didn’t hear anyone requesting Lawrence Welk music instead of the high-volume rock and roll. On a late Friday afternoon, the restaurant was about three-quarters full.   My Corrales compadre, the extraordinary photographer Bruce Terzes tells me parking is more accessible and the restaurant less boisterous during a late lunch early dinner on a Tuesday.  We found the staff accommodating, friendly and high-energy–a reflection of the chef for whom they work.

 THE FOOD

If you’re tired of experiencing sticker shock every time you peruse a restaurant’s menu, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how affordable Ex Novo is.  If I’ve said that before, it’s because it’s a point worth repeating.  Diners will quickly conclude there is no compromise to the integrity of the quality and the technique behind the very accessible menu.  As eloquently stated on Ex Novo’s website: “Diners can expect a menu that marries traditional Southwestern flavors with innovative techniques, resulting in dishes that are as visually stunning as they are delicious.”

Chef Quiñones once described Ex Novo’s culinary fare as “for New Mexico, it’s by New Mexico, and it honors ancestral New Mexican ingredients and our people.”  The menu offers both “small plates” and “large plates” at price points which will allow you to try a number of different items.  You owe it to yourself to sample as much as you can.  It’s all first-rate and served in a resplendent venue.  You’ll find yourself impressed and probably besotted by the experience and if you meet the larger-than-life chef, you might find yourself in awe.

Small Plates

27 September 2024:  Culinary historians claim that deep-fried egg rolls may have been invented in New York City’s Chinatown restaurants in the 1930s NOT in China.  Sadly, egg rolls at most Chinese restaurants across the fruited plain haven’t improved much since.  If you want a truly great egg roll, you once could visit Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro (closed in 2025) and ask for the duck confit egg rolls.  They’re swoon-worthy.  We had similarly high expectation for Ex Novo’s carne adovada egg rolls (two-hour braised pork shoulder, Tucumcari Cheddar, Hatch red chile soy) with a side of green chile lo-mein noodles.

Bruce Terzes’s impression of the carne adovada egg rolls: “very good with one caveat – while very tasty, the filling was a bit dry and not very hot for a fried egg roll.”  That wasn’t our experience though my Kim did share her usual nit: “too hot” (piquant).   If there’s one blessing resultant from my Kim’s aversion to piquancy, it’s that I don’t have to share foods I love but she can’t eat.  Despite a cavalcade of plates visiting our table, I managed to finish all four egg rolls.  Not surprisingly, the sweet-savory-piquant Hatch red chile soy ensnared the rapt attention of my taste buds.  Dragging each egg roll through that sauce was so much better than the sticky, cloying red plum sauce served with Chinese egg rolls.

17 January 2025:  Dates are very sweet (emphasis on very) and have a subtle caramel-like taste. They’re healthier than white sugar and are a wonderful substitute for white sugar on  recipes.  Even better, dates are rich in  nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants.    Maybe best of all, dates are a fabulous complement to savory dishes.  You’ll find dates in soups, salads and meat-based dishes.  They pair well with cured meats and cheeses which means you’ll find them on many a charcuterie board.

Large Plates

27 September 2024: When we espied sweet fennel sausage orecchiette pasta on the menu, we didn’t immediately think contemporary New Mexico ranch cuisine.  Orecchiette, after all is an Italian term which means “little ears” and orecchiette pasta comes from Puglia in Southern Italy.  Remember, the operative word is “contemporary.”  Like the rest of the world, New Mexicans have embraced Italian cuisine, the most popular cuisine in the world according to the picky eater blog.  Similar to New Mexican culinary fare, Italian food is an exemplar of comfort food.  It pleases the palate and makes you feel good.

Found on the “large plates” section of the menu and served in a cast iron pan, the sweet fennel sausage orecchiette pasta is as good as you’ll find at great Italian restaurants, maybe better.  It’s served with a garlic cheese bread.  Orecchiette pasta, a pulled pasta shape that does indeed resemble an ear, offers a hollow spot perfect for absorbing sauces such as the wonderful, cheesy sauce on this dish.  My Chicago born-and-bred bride literally expresses contempt for any sausage that isn’t redolent with fennel.  She loved the sweet fennel sausage.  Me, too.  This is heart- and soul-warming comfort food at its very best.

27 September 2024: One of the most popular dishes on Ex Novo’s large plates menu is the Churrasco steak and potatoes (outside skirt steak, twice-cooked potatoes, grilled tomato, caramelized corn, tomato coulis).  The term churrasco actually refers to any meat grilled over an open flame.  For the most part, that’s beef, usually a thin cut like skirt steak.  Skirt steak is  prized for its big, beefy flavor and affordability. It’s quite lean an has a lot of connective tissue with a thick grain that runs across the length of the muscle. While these attributes make it a tougher cut, it still emerges juicy and tender when marinated and not overcooked.   It’s often used to make fajitas.

Ex Novo’s churrasco steak is one of the most flavorful skirt steak dishes I’ve ever enjoyed.  Every morsel was memorable, every bite a delight.  It is tender without being soft and mushy, prepared at a slight pink with a nice bark.  The twice-cooked potatoes were reminiscent of the potatoes I used to enjoy in France.  They’re also somewhat comparable (though just a bit larger) to the cubed papitas New Mexican restaurants serve.  The caramelized corn was terrific, too.

27 September 2024: Our inaugural visit to Ex Novo transpired on my Kim’s birthday.  What she wanted most on her special day was charcuterie.  Ex Novo offers two versions of its Downtown Charcuterie Plate (Heidi’s organic raspberry and poblano pepper jam, Aleppo pepper and agave, cured meats and local cheeses, crispy yucca, bread and sticks, piñon brittle and whipped sweet chile tofu).   Every element in this board was exceptional.  I even allowed myself a sweet indulgence by scarfing up all the piñon brittle.

Ex Novo is justifiably proud of the charcuterie plate, but even more proud of the items prepared in-house.  Our server raved about the whipped sweet chile tofu which won me over, too.  The pickled onions, dill pickles and tomatoes were also among his favorites.  In recent years, New Mexico has acquired a stellar reputation for its cheeses–and not exclusively those made in Tucumcari.  As a bona fide turophile, I could practically live on cheeses, particularly the stinky, veiny type.   Happy birthday, my Kim.

27 September 2024: One commonality among many of us scions of Spain is being weaned on arroz con pollo.  During my years in Boston, I had several Puerto Rican friends who would invite me to their homes for plates brimming with arroz con pollo, often with chicken.  Chef Quiñones, himself of Puerto Rican lineage, added beans (cooked with bacon, onions and tomatoes) to Ex Novo’s version of arroz con pollo (all-natural crispy skin chicken thighs, basmati rice, red beans).  For the both of us, arroz con pollo is a quintessential comfort food, one that warms the heart.

During an visit to the kitchen, I was tempted to walk away with the large pot of red beans simmering on the stove.  For as much as I enjoyed every item we were served, I grew up feasting on pinto beans and still consider them a favorite, memory-triggering food.  Rice has the same effect, but to a lesser degree.  Then there’s the crispy skin chicken thighs, as moist, tender and juicy as they can be.  More than any dish we enjoyed (and we loved them all), the arroz con pollo seemed the most approachable and “down home” to me.

17 January 2025:  In the stone age when I grew up, salads were a rather monotonous affair.  Iceberg lettuce was the only leafy green in the mountainous bowls of salads I enjoyed, especially when covered liberally with blue cheese dressing.  Over the years, salads have been reimagined.  No longer are salad savants restricted to iceberg lettuce.  There’s a vibrant and diverse world of lettuce varieties with which to construct salads.  Those varieties offer unique flavor profiles, colors and textures.  Your only limit is imagination.

In January, 2025, Ex Novo’s menu introduced the addition of two salads: a kale salad and a chop chop salad.  Ex Novo’s version of a chop salad is outstanding.   As you know, a chop salad is just what the name implies: all flavors and textures snuggled comfortably together and complementing each other–an entire salad in each and every forkful.  Ex Novo’s chop chop is just that: salami, Provolone cheese, honey-bacon, grilled onion, tomato, herbed ranch and bleu cheese crumbles.  It’s a delicious work of art on a plate.  And if you’re tired of frisee, radiccio, spinach and other “designer” lettuce, the chop chop salad is made with Romaine.

17 January 2025:  In 2018, I was fortunate enough to have been invited to serve as a judge in Edible’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown, one of the state’s most prestigious culinary events.  Judges were cautioned not to eat too much of any one burger so as not to be full when the next of eight burgers reached us.  Thankfully the last burger ferried to our table was from Chef Quiñones who was participating in the Smackdown for the fifth time.  That meant we could finish the entire burger.  I didn’t waste any time doing so.  Fittingly, the burger, which Chef Quiñones christened the “Green Chile Honey Bomb” earned top honors in the competition.

Ever since I’ve been nagging Chef Quiñones to offer that burger on the menu at the kitchens he’s led.  He’s often told me to order the “Copycat Burger” (house ketchup, house mustard, honey-bacon, Tucumcari Chedar, sirloin-brisket blend) served with fries.  I’m at the point in my advanced geriatric progression where burgers just don’t taste right (or good) without New Mexico’s sacrosanct green chile.  So, let me make a bold proclamation.  The Copycat Burger is THE BEST burger that doesn’t include green chile in the Land of Enchantment.  It’s moist, juicy, packed with bacon and it’s absolutely delicious.  Every bite brought joy to my taste buds.  This burger is so good, it would be competitive in a green chile cheeseburger competition–even without the green chile.  What a find!  Yes, the Copycat Burger would be better with green chile, but then so would just about any other food.

Desserts

27 September 2024: Not every restaurant the caliber of Ex Novo can boast of world-class desserts to top off an incomparable meal.  Sous chef Meghan Lewis ferried two “better than a birthday cake” desserts to our table.  First was a fabulous eggnogg tres leches cheesecake (eggnogg crème Anglaise, five pepper raspberry puree).  I had one forkful before visiting the kitchen to commend the staff for a tremendous early dinner.  My Kim told me it was one of the best desserts she’s ever had.  She’s the dessert person in our family so I’ll have to take her word for it.

27 September 2024: Similarly, I had a small nibble of the giant macaron resembling a whoopie pie on steroids.  Spelling isn’t the only difference between  macarons and macaroons.  A macaron is a meringue-based sandwich cookie that requires multiple steps and painstaking precision to prepare. A macaroon is a drop cookie made with shredded coconut. A batch of macaroons is very easy to prepare.  Macarons also tend to be more expensive because they’re made with almond flour which is up to nine times as expensive as regular flour.  Ex Novo’s giant macaron has gigantic flavors to go with its prodigious size.

17 January 2025:   If you’re wondering what the difference is between Italian ice and sorbet, let me turn it over to Real Simple: “Granitas (Italian ices) have ingredients that are identical to sorbet—pureed fruit (or juice), sugar, and water—but they differ in texture. Unlike sorbet, which is smooth-churned, granita is scraped repeatedly during the freezing process, loosening its structure into icy flakes.”  In addition to four desserts, Ex Novo’s menu offers a sorbet.  During our visit, the winter sorbet offering was blood orange.  Talk about refreshing.  Though listed as a winter sorbet, you can picture yourself enjoying this sorbet all year round, maybe especially in the summer.

Summary

I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the superb service at Ex Novo.  Shelby, a shift manager, in particular, is amazing.  Not only does she put up with my constant ogling of her beautiful freckles without turning me in for harassment, she’s ambassadorial about the restaurant and very knowledgeable about the menu.  Trust her recommendations, enjoy her humor and warmth.  She’s a treasure.

Ex Novo’s website says it best: “This isn’t just any brewery—it’s a high-end experience, providing an unparalleled atmosphere and culinary delight.”  It’s destined to be one of Albuquerque’s most popular restaurants.  It’s destined for greatness.

Ex Novo Brewing Company
701 Central Avenue,  N.W.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 633-9113
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 17 January 2025
1st VISIT: 27 September 2024
# OF VISITS: 2
RATING: 25
COST: $$$$
BEST BET: Churrasco Steak & Potatoes, Carne Adovada Egg Rolls, Blood Orange Sorbet, Sweet Fennel Sausage Orechiette, Giant Macaron, EggNogg Tres Leches Cheesecake, Ex Novo Beer Can Arroz con Pollo, Downtown Charcuterie Board,
REVIEW #1424