Rustico Italian Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)
What does it say about a restaurant when it runs out of food? Nine times out of ten, you’d probably say it’s either brand new and doesn’t yet have a feel for its traffic volume or their inventory management just isn’t very good. Our inaugural visit to Rustico Italian Kitchen on a bright Sunday morning introduced us to another reason. The restaurant was so busy the previous night that diners polished off everything on the menu save for pizza and salad. For denizens of Albuquerque’s far northeast heights, that’s actually reason for celebration. It means outstanding Italian food has finally made a triumphant return to this quadrant of the city. Not that many years ago, I lamented that with the exception of Paisano’s Italian Restaurant on Eubank and Joe’s Pasta House in Rio Rancho, there was a dearth of great Italian restaurants in the Duke City area. Then came Torinos at Home followed not long thereafter by the M’Tucci’s Italian restaurant dynasty. Today Duke City area diners who want to mangia bene have a wealth of options. In March, 2021, Rustico Italian Kitchen entered the fray. With a dynamic chef at the helm, Rustico began generating enthusiasm even before it…