Los Altos Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico
For almost four and a half decades, Charlie Elias, an avuncular septuagenarian with the energy of a teenager, greeted his customers at Charlie’s Backdoor, his eponymous Northeast Heights restaurant. On a hot sunny day, there was probably no more welcome respite from the sun’s blinding rays and scorching heat than Charlie’s. The minute you walked in, the temperature seemed to drop 20 degrees thanks to the restaurant’s subdued lighting and heat. On cold winter days, there was no surcease of warmth courtesy of Charlie’s friendly and welcoming nature which made guests feel right at home As Charlie began to wind down his lengthy career, his son Jamie, became the restaurant’s official ambassador, a smiling presence who met and greeted all patrons with the same homespun, genuine friendliness as his father. Charlie’s Backdoor shuttered its doors in 2014, the same year Charlie passed away. His passing and the restaurant’s closure were events warranting an apron hanging at half mast. Not only would Duke City diners miss one of our favorite restaurant personalities, we would miss some of our favorite New Mexican food. Charlie’s menu was a unique blend of American and New Mexican favorites with unique takes on both. Not to mention…
