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?” Ask a physicist and you’ll get an earful about quantum theory, wave function, subatomic particles and rarefactions in the air. A philosopher might posit the plausible premise that when there is nobody around, the falling tree makes no sound at all–a premise achieved by interpreting the word “sound” to mean a human experience rather than a physical phenomenon. With well-practiced prattle and deft circumlocution, a politician would probably attribute culpability for the tree having fallen to “the other side of the aisle.” Ask this blogger and not only will you get a resounding “yes” to the oft-posed philosophical thought experiment, you’ll be given an analogical example of that tree reverberating so loudly that the forest was unable able to contain its sonorous, concordant melody. Okay, I’m waxing philosophical here. In my analogy, The Point Grill in Rio Rancho is the tree and the Albuquerque metropolitan area is the forest. Not getting my point? For nearly three years, voices crying out in the wilderness (literally) argued that The Point Grill was not only one of the very best restaurants in Rio…

Lily & Liam Bistro – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Family owned restaurants have been called the heartbeat of a community, its pulse and its roots.  Beyond the tintinnabulation of silver spoons on ceramic coffee mugs and over the hum of conversation, restaurants become living links to the past and storehouses of memories.  They’re are a respite from the strife and stress of our daily vicissitudes.  They help us unwind, relax and catch up with friends and family.  In a sense, these beacons of comfort and repose often become family. Not all restaurants achieve this distinction, of course, and if they do, it usually doesn’t happen quickly.  Restaurants have to prove themselves over time with a combination of memorable food, a homey look and feel and mostly personable, attentive service.  To find the template for how a restaurant becomes the heartbeat of a community, you need look no further than Joe’s Pasta House, a paragon of service excellence and culinary deliciousness where all guests are treated like family. It may be early to know for sure, but it appears Lily and Liam Bistro in Rio Rancho has the potential to become a community heartbeat restaurant.  It’s been open only since November, 2019, but already there are telltale signs that it’s…