{"id":45218,"date":"2018-02-11T20:46:48","date_gmt":"2018-02-12T02:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=45218"},"modified":"2021-04-11T10:57:54","modified_gmt":"2021-04-11T16:57:54","slug":"cafe-laurel-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=45218","title":{"rendered":"Cafe Laurel &#8211; Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_45222\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45222\" style=\"width: 725px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-45222 size-full lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 725px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 725\/483;margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel04.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"725\" height=\"483\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel04.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 725w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel04-300x200.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel04.jpg?size=128x85&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel04.jpg?size=384x256&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel04.jpg?size=512x341&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 512w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel04.jpg?size=640x426&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 640w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 725px) 100vw, 725px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-45222\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cafe Laurel on Central Avenue Just East of Old Town<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">&#8220;<em>To anyone else<\/em>,&#8221; my Kim joked &#8220;<em>the name Caf\u00e9 Laurel is just a cute name probably chosen because the owners like laurel leaves. To you the name has to mean something<\/em>.&#8221; She reminded me of the hours I spent dissecting former President Bill Clinton&#8217;s statement &#8220;It depends upon what the meaning of the word &#8220;is&#8221; is.&#8221; &#8220;<em>You&#8217;re too literal. You don&#8217;t just want to know what words mean. You need to know why they&#8217;re used<\/em>.&#8221; &#8220;<em>But<\/em>,&#8221; I retorted &#8220;<em>laurel leaves aren&#8217;t just a leafy plant. Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte fashioned &#8220;crowns&#8221; out of laurel leaves, probably<\/em>,&#8221; I surmised &#8220;<em>because laurel leaves were more comfortable than the heavy, bejeweled metallic crowns that may have been the reason for the adage &#8220;uneasy lies the head that wears the crown<\/em>.&#8221; She rolled her eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">&#8220;<em>Sure<\/em>,&#8221; I argued &#8220;<em>the owners of Caf\u00e9 Laurel may have had nothing more in mind when naming their restaurant than they liked the laurel plant, but the implication of the name Laurel means a lot more<\/em>.&#8221; &#8220;<em>How did you arrive at that conclusion<\/em>,&#8221; she asked. I explained that &#8220;<em>in ancient Greece and Rome, laurel leaves were used to fashion wreaths that were presented to those achieving the highest levels of success, such as winning an event at the ancient Olympics.&#8221; <\/em> I added that &#8220;<em>the Bible imputes such traits as fame, success and prosperity to the laurel. So, the implication is that this is a restaurant which has earned victories and honor in the culinary field<\/em>.&#8221; She ended our discussion with &#8220;<em>ask a stupid question..<\/em>.&#8221; <\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_45223\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45223\" style=\"width: 725px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-45223 size-full lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 725px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 725\/483;margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel05.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"725\" height=\"483\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel05.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 725w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel05-300x200.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel05.jpg?size=128x85&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel05.jpg?size=384x256&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel05.jpg?size=512x341&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 512w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel05.jpg?size=640x426&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 640w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 725px) 100vw, 725px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-45223\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The charming, verdant interior of Cafe Laurel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">If you&#8217;re wondering why my long-suffering Kim puts up with such a literal guy, it&#8217;s probably because I take her to restaurants such as Cafe Laurel&#8211;restaurants which really do earn accolades and plaudits. She can put up with my etymological analysis because when it comes down to it, she enjoys a date night every time we go out (or so she tells me). In any regard, Caf\u00e9 Laurel\u2019s exterior signage facing Central Avenue, is festooned with painted laurel leaves directly below the restaurant\u2019s name. Inside, the restaurant is awash in greenery\u2014hanging and potted plants everywhere you turn. It makes black-thumbed people like me green with envy that others can coax plants to grow so lushly. Talking to our plants at home has never worked for me, probably because as my Kim reminds me \u201cthey don\u2019t understand your big words either.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">In May, 2018, Caf\u00e9 Laurel will celebrate its third anniversary of serving the neighborhoods sandwiched between Old Town and Downtown on historic Route 66. Its pedigree, however, goes back quite a bit further than those three years. So do several items on the menu. If Caf\u00e9 Laurel inspires a little d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu, it could be because some of the dishes\u2014and certainly the hospitality\u2014are reminiscent of Christopher\u2019s, a beloved Old Town institution co-owner Ken Faber\u2019s mom ran for nearly two decades in the 1970s and \u201880s. Ken owns and operates Caf\u00e9 Laurel with his lovely bride Debi. Ken\u2019s 28-year career in corporate chains serves him well on busy days when orders come in like a fusillade of shots. Debi runs the front of the house. Both are very friendly and accommodating.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_45220\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45220\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-45220 size-full lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 600\/699;margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel02.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"699\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel02.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel02-258x300.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 258w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel02.jpg?size=128x149&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel02.jpg?size=384x447&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel02.jpg?size=512x596&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 512w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-45220\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Green Chile Cheeseburger with Macaroni Salad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">For the versatile among us who enjoy breakfast items for lunch and burgers for breakfast, Caf\u00e9 Laurel is a dream come true. You can order anything on the menu any time of day. Sadly this means 8AM to 3PM Tuesday through Friday and 9AM to 2PM on Saturday and Sunday. The menu isn\u2019t especially large, but it offers good variety of mostly American and New Mexican favorites. You may want to get there early or you might miss out on the daily quiche or daily special. Breakfast favorites include omelets, huevos rancheros, burritos and crepes. Warm sandwiches\u2014served with your choice of macaroni salad (curry-based), Greek salad or chips\u2014include several standards and others which should be. Meatless enchiladas, vegetarian sandwich and a number of salads are available. Sweets and treats seem to go quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">When my friend and frequent lunch companion Bill Resnik invited me to Caf\u00e9 Laurel, he didn\u2019t extol the variety of the menu. Bill is a pretty monogamous guy. When he finds something he loves (such as his beautiful bride Tish), he sticks with it. During his own inaugural visit to Caf\u00e9 Laurel, he fell in love with the <strong><em>green chile cheeseburger <\/em><\/strong>(listed on the menu as \u201cburger\u201d; make sure to ask for the green chile). This is a behemoth between buns: two Angus beef patties prepared to your exacting specifications (medium rare if you want the optimum in juiciness), lettuce, tomato and red onion on a grilled roll with mustard and ketchup on the side. Every burger should be this good! The green chile has both the roasted flavor and piquancy aficionados demand. The two Angus patties protrude beyond the confines of the buns. Every ingredient (even the tomatoes) is fresh. The grilled roll is formidable enough to contain all the juiciness though it\u2019s a definite four- or five-napkin affair. <\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_45224\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45224\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-45224 size-full lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 720px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 720\/485;margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel06.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"485\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel06.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 720w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel06-300x202.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel06.jpg?size=128x86&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel06.jpg?size=384x259&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel06.jpg?size=512x345&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 512w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel06.jpg?size=640x431&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 640w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-45224\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chicken Salad Salad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">So impressed was I by the green chile cheeseburger that a return visit was quickly imminent. My Kim and our debonair dachshund The Dude had to experience Caf\u00e9 Laurel, too. As we were to learn during our ninety minutes at the restaurant, this is a favorite restaurant for four-legged children. Because Caf\u00e9 Laurel doesn\u2019t have any appetizers per se, we gravitated toward the salads section of the menu. We were relieved for a change to find these are the salads of yore, not the seemingly de rigueur newfangled salads with their candied pistachios, dried cranberries and vinaigrette du jour. We hadn\u2019t had a <em><strong>chicken salad salad<\/strong><\/em> in a long time and Caf\u00e9 Laurel\u2019s version beckoned. A meant to be shared plate of white meat chicken, celery, chopped pecans, Cheddar cheese, Mandarin oranges, tomato, cucumber, hard-boiled eggs on greens was picture perfect, impeccably fresh and delicious. The way it was designed on the plate actually resembled three salads. Instead of being jumbled together, ingredients were splayed neatly in three sections of the plate: right, left and center. That\u2019s the way we ate the salad. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">In a recent <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=42368&amp;cpage=1#comment-1072344\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">comment <\/a><\/strong>posted by Sarita, a good friend of this blog (and someone with whom I hope to someday have the honor of breaking bread\u2026or tortillas, pita, lavosh, etc), she highly recommended several items on the menu, lavishly praising the roast beef (not thinly sliced\u2026very tender). She recommended the Toasted RB (roast beef, Cheddar, green chile and mayo on a grilled roll). Not in a green chile mood, my Kim opted instead for the cleverly named <em><strong>Adobe Brick<\/strong><\/em>, a brick-sized sandwich she would later praise as \u201cone of the best sandwiches I\u2019ve had in Albuquerque.\u201d So what\u2019s in an Adobe Brick? Picture thickly sliced, tender roast beef; sour cream, Provolone, grilled mushrooms and red onions on grilled sourdough. This is truly a sandwich for which all ingredients work in multi-part harmony. From the umami of the sour cream and mushrooms to the mellow mildness of the Provolone, this sandwich will enrapt your taste buds. Sourdough is the perfect canvas for a sandwich that needs absolutely nothing else.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_45225\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45225\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-45225 size-full lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 720px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 720\/490;margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel07.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"490\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel07.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 720w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel07-300x204.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel07.jpg?size=128x87&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel07.jpg?size=384x261&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel07.jpg?size=512x348&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 512w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel07.jpg?size=640x436&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 640w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-45225\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Adobe Brick, a Magnificent Sandwich!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">You might not think a restaurant named \u201cCaf\u00e9 Laurel\u201d would prepare some of the very best red chile in town, but it does! It\u2019s not the most piquant or earthy red chile you\u2019ll find, but more than most red chiles, it\u2019s got a deep, rich flavor profile that will remind you that chile is technically a fruit. No, it\u2019s not overly sweet, but it\u2019s got sweet, mellow notes and a deep roasted flavor. That wondrous red chile crowned my plate of <strong><em>enchiladas <\/em><\/strong>(layered flat corn tortillas with chile and Cheddar and a garnish of chopped tomatoes and lettuce) with a flour tortilla and papitas on the side. The pool of yellow yoke mingling with the red chile is enjoyable from the perspective of both esthetics and deliciousness. The flour tortilla, of course, is essential because it forms \u201cNew Mexican spoons\u201d where you fold bite-sized bits of the tortilla into a repository into which you can spoon in the other elements of this enchanting enchilada. It\u2019s a meatless enchilada, the type of which Catholics will appreciate during Lenten Fridays. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">On every table at Cafe Laurel, you&#8217;ll espy handmade snail-mail ready postcards which you&#8217;re invited to fill out and send to a friend. Cafe Laurel will even mail them for you and in exchange for completing a postcard, you&#8217;ll get a free beverage card. Being the over-analytical type, I was stumped by the Twitter-like hashtag &#8220;meetmeatlaurel&#8221; referenced on the postcards. Why, I wondered, would Cafe Laurel use a hashtag extolling its meat (meet meat). Sure their burgers and sandwiches use high quality meat, but&#8230; It took Kim about one second to figure out the hashtag actually read &#8220;meet me at Laurel.&#8221; Some genius I am, huh? <\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_45226\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45226\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-45226 size-full lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 720px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 720\/420;margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel08.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"420\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel08.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 720w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel08-300x175.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel08.jpg?size=128x75&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 128w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel08.jpg?size=384x224&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 384w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel08.jpg?size=512x299&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 512w, https:\/\/b4385483.smushcdn.com\/4385483\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Laurel08.jpg?size=640x373&lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1 640w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-45226\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Enchiladas!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\">Cafe Laurel was a &#8220;Best of the City&#8221; winner in <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.abqthemag.com\">Albuquerque The Magazine&#8217;<\/a><\/strong>s annual readers&#8217; poll for 2016. It continues to earn its laurels and shows no sign of resting on those laurels. With its legacy and people-pleasing proprietors, it&#8217;s a restaurant that should be great for a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small; font-family: Verdana;\"><strong>Cafe Laurel<\/strong><br \/>\n1433 Central Avenue, N.W.<br \/>\n<strong>Albuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>LATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 11 February 2018<br \/>\n<strong>1st VISIT:<\/strong>: 2 February 2018<br \/>\n<strong># OF VISITS:<\/strong> 2<br \/>\n<strong>RATING<\/strong>: 22<br \/>\n<strong>COST<\/strong>: $$<br \/>\n<strong>BEST BET<\/strong>: Green Chile Cheeseburger, Enchiladas, Chicken Salad Salad, Adobe Brick<br \/>\n<strong>Restaurant Review #1026<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;To anyone else,&#8221; my Kim joked &#8220;the name Caf\u00e9 Laurel is just a cute name probably chosen because the owners like laurel leaves. To you the name has to mean something.&#8221; She reminded me of the hours I spent dissecting former President Bill Clinton&#8217;s statement &#8220;It depends upon what the meaning of the word &#8220;is&#8221; is.&#8221; &#8220;You&#8217;re too literal. You don&#8217;t just want to know what words mean. You need to know why they&#8217;re used.&#8221; &#8220;But,&#8221; I retorted &#8220;laurel leaves aren&#8217;t just a leafy plant. Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte fashioned &#8220;crowns&#8221; out of laurel leaves, probably,&#8221; I surmised &#8220;because laurel leaves were more comfortable than the heavy, bejeweled metallic crowns that may have been the reason for the adage&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,21,839,703,262,141],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-american","category-closed-in-2021","category-dog-friendly","category-closed","category-new-mexico"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cafe Laurel - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=45218\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cafe Laurel - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&#8220;To anyone else,&#8221; my Kim joked &#8220;the name Caf\u00e9 Laurel is just a cute name probably chosen because the owners like laurel leaves. 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