{"id":49206,"date":"2018-08-24T20:45:34","date_gmt":"2018-08-25T02:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=49206"},"modified":"2021-05-07T10:51:10","modified_gmt":"2021-05-07T16:51:10","slug":"gigi-italian-bistro-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=49206","title":{"rendered":"Gigi Italian Bistro – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Gigi Italian Bistro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“If you can go through with what Gordon Ramsey puts you through
\nthere’s nothing much more you can do.
\nI mean the berating from that guy is unbelievable,
\nbut the reward is even greater.”
\n~ <\/em>Chef Robert Hesse<\/strong>
\n<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Veni, Vedi, Veci (I came, I saw, I conquered)<\/strong>:\u00a0 Chef Robert Hesse, the superstar consulting chef who launched Gigi left Albuquerque in February, 2019. The review below was based on three visits to Gigi when Chef Hesse prepared our meals.\u00a0 In light of his departure, I have removed the rating of “26” I accorded Gigi and will update my review accordingly after my next visit.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Chef Robert Hesse isn\u2019t the man he used to be. In fact, he\u2019s literally and figuratively a shadow of his former self. Once tipping the scales at over 600 pounds and espousing the attitude that you should \u201cnever trust a skinny chef,\u201d he\u2019s now a svelte and fit 155-pound inspiration to caloric overachievers everywhere. I didn\u2019t recognize him when he escorted The Dude and I to Gigi\u2019s covered patio. Later when he dropped by and visited with The Dude, I thought \u201cwow, Gigi\u2019s host is really kind to dogs.\u201d Even when he ferried over a plateful of mozzarella, ham and pepperoni for my debonair dachshund, I had no clue this man was the world-famous celebrity chef we had seen on Hell\u2019s Kitchen as well as the Food Network\u2019s Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay. It was only later when I asked Jay, our genial server and aspiring chef, for the restaurant\u2019s \u201cbackstory\u201d that I put two and two together. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re a fan of Gordon Ramsay\u2019s popular Fox reality series Hell’s Kitchen<\/em>, you undoubtedly remember Chef Robert Hesse who appeared in seasons five and six.\u00a0\u00a0 Fittingly, Chef Hesse had a bigger than life personality, giving back as good as he got against formidable (and often cut-throat) competition.\u00a0 He also had serious health problems, suffering three heart attacks before age 34.\u00a0 In 2009, he left Hell’s Kitchen<\/em> to focus on a healthful lifestyle, eventually undergoing life-saving gastric bypass surgery.\u00a0 Along with healthy eating and exercise, he’s now one of those skinny chefs he once railed against.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chef Hesse Brings a Meatball to The Dude<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef Hesse\u2019s real backstory isn\u2019t that he once was fat, but now is thin. It\u2019s even more than the cliche rags to riches and pulling yourself up by the bootstraps accounts Americans find so heroic though both maxims apply. Chef Hesse is, in every conceivable way, a survivor. Orphaned by his mother at age three, he surmounted the mean streets of Brooklyn, a dangerous drug habit then bitter incarceration at the infamous Ryker\u2019s Island. As a condition of his release, a judge sent him to California where he landed a job washing dishes at the French Laundry<\/strong><\/a>, then (and still) regarded as one of the best restaurants in the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

Jacques, one of the chefs at the French Laundry saw something in Hesse and took him under his wing. He gave the foundling increased responsibilities and taught him the nuances of such important chef skills as inventory management and selecting fish. Noting his young apprentice\u2019s incentive driven nature, he challenged Hesse to obtain his GED, offering him $2000 if he did so. After Hesse obtained the GED, Jacques asked him to write a 200 word essay explaining why he would like to become a chef. Because of the heartfelt earnestness and obvious passion of the essay, Hesse earned a full scholarship to culinary school where he displayed an extraordinary acumen for cooking.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Zucchini Crostoso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By the time Chef Hesse was 27, he had worked in kitchens in 34 states and 4 countries. He\u2019s created and helmed restaurant concepts throughout the country and consulted for five star properties, casinos and local mom and pop establishments. Still, what most of us are most curious about is the bombastic nature and fiery temper of Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay for whom he worked for ten years. Chef Hesse couldn\u2019t be more complimentary about his former boss, crediting him for much of his success and drive. Worn around Hesse\u2019s neck are plastic dog tags inscribed with the four essential chef values he learned from Ramsay: sacrifice, standards, balls and discipline. These values define Chef Hesse\u2019s approach and his passion for cooking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ever cognizant of his roots, he\u2019s driven to give back. Though he\u2019s had such glamorous stints as executive chef at the Playboy Mansion and has launched restaurant concepts throughout the fruited plain, at his essence he\u2019s a regular guy who caught a few breaks. Giving back, not getting accolades, is what\u2019s most important to him. Over the years he\u2019s helped many mom-and-pop shops start off on a solid footing before moving on to another project. He\u2019s helped countless chefs just starting off to gain confidence and learn what it takes to succeed as a chef. Giving back is also evident in his price structure. He wants people of all income levels to be able to enjoy great food prepared from high-quality ingredients. He wants blue collar workers to be able to say they\u2019ve had white truffles\u2026and it didn\u2019t break their bank accounts.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chicken Tortellini Carbonara<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was plans to open a new restaurant for an expansive Santa Fe food bazaar that brought Chef Hesse to a restaurant kitchen in the Land of Enchantment. When plans for that restaurant fell through, he decided to launch Gigi Italian Bistro in the space which was once home to Nanami Noodle House<\/strong><\/a> and Cafe Jean-Pierre<\/strong><\/a> before that. It faces and is within easy walking distance of the Century 24 theater. Gigi\u2019(an Italian name for grandmother) isn\u2019t the swanky over-the-top venue in which you\u2019d expect to find a restaurant impresario. In fact, when I first espied it during a visit to Plum Cafe<\/strong><\/a> next door, my first impression was \u201d misplaced mall food court restaurant.\u201d Boy was I wrong\u2026very wrong! <\/span><\/p>\n

Even after only one visit, it was apparent to me that Gigi Italian Bistro belongs above the upper echelon<\/strong><\/a> of the Duke City\u2019s Italian restaurants. Today, that statement actually means something because the Albuquerque metropolitan area actually has a number of Italian restaurants which would be competitive anywhere across the fruited plain. A decade ago when only Joe\u2019s Pasta House<\/a><\/strong> and Paisano\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> served transformative Italian food, you couldn\u2019t have said that. The addition of such stalwarts as Torinos @ Home<\/strong><\/a>, Piatanzi<\/a><\/strong> and the M\u2019Tucci\u2019s<\/strong><\/a>family of restaurants has given diners six more superb options for Italian food across the city. Gigi is the diadem.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dinner Salad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although all of Gigi\u2019s menu items sport Italian names, it\u2019s hardly a pretentious menu nor will you need a translator. In fact, you\u2019ll probably recognize every item and every ingredient from which that item is made. It isn\u2019t a particularly lengthy menu, but it offers terrific variety. It lists six appetizers (For The Table), six soups and salads (Zuppe & Insalata), eight entrees (Gigi\u2019s Family Classics) and a create your own option called Gigi\u2019s Favorites. Talk about versatility! Served with your choice of spaghetti aglio (an olive oil and garlic sauce) or spaghetti marinara, you pick your style (marsala, parmigiana, picatta, saltimbocca) and protein (chicken, shrimp, veal). There\u2019s something for everyone on this menu.<\/span><\/p>\n

11 August 2018<\/strong>: With a retort of \u201cthat\u2019s so 1970s,\u201d my Kim typically rebuffs my once-in-a-blue-moon suggestion that we order fried zucchini. The truth is, even during the \u201cMe Decade,\u201d fried zucchini was already well on its way out, an anachronism relegated to restaurants with little imagination. That\u2019s why it surprised me to find Zucchini Crostoso<\/strong><\/em> (Parmesan-crusted zucchini with a house marinara) on Gigi\u2019s menu. \u201cPerhaps,\u201d I wondered \u201cfried zucchini is making a comeback.\u201d I should have surmised that in the hands of a great chef, fried zucchini would never have gone out of style. Chef Hesse is that great chef! Instead of the more typical heavily breaded disc-shaped zucchini, Gigi\u2019s version more closely resemble mozzarella sticks. Zucchini Crostoso is so much better than mozzarella sticks. The thinly applied Parmesan crust gives way to fresh, juicy zucchini prepared perfectly. There\u2019s no oily residue as was typical of yesteryear\u2019s fried zucchini. The marinara sauce is the perfect pairing, lending a bit of acid as well as sweet-savory notes typical of good tomatoes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Amazing Amuse Bouche<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

11 August 2018<\/strong>: Some Bible scholars have posited the controversial theory that spaghetti carbonara, not the proverbial apple, was the irresistible \u201cfruit of the forbidden tree\u201d which tempted Eve. Who could blame her, especially if that carbonara was as good as Chef Hesse\u2019s version? That version is a chicken tortellini carbonara<\/strong><\/em> (roasted pulled chicken, five cheese tortellini, prosciutto di Parma, English peas, crispy pork belly, wild mushrooms, garlic Alfredo sauce and sun-dried tomatoes) so rich and delicious it will make grown men swoon (it did me). It\u2019s the stuff of which dreams are made, one of those dishes in which individual ingredients coalesce to form an even better whole. For one thing, tortellini is a much better pasta option than spaghetti, especially if the tortellini is stuffed with a quintumvirate of creamy cheeses and luxuriates in a rich Alfredo sauce. Your taste buds will delight in every element of this dish, a carbonara no one can resist. During my second visit to Gigi, my Kim called it \u201cthe best carbonara I\u2019ve ever had.\u201d Ditto! <\/span><\/p>\n

15 August 2018<\/strong>: When my Kim, The Dude and I walked in for our second visit, Chef Hesse had caught my review and figured out who I was, but was more excited to see The Dude again. He couldn\u2019t wait to see what The Dude thought about Gigi\u2019s meatballs (The Dude gave them a five bones rating). He was also anxious to introduce me to his white truffle ravioli, a chef\u2019s special he\u2019s served at Michelin-starred restaurants for a princely sum. First, however, came two dinner salads<\/strong><\/em> resplendent with a bevy of fresh ingredients and drizzled with a housemade dressing. Though savory notes permeate all of the components of the salad and dressing, a light touch with palm sugar provided a delightful contrast.<\/span><\/p>\n

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White Truffle Ravioli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

15 August 2018<\/strong>: Chef Hesse surprised us with one of the most delightful (and certainly the grandest) amuse bouche we\u2019ve ever had. Typically, an amuse bouche<\/strong><\/em> (a French term which translates to \u201cmouth amuser,\u201d but is more commonly known as a chef’s gift) is small, sometimes bite-sized. What the chef brought us was the size of a generous appetizer. Not surprisingly it\u2019s so good it should be on the menu. Picture two slices of lightly toasted crostini, a glistening gold lagoon of housemade fig jam, a timbale-shaped mound of ricotta cheese dusted in Parmigiano Reggiano, candied garlic and pickled onions. More than amuse our palates, it absolutely delighted them. <\/span><\/p>\n

15 August 2018<\/strong>: To many of us, truffles are an ethereal concept, something only the one-percenters can afford. Indeed, some white truffles command as much as six to ten thousand dollars per pound. These subterranean fungi are extremely rare and are found almost exclusively in Italy. That\u2019s where Chef Hesse procures them for his life-altering white truffle ravioli<\/strong><\/em>, one of the most delicious dishes it\u2019s been my joy to experience. The aroma of white truffles has been described as everything from \u201cnewly plowed soil\u201d to \u201clocker room\u201d to \u201cthe pungent memory of lost youth and love affairs,\u201d but if it would be possible to have a love affair with a dish, this would be the one. With their complex, delicate and very nuanced flavor profile, the white truffles transform an already magical, magnificent ravioli dish into a sublime experience. Six ravioli, each the size of an iPod, are stuffed with a five cheese blend, one of which is mascarpone which imparts a slightly sweet flavor that contrasts beautifully against the rich, earthy truffles and their fungi brethren, wild mushrooms. A creamy Alfredo sauce blankets this theophanic dish.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ravioli Napoli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

24 August 2018:\u00a0 <\/strong>Until rather recently, only al dente\u00a0 pasta would do in Italy.\u00a0 A chef committing the heretical transgression of frying pasta might be ostracized or excommunicated.\u00a0 Frying pasta just wasn’t done! In wide circles, it’s still looked upon as one of those “American knockoffs like Alfredo sauce or toasted ravioli.”\u00a0 Toasted ravioli originated in St. Louis, Missouri, but Chef Hesse’s rendition honors his madrepatria with the name Ravioli Napoli<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Strictly speaking, the ravioli isn’t toasted, but deep-fried.\u00a0 That’s a technicality.\u00a0 It’s delicious…as good as most toasted ravioli I’ve had in the Gateway City.\u00a0 Gigi’s Ravioli Napoli features a garlic bread crust blanketing ravioli stuffed generously with the five cheese blend that’s works so well on several of the restaurant’s recipes.\u00a0 A little shaved Parmesan, garlic herbs and the house marinara and you won’t care that you might be frowned upon by Italian traditionalists.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

24 August 2018<\/strong>:\u00a0 Rarely has Duke City bureaucracy rankled my ire as much as much as the red tape which prevented Gigi from serving its Brooklyn-style pizza until some nitpicky, white-gloved inspector deemed the pizza oven safe to use.\u00a0 Yeah, we all know inspections and other officious rigamarole are necessary evils, but we’re talking Brooklyn-style pizza here.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Some of the best pizza in the universe comes from Brooklyn where stalwarts such as Totonno’s, Di Fara and Lucali have been preparing people-pleasing pies for generations.\u00a0Nothing should stand in the way of pizza with such tradition!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Fig N’ Pig Pizzette<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brooklyn-style pizza isn’t something you can typecast. It can be thin, thick, crispy, chewy, cheesy, meaty or vegany. Chef Hesse’s version is in the Neapolitan tradition, meaning thin-crusted with a puffy cornicione (an Italian term for the \u201clip\u201d or puffy outer edge of the pizza) which is soft and chewy. Thin-crust doesn’t mean cracker-like, however. There’s no way Chef would allow something cracker-like to leave his kitchen.\u00a0 The pizza Chef Hesse recommended for us is the Fig N’ Pig Pizzette<\/strong><\/em>, a beauteous fourteen-inch beauty topped with a garlic Alfredo sauce, baby arugula, fig jam, fennel sausage, prosciutto di Parma and blue cheese.\u00a0 You’re probably thinking that sounds more like something out of California rather than Brooklyn.\u00a0 Indeed, Chef Hesse served a version of this pizza at a Napa Valley restaurant, using duck instead of sausage and prosciutto.\u00a0 Call it a bi-coastal pizza if you want, but you will call it absolutely delicious.\u00a0 The fig jam is a differentiator in the way it contrasts with the blue cheese.\u00a0 Then there’s the saltiness of the prosciutto and the fennel-kissed sausage, two meats carnivores everywhere will love.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

24 August 2018<\/strong>: The etymology of the term “calzone” has been widely debated.\u00a0 Claimants have argued that the genesis of the name is a derivative of everything from shoes to stockings to trousers.\u00a0 The most credible (to me) is that calzone is a “trouser leg” (in Spanish, too) and its plural form calzoni is another word for pantaloni (pants in English, pantalones in Spanish).\u00a0 Wherever the truth lies, what really matters is how good this “folded over pizza” is.\u00a0 Gigi’s calzone is not only a steroidal, plate-covering, big as a half-moon treat that will feed a family of four, it’s as good as any calzone I’ve ever had.\u00a0 Credit some of that to the cheese, which is even in the bread “knots” that make up the crimped edges.\u00a0 Cut into the calzone and you’ll be treated to a molten feast of luscious ricotta.\u00a0 The meat-lover’s calzone<\/strong><\/em> is the way to go!\u00a0 This is another winner!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Meat Lovers Calzone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

15 August 2018<\/strong>: Chef Hesse got no further than cannoli in naming Gigi\u2019s dessert options. He\u2019s understandably very proud of his conically-shaped masterpieces, every component of which is handmade on the premises. That includes the delicate fried shells, incredibly rich ricotta, exceptional goat milk Chantilly cream, dark chocolate bark topped with popcorn and hazel nuts and the Ghirardelli chocolate dip. It would be unfair to compare any other cannoli<\/strong><\/em> we\u2019ve had with this one. It would be no contest, like comparing The Dude\u2019s charm and good looks to mine.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cannoli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef Robert Hesse is the most unlikely \u201ccelebrity chef\u201d you\u2019ll ever meet. Though he\u2019s \u00fcber-talented, he\u2019s got an endearing down-to-earth personality, high-likeability quotient and humility that are rare in the world of the glitterati. Visiting Gigi is like having your paisan cook for you\u2026only this paisan can really, really, really cook!<\/span><\/p>\n

GIGI ITALIAN BISTRO<\/strong>
\n4959 Pan American, N.E., Suite A
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 24 August 2018
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 11 August 2018
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 3
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/A
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Chicken Tortellini Carbonara, Zucchini Crostoso, Macaroon, White Truffle Ravioli, Dinner Salad, Cannoli, Amuse Bouche, Meat Lovers Calzone, Pig N’ Fig Pizzette, Ravioli Napoli
\nREVIEW #1057<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“If you can go through with what Gordon Ramsey puts you through there’s nothing much more you can do. I mean the berating from that guy is unbelievable, but the reward is even greater.” ~ Chef Robert Hesse Veni, Vedi, Veci (I came, I saw, I conquered):\u00a0 Chef Robert Hesse, the superstar consulting chef who launched Gigi left Albuquerque in February, 2019. The review below was based on three visits to Gigi when Chef Hesse prepared our meals.\u00a0 In light of his departure, I have removed the rating of “26” I accorded Gigi and will update my review accordingly after my next visit. Chef Robert Hesse isn\u2019t the man he used to be. In fact, he\u2019s literally and figuratively a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49243,"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":[440,726,703,262,71,141,68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-closed-in-2020","category-dog-friendly","category-closed","category-italian","category-new-mexico","category-pizza"],"yoast_head":"\nGigi Italian Bistro - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil'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=49206\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gigi Italian Bistro - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"“If you can go through with what Gordon Ramsey puts you through there’s nothing much more you can do. I mean the berating from that guy is unbelievable, but the reward is even greater.” ~ Chef Robert Hesse Veni, Vedi, Veci (I came, I saw, I conquered):\u00a0 Chef Robert Hesse, the superstar consulting chef who launched Gigi left Albuquerque in February, 2019. The review below was based on three visits to Gigi when Chef Hesse prepared our meals.\u00a0 In light of his departure, I have removed the rating of “26” I accorded Gigi and will update my review accordingly after my next visit. Chef Robert Hesse isn\u2019t the man he used to be. 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