{"id":56699,"date":"2021-12-05T17:04:12","date_gmt":"2021-12-05T23:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699"},"modified":"2026-03-31T18:51:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T00:51:42","slug":"ms-gennies-house-of-chicken-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699","title":{"rendered":"Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Ms. Gennie’s on Lomas Just East of Old Town<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My Air Force friend and colleague Al Garcia once shared one of those amusing anecdotes that will leave your head shaking in disbelief even as you’re practically rolling on the floor with laughter. \u00a0According to Al who grew up in the Socorro area, his parents had to make a daylong trip to the big city (Albuquerque), leaving him and his sister at home to finish their chores. \u00a0At around lunchtime, he and his sister got hungry and decided to prepare some rice. \u00a0Never having cooked rice before, they poured an entire bag of rice into a pot, added water and turned the stove on high. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The menu at Ms. Gennie’s (Menu Changes Coming January 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a few minutes, rice began spilling out over the pot like lava flowing from a volcano. \u00a0Cooked rice covered the kitchen floor. \u00a0Not wanting to anger their parents, Al and his sister decided to get rid of the evidence. \u00a0They scooped up all the rice and fed it to their chickens. \u00a0The chickens gorged themselves on the all-you-can-eat feast of rice, eating so much that they (and this is the part I found hard to believe) burst, fowl feathers exploding all over the yard. \u00a0When their parents got home, Al and his sister were severely reprimanded. \u00a0They had managed to kill all the family’s chickens.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
One of Two Capacious Dining Rooms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My lack of sympathy for Al’s youthful plight didn’t bother him, not when I was laughing so hard he couldn’t help but join in. \u00a0Al was a fellow trencherman with whom I often broke bread and tortillas. \u00a0We frequented all the Chinese all-you-can-eat buffets along Central Avenue and gorged ourselves on fried chicken whenever we could find it. \u00a0Every time we did, I’d ask if he thought the chickens were “rice-fed” and organically-raised. \u00a0Maybe that’s why we didn’t visit too many fried chicken joints, not that there were many of those in Albuquerque at the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Another View of Ms Gennie’s Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the pandemic of the truly awful year 2020, diners increasingly turned to their favorite comfort foods for some sense of normalcy and solace. \u00a0According to Nation’s Restaurant News, the classic American comfort dish most giving us that sense of normalcy and solace is fried chicken. \u00a0Purveyors of deep-fried poultry reported significant sales volume increases during the pandemic. \u00a0Hmm, maybe launching a new fried chicken restaurant at the height of Covid-19 wasn’t as ill-fated as you might think.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Launching a new fried chicken restaurant during the pandemic was precisely what Andrew Vela and his daughter Drew Lipscomb did. \u00a0Of course, in February, 2020 when they purchased the building on Lomas that previously housed Monroe’s New Mexican Food<\/strong><\/a>, few could have predicted the dire consequences of the blight which changed the world. \u00a0For months, Andrew and Drew worked on refurbishing the building, giving it a thorough make-over that left few, if any, vestiges of its previous tenant. \u00a0Minus the cavalcade of cars that will someday fill the parking lot, Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken looks and feels as if it’s always been there. \u00a0It belongs!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Four Pieces of White Meat Chicken with Cholula Hot Sauce and Cornbread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ms. Gennie’s opened for business on November 3rd, 2020 when restaurants were restricted to 25-percent occupancy. \u00a0Not long thereafter, New Mexico’s restaurants were allowed to operate only under take-out and delivery modes. \u00a0That’s not the way any restaurant owners want to start out, but those challenges didn’t deter Andrew and Drew who quickly established a presence on Selflane<\/strong><\/a> and Doordash<\/strong><\/a> and even created an eClub<\/strong><\/a> on their website. \u00a0As is often the case, Gil’s Thrilling readers (thank you Dixie Burch) alerted me to the presence of Ms. Gennie’s, a restaurant we first visited on December 31st then again the following week. \u00a0We were hooked at first bite.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s pretty apparent Andrew Vela has a restaurant background, having cut his teeth at his family’s two Tex-Mex style Mexican restaurants in Bay City, Texas. \u00a0After high school, Andrew received a scholarship from New Mexico Highlands University to play baseball for the Cowboys. \u00a0He met, fell in love with and married the love of his life in New Mexico and has been here ever since. \u00a0For 27 years, he taught at-risk students at Rio Rancho Middle School before retiring in 2019. \u00a0When his dad would visit from Texas, they planned for the eventual launch of a restaurant upon Andrew’s retirement. \u00a0Out of respect for New Mexican cuisine, they decided the restaurant’s focus would not be Tex-Mex style Mexican food. \u00a0Instead, they would offer something else that’s bigger and better in Texas than anywhere else–fried chicken.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Fire-Roasted Corn, a Must-Have Side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken is named for Andrew’s stepmother<\/strong><\/a>, the family matriarch whose\u00a0strength, beliefs and love of family altered the path of the Vela family’s lives. \u00a0Andrew’s deep spirituality and innate belief in the goodness of people comes from her influence. \u00a0Their shared values are reflected in the way the staff interacts with each and every guest. \u00a0There’s no “wait schtick” or rehearsed routine. \u00a0At Ms. Gennie’s, every guest is treated with genuine kindness and made to feel welcome. \u00a0Ms. Gennie’s is the type of restaurant that engenders loyalty–both to the fabulous fried chicken and to the wonderful family who treats everyone like friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Outstanding Coleslaw, One of Several Terrific Sides<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ms. Gennie’s menu offers five proteins: fried chicken, Southern roasted chicken, fried catfish, chicken fried steak and smoked sausage (regular or jalape\u00f1o). \u00a0Family-style meals are available for four or six people though it’s possible (maybe likely) that four or six people might be able to get two meals out of the bounty. \u00a0The\u00a0family meal for six, for example, gives you the choice from among\u00a0three Southern roasted half chickens, twelve pieces of Southern fried chicken, six\u00a0pieces fried catfish, six chicken fried steaks and six smoked sausage along with three sides, a bread option (cornbread or biscuit) and one “pour-over” (red chile, green chile, brown gravy or white gravy). \u00a0Plates and pieces are a good option for those of us who don’t have families of four or six or who can’t eat as if they did.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Salad, Another Side Which Goes Well with Fried Chicken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6 January 2021<\/strong>: Fried chicken may be the quintessential and beloved of all comfort foods.\u00a0 At Ms. Gennie’s, it’s prepared in a pressure fryer which seals in moistness beneath a hot golden breading with a delightful crunch. \u00a0The\u00a0sound of biting into crispy fried chicken, by the way, has been scientifically proven to be an under-appreciated reason we find the experience of eating fried chicken so comforting. The breading used at Ms. Gennie’s is golden brown and imparts a sonorous crunch. Unlike some chains which disguise hummingbird sized chicken pieces under thick layers of breading, the breading used at Ms. Gennie’s is optimal in thickness. \u00a0You actually get much more chicken than breading (what a novel concept). \u00a0During our two initial visits, we both enjoyed the four-piece white meat plate<\/strong><\/em> with two sides and bread (a biscuit our first visit, cornbread the second). \u00a0To say we’re besotted by this chicken is an understatement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Ms Gennie’s Wonderful Cornbread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6 January 2021<\/strong>: Aficionados of Texas barbecue recognize one of many proteins prepared exceptionally well across the Lone Star State is sausage. \u00a0Some of the very best smoked sausage in the “whole other country” comes from Yoakum, Texas (between Houston and San Antonio). \u00a0That’s where Ms. Gennie’s procures its sausage which it offers in two ways: traditional and jalape\u00f1o. \u00a0Both are made from\u00a0lean cuts of pork and beef combined with fresh spices and peppers from a traditional old world recipe. \u00a0The jalape\u00f1o sausage<\/strong><\/em> is the best of both worlds–smoky and spicy with a pleasant piquancy that imparts itself on your taste buds and makes them very happy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Jalape\u00f1o Sausage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

31 December 2020<\/strong>: \u00a0Ms. Gennie’s offers eight sides: Gennie’s beans, mac n’ cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, coleslaw, green beans, house salad, Gennie’s rice and fire-roasted corn. \u00a0We’ve had half of them. \u00a0My Kim’s favorite is the buttery, smoky fire-roasted corn, golden niblets bespeckled with char. \u00a0She also loves the green beans which sport more personality and flavor than just about any green beans we’ve had in a while. \u00a0My early favorites are the coleslaw which is flecked with cilantro, a fresh and fragrant herb which enlivens the coleslaw. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

13 February 2021<\/strong>: In March, 2088 Time Magazine profiled then Presidential candidate George Herbert Walker Bush, revealing his fondness for fried pork rinds with Tabasco sauce. A year later, the New York Times reported, \u201cwhen Mr. Bush expressed a taste for pork rinds, sales jumped 11 percent and he was ordained \u2018Skin Man of the Year\u2019 by pork-rind makers<\/em>.\u201d \u00a0 The New York Times also reported that\u00a0pork rind manufacturer Rudolph Foods Company had to have its employees work overtime to keep up with the demand. Low-carb and keto dieters applauded the President’s favorite snack choice.\u00a0<\/span>Pork rinds were one of my dad’s favorite snacks, too, though for most of his six children pork rinds have always been a take-it-or-leave-it snack. \u00a0Ms. Gennie’s pork rinds<\/strong><\/em> are a definite “take it,” maybe a must-have. \u00a0As with most pork rinds, they have a light, puffy and crunchy texture with nary a hint of fat. \u00a0What distinguishes them, however, is a liberal sprinkling of lime salt that imbues each pork rind with a delightful citrusy tang. \u00a0Even my Kim who normally eschews “fried Styrofoam” enjoyed them. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Pork Rinds<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

13 February 2021<\/strong>: The mission of the Texas State Historical Association is to “foster the appreciation, understanding, and teaching of the rich and unique history of Texas<\/em>.” \u00a0It’s a wonderful resource for studying the history of some of the favorite foods of Texas–foods such as chicken fried steak<\/strong><\/em>. \u00a0Not surprisingly there are at least three “origin” stories<\/a><\/strong> that claim the dish was invented in the Lone Star State. \u00a0Whether or not chicken fried steak actually had its genesis in Texas, one thing that can’t be debated is that no one prepares it as well as restaurants and home cooks across the “whole other country.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing the incomparable deliciousness with which Texans imbue chicken fried steak, it was inevitable chicken fried steak would be the next item I’d order at Ms. Gennie’s–especially after\u00a0my friend Captain Escalante Tuttle waxed eloquent<\/strong><\/a> about it. \u00a0This\u00a0chicken fried steak is pounded into a tender slab then breaded lightly so that its golden hue just beckons\u2013or at least the part that isn\u2019t covered by the glorious white gravy with its peppery influence. The tenderized cube steak is fork-tender and absolutely delicious, a perfect accompaniment for skin-on mashed potatoes also covered in white gravy. \u00a0This is a chicken fried steak worthy of Texas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Chicken Fried Steak with White Gravy, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Corn Bread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

11 April 2021: <\/strong>Why, this here sauce is made in New York City!\u201d\u00a0 \u201cNew York City? Git a rope!\u201d <\/em>Uttered in a 1980s commercial for Pace Picante sauce, those lines expressed the ire of several hungry cowboys who threatened to string up the cook for serving a \u201cforeign\u201d salsa (translation: not made in Texas).\u00a0 <\/em>Pace Picante Sauce may be the most famous salsa to originate in Texas, but it’s probably not close to being the best.\u00a0 That distinction may belong to the salsa<\/strong><\/em> (jalape\u00f1os, cilantro, onions, tomatoes) at Ms. Gennie’s.\u00a0 It’s the best Texas-style we’ve ever had.\u00a0 Lest you pull the “but it’s made with jalape\u00f1os and not green chile<\/em>” argument, let me point out that much of the salsa served in New Mexican restaurants is made with jalape\u00f1os.\u00a0 The composition of this salsa isn’t as important as how absolutely delicious it is.\u00a0 It’s got a pleasant piquancy and a flavor that can’t be beaten.\u00a0 The chips are crispy and low in salt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Chips and Salsa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

11 April 2021:\u00a0 <\/strong>Author Aaron Gilbreath<\/a><\/strong> has “embarrassingly strong opinions,<\/em>”\u00a0 among them the opinion that “Hard shell tacos weren\u2019t true tacos, they were more vertical tostada sandwiches, a Frankenstein abomination that Taco Bell unleashed to give white America something \u201cexotic\u201d to eat without leaving the comfortable confines of its white world<\/em>.”\u00a0 Vertical tostada sandwiches.\u00a0 Hmm, I’ll have to remember that one.\u00a0 Tostadas, which literally translate to “toasted” are flat, crispy corn tortilla shells topped with sundry ingredients.\u00a0 That doesn’t sound very excited, so when Andrew invited me to try Ms. Gennie’s chicken tostada<\/strong><\/em> I figured if was constructed with the restaurant’s incomparably delicious chicken, the chicken tostada would be good, but come on, they’d still be tostadas.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

That they’d be good proved an understatement.\u00a0 Along with the uniquely brilliant tostada creations of Chef Dennis Apodaca at Urban Cocina<\/strong><\/a>, the chicken tostadas at Ms. Gennie’s have “best in the city” qualities.\u00a0 Three tostadas, each about the size of a particular craft which landed outside of Roswell in 1947, were much more filling–and delicious–than we had expected.\u00a0 Each fried corn tortilla was topped skyscraper high with fried chicken, shredded Cheddar cheese, lettuce, onion, cilantro and chopped tomatoes.\u00a0 Every bite is a celebration of bold flavors that work so well together, especially when topped with Ms. Gennie’s green chile.\u00a0 It’s green chile as good as you’ll find at any New Mexican restaurant with a nice bite and smoky flavor.\u00a0
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Chicken Tostadas with Green Chile<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5 December 2021: \u00a0<\/strong>Willard Scott, who played both Bozo the Clown and the original Ronald McDonald on television then earned his greatest fame as the longtime weather forecaster on the \u201cToday\u201d show was quite a gourmand. \u00a0One of his very favorite foods: \u00a0“If I go down in for anything in history, I would like to be known as the person who convinced the American people that catfish is one of the finest eating fishes in the world<\/em>.” In that respect, we were certainly simpatico. \u00a0During our eight years on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we must have consumed a couple of ponds worth of catfish. \u00a0Mississippi ranks number one<\/strong><\/a> in the country in catfish production, raising 58% of the catfish grown in the United States. \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to catfish, the Land of Enchantment is a minnow in the country’s aquaculture pond. \u00a0New Mexico neither produces nor consumes a great deal of catfish. \u00a0For my Kim and I, it’s always a great treat to find catfish on a restaurant’s menu–even better when the catfish is actually good (a rarity). \u00a0Andrew grew up catching catfish in East Texas so it’s only natural that he’d offer the bottom-dweller on his restaurant’s menu. \u00a0Ms. Gennie’s catfish<\/strong><\/em> is rolled in a cornbread batter and fried to a golden sheen. \u00a0Available as a plate (with two sides, a bread and a pour-over) or individually as a single fillet, this is catfish reminiscent of the catfish we enjoyed so much in Mississippi. The cornmeal-dusted exterior imparts a subtle flavor that allows \u00a0the juicy, flavorful fish to shine. \u00a0A squeeze or two of lemon is all you need.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Catfish Plate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

13 February 2021<\/strong>: Ruth Reichl, former editor of Gourmet Magazine, once declared “If you start with a great peach, there’s nothing you’re ever going to do that’s going to make it any better than when it comes off the tree<\/em>.” \u00a0Is it possible Reichl has never had peach cobbler topped with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. \u00a0Few things in life are better than peach cobbler a la mode<\/strong><\/em>. \u00a0Ms. Gennie’s version is terrific with sweet-tangy-juicy peaches served warm in a bowl with soft crust and vanilla ice cream (Blue Bell, a Texas favorite, of course) on the side instead of being lopped atop the cobbler.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Peach Cobbler with Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5 December 2021:\u00a0<\/strong> Living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast meant at least once-a-month visits to the Crescent City, one of the most exciting cities in the world. \u00a0Summer’s sweltering heat and stifling humidity meant we had to find ways to stay cool. \u00a0One of our very favorite treats–and back then the highest rated “restaurant” in the Zagat’s Guide to dining in New Orleans–was Hansen’s Snow-Blitz<\/strong><\/a> just off the French Quarter. \u00a0With its outlandish combinations of shaved ices and frozen treats (banana shaved ice topped with bananas foster anyone?), Hansen’s was our salvation on many an unbearable day. \u00a0Don’t dare confuse its “snoballs” with snow cones. \u00a0While snow cones are dense and rough, Hansen’s sno balls are finely shaved and delicate, almost powdery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Andrew grew up enjoying Texas snowballs<\/strong><\/em> which are very similar to Hansen’s sno balls. \u00a0In January, 2022, he plans to introduce them on the menu once the Ms. Gennie’s staff is fully trained in operating the ice machine. \u00a0Six flavors will be featured: grape, strawberry, tiger’s blood, lime, blue raspberry and black cherry.\u00a0 There will also be an adult-flavored snowball, one drizzled in rum.\u00a0 You can also enjoy two add-ons with your Texas snowballs: sweet cream or a scoop of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. \u00a0Andrew gave me a preview of this magnificent treat, a strawberry snowball with a drizzle of sweet cream. \u00a0It was fabulous, very reminiscent of the sno balls we enjoyed so much in New Orleans. \u00a0Even in winter’s cold, Texas snowballs are a welcome treat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Texas Snowball (Strawberry) – Coming to Ms. Gennie’s in January, 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

11 April 2021<\/strong>: I mentioned earlier that for 27 years, Andrew taught at-risk students at Rio Rancho Middle School before retiring in 2019.\u00a0 The theme of a teacher appreciation and recognition reception in May, 2018, was “It takes a big heart to shape little minds<\/em>.”\u00a0 Andrew’s big heart was the reason he was one of the recipients of a teacher appreciation award, the citation of which read: <\/span>\u201cHis ability to take children with behavior<\/em><\/span>al issues and mold them into respectable <\/span>young men is quite amazing. My son went from mostly F\u2019s . . . to making the honor roll <\/span>and being a . . . responsible young man at home . . . Mr. Vela doesn\u2019t accept that a <\/span>young man is only the bad choices he may have made in the past. He expects so <\/span><\/em>much more from his students and he gets that through hard work and respect<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Andrew’s innate ability to reach at-risk students makes him the consummate host at Ms. Gennie’s where the biggest risk is running out of chicken.\u00a0 Fortunately he and Drew have crafted a menu that offers a variety of dishes, all delicious and generously portioned.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Andrew Delivering a Plate of Deliciousness to Eager Diners<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Andrew and Drew have big plans for Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken that will keep things interesting.\u00a0 Their Southern roasted chicken will be showcased on a number of specials including Tex-Mex style enchiladas. \u00a0Until then, there’s still much to explore, eat and enjoy on a Texas-sized menu brought to Albuquerque by some of the nicest restaurateurs you’ll ever meet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken<\/strong>
\n1520 Lomas, N.W.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 5 December 2021
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 31 December 2020
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 6
\nRATING<\/strong>: Excellent<\/strong><\/span> – High quality dining experience; very good to excellent food, attentive service, and a well-maintained atmosphere; worth a detour.
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Four Piece White Chicken, Biscuits, Fire-Roasted Corn, Coleslaw, Mac n’ Cheese, Jalape\u00f1o Sausage, Chicken Fried Steak, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Pork Rinds, Peach Cobbler with Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream, Chicken Tostada, Chips and Salsa, Texas Snowball, Catfish
\nREVIEW #1199<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My Air Force friend and colleague Al Garcia once shared one of those amusing anecdotes that will leave your head shaking in disbelief even as you’re practically rolling on the floor with laughter. \u00a0According to Al who grew up in the Socorro area, his parents had to make a daylong trip to the big city (Albuquerque), leaving him and his sister at home to finish their chores. \u00a0At around lunchtime, he and his sister got hungry and decided to prepare some rice. \u00a0Never having cooked rice before, they poured an entire bag of rice into a pot, added water and turned the stove on high. \u00a0 In a few minutes, rice began spilling out over the pot like lava flowing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":59389,"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":[440,1649,262,141,563,567],"tags":[746,734,1438,838,941,2367,733,735,736,732,748,747,737,1437],"class_list":["post-56699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-closed-in-2022","category-closed","category-new-mexico","category-rating-excellent","category-southern","tag-albuquerque","tag-biscuits","tag-catfish","tag-chicken-fried-steak","tag-chicken-tostadas","tag-closed-in-2022","tag-cobbler","tag-cornbread","tag-dinner-plates","tag-fried-chicken","tag-lomas","tag-new-mexico","tag-sweet-tea","tag-texas-snowballs"],"yoast_head":"\nMs. Gennie's House of Chicken - 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=56699\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ms. Gennie's House of Chicken - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My Air Force friend and colleague Al Garcia once shared one of those amusing anecdotes that will leave your head shaking in disbelief even as you’re practically rolling on the floor with laughter. \u00a0According to Al who grew up in the Socorro area, his parents had to make a daylong trip to the big city (Albuquerque), leaving him and his sister at home to finish their chores. \u00a0At around lunchtime, he and his sister got hungry and decided to prepare some rice. \u00a0Never having cooked rice before, they poured an entire bag of rice into a pot, added water and turned the stove on high. \u00a0 In a few minutes, rice began spilling out over the pot like lava flowing…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-12-05T23:04:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-01T00:51:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/MsGennies24-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"19 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\"},\"headline\":\"Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-05T23:04:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-01T00:51:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699\"},\"wordCount\":3406,\"commentCount\":23,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/04\\\/MsGennies24-scaled.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Albuquerque\",\"biscuits\",\"Catfish\",\"Chicken Fried Steak\",\"chicken tostadas\",\"Closed in 2022\",\"cobbler\",\"cornbread\",\"dinner plates\",\"fried chicken\",\"Lomas\",\"New Mexico\",\"sweet tea\",\"Texas Snowballs\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Albuquerque\",\"Closed in 2022\",\"Gone But Not Forgotten\",\"New Mexico\",\"Rating: Excellent\",\"Southern\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699\",\"name\":\"Ms. Gennie's House of Chicken - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/04\\\/MsGennies24-scaled.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-05T23:04:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-01T00:51:42+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/04\\\/MsGennies24-scaled.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/04\\\/MsGennies24-scaled.jpeg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1920,\"caption\":\"Catfish Plate\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=56699#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"description\":\"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,522 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\",\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Gil Garduno\"},\"description\":\"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/%20\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ms. Gennie's House of Chicken - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ms. Gennie's House of Chicken - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"My Air Force friend and colleague Al Garcia once shared one of those amusing anecdotes that will leave your head shaking in disbelief even as you’re practically rolling on the floor with laughter. \u00a0According to Al who grew up in the Socorro area, his parents had to make a daylong trip to the big city (Albuquerque), leaving him and his sister at home to finish their chores. \u00a0At around lunchtime, he and his sister got hungry and decided to prepare some rice. \u00a0Never having cooked rice before, they poured an entire bag of rice into a pot, added water and turned the stove on high. \u00a0 In a few minutes, rice began spilling out over the pot like lava flowing…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699","og_site_name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","article_published_time":"2021-12-05T23:04:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-01T00:51:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1920,"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/MsGennies24-scaled.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gil Garduno","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gil Garduno","Est. reading time":"19 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699"},"author":{"name":"Gil Garduno","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf"},"headline":"Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)","datePublished":"2021-12-05T23:04:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-01T00:51:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699"},"wordCount":3406,"commentCount":23,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/MsGennies24-scaled.jpeg","keywords":["Albuquerque","biscuits","Catfish","Chicken Fried Steak","chicken tostadas","Closed in 2022","cobbler","cornbread","dinner plates","fried chicken","Lomas","New Mexico","sweet tea","Texas Snowballs"],"articleSection":["Albuquerque","Closed in 2022","Gone But Not Forgotten","New Mexico","Rating: Excellent","Southern"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699","name":"Ms. Gennie's House of Chicken - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/MsGennies24-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2021-12-05T23:04:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-01T00:51:42+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/MsGennies24-scaled.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/MsGennies24-scaled.jpeg","width":2560,"height":1920,"caption":"Catfish Plate"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=56699#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","description":"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,522 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf","name":"Gil Garduno","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","caption":"Gil Garduno"},"description":"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/%20","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nmgastronome\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56699"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78453,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56699\/revisions\/78453"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/59389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}