{"id":5848,"date":"2011-10-01T02:52:57","date_gmt":"2011-10-01T08:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=5848"},"modified":"2025-09-27T10:00:49","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T16:00:49","slug":"greenside-cafe-cedar-crest-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=5848","title":{"rendered":"Greenside Cafe – Cedar Crest, New Mexico (CLOSED)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"The
The Greenside Cafe in Cedar Crest, New Mexico<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In order to provide quality services, municipalities everywhere, but especially in growing urban areas, rely heavily on gross receipts taxes from sources such as hotels and restaurants. \u00a0Cedar Crest, New Mexico, is no different from other cities in that it would like not only for its citizenry to spend as much disposable income as possible within the village, it courts an external revenue stream from visitors.<\/span><\/p>\n

From 1961 through 1999–one of Cedar Crest’s most reliable sources of gross receipts revenue was the legendary Bella Vista Restaurant, a sprawling wooden edifice which during its halcyon days accommodated 1,200 dining patrons and served an unlimited number of all-you-can-eat platters of fried chicken and fish. \u00a0When the Bella Vista launched during the onset of the Kennedy administration, Cedar Crest had very few amenities.\u00a0The Bella Vista helped changed that. \u00a0For nearly four decades, cavalcades of motorists made their way to the backside of the Sandias to fill their bellies without emptying their wallets. \u00a0Many would stay.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Romesco,
Romesco, a roasted red pepper, fresh garlic, lemon and almonds pureed and served with French bread<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Bella Vista was a landmark, a true dining destination, which on weekends courted so many visitors that two-hour waits for tables on weekends were the norm. \u00a0In 1999, the Bernalillo County Fire Department shuttered the restaurant’s doors because of numerous code violations. \u00a0In due course, the prime property was sold and the cornerstone of the Cedar Crest community was demolished.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the magnificent east-facing demense from which the Bella Vista held prominence is occupied by a yawning center of commerce appropriately named the Village at Bella Vista. \u00a0With its pitched green tin roof and smoothly hewn timbers, the Village has an attractive and rustic mountain look and feel to it that fits in well with the alpine community of Cedar Crest. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
12 double-breaded wings with a spicy mango sauce<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the Village’s anchor tenants is an expansive, modern restaurant which by many standards would be considered spacious though it is barely one-forth the size of the Bella Vista. \u00a0The Greenside Cafe, named in part because it is situated on the lush, verdant side of the Sandias, is a worthy successor to the legendary eatery. \u00a0It may not ever become the type of dining destination the Bella Vista once was, but unlike its predecessor, the Greenside Cafe isn’t a one-trick pony relying on gargantuan portions (albeit delicious ones) as its primary draw.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the Bella Vista was a one-trick pony, the Greenside Cafe is an entire stable of magnificent purebred stallions. \u00a0With an array of simple and sophisticated dishes side-by-side on a menu which, while not revolutionary in its inventiveness, has something for everyone, the Greenside Cafe is one of many wonderful reasons to visit the backside of the Sandias. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Curried
Curried Rice Bowl with chipotle marinated beef<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the Cafe’s helm is chef-owner Jay Wulf, a seasoned kitchen master whose pedigree is as impressive as any in New Mexico. \u00a0His foray into the Duke City dining scene began with a stint at the long defunct Restaurant Andre’s where he worked for Andre Ditty, the city’s preeminent celebrity chef in the 1990s. \u00a0Wulf has also served as executive chef at the Prairie Star Cafe and The\u00a0Range<\/a> in Bernalillo, Santa Fe’s Cafe Escalera, and in Albuquerque\u00a0Gecko’s<\/a> and the Standard Diner<\/a>. \u00a0 He created the original tapas menu at Gecko’s Bar & Tapas when tapas were virtually unheard of in the Land of Enchantment. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Greenside Cafe occupies the northernmost corner of the yawning shopping center where it is illuminated by the bright New Mexico morning sun. \u00a0 The restaurant is an airy, expansive and thoroughly modern complex with painted concrete floors, high ceilings with exposed beams, and bright colors. \u00a0The walls are festooned with framed photographs of New Mexico landmarks. \u00a0An expansive bar bisects two dining rooms. \u00a0The main dining room is at the restaurant’s northern while a smaller, more intimate dining room at the south end is used for the restaurant’s four-course wine dinners.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The
The Flat Iron (a half-pound steak) with French Fries and Vegetables<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The menu is hardly a compendium of everything for everybody. \u00a0Instead it focuses on a select few items in various categories. \u00a0Breakfast is served daily until 3PM and includes an enticing mix of New Mexican dishes such as the ubiquitous breakfast burrito along with Jay Wulf take-offs on traditional favorites such as Sandia Toast, sourdough French toast crafted with an orange and vanilla scented batter. \u00a0 Burgers are a full third-pound of 100 percent Angus chuck. \u00a0The sandwich menu is beckoning, especially the Sangre de Cristo, Wulf’s interpretation of the Monte Cristo. \u00a0Entrees range from a surprisingly inexpensive flat iron steak to comfort food favorites such as chicken-fried steak and meatloaf to a Thai-inspired curried rice bowl.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sandia Toast<\/em>, Greenside’s stunning variation on French toast is not to be missed!\u00a0 It’s crafted with sourdough bread dipped in an orange and vanilla scented batter and served with real maple syrup.\u00a0 The sourdough bread has an ever so slightly crispy crust while the interior of the bread is soft and spongy enough to absorb the real maple syrup.\u00a0 The fragrance of the orange scented batter permeates this unique rendition of French toast, imbuing it with memorable qualities that will linger long after your breakfast.\u00a0 The Sandia Toast is served with fresh fruit, a tangy foil for the sweet syrup.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Sandia Toast: Sour dough bread dipped in an orange & vanilla scented batter. Served with a side of fresh fruit and with REAL Maple Syrup<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The restaurant’s most popular appetizer might be the Romesco<\/em>, a pureed dip made from roasted bell pepper, fresh garlic, lemon and almonds served with French bread. The most prevalent flavor of the reddish dip which is served at room-temperature is the lively freshness of roasted bell peppers, a flavor which subdues even the garlic and lemon. If you love bell peppers, this appetizer will resonate with you; if not, you might want to opt instead for a more conventional spinach and artichoke dip, one of several appetizers on the menu.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of America’s hottest dining trends, one sweeping even Albuquerque, is eateries specializing in Buffalo hot wings. It just makes sense. Wings are the least-expensive portion of the chicken because most of the meat lies in breasts, thighs and even drumsticks. The drumette and middle, flat portion of the wing aren’t entirely meatless, but there’s not a lot of meat there. Two things make wings the most perfect of finger foods: the sauce and the fact that they’re generally not very expensive.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The J-1 Burger, marinated with the wonderful housemade steak sauce<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Greenside Cafe’s hot wings are exceptional.\u00a0 In fact, in New Mexico, the only comparable wings might be those at Wings ‘N Things<\/a> in Albuquerque.\u00a0 What makes the Greenside’s wings different is that they’re double-breaded.\u00a0 If that term paints a picture in your mind of those shapeless, heavily breaded chicken wings served at some Chinese restaurants, think again.\u00a0 The breading at the Greenside isn’t some clumpy, thick amalgam.\u00a0 It’s light and crispy and it sheathes perfectly prepared poultry within its crispy shell.\u00a0 The hot wings are available with your choice of spicy mango or traditional Louisiana style sauce. The spicy mango sauce is some of the very best wings sauce we’ve ever had.\u00a0 It’s as piquant as a Vietnamese chili sauce with the tangy-sweetness of fresh mangoes.\u00a0 These are the type of wings you could eat by the dozen. <\/span><\/p>\n

Aficionados of Thai cuisine will appreciate Jay Wulf’s interpretation of a curry rice bowl<\/em>, lime and cilantro-scented Basmati rice served with fresh sauteed vegetables and house-made green curry with coconut milk. Add chicken, tofu, shrimp or chipotle marinated beef (my choice) for a pittance. You won’t necessarily get the feeling that you’re in Bangkok or even an Albuquerque based Thai restaurant when you eat this dish, but that may be a good thing especially when compared to the latter. Unlike at some Duke City Thai restaurants, the green curry isn’t as cloying as pudding. With just a bit more piquancy, the curry would be downright inspired.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Greenside’s fabulous housemade potato chips<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The star of the curry rice bowl might well be the fresh sauteed vegetables: red peppers, snow pea pods, onions, zucchini and broccoli, all perfectly prepared so that they’re crisp and fresh-tasting. \u00a0You won’t find an over-boiled morsel among the vegetables, nor will they be too al-dente. \u00a0The Basmati rice is similarly perfectly prepared–long-grained and free-flowing with nary any of the clumpiness of poorly prepared rice. <\/span><\/p>\n

The most expensive item on the menu is The Flat Iron<\/em>, a half-pound flat iron steak marinated in the restaurant’s house-made J-Sauce. Flat iron steaks are a value-priced cut that is tender, juicy and which some experts say has the “beefiest” flavor of any cut of beef on any steak. The Greenside Cafe exploits these qualities to their utmost, serving a fork-tender steak that is juicy, delicious and absolutely beefy. Excellent in its own right, it is embellished by some of the very best steak sauce we’ve ever had, a sauce so exquisite that we buy a pint to bring home every time we visit Greenside. Unlike the commercial steak sauces which detract from the flavor of beef, the J-1 sauce complements, maybe even improves, the taste of the beef.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mac and Cheese: Homemade macaroni with real cheddar cheese, tossed with green chile and roast chicken.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you love the J-sauce (and you will), another meaty host which showcases its fabulous flavor profile is the restaurant’s J-1 burger<\/em>, a third-pound, 100-percent Angus chuck burger served with lettuce, tomato, pickle (a spear) and your choice of mixed greens, French fries, homemade potato chips (or you can upgrade to a Caesar or spinach salad for a pittance more).\u00a0\u00a0 The J-1 burger is marinated with the house-made steak sauce.\u00a0 Frankly, the only thing which could make this burger even better is even more of the sauce.\u00a0 Though you can add bacon, Cheddar or Swiss cheese, green or red chile, pickled jalapenos, mushrooms, onions and even a homemade barbecue sauce, you won’t want any additives to take anything away from the J-1 sauce.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2011, New Mexicans voted Greenside’s version of a green chile cheeseburger onto the New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail, an honor roll of the very best of New Mexico’s iconic burgers. It doesn’t even need the sobriquet of “Turquoise Trail Green Chile Cheeseburger,” to pander to locals. Its flavor will win them over easily enough. This is a relatively simple burger without too many frills and flourishes–just outstanding Angus chuck, Cheddar cheese, chopped green chile, lettuce, tomato and a pickle spear. You can embellish it with a number of options (including the aforementioned J-1 sauce, but adornment is wholly unnecessary. The green chile is a bit mild, but has a nice roasted flavor and there’s plenty of it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Turquoise Trail Green Chile Cheese Burger: New Mexico\u2019s original. Cheddar cheese and chopped green chile atop s 1\/3 pound Angus chuck patty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yet another vehicle seemingly (hopefully this isn’t getting to be a tired theme) made for J-1 sauce is Greenside’s meatloaf which is served with a barbecue sauce.\u00a0 This meatloaf is crafted from ground black Angus chuck blended with bacon, fresh herbs and vegetables.\u00a0 It’s a slab nearly as wide as the plate on which it’s served and unlike so many cardboard-like meatloaf dishes, it’s moist and absolutely delicious.\u00a0 It’s the caliber of meatloaf which can convert vegans–especially if you slather on a coat of J-1 sauce (which incidentally goes well on the mashed potatoes, too).<\/span><\/p>\n

When a Friday evening found us at Greenside, a special of the night was a tailor-made excuse for more J-1 steak sauce.\u00a0 It also gave us an opportunity to see how well Jay Wulf prepared New Mexican food.\u00a0 The special was an eight-ounce New York strip with two chile rellenos, pinto beans and Basmati rice.\u00a0 The New York strip was grilled to our exacting specifications (medium) and was indeed a perfect canvas for the J-1 sauce.\u00a0 Moreover, it was a delicious cut of beef and it would have been so even without the sauce.\u00a0 It was tender and juicy with a nice hint of pink inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Ground black Angus chuck blended with bacon, fresh herbs & vegetables. Served with mashed potatoes and fresh sauteed vegetables<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

World-famous Top Chef Master Rick Bayless calls chiles “the culinary icon for passion,” and sees the embodiment of that iconography in the chile relleno.\u00a0 Not all chiles rellenos are created the same way and even in New Mexico, the chile portion of the dish is a poblano, a chile not much more piquant on the Scoville scale than a bell pepper.\u00a0 At Greenside, the chile of choice is a New Mexico green chile with plenty of bite.\u00a0 Sheathed in a crunchy batter and stuffed with Cheddar cheese, it is accompanied by a small dish of even more potent green chile, a perfect dip for doubling your piquant pleasure. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re in the mood for meat, but not necessarily a steak, an excellent alternative is the Hoisin Glazed Ribs<\/em>, a full pound of St. Louis style ribs slow-cooked and coated with a Hoisin glaze then grilled. The ribs are off-the-bone tender and very meaty. The glaze is applied liberally but imparts qualities other than sweetness, an all too common characteristic of too many Hoisin-ameliorated dishes. Those qualities include a nice chili-based piquancy and a pronounced smoky savoriness that balances the flavor profile very well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Eight-ounce New York strip with two chile rellenos, pinto beans and Basmati rice<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Hoisin Glazed Ribs are accompanied by thin-cut French fries and homemade coleslaw, both of which are quite good.\u00a0 Quite naturally we eschewed ketchup and asked for J-1 sauce as our dipping condiment.\u00a0 It worked well.\u00a0 The coleslaw is thankfully not swimming in salad cream or mayonnaise as some coleslaw is apt to be.\u00a0 It’s also not a cloying cabbage based coleslaw, but a slaw with nice tanginess and an ingredient we could not discern (perhaps five-spice) that gave it an interesting flavor.<\/span><\/p>\n

The spinach salad is fresh and leafy, a generous, well-adorned pile of pickled onions, carrots and avocado crowned with a Dijon-vinaigrette dressing. The pickled onions, a pinkish-purple shade, are exceptional. For a taste contrast you’re sure to enjoy, upgrade to the spinach salad and order a side of the restaurant’s house-made potato chips. The chips are thin and crispy, not a soggy one in the bunch. They’re also lightly salted, a welcome surprise considering so many house-made chips tend to need desalinization.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
A pound of Hoisin Ribs with French fries and coleslaw<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s become very fashionable for New American restaurants to offer “adult” versions of mac and cheese on their menus.\u00a0 Fortunately, none we’ve had in New Mexico approximate the insipid Kraft dinner and most showcase the versatility of cheese.\u00a0 The Greenside’s rendition is crafted of homemade macaroni with real Cheddar.\u00a0 It’s tossed with green chile and roast chicken.\u00a0 The macaroni is perfectly prepared, neither too al dente nor too rubbery.\u00a0 The chicken is nicely seasoned and tasty.\u00a0 Alas, the green chile is barely noticeable with absolutely no piquancy.\u00a0 If you like your mac and cheese to be rich and creamy, you may be slightly disappointed in this one.\u00a0 It’s not very creamy, but then it is an adult mac and cheese.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

The sandwich menu is a limited (only four sandwiches), but formidable assemblage of inventive creations all served with your choice of mixed greens, French fries, homemade potato chips (or upgrade to a Caesar salad for a pittance).\u00a0 On any given day, the sandwich menu may be bolstered by a sandwich which would probably be the showpiece at any other restaurant.\u00a0 One such daily special is the Cubano which is quite unlike many of the other Cubanos you’ll find in Duke City area restaurants.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
The Greenside’s version of a Cubano<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This Cubano isn’t pressed on a panini pressed to the point at which the bread becomes so dry it’s like taking sandpaper to the roof of your mouth.\u00a0 Instead it’s lightly grilled so that the bread remains soft and pliable.\u00a0 The contents of this Cubano are superb!\u00a0 The roast beef and ham aren’t out-of-the-package whisper-thin slices, but thick, hand-cut pieces.\u00a0 The mustard is homemade and instead of dill pickles, sweet pickles (only recently cucumbers) sliced thinly are used to provide a great contrast to the tangy mustard.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the ways you know your taste buds have truly arrived is when you can appreciate the subtlety and deliciousness of entrees which don’t necessarily blow you away with powerful flavors–when those entrees visit your taste buds like a faint breeze not a tornadic wind.\u00a0 One such entree is Greenside’s Chicken Artichoke<\/em>, a grilled chicken breast served with an artichoke and goat cheese sauce.\u00a0 The chicken breast is perfectly grilled then topped with a mild sauce in which both the artichokes and goat cheese provide a faint essence of deliciousness, neither dominant of the other or of the chicken.\u00a0 If you like the adventure of flavor discernment, this is a good dish for you. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Chicken Artichoke: Grilled chicken breast served with an artichoke and goat cheese sauce. Served with rice and vegetables.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The dessert menu is headlined by a chocolate molten cake which you have to order virtually as soon as you walk in because it takes 30 minutes to prepare. You can’t call the chocolate almond butter mousse pie<\/em> a consolation prize. It’s an excellent dessert option made with a Graham cracker crust, dark chocolate ganache and almond butter dark chocolate mousse. It accentuates the rich flavors of “adult” chocolate and is a wonderful conclusion to a great meal.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Another terrific terminus to an exceptional meal is the strawberry mascarpone cheesecake<\/em>, a dessert which channels the freshness and vibrancy of spring. The base of this cheesecake is the most moist and fresh-tasting Oreo cookie crust we’ve had. Atop the crust is a blend of mascarpone cream cheese resembling the stratification of light earth layers, but tasting as rich and creamy as possible. There are actually no fresh strawberries on the cheesecake, but rather a drizzle of pureed strawberries akin to a creamy jam. In any case, it provides a tangy contrast to the sweet-richness of the cream cheese.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Strawberry Mascarpone Cheesecake – Oreo cookie crust and a blend of mascarpone, cream cheese and fresh strawberries<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My friend Andrea Lin<\/a>, restaurant critic for the Albuquerque Journal, has long told me about Jay Wulf’s magical homemade ice cream, but it wasn’t until my third visit that we sampled that magic in the form of a Mexican chocolate. This ice cream holds true to Mexican chocolate ice cream traditions. It is an adult chocolate which means not especially sweet and it’s flavored with both cinnamon and nutmeg. An absolutely delicious, creamy concoction, it is so good you’ll want to take a pint home (not that it’s going to make it that far).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Greenside Cafe and its superb chef-owner Jay Wulf are reason enough for Duke City diners to make the short 20-minute trek from the Big-I. In 2009 Chef Wulf was honored with a “Hot Plate” award by Albuquerque The Magazine<\/a>, signifying a restaurateur who’s going places. His Greenside Cafe is an excellent restaurant that is already inspiring the same reverential tones with which the fabled Bella Vista is still mentioned, hopefully without closing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Chocolate
Chocolate Almond Butter Mousse Pie<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Greenside Cafe<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe Village at Bella Vista
\n12165 North 14, Suite B-1
\nCedar Crest, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/a>LATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 11 May 2013
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 31 October 2009
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 6
\nRATING<\/strong>: 23<\/strong><\/span>
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$ – $$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: \u00a0Flat Iron Steak with French Fries, Curried Rice Bowl with Chipotle Marinated Beef, Chocolate Almond Butter Mousse Pie, Mac and Cheese, J-1 Burger, House-made Potato Chips, Spinach Salad, Strawberry Mascarpone Cheesecake, Turquoise Trail Green Chile Cheeseburger, Meatloaf, Cubano, Chicken Artichoke<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In order to provide quality services, municipalities everywhere, but especially in growing urban areas, rely heavily on gross receipts taxes from sources such as hotels and restaurants. \u00a0Cedar Crest, New Mexico, is no different from other cities in that it would like not only for its citizenry to spend as much disposable income as possible within the village, it courts an external revenue stream from visitors. From 1961 through 1999–one of Cedar Crest’s most reliable sources of gross receipts revenue was the legendary Bella Vista Restaurant, a sprawling wooden edifice which during its halcyon days accommodated 1,200 dining patrons and served an unlimited number of all-you-can-eat platters of fried chicken and fish. \u00a0When the Bella Vista launched during the onset…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8722,"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":[21,4661,262,141,588],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american","category-closed-in-2025","category-closed","category-new-mexico","category-new-mexico-green-chile-cheeseburger-trail-2011"],"yoast_head":"\nGreenside Cafe - Cedar Crest, 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=5848\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Greenside Cafe - Cedar Crest, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In order to provide quality services, municipalities everywhere, but especially in growing urban areas, rely heavily on gross receipts taxes from sources such as hotels and restaurants. \u00a0Cedar Crest, New Mexico, is no different from other cities in that it would like not only for its citizenry to spend as much disposable income as possible within the village, it courts an external revenue stream from visitors. 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