{"id":60720,"date":"2022-11-22T00:01:19","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T06:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720"},"modified":"2026-04-03T11:27:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:27:29","slug":"uptown-saggios-scratch-italian-kitchen-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720","title":{"rendered":"Uptown Saggio’s Scratch Italian Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
Saggio’s Scratch Kitchen in the Coronado Mall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Can you imagine the outcry if Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham tried to abolish New Mexico’s sacrosanct red and green chile because the Department of Cultural Affairs Secretary convinced her that chile doesn’t bring out the best in New Mexicans? \u00a0Such a treasonous and heretical act would probably provoke outrage, if not an outright revolution. \u00a0Thankfully our Governor is a tremendous advocate for our home state’s hallowed and official state vegetable. \u00a0Regardless of your political affiliation, you can’t help puffing up your chest with pride when she responds to a snarky tweet from Colorado’s governor claiming Colorado’s chile is superior.<\/span><\/p>\n

That dystopian scenario sounds too outlandish to ever happen. \u00a0It would be akin to Italy trying to abolish pasta. \u00a0Wait, that actually did happen<\/strong><\/a>. \u00a0In the decade before World War II, an up-and-coming art movement called\u00a0The Futurists derided anything that wasn\u2019t on the cutting edge of modern. They wanted Italy to be on the front lines of the future and saw one thing holding the entire country back\u2014its love of pasta. \u00a0The movement believed pasta was “heavy and anti-virile<\/em>,” claiming that “no true fighters would ever eat pasta because of its tendency to weigh you down<\/em>.” They also made it clear that pasta wasn\u2019t a choice for a man\u2019s man or a lady\u2019s man, as no one ever got amorous with a stomach full of starch. \u00a0While at it, Mussolini and the Futurists also wanted to eliminate bread (imagine a world with no pizza).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
The Whimsical Interior<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That movement gained momentum when Benito Mussolini began a domestic campaign to make Italy a self-sufficient country. \u00a0In support of that campaign, he took aim at pasta, raising the fees associated with importing grains. \u00a0As if that wasn’t enough, Il Duce insisted that Italians begin eating rice instead of pasta. \u00a0Imagine Governor Lujan Grisham insisting New Mexicans begin eating carrots instead. \u00a0Yeah, in a hokey posting of each state’s favorite pizza topping Barstool Sports<\/strong><\/a> insisted New Mexico’s favorite topping is carrots, but that post only brought criticism and ridicule. \u00a0Can you imagine the green chile cheeseburger being supplanted by a carrot cheeseburger or green chile stew being replaced by carrot stew? \u00a0I’d move to Colorado.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, Mussolini’s\u00a0movement to replace pasta with rice largely repulsed the Italian people. They wrote and signed petitions. \u00a0“They refused to like\u2014or even try\u2014some of the trendier dishes the Futurists put forward in an attempt to get them to forget about pasta (because who doesn\u2019t like chicken roasted with ball bearings?) and they even wrote verses that appeared in newspapers across the world<\/em>.” \u00a0 \u00a0 In virtually every culinary survey you can find, Italian cuisine is the world’s most popular<\/strong><\/a>. \u00a0Thank God, Italians were roused to action at the detestable attempt to eliminate pasta and bread.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
The Counter Where You Place Your Order<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Had Mussolini had his way Albuquerque wouldn’t have\u00a0Saggio’s<\/strong><\/a>, one of the city’s most revered purveyors of pizza and pasta. \u00a0Had the DiGregorio family had their way, the Duke City would be home to many more Saggio’s. \u00a0Make that Nunzio’s. \u00a0 In the 80s, a humble UNM area pizzeria named Nunzio\u2019s (named for family patriarch Nunzio DiGregorio) used to prepare the best pizza in my universe as I knew it before the Air Force sent me to Massachusetts. Ambitious efforts (too much, too soon) at expansion failed and the family sold the Nunzio\u2019s trademark and recipes. \u00a0It was an event warranting an apron flying at half mast. \u00a0Thankfully, the DeNunzio family reopened under the name Saggios with pizza about as close as you can get to Nunzio’s without violating trademark. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Saggio’s remains a UNM area favorite, providing sustenance not only to starving students but to paramours of pizza and Italian food. \u00a0Art aficionados also appreciate Saggio’s for the the imaginative tromp-l\u2019oeil murals which festoon the walls. It wouldn\u2019t be a stretch to name Saggios as one of the city\u2019s most visually captivating milieus. There\u2019s something to capture your eye no matter where you turn. The aforementioned trompe-l\u2019oeil, an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery, almost creates the illusion that the depicted objects really exist, instead of being mere, two-dimensional paintings. It\u2019s a must see!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Two Slices of Cheese Pizza, One Slice of Sausage and Red Onion Pizza<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the drawbacks to visiting Saggio’s in the UNM area has always been parking. The hunt for elusive parking spaces can eat up your entire lunch hour. \u00a0If the parking predicament prevents more frequent visits to the heavily trafficked UNM area Saggio’s, the dawning of 2022 brought an alternative–Uptown Saggio’s (sounds like a Billy Joel song) in the Coronado Mall. \u00a0Though Uptown is also heavily trodden, you actually might find it easier to find close proximity parking. \u00a0Uptown Saggio’s is located next door to Fuddruckers in the space previously occupied by Bonefish. \u00a0Esthetically Uptown Saggio’s is almost entirely different than its elder sibling with modern touches and an upbeat vibe. \u00a0It’s an attractive space with comfortable, well-spaced seating.<\/span><\/p>\n

As at the original Saggio’s, you’ll place your order at a counter then you proceed to your seat with an alert coaster at hand. \u00a0When that coaster flashes, you’ll pick up your order. \u00a0It’s an efficient process. \u00a0Uptown Saggio’s is subtitled “Scratch Italian Kitchen” and indeed, there’s so much more on that menu than pizza and pasta (Mussolini would not be happy). \u00a0The dish that made Saggio’s famous, of course, is pizza and there are plenty of made-to-order options available, including several gourmet pizzas and really big slices (for you Elaine Benes). \u00a0The menu also lists pasta, baked pasta and seafood pasta. \u00a0If sandwiches are your pleasure, a phalanx of Tuscan sandwiches await you. \u00a0Then there’s the decadent cheesecake.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Steak & Tomato Cream Pasta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

22 November 2022<\/strong>: It’s rare for us to ever visit Saggio’s and not have pizza. \u00a0A slice or two will invariably fill us up. Each slice is nearly\u00a0as big as the Great Pyramid at Giza. \u00a0An entire pie can feed the UNM Lobo offensive line. \u00a0My favorite slice<\/strong><\/em> is adorned only with red onion (and sometimes sausage) while my Kim is happy with a slice of cheese pizza. One of the hallmarks of Saggio’s pizza is a just out of the oven baker quality crust. The crust tastes–and more importantly smells–like fresh baked bread. It\u2019s a delicious canvass for whatever ingredients you pile on it. Pizzas are available in traditional Neapolitan crust or in a pan-baked Sicilian-style crust. Saggios pizza makes no claim to New York or Chicago style. Each pizza is crafted with the utmost of care as if your repeat patronage is paramount.<\/span><\/p>\n

23 May 2022<\/strong>: A special of the day item on the menu during our inaugural visit was Steak & Tomato Cream Pasta<\/strong><\/em> (tender slices of New York strip steak seared over rigatoni and marinated vegetables served in a decadent creamy tomato sauce). \u00a0In all honesty, the New York strip steak was much more reminiscent of “Steakums,”<\/strong><\/a> those so-called beef sheets used to make really bad Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. \u00a0Both from a textural and flavor standpoint, the thin sheets of beef just didn’t convince us we were eating New York strip steak. \u00a0Though we didn’t especially like the “steak,” we loved the tomato cream pasta, the perfectly al dente rigatoni and the asparagus steaks. \u00a0Though finishing the pasta dish may have left us “heavy and anti-virile,” unlike Mussolini, we accept that it’s one of the things we appreciate about a good pasta.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Spicy Rigatoni Tomato Cream<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

22 November 2022<\/strong>: Impulse buying, the sudden and immediate purchase of a product without any pre-shopping intention,\u00a0represents between 40.0 and 80.0% of all purchases. \u00a0For the most part, I’m not an easy mark and have absolutely no problem resisting impulse buying. \u00a0(My Kim will tell you the reason behind that is that I almost never go shopping.) \u00a0My discipline, however, goes out the window at restaurants such as Saggio’s. \u00a0Just as during our inaugural visit, the special of the day–spicy rigatoni tomato cream<\/strong><\/em> (with vodka cream sauce, tomato cream with Calabrian hot chili) proved irresistible. \u00a0Sauces can make or break a dish and Saggio’s has them down pat. \u00a0We surmise a rich heavy cream is one of the secrets. \u00a0Heavy cream pairs wonderfully with tangy, acidic tomatoes, rounding out the flavor and texture. \u00a0Add Calabrian chili peppers (25,000 to 40,000 Scoville heat units or about sixteen times hotter than jalape\u00f1os) and you’ve got a special dish. \u00a0Native New Mexicans should have no problem with the Calabrian chilis while my Kim likened me to a disciple of Satan for enjoying another “pain is a flavor” dish.<\/span><\/p>\n

22 November 2022<\/strong>: For years, desserts were deliciously decadent creations made by Eli\u2019s Cheesecake Company<\/strong><\/a> of Chicago, a Windy City institution. \u00a0Our server apprised us that cheesecakes are now baked in-house by a Saggio’s chef. \u00a0Frankly we couldn’t tell the difference. \u00a0Saggio’s in-house baked cheesecakes are just as good, if not better than Eli’s. \u00a0Not even my Kim, a Chicago born-and-bred gal, disagreed with that assessment. \u00a0Though we missed the \u00a0Mercedes Benz yellow cab at the original Saggio’s in which several extraordinary cheesecakes are displayed along with some of the best chocolate cannoli in town. Perhaps it\u2019s solely my imagination, but it seems you can have a different cheesecake every visit to Saggio\u2019s. \u00a0Uptown Saggio’s introduced me to the Butterfingers cheesecake<\/strong><\/em>, a melding of the popular peanut butter-based candy bar with decadent, creamy cheesecake. \u00a0There’s no way Mussolini would try to outlaw this. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Butterfingers Cheesecake and Caramel Cheesecake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Uptown Saggio’s Scratch Italian Kitchen is every bit as good as its elder sibling with much better parking and a different look and feel. \u00a0It’s pasta and pizza so good not even Mussolini would utter a disparaging word.<\/span><\/p>\n

Uptown Saggio’s Scratch Italian Kitchen<\/strong>
\n6600 Menaul, N.E.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 323-9500
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 22 November 2022
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 23 May 2022
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: Very Good<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013\u00a0Good to very good food; generally solid; delivers consistent quality, strong technique, and a comfortable, enjoyable dining experience
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Butterfingers Cheesecake, Caramel Cheesecake, Steak & Tomato Cream Pasta, Cheese Pizza, Onion Pizza
\nREVIEW #1276<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can you imagine the outcry if Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham tried to abolish New Mexico’s sacrosanct red and green chile because the Department of Cultural Affairs Secretary convinced her that chile doesn’t bring out the best in New Mexicans? \u00a0Such a treasonous and heretical act would probably provoke outrage, if not an outright revolution. \u00a0Thankfully our Governor is a tremendous advocate for our home state’s hallowed and official state vegetable. \u00a0Regardless of your political affiliation, you can’t help puffing up your chest with pride when she responds to a snarky tweet from Colorado’s governor claiming Colorado’s chile is superior. That dystopian scenario sounds too outlandish to ever happen. \u00a0It would be akin to Italy trying to abolish pasta. \u00a0Wait, that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62125,"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":[440,703,71,141,68,5631],"tags":[2010,1950,2006,2013,2014,2009,2005,805,789,2008,2011,2012,2015,2007],"class_list":["post-60720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-dog-friendly","category-italian","category-new-mexico","category-pizza","category-very-good","tag-baked-pasta","tag-cheesecake","tag-coronado-mall","tag-garden-fresh-salads","tag-gourmet-pizza","tag-italian-cuisine","tag-nunzios","tag-pasta","tag-pizza","tag-scratch-cooking","tag-seafood-pasta","tag-soups","tag-tuscan-sandwiches","tag-uptown"],"yoast_head":"\nUptown Saggio's Scratch Italian Kitchen - Albuquerque, New Mexico - 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=60720\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Uptown Saggio's Scratch Italian Kitchen - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Can you imagine the outcry if Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham tried to abolish New Mexico’s sacrosanct red and green chile because the Department of Cultural Affairs Secretary convinced her that chile doesn’t bring out the best in New Mexicans? \u00a0Such a treasonous and heretical act would probably provoke outrage, if not an outright revolution. \u00a0Thankfully our Governor is a tremendous advocate for our home state’s hallowed and official state vegetable. \u00a0Regardless of your political affiliation, you can’t help puffing up your chest with pride when she responds to a snarky tweet from Colorado’s governor claiming Colorado’s chile is superior. That dystopian scenario sounds too outlandish to ever happen. \u00a0It would be akin to Italy trying to abolish pasta. \u00a0Wait, that…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720\" \/>\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=\"2022-11-22T06:01:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-03T17:27:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/SaggiosScratchKitchen08-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1545\" \/>\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=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\"},\"headline\":\"Uptown Saggio’s Scratch Italian Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-22T06:01:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-03T17:27:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720\"},\"wordCount\":1797,\"commentCount\":3,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/SaggiosScratchKitchen08-scaled.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Baked Pasta\",\"Cheesecake\",\"Coronado Mall\",\"Garden Fresh Salads\",\"Gourmet Pizza\",\"Italian Cuisine\",\"Nunzio's\",\"Pasta\",\"Pizza\",\"Scratch Cooking\",\"Seafood Pasta\",\"Soups\",\"Tuscan Sandwiches\",\"Uptown\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Albuquerque\",\"Dog Friendly\",\"Italian\",\"New Mexico\",\"Pizza\",\"Rating: Very Good\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720\",\"name\":\"Uptown Saggio's Scratch Italian Kitchen - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/SaggiosScratchKitchen08-scaled.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-22T06:01:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-03T17:27:29+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/SaggiosScratchKitchen08-scaled.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/SaggiosScratchKitchen08-scaled.jpeg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1545,\"caption\":\"Spicy Rigatoni Tomato Cream\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=60720#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Uptown Saggio’s Scratch Italian Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico\"}]},{\"@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":"Uptown Saggio's Scratch Italian Kitchen - Albuquerque, New Mexico - 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=60720","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Uptown Saggio's Scratch Italian Kitchen - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"Can you imagine the outcry if Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham tried to abolish New Mexico’s sacrosanct red and green chile because the Department of Cultural Affairs Secretary convinced her that chile doesn’t bring out the best in New Mexicans? \u00a0Such a treasonous and heretical act would probably provoke outrage, if not an outright revolution. \u00a0Thankfully our Governor is a tremendous advocate for our home state’s hallowed and official state vegetable. \u00a0Regardless of your political affiliation, you can’t help puffing up your chest with pride when she responds to a snarky tweet from Colorado’s governor claiming Colorado’s chile is superior. That dystopian scenario sounds too outlandish to ever happen. \u00a0It would be akin to Italy trying to abolish pasta. \u00a0Wait, that…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720","og_site_name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","article_published_time":"2022-11-22T06:01:19+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-03T17:27:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1545,"url":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/SaggiosScratchKitchen08-scaled.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gil Garduno","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gil Garduno","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720"},"author":{"name":"Gil Garduno","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf"},"headline":"Uptown Saggio’s Scratch Italian Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico","datePublished":"2022-11-22T06:01:19+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-03T17:27:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720"},"wordCount":1797,"commentCount":3,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/SaggiosScratchKitchen08-scaled.jpeg","keywords":["Baked Pasta","Cheesecake","Coronado Mall","Garden Fresh Salads","Gourmet Pizza","Italian Cuisine","Nunzio's","Pasta","Pizza","Scratch Cooking","Seafood Pasta","Soups","Tuscan Sandwiches","Uptown"],"articleSection":["Albuquerque","Dog Friendly","Italian","New Mexico","Pizza","Rating: Very Good"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720","name":"Uptown Saggio's Scratch Italian Kitchen - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/SaggiosScratchKitchen08-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2022-11-22T06:01:19+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-03T17:27:29+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/SaggiosScratchKitchen08-scaled.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/SaggiosScratchKitchen08-scaled.jpeg","width":2560,"height":1545,"caption":"Spicy Rigatoni Tomato Cream"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=60720#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Uptown Saggio’s Scratch Italian Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico"}]},{"@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\/60720","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=60720"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60720\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78878,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60720\/revisions\/78878"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/62125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60720"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60720"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60720"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}