{"id":6190,"date":"2024-09-06T20:36:42","date_gmt":"2024-09-07T02:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=6190"},"modified":"2026-04-03T19:14:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T01:14:09","slug":"farina-pizzeria-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=6190","title":{"rendered":"Farina Pizzeria – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Farina on Central Avenue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On May 14, 2011, I had the great honor, pleasure and privilege of being the first guest on Break the Chain<\/a><\/strong>, the weekly radio show (sadly no longer on the air) dedicated to showcasing the great independent mom-and-pop restaurants in and around Albuquerque.\u00a0 When the show’s charismatic host, my friend Ryan Scott asked me to name the five best pizza restaurants in the Albuquerque area, I omitted Ryan’s very favorite — and he yelled at me (good-naturedly (I think)).\u00a0 I asked forgiveness for my transgression, stating in my defense that I couldn’t well include Farina, having visited only once with attempts for a second visit being quashed by long waits.<\/p>\n

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The interior of Farina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The only pizza for which I’ve ever waited more than half an hour–in 115-degree temperature, no less–is the transcendent pizza at Pizzeria Bianco<\/a><\/strong> in Phoenix.\u00a0 It was a pizza worth the near dehydration and painful sunburn resultant from standing in blistering sun for nearly an hour with other equally ardent aficionados (masochists?).\u00a0 I’ve often considered it heretical madness that some Duke City diners have compared Farina with Pizzeria Bianco.\u00a0 How, after all, can a pizza crafted in Albuquerque compare with the pizza James Beard award-winning author Ed Levine<\/a><\/strong> considers the very best in the world?\u00a0 Ed should know.\u00a0 He spent an entire year eating nothing but pizza throughout the fruited plain and concluded there is no pizza quite as good as the one crafted in Phoenix at Pizzeria Bianco.<\/p>\n

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My friend Ryan “Break the Chain” Scott enjoys a slice<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At any regard, Ryan made it his personal mission to make a convert out of me.\u00a0 To ensure waiting in a long line wouldn’t dissuade me, we met for a late lunch.\u00a0 Even at the unholy hour of 1PM, Farina was packed and seating was in personal space proximity.\u00a0 We sat on a table for two adjoining another table for two.\u00a0 Fortunately the couple with whom we sat was delightful, a joy to converse with.\u00a0 We even shared slices of pizza so we could all partake of even more variety and enjoy even more of the creativity Farina’s pizzaiolis practice on their crispy canvases.<\/p>\n

Farina is an exemplar of “new world” pizza–supermodel thin slices with a variety and creativity of toppings limited only by the imagination of the pizzaioli.\u00a0 In recent years, pizza has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon with various regions stamping their unique local touches onto what was once a fairly uniform and relatively unimaginative food that Americans consume with a love they have for no other food.<\/p>\n

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Meatballs Al Forno<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The creative floodgates in the evolution of pizza opened in the 1980s courtesy of fusion cuisine pioneer (or should that be “pie-o-neer”) Wolfgang Puck who transformed pizza from a boring, unimaginative and fairly standard offering to something elegant, creative, upscale and exciting. \u00a0In his flagship restaurant Spago, Puck dared offer personal-sized, thin-crusted pizzas adorned with such inventive ingredients as fresh goat cheese, roasted duck, barbecue chicken, smoked salmon and even caviar. Today those toppings would be considered fairly tame, fairly…common.<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, the mozzarella and pepperoni crowd poo-pooed the heretical Puck and his apocryphal, obviously misguided thinking. \u00a0“Sacrilege<\/em>!,” they cried, “no one will eat pizza studded with such strangeness<\/em>.” \u00a0It didn’t take long, however, before “New World” pizza (sometimes referred to as “California style”) appeared on menus throughout the fruited plain. \u00a0Even in New Mexico, the “land of ma\u00f1ana” where fads and trends tend to be adopted, shall we say, a bit more slowly than in other states, pizzas bedecked with ingredients much more revolutionary than green chile found their way to the pizzerias throughout the Land of Enchantment.<\/p>\n

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Pasta e fagioli ( bean & pasta soup ) non-vegetarian<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To be sure, green chile is probably considered a unique ingredient everywhere but New Mexico. \u00a0Still, the addition of green chile is hardly enough to earn a label of “New Mexico style” pizza,” an astute observation made by Kevin Hopper, the brilliant writer for the erstwhile weekly publication Local IQ<\/em>, “Albuquerque’s Intelligent Alternative.” Kevin reasoned that a counter-argument will always be made that it’s just New York or Chicago or some other regional style pizza with green chile. \u00a0Instead, he makes a case for “Farina-style” pizza.<\/p>\n

Farina-style pizza can be found in only two locations worldwide (Farina Alto<\/strong><\/a> can be found in the Northeast Heights though some will argue its pizza doesn’t compare to the original.) . \u00a0Launched in October, 2008, Farina Pizzeria sits on Old Route 66 in the East Downtown (EDO) area, a burgeoning residential and business district regarded by real estate experts as one of the \u201ctop five up-and-coming\u201d areas in the nation.\u201d \u00a0This pizzeria has the pedigree to succeed in a tough Duke City market. \u00a0It’s the younger sibling of the Artichoke Cafe<\/a><\/strong>, the \u201dsaucy little bistro at the heart of creative cuisine\u201d and one of city\u2019s most revered and highly esteemed restaurants.<\/p>\n

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Salsiccia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Farina Pizzeria bears little resemblance to the picture most of us have in our minds when we think about the old-world pizzerias we grew up with, although two facets speak to the antiquity of the building in which Farina is housed. \u00a0The exposed brick on the restaurant’s eastern wall appears to have been the exterior wall of an old-fashioned cash and carry business (at least that’s what the faded white lettering indicates). \u00a0An imprinted tin ceiling is a testimonial to the people who manufactured the decorative ceiling decades ago. \u00a0The shiny tin of the exposed ductwork speaks to its modernity.<\/p>\n

The rest of the Farina Pizzeria is as hip and modern as it gets, showcasing a serpentine bar on the restaurant’s west wall. \u00a0Wines, served by the glass or by the bottle, are expertly selected by the Artichoke Cafe’s long-time sommelier Stewart Dorris, a partner in the restaurant. \u00a0Seating is in close–community style–proximity and is more functional than comfortable. \u00a0The cacophonous din of happy diners reverberates throughout the restaurant; a quiet restaurant it’s not.<\/p>\n

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Pizza Bianca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The menu is part of what distinguishes the Farina-style menu from other pizzerias. \u00a0At first browse it appears somewhat standard: antipasti, insalata, pizza, calzone, panini and dolci. \u00a0Peruse further and you’ll find surprises unlike at any other pizzeria in Albuquerque–ingredients you won’t find elsewhere, combinations you haven’t seen before. \u00a0If this is New Mexico style, it’s caught on. \u00a0In its 2009 “Best of the City” edition, Albuquerque The Magazine<\/em><\/a><\/strong> voters selected Farina Pizzeria as the city’s best new restaurant. \u00a0Overflow crowds during lunch and dinner validate its popularity.\u00a0 In 2017, Farina was named one of the seventeen best pizzerias in America<\/strong><\/a> by Time Out, leading global media and entertainment business. What makes this particular list credible is the formidable company with which Farina is listed.<\/p>\n

Unlike at some pizzerias, Farina has no pretensions to offering a compendium of pizzas. The menu lists only eight pizzas, each adorned with quality ingredients in combinations that will have you doing a double-take. Customization via the addition of optional ingredients extends your choices to the limit of your imagination. Ostensibly, you might even be able to have a pizza crafted with cucumber as one of its ingredients.\u00a0 That’s what the consummate free-spirit Cosmo Kramer of Seinfeld fame once requested, much to the chagrin of an old-world pizzaioli.<\/p>\n

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Formaggio di Capra: mozzarella, farmhouse goat cheese with leeks, scallion and pancetta<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Aside from ingredients of the highest quality, another factor which makes it Farina-style is the oven which bakes the restaurant’s signature thin pies in an inferno of heat. \u00a0By virtue of their thin crust, these twelve-inch orbs don’t require a lot of oven-time. \u00a0The thin crust also means you’re likely to see more char on the pizza’s edges and bottom than you would on a thicker crust. \u00a0The taste of char should be relatively innocuous, even pleasant, but it’s also an acquired taste. \u00a0If you accept it, if you like it, you’ll enjoy Farina’s pies because char is a flavor.\u00a0 In fact, Farina’s pizzas are the antithesis of the\u00a0 doughy pizza at Il Vicino<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 If the char on a Farina pizza isn’t to your liking, you can ask for a light char.<\/p>\n

The menu also includes several alternatives you should enjoy greatly. You can even make a meal from one or two items on the antipasti section of the menu, the most popular item being meatballs al forno<\/em><\/strong>. These are wholly unlike the meatballs which usually accompany spaghetti and in fact, at first glance they look more like Swedish meatballs on a brown gravy than anything Italian.<\/p>\n

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Melanzane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Four meatballs per order accompanied by toasted crostini bread means this appetizer is big enough to share although the meatballs are so good you might not want to. \u00a0Each meatball is studded with golden raisins, pancetta and pine nuts, balsamic reduction, cippolini onions, all immersed in a sweet Balsamic sauce you’ll be tempted to drink. \u00a0Unlike some Balsamic inspired sauces, vinegary tartness isn’t the most prevalent taste sensation of the meatballs or the sauce. \u00a0Instead, there’s a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors with more subtle pronouncements of tanginess. \u00a0These meaty orbs are a unique taste sensation!<\/p>\n

If the Olive Garden’s version of pasta e fagioli<\/strong><\/em> is your benchmark for this popular pasta and bean soup, you’re overdue for a visit to Farina Pizzeria where this traditional meatless dish is prepared the way it should be. That means three different Italian beans prepared to a degree which might be called al dente, a rich marinara style tomato broth and small pasta all seasoned to perfection. The pasta e fagioli is topped with ground Italian basil which imparts a light, fresh flavor. It’s served hot which makes it an excellent remedy for a blustery day.<\/p>\n

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Meatball Calzone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

18 July 2018<\/strong>: In his Local IQ<\/em> review, Kevin Hopper indicated “each pie\u2019s individual ingredients come together to form a synergistic symphony of flavors<\/em>.” \u00a0That’s certainly the case with the Salciccia Pizza<\/em><\/strong>, one of the few pizzas which might make it to an old-world pizzeria’s menu. \u00a0The featured attraction on this pie is the sweet Italian sausage (salciccia) which has a big city taste and is replete with fennel. \u00a0The supporting cast–mozzarella, roasted garlic, onion and basil–is very complementary, imparting their own individual flavors without taking anything away from the sausage. \u00a0When you’ve got a primo quality ingredient, you’ve got to showcase it and Farina does.\u00a0 The most discernible of the complementary ingredients is the translucent sweet onions whose sweet notes complement and contrast so well with everything else.<\/p>\n

Alas, sometimes the qualities which make ingredients special on their own, don’t always coalesce into pizza greatness. That’s the case with the Carni Curate pizza<\/em><\/strong> in which the inherent qualities–saltiness, spiciness and aroma–which make three phenomenal cured meats–pepperoni, prosciutto and salami–terrific on their own right, might be just too much of a good thing (or three) in one pizza. That’s especially true of the quality of saltiness. This is a pizza which could use modern desalinization technologies. It’s lip-puckering salty, so much so I couldn’t finish half of it and that’s a rarity for me with any pizza.<\/p>\n

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

Those were my initial impressions of the first two pizzas (one I liked and one not so much) I sampled at Farina.\u00a0 My inaugural visit didn’t impress me enough to warrant an early return, much less to wait in line for pizza which may or may not be that good.\u00a0 Ryan’s assurances (he of the radio pitchman’s voice and salesman’s charm) that Farina was the city’s best wasn’t so much met with skepticism as with eager anticipation. Ryan’s favorite is the Pizza Bianca<\/em><\/strong> (fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano, ricotta, truffle oil, sage and artichoke hearts), a pizza he stands up against any other in town.\u00a0 Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has declared truffle oil “one of the most pungent, ridiculous ingredients ever known to chef<\/em>,” deriding\u00a0 a Master Chef contestant for deigning to use it.\u00a0 Used moderately, this artificial odorant can elevate the flavor profile of other dishes with which it is paired.\u00a0 It has that effect on the Pizza Bianca, proving an excellent complement to the earthiness of the artichoke hearts and the peppery, pungency of the sage.<\/p>\n

The other pizza Ryan ordered for us was the Formaggio de Capra<\/em><\/strong> (mozzarella, farmhouse goat cheese with leeks, scallion and pancetta), a cheese and bacon lover’s dream. The goat cheese imparts a mild, slightly acidic, slightly tart quality while the mozzarella is reminiscent of fresh milk. Both are generously applied to this pizza, but it’s their interaction with the pancetta that’s most notable. Pancetta may be the most “porky” tasting of all pork products, rightfully so considering its genesis is pork belly. Goat cheese and pancetta are among my favorite flavor combinations anywhere so it goes without saying, this pizza is one I’ll order again. The nice couple sitting next to us described their Funghi<\/em><\/strong> (mushrooms, Fontina, Tallegio, mozzarella, thyme, shallot) as “a pizza which tastes like French onion soup.<\/em>” Wow! I wish I had thought of that. What an apt description of the slice they shared.<\/p>\n

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Antipasto Platter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

18 July 2018<\/strong>: It used to be that pizzerias were the bane of vegetarian existence because their pizza options not only rather limited, but as tedious as sitting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).\u00a0 Vegetarians could either have a cheese pizza or one adorned with such de rigueur ingredients as onions, green peppers, olives and mushrooms.\u00a0 Thankfully a phalanx of vegetarian ingredients adorn contemporary pizzas.\u00a0 Vegetarian choices a plenty can be found on Farina’s pizza menu.\u00a0 My friends and UNM colleagues Sue Jones and Sandra Chavez, two exemplars of healthful dining, rave about the Melanzane<\/strong><\/em> (salsa di pomodoro, eggplant, basil, oregano and mozzarella).\u00a0 Melanzane, the Italian term for eggplant is the star of this pie.\u00a0 More than most vegetables, eggplant has a “meaty” quality and a nice acidity.\u00a0 In its roasted state, eggplant retains its unique flavor and a burst of moistness that blends so well with the salsa di pomodoro, a rich tomato sauce.<\/p>\n

18 July 2018<\/strong>: In Spanish, the term calzone translates to trousers while in Italian, the term is thought to be derived from ‘calza’ which means stocking.\u00a0 At any rate, the meatball calzone<\/strong><\/em> at Farina will tighten your calzones (trousers) while simultaneously making your calzas (stockings) roll up and down.\u00a0 It may well be the best calzone in the metropolitan area.\u00a0 Credit much of that to the engorged football-shaped bread generously endowed with superb meatballs, ricotta, mozzarella, spinach and garlic.\u00a0 The calzone is served with a tangy tomato-based sauce you could happily spoon up sans calzone or maybe even slurp up like a soup.\u00a0 It’s a superb sauce.<\/p>\n

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Pizza of the Day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6 September 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 My Kim’s quest for the quintessential calabrese salad has taken us to several eateries, most of which create a salad with tomatoes nearly as green as The Hulk.\u00a0 We should have started with Farina which sources its tomatoes locally from three different farms.\u00a0 Not only were the tomatoes meaty and juicy, they were at the optimum ripeness.\u00a0 My Kim declared them “the most delicious tomatoes in Albuquerque.”\u00a0 The calabrese salad<\/strong><\/em> arrived in a pool of olive oil with just a dollop of balsamic vinegar (with more on the side).\u00a0 \u00a0The mozzarella, made in-house, is creamy and ivory in color specked with pepper and \u00a0has a mild, fresh lactic flavor.\u00a0 Several large basil leaves provided a clove (or licorice) like flavor and aroma.<\/p>\n

6 September 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 It seems nearly every restaurant in town offers their own version of a charcuterie board.\u00a0 Though charcuterie is a French term for a plate which originated in France, even Italian restaurants offer their own version of charcuterie boards.\u00a0 Not so at Farina which features an antipasto platter<\/strong><\/em> (roasted artichoke hearts, cured meats, imported cheeses, olives, tomatoes, roasted pepper, fresh mozzarella, pickled vegetables, grilled bread).\u00a0 \u00a0Similar to charcuterie, antipasto is usually made of bite-size small portions and served on a platter from which everyone serves themselves.\u00a0 Farina’s antipasto platter is the equal of the best charcuterie boards in town.\u00a0 It’s a picture perfect arrangement of cured meats, imported cheeses, fresh bread and pickled vegetables.\u00a0 It’s probably intended for three or four diners, but you won’t be able to stop yourself polishing off this platter.<\/p>\n

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Tiramisu<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6 September 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 A paper menu listed the day’s specials including one titled simply “Pizza<\/strong><\/em>.”\u00a0 There was nothing simple about this pizza, a glorious disc piled with spicy cappicolo (gabagool for New Jersey transplants and Sopranos fans), fresh spinach, fresh red onion, serrano peppers, mixed Italian olives, Farina’s tomato sauce, rustico and mozzarella cheeses garnished with Italian parsley, grana padano and extra virgin olive oil.\u00a0 It’s a wonder so many ingredients can fit on such a thin crust. My Kim and I eat far fewer pizzas per year than the average American (5.75).\u00a0 This one we could eat every day (though I’d have to discard the serrano peppers which have a potency even I can respect).\u00a0 Seriously, this is an outstanding pizza, so good it should be named with all the pomp and circumstances of a ship’s christening.\u00a0 May I suggest this pie be named for Eliza Esparza, Farina’s formidable chef, who in 2024 won the Best\u00a0Chef\u00a0award at\u00a0Edible<\/em>\u00a0New Mexico’s Local Hero Awards<\/p>\n

Farina Pizzeria menu has plenty of sweet (but not too sweet) desserts to mollify any saltiness or char you may not have enjoyed in your pizza. A nice choice is the ricotta cheesecake<\/em><\/strong> which blessedly does not have a Graham cracker crust. The ricotta is rich, but not unctuous and sweet without being cloying. It is served cool and is big enough to share.\u00a0 The tiramisu<\/em><\/strong> (Savoiardi cookies soaked in espresso with Marsala Zabaglione) has a more pronounced espresso flavor than most tiramisu desserts in Albuquerque.\u00a0 That elevates it to among my favorites (along with the tiramisu at Torinos @ Home.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Butterscotch Budino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

18 July 2018:\u00a0 <\/strong>Preceding this visit, I visited Farina’s website to see if the menu had changed since my last visit.\u00a0 Lo and behold, a printable coupon flashed on screen offering a complimentary budino<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Rather than walk fifty feet to the printer at that very moment, I postponed burning the two calories it would have taken.\u00a0 Alas, two hours later, the coupon was no longer offered.\u00a0 Thankfully my friend Sue is much more energetic and did print it.\u00a0 Five of us shared what is likely the best budino (the Italian word for “pudding”) these lips have ever tasted.\u00a0 Rich, sweet, creamy and with a surprising depth of flavor, Farina’s budino is topped by a decoratively appointed layer of cream that lends a nice contrast to the sweet pudding.\u00a0 This is a don’t miss dessert!<\/p>\n

6 September 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 A couple sitting near us had just returned from Switzerland.\u00a0 They raved about Swiss chocolate.\u00a0 I told them the butterscotch budino<\/strong><\/em> at Farina is as good as any chocolate in Switzerland.\u00a0 They agreed, sharing that budino is the one item they order every time they visit Farina.\u00a0 \u00a0My Kim’s default dessert order is typically ice cream.\u00a0 She fell in love with the butterscotch budino, equating it to the “best pudding dessert ever<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Farina Pizzeria is definitely a new-world pizza, perhaps the definition of “Albuquerque-style” pizza.\u00a0 Did I err in 2011 by not naming it one of Albuquerque’s five best pizzas?\u00a0 Absolutely!\u00a0 Farina remains one of the very best pizzerias in the Land of Enchantment today.<\/p>\n

Farina Pizzeria<\/strong>
\n510 Central Avenue, S.E.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 243-0130
\nWeb Site<\/a><\/strong> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 6 September 2024
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 4 December 2009
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 4
\nRATING<\/strong>: Excellent<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u2013 High quality dining experience; very good to excellent food, attentive service, and a well-maintained atmosphere; worth a detour.
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: \u00a0Meatballs al Forno, Pasta e Fagioli, Salciccia Pizza, Funghi Pizza, Formaggio di Capro, Pizza Bianco, Ricotta Cheese Cake, Tiramisu, Budino, Antipasto Platter, Caprese Salad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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