{"id":68642,"date":"2024-10-31T00:02:04","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T06:02:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642"},"modified":"2026-04-03T10:26:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T16:26:41","slug":"sammys-cafe-deli-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642","title":{"rendered":"Sammys Cafe & Deli – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
Sammy’s Cafe & Deli on the Northwest Intersection of Central Avenue and 6th<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most foodies have pondered the expession “Never trust a skinny chef<\/em>.”\u00a0 Maybe you’ve even mused if there’s any truth to it.\u00a0 \u00a0Your line of thinking probably goes something like this: “If a chef’s cooking is any good at all, how can that chef possibly resist stuffing himself (or herself)?<\/em>”\u00a0 With this train of thought, every chef should look like Paul Prudhomme, the brilliant Creole-Louisiana Cajun chef who once weighed more than 500 pounds.\u00a0 Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who’s not shy about expressing his opinion, called the notion that you shouldn’t trust a skinny chef “BS.<\/em>”\u00a0 To the contrary, the volatile Ramsay believes “In order to be consistently excellent, a chef must “stay fit.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As my friend Bill Resnik and I strode into Sammy’s Cafe & Deli, we ran into the very fit Chef Marc Qui\u00f1ones who had just finished his morning run.\u00a0 Chef Qui\u00f1ones runs distances some of us get tired driving.\u00a0 He’s the proverbial high-energy somatype, a dynamic whirling dervish in constant motion.\u00a0 Moreover, he exemplifies a paraphrase of a famous Homer Simpson quote<\/strong><\/a>: “Chef Marc Qui\u00f1ones: Is there nothing he can’t do?<\/em>”\u00a0 At least in the culinary arena, the answer to that Jack Handy deep thought is “no<\/em>.”\u00a0 Not only was Chef Qui\u00f1ones the founding director of culinary operations and executive chef for the fabulous Ex Novo Brewing Co<\/strong><\/a>., he’s the mastermind behind the menu at Sammy’s Cafe & Deli.\u00a0 Alas, Chef Qui\u00f1ones is now wowing diners in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Derek and Stefan, Ambassadors of Deliciousness<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sammy’s Cafe & Deli is the more casual restaurant sibling to Ex Novo.\u00a0 Sammy’s is named for the son of Ex Novo CEO and founder Joel Gregory.\u00a0 The fact that sandwiches is its bailiwick is strictly coincidental (“sammys” or “sammies” is perhaps the most unpopular nickname for sandwiches).\u00a0 Sammy’s is located on the Route 66 intersection of Central Avenue and 6th Street.\u00a0 It’s got a “cozy coffee shop meets bustling deli<\/em>” vibe.\u00a0 To the detriment of those of us who enjoy sandwiches at all hours of the day and night, Sammy’s is open only from 7AM to 1:30PM.<\/p>\n

A week before its launch in October, 2024, Chef Qui\u00f1ones gave me a tour of the wing which houses Sammy’s.\u00a0 My skeptical nature doubted the space would be ready for guests.\u00a0 I should have remembered my adage “Chef Marc Quinones: Is there nothing he can’t do<\/em>?”\u00a0 The space is not only finished, it’s quite attractive, fully operational and a welcoming milieu.\u00a0 Best of all, the nauseous smell of fresh paint fumes was absent.\u00a0 Instead, the aromas were of freshly brewed coffee and condiments used on the construction of sandwiches.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Designer Coffee to go With Outstanding Sandwiches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When he created the menu, Chef Qui\u00f1ones realized there would inevitably be high expectations for any restaurant of which he’s a part.\u00a0 He also knew there would be comparisons.\u00a0 Because the chef was born in New York City, some would compare Sammy’s to the Big Apple’s ubiquitous bodegas.\u00a0 There would inevitably be comparisons of individual entrees: “This banh mi isn’t like my favorite banh mi at<\/em>…”\u00a0 It wasn’t Chef Qui\u00f1ones goal to make a better version or an exact version of everyone’s favorite item.\u00a0 In fact, he took liberties with several items.\u00a0 That’s a chef’s prerogative and I’m all for it as you’ll read below.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mexican Mocha<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bill and I met up with Peter Rice<\/strong><\/a>, editor of Downtown Albuquerque News<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 If you’ve ever doubted the veracity of the revitalization of Albuquerque’s downtown or if you no longer trust mainstream media, you need to meet Peter Rice.\u00a0 He’s in the news business because he noticed the “grim direction the journalism industry was heading<\/em>” and decided to do something about it.\u00a0 \u00a0Like so many of us who pay attention, Peter is a cautious optimist, especially of his beloved Albuquerque downtown.\u00a0 We waxed eloquent about its “Breaking Bad” perceptions shared by visitors and locals alike and together solved all the world’s ills in a delightful hours-long meal.<\/p>\n

\"\"
El Cubano<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like us, Peter had never before visited Sammy’s, along with Ex Novo a cornerstone of the downtown revitalization we’ve been hearing about for more than twenty years.\u00a0 The Sammy’s menu will revitalize your faith in sandwiches.\u00a0 It’s a medley of familiar sandwiches and breakfast favorites constructed with Chef Qui\u00f1ones touches.\u00a0 It’s a menu New Yorkers would find as familiar as denizens of the Duke City do.\u00a0 Indeed, the menu includes such Metropolis favorites as Sunday lox and a “New Yorker” breakfast sandwich.\u00a0 There are only three sections to the menu: All-Day Breakfast, Greens (salads) and Handhelds (sandwiches).\u00a0 Bagels and schmears are sourced from Sunday Bagels<\/strong><\/a> while pastries were sourced intially from the Knead Dough Bar<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0before it closed in 2025.<\/p>\n

If there’s one aroma that has a siren’s call effect on many of us hapless caffein-addicted souls, it’s the aroma of coffee being brewed.\u00a0 Sammy’s coffee comes from Michael Thomas Coffee Roasters<\/strong><\/a>, a local purveyor of life’s second most popular beverage (behind water) in the world.\u00a0 Sammy’s has two coffee artists (barista isn’t sufficiently descriptive).\u00a0 First is Derek who took excellent care of us when we visited Level Five<\/strong><\/a> .\u00a0 One of Chef Qui\u00f1ones greatest strengths is in recognizing and cultivating talent.\u00a0 \u00a0He recognized Derek’s strength in customer orientation and brought him onboard as the manager at Sammy’s.\u00a0 Another exceptionally talented employee is Stefan who probably served me a couple hundred red chile mochas at Cafe Bella<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Seeing Stefan was akin to a family reunion.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Gregory’s Italian Grinder<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coincidentally, before our visit Stefan had been wondering what my impression of Sammy’s Mexican mocha<\/strong><\/em> would be.\u00a0 Don’t tell Michael Gonzales (owner of Cafe Bella), but Sammy’s Mexican mocha is at least the equal of my beloved red chile mocha.\u00a0 It’s profoundly rich, chocolatey and comforting.\u00a0 Not to be outdone, Derek served me two of his creations: a green chile chai cortado<\/strong><\/em> and a unique cold coffee topped with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.\u00a0 The latter has a flavor reminiscent of horchata while the former is like a warm blanket on a cold day.\u00a0 As a purveyor of coffee alone, Sammy’s is among the city’s best.<\/p>\n

30 October 2024<\/strong>: Bill, Peter and I shared an El Cubano ( six-hour\u00a0 pork lechon, honey ham, mojo mustard, Swiss cheese and dill pickles on panini).\u00a0 At the risk of hyperbole, Sammy’s El Cubano<\/strong><\/em> is the very best Cubano I’ve had in New Mexico.\u00a0 Chef Qui\u00f1ones joked that it’s a Boricua (a person of Puerto Rican descent) version of a Cubano, among the differences being the mojo (marinade) used on the pork.\u00a0 Unlike the Cuban version of most Cubanos, Sammy’s version does not include citrus juices.\u00a0 There are other differenentiators such as the balance between assertive ingredients (mojo mustard and dill pickles) and more innocuous flavor profiles (sweet ham, pork lechon).\u00a0 Then there was the panini, not so “sharp” that it can slice the roof of your mouth to ribbons as other panini have done.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sunday Lox<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

30 October 2024<\/strong>: Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said: “England and America are two countries separated by a common language.<\/em>”\u00a0 I had no idea I’d have to learn a new language when the Air Force sent me right out of high school to Massachusetts.\u00a0 In the Bay State, sub sandwiches were “grinders<\/em>,” milk shakes were “frappes<\/em>” and sodas were “tonic<\/em>.”\u00a0 It took me a while to get used to that vernacular–not to mention the\u00a0non-rhotic (or “r-dropping”) pronunciation of words that included the letter “r.”<\/p>\n

It made me both nostalgic and happy to see a grinder on Sammy’s menu.\u00a0 Gregory’s Italian Grinder<\/strong><\/em> (Genoa salami, Prosciutto, spiced ham, lettuce, tomato, pepperoncini, pickled red onion,\u00a0 red wine vinegar and oregano dressing, Provolone cheese on Italian bread) could have passed for one of the hundreds of grinders I enjoyed in the Boston area–not only in appearance, but in the melange of ingredients coalescing into a delicious whole.\u00a0 Crusty Italian bread is the perfect canvas for an Italian grinder.\u00a0 It’s nice to know when I’m craving the flavors of my former home, I can find them at Sammy’s.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Reuben<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

31 October 2024<\/strong>: According to The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, during the 1930s, many American Jews abstained from eating eggs Benedict, the then-stylish but unkosher American Sunday brunch classic. \u00a0They substituted lox slices for the ham, a schmear of cream cheese for the hollandaise sauce, and a bagel for the English muffin. \u00a0Thus was born a Jewish American classic, so much so that lox and bagel and not eggs Benedict can now claim \u00a0the title of New York\u2019s brunch classic. \u00a0Today, bagel shops are popping up even in the Mother Land of Israel.<\/p>\n

Fittingly Sammy’s version of lox and bagel is called Sunday’s Bagel & Lox<\/strong><\/em> (creamy dill spread, smoked salmon, pickled capers, red onion and fennel frond relish.\u00a0 “Fittingly” is a dualistic term because the bagels are procured from Sunday Bagels<\/strong><\/a> and because brunch is a Jewish Sunday tradition in New York City.\u00a0 You don’t have to be Jewish to love lox and bagel, a favorite of both mine and Bill’s.\u00a0 Sammy’s version is superb.\u00a0 The smoked salmon is so butyraceous that it practically melts in your mouth.\u00a0 Every element–pickled capers, creamy dill spread, red onion, fennel frond relish–on this breakfast favorite is bright and zesty.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Excuse My Banh Mi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

31 October 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 By all rights, I should be mad at my friend Bill for having ordered the Reuben, a sandwich I had coveted.\u00a0 What spared him my wrath (as if I could possibly be mad at my dear friend) was that I now had an excuse to return to Sammy’s the following day.\u00a0 It’s likely christened The Crazy Reuben<\/strong><\/em> (house-brined and roasted corned beef brisket and Swiss cheese on thick marble rye with housemade Russian dressing topped with fresh sauerkraut) because diners will be crazy about it.\u00a0 This is one seriously outstanding Reuben as in “best in the city” outstanding.\u00a0 Though sauerkraut is a listed ingredient, the crispy, fresh greenery was more akin to a slaw, a very good one.\u00a0 Russian dressing is a huge plus even though I would never kick Thousand Island dressing off the table.\u00a0 The marble rye is a superb canvas for a superb sandwich.<\/p>\n

31 October 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 Bread is one of the many things my Kim eschews in pursuit of more healthful eating.\u00a0 I don’t tell her the term “banh” in her favorite sandwich (banh mi) actually translates from Vietnamese to “bread.”\u00a0 Chef Qui\u00f1ones knew there would be a risk in offering a banh mi on the menu, but he also knew he his version–called Excuse My Banh Mi<\/strong><\/em> would win over even staunch cynics.\u00a0 His banh mi (Chinese barbecued pork, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro salad with sweet soy aioli on a crusty baguette) is fantastic.\u00a0 Even though my Kim essentially only ate the sandwich’s innards, she’s a believer.<\/p>\n

If every restaurant in Albuquerque’s Downtown was nearly as good as Sammy’s Cafe & Deli, downtown revitalization would become a reality and downtown would be the dining destination it should be.<\/p>\n

Sammy’s Cafe & Deli<\/strong>
\n701 Central Avenue, N.W.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 633-9103
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> |
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 31 October 2024
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 30 October 2024
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: Outstanding<\/strong><\/span>\u2013A stand-out; delivers a memorable dining experience through a harmonious blend of exceptional food, attentive service, and consistent quality
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: The Reuben, Sunday Lox, El Cubano, Gregory’s Italian Grinder, Pardon My Banh Mi
\nREVIEW #1430<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most foodies have pondered the expession “Never trust a skinny chef.”\u00a0 Maybe you’ve even mused if there’s any truth to it.\u00a0 \u00a0Your line of thinking probably goes something like this: “If a chef’s cooking is any good at all, how can that chef possibly resist stuffing himself (or herself)?”\u00a0 With this train of thought, every chef should look like Paul Prudhomme, the brilliant Creole-Louisiana Cajun chef who once weighed more than 500 pounds.\u00a0 Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who’s not shy about expressing his opinion, called the notion that you shouldn’t trust a skinny chef “BS.”\u00a0 To the contrary, the volatile Ramsay believes “In order to be consistently excellent, a chef must “stay fit.” As my friend Bill Resnik and I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68649,"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":[440,165,4384,141,561,30],"tags":[1002,5187,4464,1590,5194,5192,5193,5189,5191,2876,5188,5190,4465,4466],"class_list":["post-68642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-brunch","category-coffee-2","category-new-mexico","category-rating-outstanding","category-sandwich","tag-chef-marc-quinones","tag-derek","tag-el-cubano","tag-ex-novo","tag-excuse-my-banh-mi","tag-green-chile-chai-cortado","tag-gregorys-italian-grinder","tag-mexican-mocha","tag-michael-thomas-coffee-roasters","tag-sandwich","tag-stefan","tag-sunday-bagels","tag-sunday-lox","tag-the-reuben"],"yoast_head":"\nSammys Cafe & Deli - 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=68642\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sammys Cafe & Deli - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Most foodies have pondered the expession “Never trust a skinny chef.”\u00a0 Maybe you’ve even mused if there’s any truth to it.\u00a0 \u00a0Your line of thinking probably goes something like this: “If a chef’s cooking is any good at all, how can that chef possibly resist stuffing himself (or herself)?”\u00a0 With this train of thought, every chef should look like Paul Prudhomme, the brilliant Creole-Louisiana Cajun chef who once weighed more than 500 pounds.\u00a0 Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who’s not shy about expressing his opinion, called the notion that you shouldn’t trust a skinny chef “BS.”\u00a0 To the contrary, the volatile Ramsay believes “In order to be consistently excellent, a chef must “stay fit.” As my friend Bill Resnik and I…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642\" \/>\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=\"2024-10-31T06:02:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-03T16:26:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/SammysCafe05b-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=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\"},\"headline\":\"Sammys Cafe & Deli – Albuquerque, New Mexico\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-31T06:02:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-03T16:26:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642\"},\"wordCount\":2050,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/SammysCafe05b-scaled.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Chef Marc Quinones\",\"Derek\",\"El Cubano\",\"Ex Novo\",\"Excuse My Banh Mi\",\"Green Chile Chai Cortado\",\"Gregory's Italian Grinder\",\"Mexican Mocha\",\"Michael Thomas Coffee Roasters\",\"Sandwich\",\"Stefan\",\"Sunday Bagels\",\"Sunday Lox\",\"The Reuben\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Albuquerque\",\"Brunch\",\"Coffee\",\"New Mexico\",\"Rating: Outstanding\",\"Sandwich\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642\",\"name\":\"Sammys Cafe & Deli - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/SammysCafe05b-scaled.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-31T06:02:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-03T16:26:41+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/SammysCafe05b-scaled.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/SammysCafe05b-scaled.jpeg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1920},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=68642#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sammys Cafe & Deli – 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. 1,520 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":"Sammys Cafe & Deli - 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=68642","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Sammys Cafe & Deli - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"Most foodies have pondered the expession “Never trust a skinny chef.”\u00a0 Maybe you’ve even mused if there’s any truth to it.\u00a0 \u00a0Your line of thinking probably goes something like this: “If a chef’s cooking is any good at all, how can that chef possibly resist stuffing himself (or herself)?”\u00a0 With this train of thought, every chef should look like Paul Prudhomme, the brilliant Creole-Louisiana Cajun chef who once weighed more than 500 pounds.\u00a0 Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who’s not shy about expressing his opinion, called the notion that you shouldn’t trust a skinny chef “BS.”\u00a0 To the contrary, the volatile Ramsay believes “In order to be consistently excellent, a chef must “stay fit.” As my friend Bill Resnik and I…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642","og_site_name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","article_published_time":"2024-10-31T06:02:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-03T16:26:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1920,"url":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/SammysCafe05b-scaled.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gil Garduno","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gil Garduno","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642"},"author":{"name":"Gil Garduno","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf"},"headline":"Sammys Cafe & Deli – Albuquerque, New Mexico","datePublished":"2024-10-31T06:02:04+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-03T16:26:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642"},"wordCount":2050,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/SammysCafe05b-scaled.jpeg","keywords":["Chef Marc Quinones","Derek","El Cubano","Ex Novo","Excuse My Banh Mi","Green Chile Chai Cortado","Gregory's Italian Grinder","Mexican Mocha","Michael Thomas Coffee Roasters","Sandwich","Stefan","Sunday Bagels","Sunday Lox","The Reuben"],"articleSection":["Albuquerque","Brunch","Coffee","New Mexico","Rating: Outstanding","Sandwich"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642","name":"Sammys Cafe & Deli - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/SammysCafe05b-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2024-10-31T06:02:04+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-03T16:26:41+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/SammysCafe05b-scaled.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/SammysCafe05b-scaled.jpeg","width":2560,"height":1920},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68642#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sammys Cafe & Deli – 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. 1,520 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\/68642","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=68642"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78849,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68642\/revisions\/78849"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/68649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=68642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=68642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=68642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}