AlbuquerqueDog FriendlyNational ChainNew MexicoPizzaRating: Very Good

California Pizza Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno6:51 PM

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. This is Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog, champion of the mom-and-pop restaurant, defender of the independently owned eatery, supporter of the family owned and family operated diner…and this is a review of a chain restaurant. No, this blog has not been hijacked by some corporate cabal bent on corrupting the American diet with homogeneous mediocrity…and no, this review was not written under duress or the promise of free food. It was written of my own free will, sound mind and full accord. Lest you condemn this seemingly traitorous affront, hear me out. Several years ago, I made my own version of a Faustian pact. Faust, for the non-English majors among you was a scholar who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. In my case, I made a deal with my Kim to take her to the Olive Garden once a year in exchange for all the strange and exotic restaurants I want to visit the rest of the year. I sure got the rotten end of that deal! On Labor Day 2015, my Kim decided to collect my soul, er….have me make good on my promise…

AlbuquerqueBakeryMexicanRating: Very Good

Panaderia El Dorado – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno5:42 AM

“Over the Mountains of the Moon, down the Valley of the Shadow, ride, boldly ride…if you seek for El Dorado.” ~Edgar Allan Poe In the 16th century when the Spaniards reached South America, natives regaled them with tales about a tribe with profligate wealth living high in the Andes. According to raconteurs, when a new chieftain ascended to the throne, he was covered in gold dust. Gold and precious jewels were then tossed into a lake to appease a god who lived underwater. The Spaniards called this golden chief “El Dorado” which translates to “the gilded one.” Legends of El Dorado fueled the Spaniards insatiable lust for gold, an effort they pursued for more than two centuries. Though they found great wealth, they never did find El Dorado nor were they ever sated. Duke City diners don’t have to go far to find El Dorado where treasures untold can be found. Panaderia El Dorado is located at the terminus of Gibson Boulevard where it intersects with Broadway. Essentially where Gibson ends, the Panaderia’s parking lot begins. Long-timers remember this site as having housed everything from Chinese restaurants to failed Mexican restaurants. With more than six years of pleasing its patrons,…

BuffetIndianRating: ExcellentRio Rancho

Namaste Restaurant – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Gil Garduno4:37 AM

Several years ago while leading my organization’s e-business marketing and communication effort at Intel, I had the great fortune of hiring a phenomenal Web developer recently arrived from India. In the process of filling out one of our complicated employment forms he transposed his name, writing his last name then his middle initial and first name instead of the way hinted at on the complicated form. As a result, during the entire time he worked for us we all called him Kolli, his last name. He was too polite to tell us his first name is actually Srini. Over time Srini became more acculturated, maybe even a bit “Americanized” (he’s now a huge Dallas Cowboys fan), but he’s never lost his personal warmth, good humor and impeccable manners. Politeness and great manners seem to be a hallmark of Indian people…or at least those in the service industries. When colleagues ask for a romantic dinner recommendation, I frequently suggest one of the area’s Indian restaurants where impeccably attentive service and consistently excellent food impart the effect of making diners feel like welcome royalty. Most Indian restaurants, like my friend Srini, embody the spirit of a traditional Indian salutation, “Namaste” which is…

AlbuquerqueNew MexicanNew MexicoRating: GoodRio Rancho

Stripes Burrito Co. – Albuquerque & Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Gil Garduno10:44 AM

A survey of the eating habits and lifestyle preferences of various burrito consumers was recently commissioned by a fast food chain.  The survey of than 1,000 respondents between the ages of 13 and 50 unveiled especially surprising revelations about the culinary habits of millennials.  As Mic, an online presence which purports to “help young people process the present” noted: “Millennials apparently don’t have a lot of sex or money, but boy do they make out well in the burrito department.”  For millennials, the burrito is not just a source of delicious sustenance.  It’s a panacea for dateless nights, awkward conversations and pockets with more lint than coins.  It’s also a buffer for some of the adverse effects associated with alcohol.   A whopping 53% of Millennial respondents admitted they would rather indulge in the world’s most awesome burrito over a romantic date with their significant other.  64% of Millennials claimed a burrito is the best food to have before a night of drinking as well as for the morning after when the inevitable hang-over kicks in.  Gen X consumers have also fallen under the seductive sway of the burrito with more than 60% reporting a burrito has saved them from a sad sack lunch.  Nearly…

AlbuquerqueChickenClosed in 2024Gone But Not ForgottenNew MexicoSpecialty

Roti NM Rotisserie Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Google “the history of rotisserie chicken” and you’re likely to read something along the lines of “Back in 1985 a fast casual chain called Boston Market (formerly Boston Chicken) specialized in the sale of rotisserie chicken. People would pick up a pre-cooked bird along with several side dishes, and have a family dinner that felt homemade. The concept caught on quickly and 35 years later you can find these pre-cooked birds sold throughout the country in virtually every supermarket.” While the last part of that statement–“you can find these pre-cooked birds sold throughout the country in virtually every supermarket“–may be true, one megalithic retailer may be responsible for their continued growth in popularity.  According to Reader’s Digest, “Costo sold approximately 101 million chickens in 2020.”  That number set a record for the retailer as most rotisserie chickens sold in one year and constituted more than ten percent of the one-billion rotisserie chickens sold across the fruited plain in the year the world shut down.   The price tags on Costco rotisserie chickens have read $4.99 since 2009, thanks to the warehouse’s commitment to holding the price steady.  Thus far not even the “build back better” economy has managed to touch…

AlbuquerqueChineseNew Mexico

Zu Hot Pot – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

“You have tattoos and others have piercings, but for me, there’s nothing that says more about me than the food I choose to carry every single day. As a kid trying to maintain my identity in America, my Chinese was passable, my history was shaky, but I could taste something one time and make it myself at home. When everything else fell apart and I didn’t know who I was, food brought me back and here I was again.” ~Eddie Huang, Fresh Off The Boat Food: It triggers memories that provide a sense of identity and belonging. It feeds the soul and nourishes the body. It impacts the environment and geopolitical politics. It inspires song, art and lore. It affects virtually every facet of our lives each and every day. Food has been a topic of debate and conflict and entertainment and fascination over the millennia. Despite its importance and the modern obsession with celebrity chefs that have been increasingly shaping America’s palate, the actual study of the history of food is a relatively new field. Shortly after Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia, I was a bumpkinly wide-eyed 19-year-old student who couldn’t grasp how differential calculus could possibly…

AlbuquerqueChickenDog FriendlyNew MexicoSpecialty

KūKri – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

In one of the most famous soliloquies ever penned, Juliet Capulet pondered “What’s in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”  As restaurateurs know, the success or failure of a new restaurant can hinge on many factors, not the least of which is an intriguing name.  Great restaurant names can create an aura that elicits salivation even before a guest has stepped through the door.  A restaurant’s name should add to its allure not cause potential guests to ponder what the heck it means. That is…unless you’re a logophile (someone who loves words).  Those of us with that particular affliction try to figure out a word’s etymology (study of the meanings of words) without consulting a dictionary.  Such was the case when I read about a new Duke City eatery called KūKri.  My initial assessment that the name was a twist on the city’s name, much like television station KRQE and radio station KRKE.  Had the “r” and the “K” been transposed, that assessment would have made sense.  I would have to look it up. According to online sources a “kukri” is a type of machete originating used as a handheld…

AlbuquerqueDog FriendlyFood TruckMexicanNew MexicoRating: Very GoodTacos

Don Choche Tacos Y Cerveza – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno7:40 PM

“Well, there’s not a taco big enough for a man like me That’s why I order two or three Let me give you a tip, just try a nacho chip It’s really good with bean dip.” ~Weird Al Yankovic – Taco Grande Philosophers and scholars have long pondered just what Rodin’s The Thinker was thinking about.  Okay, some people were probably wondering why he was naked, but mostly we wondered what deep philosophical ruminations occupied his mind.  Theories abound.  Was he contemplating the meaning of life?  Musing about what is truth?  I have my own theory. I believe The Thinker was wondering why the heck anyone would eat at Taco Bell when there are so many better options–especially in New Mexico.  From the look of utter perplexity on his face, he had to be wondering why around half the population of the United States visits a Taco Bell once every eleven days.  It would be easy to make this essay an indictment against American culture for “heading for the border” but wouldn’t it be a better tact to lavish praises on Albuquerque’s phenomenal independent taquerias, several of which have been recently reviewed on Gil’s Thrilling…  That’s what The Thinker would…

AlbuquerqueBakeryJewishNew MexicoRating: Excellent

Ruthie’s Bagels – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

George: “I came this close last night, and then I just sort of chickened out.” Jerry: “Well, that’s a big move, Georgie boy. Are you confident in the “I love you” return?” George: “Fifty-fifty.” Jerry: “Because if you don’t get that return, that’s a pretty big matzo ball hanging out there.” ~Seinfeld The 1980s comedy Seinfeld has been described as “a show about nothing” largely because it focuses on the minutiae of daily life.  A show about nothing is, of course, a faulty premise.  In the case of Seinfeld, the “nothing” may have referred to the simplicity of each episode’s narrative. More often than not, each weekly show focused on four people coming in and out of Seinfeld’s apartment or a coffee shop talking about their latest bad date.   In 2007, Chowhound, an online resource for food enthusiasts that includes an active community forum of knowledgeable contributors, published within that forum a post asking readers to share their favorite Seinfeld food moments.  Reading the more than 400 comments not only prompted a nostalgic revisit of some of my own personal favorite Seinfeld food moments, it clearly demonstrated that Seinfeld wasn’t a show about nothing.  It was undeniably a show about food. …

AlbuquerqueAmericanBakeryBreakfastBreakfast BurritosDog FriendlyRating: Excellent

The Flying Star – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno4:39 PM

In the ancient Chinese art and science of Feng Shui, flying stars are used to assess the quality of the energy flow (qi) in a given place at a given time. The positive and negative auras of a building are charted using precise mathematical formulas to determine the wealth, academic, career, success, relationships and health of a building’s inhabitant. By understanding the course of harmful and beneficial flying stars, appropriate Feng Shui cures can be employed to mitigate the effects of those harmful stars while enhancing the positive effects of the beneficial stars. While founders Jean and Mark Bernstein may not have renamed their successful local restaurant chain for the Feng Shui principles of flying stars, there’s no denying the qi (energy flow) at Flying Star is active, vibrant and positive. It’s been that way from the very beginning, even before their restaurant was rechristened Flying Star (likely for its meteoric rise in popularity). The Flying Star chain got its auspicious start in 1987 when the Bernsteins launched a high-energy restaurant named Double Rainbow in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill district. A franchisee of a San Francisco ice cream store of the same name, Double Rainbow was an immediate hit. It was…

AnnouncementsRed or Green - New Mexico Food Scene is on Fire

Red or Green–New Mexico’s Food Scene Was on Fire in 2021

Gil Garduno12:02 AM

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a cautious reemergence into a world where “normal” is constantly being redefined. New Mexico’s restaurants continue to push boundaries, shift paradigms, and invent new and better ways to serve their guests.  2021 saw the proliferation of the “ghost kitchen” concept.  Bold restaurateurs began pushing back against parasitic delivery companies that misrepresented alliances with the very restaurants whose profits they usurp.  Branded meals–ingredients, recipes and pre-cooking started by a restaurant and finished at home–became a part of the fabric that is dining out.  So is the ever-increasing shift to off-premises dining and the growing popularity of food trucks.  Menus were increasingly streamlined, in part to supply chain issues and staffing shortages.  Most diners agree 2021 was an improvement over 2020, but prefer the old, pre-COVID “normal.”   2021 was another banner year for Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog with more milestones having been achieved. Most significantly to your friendly neighborhood restaurant review blogger was the continued dialogue–your sharing of comments noting contentment, humor, news or displeasure with me or some other food topic. There are now 12,476 comments on 1,246 reviews, an increase of 815 comments and 48 new reviews over 2020. My edacious publicist Bob of the…