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Dinner at the Maven will have you ravin'
Dinner at Chocolate Maven is a wonderful feast, an exploration of creative dishes and subtle improvements on traditional comfort food. I loved dinner here from start to finish. Bravo!
(Friday, March 12, 2010)
Nibbles: Santiago's
I ordered something basic for lunch at this New Mexican restaurant, the combination plate ($6.79). And I wasn't disappointed.
(Friday, March 12, 2010)
Find your way back to Japanese Kitchen
I like to strike a balance in my restaurant explorations. Sometimes it is unearthing the recent gem that no one seems to have yet noticed; other weeks I will investigate a well-known joint that may or may not have seen its peak days already.
(Friday, March 05, 2010)
Tortilla is good for smiles, inside and out
The Flying Tortilla makes me smile. The good vibes start with the quirky name and the turquoise logo that resembles an artist's palette with a spaceship in the corner. Perfect, some might say, for Santa Fe.
(Friday, March 05, 2010)
Nibbles: Monte's Subs 'N More
I ordered two sub sandwiches on whole-wheat bread, one to eat in and the other to go. The cold sub I ate in was the 12-inch Italian ($9.44). On it were slices of salami, pastrami and pepperoni, lettuce, sliced tomato and sliced cheese with herbs and oil. It came with a bag of chips and a drink (I picked a bottled water). The sandwich was too much to eat for lunch, so I ate half and had the other half wrapped.
(Friday, March 05, 2010)
Wedge yourself into Jambo, if you can
Although it has been open for only about six months, Jambo Cafe has garnered lots of positive attention, including top awards at Santa Fe's recent Souper Bowl benefit and a mention in a recent New York Times travel section.
(Friday, February 26, 2010)
Rex again assumes local burger throne
What is the story behind a fellow named Rex with a talent for combining meat, bread and griddle heat to create a hand-held version of heaven? The answer is all in the family. Boyd Thompson, Rex's father, started a local legend by making burgers for the State Fair back in 1971.
(Friday, February 26, 2010)
Nibbles: Havana Restaurant
I ordered a Pollo Frito ($7.25), which was two chicken legs marinated and fried in oil. They were OK but not as tasty as what came with it — a mountain of black beans and white rice — which the waiter called congris. I also ordered a side dish of platano maduro ($2.25), which are pan-fried chunks of plantain. What a treat. If it was a menu item, I could have eaten a lunch of the black beans and rice with plantains by themselves.
(Friday, February 26, 2010)
Nibbles: Venezia's New York Style Pizzeria
My daughter is a tough customer when it comes to pizza. She gave her two slices of cheese pizza from Venezia's two thumbs up. My wife and I agreed with her verdict.
(Friday, February 19, 2010)
Saffron's menu conceals untold riches
Last fall, the Saffron Cafe opened in the Lead Avenue space occupied for more years than I remember by Amerasia dim sum restaurant, doors swinging wide to accommodate the gossip about this potentially new and exciting comfort food spot.
(Friday, February 19, 2010)
Flying Star earning its niche in Santa Fe
Flying Star, locally owned and operated in Albuquerque since 1987, opened a space in the Santa Fe Railyard last summer. Reviews of the new restaurant tended to be negative, and my own initial experiences left me not especially eager to go back.
(Friday, February 19, 2010)
Ze French experience is très magnifique
The restaurant at Garrett's Desert Inn seemed to have unlucky "karma." For one reason or another, eating establishments have not survived very long here. Curious, since each day a parade of visitors and state workers pass this busy downtown corner, the intersection of Alameda and Old Santa Fe Trail.
(Friday, February 12, 2010)
At Budai, prepare to share
In the wake of all things snow and winter, Super Bowl and wings, it is perfect to hunt down our newest Chinese restaurant for a sampling of that encompassing cuisine both diverse and refreshing.
(Friday, February 12, 2010)
Nibbles: La Fonda del Bosque
I'm always up for a buffet. Try a little of this, a little of that, and if what you tried is tasty, then go back for seconds.
(Friday, February 12, 2010)
Next time you're passing Luigi's, pull in
Luigi's fooled me for many years, frankly. I'd been merrily driving down Fourth Street, headed toward an appointment with some delicious hole-in-the-wall or seeking new, exciting restaurants, all the while passing by the humble building with the sign always advertising an all-you-can-eat lunch or seafood buffet.
(Thursday, February 04, 2010)
Nibbles: Cafe Istanbul
I ordered to-go meals for my wife and me. Both were specials du jour at $6.49 each. We were very pleased with the flavors and bounty of the meals. I ordered the tasty falafel sandwich and the gyro. Both came on pita bread and stuffed with lettuce, tomato and a creamy yogurt sauce. I ate all of the falafel sandwich and the next morning — yes, for breakfast — had half of the gyro. And each special came with a small side of yummy hummus and one-half of a pita slice, a Turkish cookie, two olives and two mini sour pickles.
(Thursday, February 04, 2010)
Thai influence exerts itself in Nob Hill
Perilously close to Orchid Thai is Albuquerque's newest spot to get your papaya salad and Pad Thai fix — the west side's reliable oasis Thai Cuisine has spawned a sister outpost in eastern Nob Hill.
(Thursday, January 28, 2010)
Flavors of India, treatment from heaven
On a cool night after a long weekend of catching up with chores and/or watching football, it's nice to let someone else do the cooking. And good food comes with exceptional service at Santa Fe's popular India Palace.
(Thursday, January 28, 2010)
Nibbles: Cyprus Grill
A surprise was the starter for the lunch my wife and I recently shared. The menu called it Pizetta ($10), and it was surprisingly plentiful and very good. A not-so-mini pizza, it had a thin crust topped with mozzarella cheese, spinach, artichokes, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms. It could be a meal in itself.
(Thursday, January 28, 2010)
Nibbles: Jinja Bar & Bistro
For openers my friend Pete and I split an hors d'oeuvre of pot stickers ($5.95). Though the menu said four, the waiter brought six. They were plump and were especially tasty when dipped in an accompanying sauce.
(Thursday, January 21, 2010)
It's only lunch, but well worth the drive
Around here, most old buildings you might find yourself in are adobe, possibly with a lot of wood structural elements. Not so the 200-year-old haven just off the main drag in Corrales. It was built with cut-and-dried earth slabs called "terrones," and seems to keep tenants a long time. The most recent occupant? A New Mexican restaurant about to celebrate its 75th anniversary, Perea's Tijuana Bar & Restaurant.
(Thursday, January 21, 2010)
Nibbles: Saffron Tiger — Indian Cuisine Express
My wife and I each ordered a two-entree combo ($6.25 each) at this East Indian fast-food restaurant. She had the Raja Shrimp with sliced bell peppers, mildly flavored with tamarind and cilantro. On the same plate was half an order of naan bread and Tiger rice with peas, which were flavored with cumin seed and bay leaves. She also got a side order of Tiger pockets ($1), which consists of three small, tasty fried pastries stuffed with potatoes and peas.
(Thursday, January 14, 2010)
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