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Monday, February 08, 2010
Welcome, neighbors: Cosina Azúl is open
By Rivkela Brodsky
Of the Journal
When times get tough, Frank and Evelyn Barela open a restaurant.
In 1981, following a national air-traffic controller strike, Frank found himself without a job. So the Barelas opened Pantry Cafe in Downtown and ran it for three years before selling it.
Frank Barela went into property development after that — opening Cranky Franky Carwash on Coors, now run by his son and son-in-law.
After feeling the fallout of the real estate market this past year, the Barelas have opened Cosina Azúl, a New Mexican eatery that took over the space most recently occupied by Sunshine Cafe at Mountain and 12th NW.
It turns out Frank Barela has a passion for cooking, and all the recipes for the dishes served at Cosina Azúl are his — including blue corn chicken enchiladas, carne adovada and finely ground red chile.
The restaurant opened officially on Feb. 1 serving breakfast and lunch at 1134 Mountain NW, although the Barleas are discussing changing to lunch and dinner hours.
The space will remind you of Sunshine Cafe — you can even eat at the same tables and chairs — but along with a different menu Cosina Azúl offers table service instead of counter service.
They are hoping to take the place as a neighborhood eatery that Sunshine Cafe filled in its two-and-a-half years in the area.
"We want to serve the Downtown workers, the museum tourist, and most of all, the local neighbors," Frank Barela told the Journal.
Barela said he still dabbles in real estate and may open another Cranky Franky Carwash. In the meantime, though, he says, Cosina Azúl has "been successful. It really has."
Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., although they may change if the restaurant starts serving dinner rather than breakfast. A Web site is under construction. For questions, call 503-8009.
Doubling in size
Hanks House — which started as a wood furniture and birdhouse business by brothers Chris and Ron Hanks in 1994 — has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 16 years.
What was a 9,000-square-foot facility with an 1,100-square-foot showroom has doubled in size as of December after taking over an empty space next to Hanks House — it now occupies half a city block.
The manufacturing and retail building at 1800 4th NW is now 18,000 square feet with 3,000 square feet of that designated as a showroom — complete with working kitchens.
"We will be using it for events and chef demonstrations," Chris Hanks told the Journal during a tour of the new building. But the showroom also allows the company to show off some of the things they can do from cabinet work — manufactured in the back of the building — to partnering with other local companies on tile, counter or other design work for a new kitchen — although the company does bathrooms, libraries and other projects.
"We always say the product is what people are left with, but the process and service is what we are really selling," Chris said. "Everything is done specifically for the client."
Hanks House also sells Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances and its line of cabinets, called Hank. The company employs 16 full-time employees, most of whom make the cabinets the company sells.
As part of its expansion, the business is now open for retail hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information, visit www.hankshouse.net or call 766-9896.
On the move
Betty's Bath & Day Spa has gone mobile and is now offering massages on film sets, at hotels or at corporate events as part of an expansion of the business called Betty's In Motion.
The new service — which started Feb. 1 — was inspired by requests from the film industry, according to a news release announcing the change. The idea was the concoction of owner Elissa Breitbard and operations manager Adriana Candelaria.
"We are thrilled to be offering our signature massage to a wider audience," Breitbard said in a news release. "This is better than a second location, which we've always resisted since it's hard to replicate the retreat feel of the North Valley. Now, we can be omnipresent, bringing a taste of our spa with our unique focus on relaxation and wellness to any commercial, off-site locale."
Betty's has offered spa services at 1835 Candelaria NW for 10 years. For more information on Betty's visit www.bettysbath.com. To schedule an appointment for the North Valley spa, call 341-3456. To schedule an appointment with Betty's In Motion, call 344-2535.
New gallery
A group of 16 New Mexico and Corrales artists have banded together to open a cooperative gallery called Galeria de Corrales.
The gallery exhibits the work of artists from the Village of Corrales and surrounding areas, featuring paintings, photography, pottery, jewelry, weaving and metal work.
The gallery at 3923 Corrales Road is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The phone number for the gallery is 505-890-4929 (but it isn't working yet) and the Web site is www.galeriadecorrales.com.
New designation
Taos resort and spa El Monte Sagrado is one of seven Kessler Collection hotels that will be joining the new Autograph Collection of Marriott International, Inc.
The transition allows the property to keep its autonomy, its name and its Web site, while having access to Marriott's global reservation system and allowing guests to earn points, according to a news release announcing the change. It also gives the seven Kessler hotels global exposure. The transition should be complete in April.
For more information on El Monte Sagrado, visit www.elmontesagrado.com or call 575-758-3502.
Send me morsels of retail and restaurant news by phone at 823-3820 or e-mail at rbrodsky@abqjournal.com.
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