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The interior of the new El Patron restaurant. The new owners spent more than $1 million on remodeling before opening on the site of the old Garduño’s on Montgomery. (Jim Thompson/Journal)
Here at an imposing restaurant in the Northeast Heights, things seem normal: mariachis playing tunes both traditional and silly, tricky-to-find restrooms, and chile as the driving menu force.
As local diners, we can all accept that it will be a few years before this place on Montgomery ceases to be known as Garduño’s, but the folks who built Yanni’s and Nick & Jimmy’s are quickly working the location with a new menu and look to turn El Patron Restaurant & Cantina into a destination without recent historical baggage.
One of the restaurateurs, Nick Kapnison, transformed the space using the feel of his original El Patron, open in Albuquerque in the 1970s and 1980s. In the Montgomery restaurant, the décor has been toned down considerably from its previous occupant, resulting in butter-hued walls and quieter wall hangings. Then the menu has been whittled to New Mexican essentials from enchiladas to tamales to carne adovada.
El Patron has joined the list of chip excellence in town – the wafer-thin wedges threaten to collapse under scoops of salsa, so make the trip from dunk to mouth with delicacy to enjoy each bite.
The featured starter on a recent evening was Ceviche ($7.95), a rare south-of-the-border dish that ought to counsel the kitchen to stick with local food. Rather than simple marinated fish, this was a tomato-based cocktail with so much acidity it pained the mouth. Chile BBQ Ribs ($6.95), on the other hand, were practically perfect under spicy-sweet sauce and just enough meat to whet the appetite.
Our attentive server seemed interested in what was tasty rather than simply hustling for tips; we never felt pressured to order cocktails or add pricey sides, a practice that seems common in restaurants with a full bar. He suggested the ribs, as well as guiding me toward a bowl of fiery green chile ($5.95) with ground beef swimming in a rich broth – great but for too heavy a hand in the kitchen with salt. I could have finished the bowl, but the salt caught up to my taste buds quickly.
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El Patron LOCATION: 10551 Montgomery NE, 275-0223, elpatronabq.com HOURS: 11 a.m.-9:45 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-10:45 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Mondays FULL BAR |
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We sampled some of the New Mexican specialties, bypassing the well-regarded rellenos for a Blue Corn Enchilada plate ($10.45 with chicken) without the fried egg on top. Homestyle food is rarely photogenic, and these enchiladas are no exception – luckily the tortillas, cheese, chile and chicken came together in bite after addicting bite.
Fans of the ribs appetizer can order it as a full entrée, or go even more afield from traditional foods and order Parmesan-crusted fish or the seemingly ubiquitous fajita platter.
Afterward, sopaipillas are offered, of course, though a larger dessert menu is available. Everything from N.Y. Style Cheesecake to a dish of Natillas ($4.95) are offered. We opted for the latter, scooping up the pale vanilla pudding in moments. After all the locally inspired food, a brownie sundae just seemed out of place.
