Drinks, appetizers shine at revitalized hotel Downtown

In Albuquerque, restaurants have played a central role in the revitalization of historic buildings. Nowhere is that more evident than at the western edge of Downtown.

Within a stone’s throw of Sixth Street and Central Avenue stand numerous examples. A block to the north, Ex Novo Brewing Company thrives in a restored 1930s Firestone tire shop. On the south side of Central, the elegant dining room of Damacios Bar & Tapas befits its home in the Skinner Building, a 1931 Art Deco landmark. Next door, Curious Toast spreads over three floors of the 1905 John Pearce House.

Across the street stands the latest example of this repurposing: the Arrive Albuquerque hotel and DWTNR, its ground floor bar and restaurant, built into the old Downtowner Motor Inn.

The Downtowner opened in 1965. With brightly colored panels decorating the balconies and Native American symbols enlivening the southern façade, the six-story hotel was meant to be a beacon to weary travelers on Route 66. But by then, the interstate that would spell the Mother Road’s doom was nearing completion.

Like Route 66, the Downtowner fell into a long period of decline. The colored panels and the Native American symbols were stripped away as it passed through a succession of owners.

Thankfully, the hotel eluded the wrecking ball, and now it’s back and relevant again after a thoughtful makeover by California-based Palisociety Hotels. The redo has earned plaudits: Arrive Albuquerque recently joined Los Poblanos as the city’s only hotels to earn a place in the prestigious Michelin Guide.

Located just off the lobby of Arrive, DWTNR is open seven days a week for brunch and dinner, plus a Happy Hour on weekday afternoons. My colleague Noah Alcala Bach reviewed the brunch earlier this year, so I decided to check out the dinner offerings.

The neighborhood was bustling when a friend and I visited on a recent Saturday night, having booked a reservation online through Open Table. Crowds filled Ex Novo and spilled out onto the sidewalk outside the Launchpad. The hotel offers valet parking, but there are usually plenty of parking at metered spaces in the area that are free after 6 p.m.

The dining room entrance sits on the south side of the lobby. We walked in to find the midsized space basking in the sun’s dying glow. The host stand was empty, so we drifted over and sat at one of the booths. The dining room bears the outlines of the hotel coffee shop it once was, but it’s gotten a tasteful makeover. Potted cactuses rise up from the polished concrete floor, and upholstery in colorful geometric patterns decorates the booths. A six-seat bar occupies the back wall. Music played at a noticeable but not intolerable level throughout our visit.

The dining room doors opened to a patio that on this night was clearly the preferred place to sit.

Our server described the restaurant’s concept as pan-Asian, which was an apt descriptor for the drinks. Ingredients in the 10 cocktails that cost $14 to $16 include matcha, lychee liqueur and the Vietnamese dipping sauce nuoc cham. I opted for the Desperado ($15) a rum-based drink flavored with passion fruit, lime and tepache, a fermented beverage of Incan or Mayan origin made with pineapple skins and cores, water and a sweetener. It was served in a tall, fluted zombie glass decorated with a couple of pineapple fronds and a dried pineapple slice. The tepache imparted a little fizz and funk that took some getting used to, but in the end I enjoyed how it smoothed off the rum’s rough edges without being overly sweet.

The rest of the Cocktails menu consists of a few mocktails and three slushies. My friend got the Good Vibrations ($12), the lone nonalcoholic slushie. A well-blended mix of peach, pineapple and ice served in a fluted coupe glass with a burnt orange slice, it was sweet and refreshing, if a little bit meager of a serving for the price.

A small selection of wine, beer and boilermakers rounds out the Drinks menu. Wines go for $13 to $16 for a glass, $60 to $75 for a bottle.

Sitting in the dining room, I could imagine a past life for the space with servers in beehive hairdos throwing down plates of eggs and hash to road trippers. Fortunately, today’s menu is more ambitious than that, starting with the 11 small plates ranging in price from $4 for a Hard Shell Taco with ground beef to $17 for a Tuna Tartare Tostada.

The pan-Asian aesthetic shows up in several dishes. Coconut Shrimp Toast ($15) is made with milk bread, a soft, slightly sweet variety of Japanese origin. The thick slab is spread with a mix of minced, seasoned shrimp and then fried until it develops a crispy armor. The result, briny, sweet and slightly spicy, was enjoyable and filling enough for an entrée.

We also liked the Disco Fries ($11) served with a pour-over of Hatch chile Velveeta, the same mix that is used on the restaurant’s popular Green Chile Smash Burger ($17). Topped with cotija cheese, pickled red onions and cilantro, the pale, crispy fries delivered sizzle and tang. Another excellent, shareable dish.

Also shareable are the four entrees priced from $17 to $32. We continued with the pan-Asian theme by ordering Char Siu Ribs ($21). The six baby back ribs, stacked Lincoln Logs-style, held a good amount of tender meat and were generously slathered with a thick, dark and tangy Korean-inspired barbecue sauce that packed a punch of umami. I liked the ribs but found the sauce overbearing. A side of collard greens, salty and tender, finished the dish.

Next up was the Whole Chicken Teriyaki ($32), the most expensive item on the menu. When we ordered this, the server told us it might take 10 to 15 minutes longer to prepare, but it came out at the same time as the ribs in a cast-iron, double-handled pan. This dish is a variation of Hainan rice, a chicken dish from Singapore in which the rice is cooked in broth for a rich, aromatic flavor. In DWTNR’s version, the chicken was served cut up into strips of breast meat and leg quarters over rice and charred pineapple chunks. The chicken was moist, but the teriyaki flavor was largely confined to the skin.

The menu offers two desserts: Churro French Toast ($11) with a scoop of ice cream and Shaved Ice ($7). The latter was served in a bowl that barely contained it. A saucer was sorely needed. The ice — made from coconut water, the server told us — had the texture of a fluffy pile of snow. It was dusted with shredded coconut and threaded through with chocolate. A light, refreshing finish to the meal.

The server was friendly and attentive. I noticed that the dining room and bar were well-staffed and no one waited long for food. Vegan and gluten-free items are helpfully marked on the menu. The restaurant is cashless, a policy reinforced with signs at every table.

Arrive Albuquerque may hearken back to an earlier time, but the food and drinks at DWTNR are hardly stuck in the past. The cocktails and starters in particular display an originality that, along with the mid-century throwback setting, make DWTNR worth a visit.

Drinks, appetizers shine at revitalized hotel Downtown