Archive for Restaurants
The Old Saw “Never Dine Out On A Monday” Comes Home To Roost
by John Weckerle
The NM-Central staff, with the exception of Senior They Won’t Let Me In Correspondent Wilson, all decided to go out for dinner this evening, and decided to go someplace comfortable – that is, someplace we had been enough times to know that we would be getting something good. With that – and having a glass of wine with dinner – in mind, we hopped (more or less) into the car and headed for the Greenside Cafe in Cedar Crest.
We arrived at 5 p.m., and there were few people dining. When we walked in, we were seated promptly – but unfortunately, that was about the only thing that happened promptly. Each of the three of us ordered a glass of wine and a glass of water – which took the better part of ten minutes to arrive. The excuse was simply that they had to open a bottle of wine. We then ordered dinner; your editor ordered one of the “specials” – the server could not actually describe the dish, but it turned out to be grilled seafood (scallops (2), ahi tuna, and sea bass (yes, I’ve asked in the past, and they say it’s from the sustainable fishery) – and a cup of broccoli-cheddar soup. The other diners ordered the chicken burrito and the light version of the meatloaf. We then experienced the entertainment – not listening to the guy on the patio playing the guitar (we were inside), but watching while people were seated, and served, while we were waiting for our food. At one point, we asked our server what was holding things up, and he stated that he wasn’t sure, but that the grilled seafood might have been taking longer than expected. He indicated that it would be out in a few moments. After a whole lot of moments, he came by with some dinner rolls, and apologized for the wait. I ordered another glass of wine, and waited a substantial number of moments for that, as well. At one point, one of the other attendees actually suggested walking out – and she’s the patient one in the group.
»» The Old Saw “Never Dine Out On A Monday” Comes Home To Roost
Pete’s Mexican Cantina Shows Promise, But The Jury’s Still Out
by John Weckerle
This evening, the NM-Central staff (minus Chief Staying Home For Dinner Correspondent Wilson) took the evening off and went out for our evening meal. Our first choice for the evening was going to be Sandia Crust Pizza, which serves a noteworthy eggplant rollatini, but after a neighbor asked us if Pete’s Mexican Restaurant and Cantina – Home of the Halfbreed – had opened yet, we decided to take a peek and see if they had started operations.
Boy, had they. Your editor dropped the rest of the party off at the door and ended up parking on the shoulder of North 14. We were seated immediately, despite the fact that the parking lot was completely full.
The prospect of once again being able to have a margarita (or, for that matter, any mixed drink) before or with dinner was apparently a draw; there were a lot of people in the place, and a lot of margarita glasses on the tables. Unfortunately, after waiting more than 10 minutes for our drink order, our waiter returned to tell us that they did not have the tequila we requested (the very popular Jose Cuervo 1800 Silver). Now, there are those who will say that it doesn’t matter what kind of tequila one puts in a margarita. Such people are not to be trusted, voted for or, for that matter, allowed to vote. Or reproduce. Under such circumstances, one expects the waiter to suggest another middle-shelf tequila. He didn’t. We got regular Cuervo Gold instead. Strike one.
Chips and salsa were on the table before the drinks. That is to say, some very tasty salsa and some whole chips on top of a bunch of smashed ones. This is the sort of thing that does not go over well in other states, but in New Mexico, it’s nigh unto treason. Strike two.
The menu at Pete’s contains a mix of regular favorites – New Mexican foods, steaks (Lucy says they need to add an 8-ounce steak; 12 ounces is too big for a lot of people), and so on – and other things we don’t see in some restaurants. Shrimp Veracruz is one of the selections, and shrimp fajitas are another. A green chile pasta dish was also featured, and that could be ordered with shrimp. Your editor was delighted to be able to get something with some protein that didn’t involve meat or poultry. With great enthusiasm, I ordered the pasta with shrimp – and at almost exactly 5:45 in the afternoon, the waiter replied, “We’re out of shrimp.”
Strike three.
»» Pete’s Mexican Cantina Shows Promise, But The Jury’s Still Out
No Soup For You! Well, Okay, Soup For You…And Definitely For Me
by John Weckerle
Your editor has been (and remains) a longtime fan and customer of the May Café in Albuquerque. However, there is one thing that may not be the May’s strong suit, and that is vegetarian soups. They’re actually pretty honest about this, if one asks; the vegetarian soups are not as flavorful as their meat-based varieties.
Enter Café Trang, which is located just south of Louisiana Blvd. and Central Avenue in the former location of the Arirang Asian market (just south of the market’s current location, and diagonally across from the May). When I’m in the mood for a bowl of spicy vegetarian lemongrass soup, this is where I go to satisfy the craving. The soup is hearty and flavorful, with an excellent balance of vegetables, tofu, and noodles – and the vegetables are cooked just to my taste, with just the right degree of crispiness. I usually pair it with an order of vegetarian spring rolls, which comes with a serving of Thai peanut sauce for dipping. Service has typically been excellent and friendly, and prices are reasonable.
One warning about the soup: I always specify a small bowl, which is not that small; ordering anything bigger threatens to trigger the “never eat anything bigger than your head” rule, especially when combined with the spring rolls. Of course, ordering a medium or large bowl means you get to have it again the next day.
Leapin’ To The Lizard
by John Weckerle
Yesterday evening, we decided enough cabin fever was enough and headed out to the Lazy Lizard Grill in Cedar Crest, on NM 14 just south of Frost Road. The Lazy Lizard serves beer, wine, and a variety of meals and appetizers. Your editor ordered the Ringneck Pizza (fresh tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, olives, and mozzarella) with extra cheese, and others ordered the Mud Puppy (a French dip-style sandwich) and the Chicken Caesar Wrap. The very tasty pizza sported appropriately fresh ingredients and went very well with the glass of oatmeal stout I ordered. Leftover slices made an excellent breakfast this morning. High compliments were afforded to the Mud Puppy as well, and the Chicken Caesar – half of which came home because it was huge – also received kudos from the consumer. In the past, your editor has also enjoyed the Sandia Park calzone, the Horned Lizard sandwich, the Lizard Bread appetizer, and several of the salads. Prices are reasonable, especially in light of the generous portions provided. »» Leapin’ To The Lizard
Sadie’s Rides Again
by John Weckerle
As we were driving north on Eubank Blvd. in Albuquerque last Friday, my wife happened to glance at a building behind the Owl Cafe just north of I-40, and note that there was a sign we hadn’t seen before. The sign identified the establishment contained therein as “Sadies.”
We completed the errand we were running, returned and – sure enough – it was a new branch of THE Sadie’s – the New Mexican restaurant that once called a bowling alley home in the North Valley (the main location moved out of the bowling alley into its own stand-alone structure years ago). Our server informed us that the new location opened up about five weeks ago. We recommend that they get a bigger sign or one closer to the road, although business certainly seems to be going very well – there was a good line waiting for tables when we left.
Sure enough, it’s the same Sadie’s salsa, margaritas, and vegetarian green chile (they also offer green and red chile prepared with meat). We both had bean burritos a la carte, which came with sopapillas, and they were just as we remembered them from the main locations. Most of us need to go to Albuquerque from time to time, and it’s nice to see that there’s another New Mexican food alternative near the highway.
Bypassing The Buford
by John Weckerle
Last Friday, our intrepid band of restaurant-testers decided, on a whim, to give the “reinvented” Buford Restaurant a try. The Buford, located on Highway 41 just north of I-40 in Moriarty, closed for a number of months for remodeling, and opened amidst fanfare regarding a new look and new menu earlier this year.
We were a little concerned when we pulled into the parking lot at lunch time on a Friday and saw only one car parked there. It was perhaps even more ominous that, when we entered the establishment, there appeared to be nobody eating. We waited patiently for our server to finish some paperwork at the front desk before taking our drink order, reviewing the menu. Then we left and drove to the East Mountain Grill in Edgewood. »» Bypassing The Buford
Grow Your Own – All Quiet On The Squirrel Front – Sort Of…
by John Weckerle
We have finally begun harvesting zucchini and yellow squash, and it looks as if it will be a bountiful summer at least as far as that goes. There are more that are within a day or two and, depending on how fast they grow, we may be looking at calabacitas, zucchini parmigiana, or both – or something else entirely. Several small eggplants are in the early stages of development, and small tomatoes are everywhere. The empty sections of Bed 1 have been replanted with lettuce, spinach, string beans, and green onions (all from seed) and chard seeds have been added to the existing sections to bring us a continuing yield. While it may seem a little late to be planting seed, remember that we experimented pretty successfully with covering Bed 1 last year (see article). »» Grow Your Own – All Quiet On The Squirrel Front – Sort Of…
Return To Gordon’s
by John Weckerle
On May 29, we reviewed the newly opened Gordon’s Italian Restaurant on North 14, at the former location of Kokopelli’s Restaurant. We returned to Gordon’s last night, and are pleased to report that things now seem to be running smoothly, and the service issues we discussed in our first review appear to have been resolved. »» Return To Gordon’s
New Italian Restaurant Opens
by John Weckerle
On Tuesday of this week, a new restaurant – Gordon’s Italian Restaurant – opened at the former location of Kokopelli’s on State Road 14 just north of Frost Road. We went to dinner at the new establishment last evening.
We arrived early, and were greeted by a friendly, courteous, and humorous gentleman at the front desk. We were seated immediately – there were few other patrons in the restaurant when we arrived, and the parking lot was far less than half full. Each of us ordered a glass of Farnese Chardonnay, which was reasonably good and reasonably priced at $6.50 per glass. We looked over the menu, which had pasta dishes (these do not include a salad) priced from $9 to $12 and other, more expensive dishes up to $25. I ordered the linguine con gamberi (shrimp), and Lucy ordered the conchigle salsica (forgive the spelling if it’s wrong), which was shells and sausage. Our server, Tracy, brought the wine and some bread and butter, and then some water, and we began waiting for our dinner. »» New Italian Restaurant Opens
East Side, West Side…
by John Weckerle
Greenside!
On the eastern slopes of the East West Mountains, on NM 14 just south of the Triangle Grocery, sits the Greenside Cafe. Needing a change of scenery, we popped over last week to grab a bite and relax a little. It was, as is usually the case, just what the doctor ordered.
I ordered the peanut noodles (with shrimp), and my wife ordered the soup of the day – red lentil – and steak quesadillas. Lucy let me taste the soup, and it was excellent – rich, subtly seasoned, and hearty. She also informed me that the steak quesadillas were very tasty. The peanut noodles – lo mein-style noodles with a Thai peanut sauce – were, as always, excellent; however, judging from the amount of sauce “left over” after the noodles were gone (yes, I finished them; the portions are admittedly huge, but I was hungry and not interested in dessert), the restaurant could save a few cents by putting a little less sauce on the noodles without compromising the experience. We each had a glass of the house Chardonnay, which was very tasty and served chilled, but not too cold. »» East Side, West Side…
Return Of The Grill
By John Weckerle
The East Mountain Grill, now Katrinah’s East Mountain Grill, has scheduled its grand re-opening under new management for today. I attended the unofficial, unadvertised test opening yesterday, and was favorably impressed. I ordered the Fiesta Plate with portabella mushroom – two enchiladas, a portabella mushroom, beans, and rice – and my dining companions split a chicken croissant sandwich with fries and a cup of green chile vegetable soup. The Fiesta Plate – an old favorite of mine – was just as delicious as ever, and the chicken croissant got two hearty thumbs up from my companions. The soup, which was chock full of vegetables and tortilla strips, was also very tasty.
The Grill is perhaps unique in the area in that its green chile is vegetarian, containing no beef or chicken stock – and it is very flavorful. The soup was also vegetarian, made with vegetable stock, and similarly hearty. This makes The Grill a great place for meat eaters and non-meat eaters to gather for a great meal in a relaxing atmosphere – without traveling to Albuquerque.