Dining in Albuquerque ...

[ElsieDee]

We're on a five-day mini-vacation in ABQ and, after reading all of the threads I could find, I wanted to journal where we end-up eating.

Tonight was dinner at the Artichoke Cafe ( http://www.artichokecafe.com/ ): meal was very good, service was excellent, fellow people in the dining area were a bit loud, but I'm guessing it's the time of year for celebratory get-togethers.

As for the food:
- Appetizer: steamed artichoke - good but a bit too lemony for my tastes. Came with three dipping sauces for variety.
- Appetizer: roasted garlic - excellent, with goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and crostini.
- Main: Steak Frites - small portion of meat (very much appreciated) cooked to the desired medium rare. Frites were very well done - visually actually looked like sweet potato fries, they were so over-cooked. Spinach was sauteed with white wine and could have been a cooked for another 30-or so seconds, but was tasty.
- Main: sea bass - a special, this was incredible, with a ground walnut and Parmesan crust, served over Basmati rice cooked with capers and steamed asparagus. Was the hit of the evening.
Dessert: Apple / Blackberry crumble, with honey vanilla ice cream - very good.
Dessert: Chocolate orange pot de creme - smooth, rich, and lovely.

One glass of wine, one iced tea, and one after-dinner drink.

Total Bill: about $100, plus the tip - quite reasonable.

Any dining recommendations are welcomed; a friend suggested "The Standard Diner" but we're looking for additional ideas besides there.

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Standard Diner
320 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Artichoke Cafe
424 Central SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102

[Erich]

Standard is nice for lunch and okay for supper, but you might want to get out of that area. You don't say what you want to eat. Consider trying Antiquity in Old Town, Torinos up north just W of I-25 just south of Paseo del Norte, The Corn Maiden in the Tamaya resort just NW of Bernalillo, Bien Shur in the Sandia Casino/Resort, Savoy on N side of Montgomery between Juan Tabo and Eubank, and Budai (Taiwanese) in the shopping mall on the NE corner of Academy and San Mateo. Have a nice vacation.

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Corn Maiden
1300 Tuyuna Trl, Bernalillo, NM

Bien Shur Restaurant
30 Rainbow Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113

Budai
6300 San Mateo Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109

[ElsieDee]

Thanks for the response and suggestions, Erich. We're happily willing to eat most anything, though one of us is a pescatarian (able to find something on almost all menus, thankfully). Corn Maiden looks incredible, Bien Shur also looks intriguing. Okay, heck, they all look good. I love exploring new towns!

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Corn Maiden
1300 Tuyuna Trl, Bernalillo, NM

Bien Shur Restaurant
30 Rainbow Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113

[jjdot]

Standard is nice but not special. Antiquity is lovely and very romantic. It's one of those tucked away placed you would never discover without a tip from a local. If you have a car and feel like exploring you should check out Casa Vieja in Corrales. You can take a scenic drive up Rio Grande and stop at Casa Rondena and a couple of other wineries on the way. Casa Vieja is in a very old and traditional NM structure and they focus on local ingredients. I've had some issues from time to time with the service (don't get me started) but it is more due to good-natured incompetence and inexperience (hey friends lets run a restaurant!) than malice and the food has always been very very good.

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Antiquity A Restaurant
112 Romero St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104

Casa Vieja
4541 Corrales RD, Corrales, NM 87048

[ElsieDee]

Dinner last night was at the Standard Diner - nothing wrong with the meal, and the service was excellent, but we came away feeling vaguely unsatisfied (possibly because friends had built it up so much that we had high expectations).

Appetizer: Cinnamon baked brie - I really liked the accompanying apple compote (tasted like the best ever homemade apple sauce) but wasn't thrilled with the cinnamon / garlic / wine reduction combo; kind of felt like it was trying too hard.
Salad: Wedge - perfectly adequate, with plenty of blue cheese.
Soup: Tomato - dining companion described this one as being a "mozzarella stick soup" and I think I agree.
Main: Chicken fried steak - one of the better CFSs I've had, but the gravy (which inundated everything) was painfully salty. Finished about 1/3 of the dish.
Main: Stuff acorn squash - dining companion described this as being "all Christmas ornaments and no tree" and lacking flavor and body.
Desserts: one triple chocolate thingy and one chocolate pot de creme thing - very rich, smooth, and delightful.

There really was nothing horribly wrong with the meal (outside of the over-salted gravy) and the service was wonderful - but it felt, well, lacking in something. I am wondering about their brunch menu and thinking that maybe I should have tried one of their burgers or sandwiches.

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Standard Diner
320 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102

[ElsieDee]

Dinner tonight was at Le Crepe Michel - incredible meal, delightful service, and warm, comforting feeling for the evening. Highly recommended.

Appetizer: Lavender goat cheese baked in puff pasty over a salad - night app special, was savory, warm, and very flavorful.
Soup: French Onion - tasty, hot, full of wonderful onion flavor.
Soup: Cream of spinach and arugula - companion ordered this and it was incredible - smooth, rich, brimming with the essence of the greens.
Main: Mushroom crepe with goat cheese - filling, satisfying, and every bite was devoured.
Main: Ratatouille crepe - companion's dish, he seemed to love it.
Dessert: Pear, vanilla ice cream, and melted chocolate crepe - all the components came together wonderfully, though it was a bit cold tonight for ice cream.
Dessert: Belgium chocolate crepe - again, ordered by my dining companion and it fast disappeared (I didn't even get a taste!).

On a cold NM night, I cannot image a more cozy, welcoming environment for a meal - the service was professional but welcoming and we never needed to ask for anything. Pacing was perfect. Food was incredible - we're still talking about it.

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La Crepe Michel
400 San Felipe St NW Ste C2, Albuquerque, NM 87104

[ElsieDee]

For our last night in town, after having spent the day watching migratory waterfowl, we wanted something warm and flavorful: ended-up at Farina Pizzaria and were not disappointed (though we were amazed at the number of people squeezed into the dining space). Although absurdly crowded, we only had to wait for about 15-minutes for space to open-up at one of the semi-communal tables. Service was top-notch, food was excellent.

We ordered:
Salad: nightly special, which contained green beans, butter lettuce, hazelnuts, and gorgonzola cheese - very tasty.
Pizza: Funghi - rich and flavorful, roasted garlic made the different taste profiles meld quite well.
Pizza: Biana - a bit lighter than the funghi, but still rich and incredibly tasty.
Dessert: butterscotch budino - smooth, creamy, a bit too salty for our palates, but very good.
Dessert: coffee granita - just as described, a strong coffee flavor that could have been tempered with a bit more cream.

We've enjoyed our dining experiences in ABQ, with there being no real misses. Service everywhere has been professional, warm, and welcoming. Food has been creative, full of flavor, and very much enjoyed. We're looking forward to a return trip.

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Farina Pizzeria
510 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM

[Uncle Luigi]

ElsieDee:

Did you eat any New Mexican food? Stacked Enchiladas and such? I hope so!

Please report back about what you found good in that direction.

Luigi

[ElsieDee]

Depressingly, no, we did not partake of any of the New Mexican food that the region offers: I have a severe allergy to chillies and didn't want to ruin our vacation with an allergic reaction. I looked at a lot of restaurants and menus, though, and salivated along with the best descriptions and photographs. I've always wanted to try the stacked enchiladas and "a bowl of green" but that's not in the cards with this body.

[Uncle Luigi]

You gotta play the hand you are dealt and it doesn't sound like you are suffering too much!

I'll sleep better at night knowing that you didn't skip it by choice;)

Luigi

[Claudette]

Can anyone give me some advice about Seasons Grill or Zinc Bistro? We're taking our daughter to visit the University (part of her college tour) and I'd like something she'd like as well as something interesting for me... TIA!

[DebitNM]

They are both good restaurants and their food is likewise good. Seasons is an older crowd and an 18 year old might not like that aspect of the restaurant.
When is this trip? I ask, because if it is during winter - Old Town is pretty dead at night.

I think that staying with a Nob Hill restaurant [where UNM is located] is a better choice for her and there are several places that have a good vibe and food. It is also more lively area, being near the university.

Zinc would work, as would:
La Provence [a real French bistro atomoshpere and food with the BEST truffle fries in the world], Scalo
Nob Hill Grill
Yanni's

Be sure to have breakfast at Frontier, directly across the street from UNM main entrance for a true slice of campus life. Lunch at Flying Star too.

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Frontier Restaurant
2400 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

Nob Hill Bar & Grill
3128 Centaral Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro
3009 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

Flying Star Cafe
3416 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

Yanni's Mediterranean Bar & Grill
3109 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

Brasserie La Provence
3001 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

[Claudette]

DebitNM - thanks so much for your advice! That will be very useful in giving our daughter a local's view of ALB and UNM. We're going on Feb. 24-25 (her winter break). Chowhounds are the best!

[DebitNM]

As a local, please feel to ask me any questions [food or otherwise] that you might have.

[Claudette]

You're very kind, DebitNM - perhaps when our trip gets closer. I'll happily return the favor if you need any advice for Tucson or Silicon Valley.

[jjdot]

I agree that Nob Hill is where you want to be. All of DebitNMs recommendations are great but If you want someplace more casual for dinner or drinks--and a place with a younger crowd where you can also get decent food and feel comfortable-- you might want to check out Geckos and/ or Kelly's. If she likes shopping there is a Buffalo Exchange next to Zinc and an Urban Outfitters across from Kellys. Hopefully these things will make her feel at home.

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Kellys Brewery
3222 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

Geckos Bar & Tapas
3500 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

[Claudette]

Urban Outfitters? You sure know your 17-yr-olds!

Thanks for the great tips, jjdot - I'm sure she'll love those alternatives from the stodgy 4-star restos that we always pick (although she's a Chowteen and knows a good foie gras when she tastes one). I'll just have to remember to pack my earplugs...