Albuquerque Restaurant Advice
The reason you're not getting timely updates of life at Creating Text(iles) is that, because the Russian Mob stole my laptop at Victoria Station, I've got no internet access in my Albuquerque hotel room.
However, I take some time from the holiday festivities over here at my mom's, to answer a question I'm sure you're all needing answered: where shall we eat in Albuquerque?
As soon as we get off the plane, find our bags, rent our car, and arrive at my mom's, we collect all the various kinfolk who are there waiting for us -- brothers, uncles, grandparents, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc. -- and head out to Monroe's. My family's been regulars at Monroe's since we moved out here, about 40 years ago. Monroe's used to be a little dinky place on 4th street; now, besides the restaurant in the valley on Lomas, they've got some branch out on the mesa. They've hit the big time, and rightly so. If we were staying here longer, we'd probably eat there again, maybe even twice more, because we love them so. Also, you have to go more than once, in order to get the tamales, and then the rellenos, and then the enchiladas, and then the famous green-chile cheeseburgers. I have a bumpersticker on my car telling people that they should eat at Monroe's. I don't expect this does the restaurant much good, since I drive that car mostly around Pittsburgh, but I like to do my little bit.
So, there's Monroe's.
Sometimes, if we're feeling flush, and we've got enough time, we drive WAY the hell and gone out to El Pinto, on 4th street. But mostly we don't do that.
And we used to go regularly to Ron Without Marsha's. The sign said it was Ron's Camino Real, but before it was Ron's, it was Ron and Marsha's, but they split up, so we called the restaurant -- well, Ron Without Marsha's. But now it's defunct, so we can't eat there after all. What the hell, Monroe's is open.
And when we're up on the mountain visiting my dad, we like to go by Kokopelli's, which, despite its trendy name, is excellent. Absolutely fabulous green chile stew, the child got yesterday.
Any of these places -- and many others in Albuquerque -- will give us what we require when we're here, which is a constant feed of New Mexican food, which is sort of like Mexican food, and sort of like Arizonan food, and sorta like Tex-Mex, but not really like any of them, no, not really at all, and we HAVE to have our fix. I can cook it, but I'm not as good as Monroe's, and besides, it's going to be a cold day in hell before I spend it making tamales, which are too damn labor-intensive. And yet, we require tamales, and so must get them here.
So that's what we eat in Albuquerque.
Mostly.
Except when we're eating at my mom's.
Or, as today, when we go to the Heart Hospital.
We found out about the cafe at the Heart Hospital because, since my mom has to spend time there fairly often (it's that durned pacemaker), my dad's been hanging out at the Heart Hospital cafe. One of the world-renowned famous heart doctors told him that it was the best restaurant in Albuquerque. We though this was so funny we thought we should try it out.
So we went over there today -- piled in a car and drove over to the Heart Hospital. Mostly, people only go to the Heart Hospital if they work there, or are having their hearts messed with, or, need to hang out there waiting for somebody inside, but if you want, you can drive up and park and go right in and eat what turns out to be very good food. Now, mind you, there was no chile involved, either green or red, which was slightly disconcerting. The food today was oven-fried chicken. But it was good, really, no kidding, and in case we needed it, the nutritional information was displayed on the counter. Mom thought maybe we should take salt with us, in case there was none, but no prob, there are salt shakers on the table. All was well. It was real food.
I have to say, honestly, that I do not think it's really the best restaurant in Albuquerque. However. Should mom have to be staying there again, I think we could all eat there very happily. (Mom says dream on -- she's not going back, not if she has anything to say about it.)
And you can indeed eat healthily there, if you want. You don't have to, though; I saw plenty of opportunities to clog your arteries, if you insist.
We found out later that the doctor who recommended the cafe to Dad has some sort of share in the proceeds. This did go far towards explaining the recommendation.
So there you are. My Albuquerque Restaurant Picks: 1) Monroe's, hands down. 2) Ron Without Marsha's, if it still existed, which it doesn't. 3) El Pinto, if you have the time and money, which I don't. 4) Kokopelli's, if you're up in Cedar Crest. and 5) Heart Hospital Cafe, if you don't need the green chile.
Tonight, though, it's grilled hotdogs, and fireworks in the backyard. Albuquerque. You gotta love a place which, in the middle of a very dry heat wave, with smoke from Arizona brush fires visible, allows you to set off fireworks in the backyard. Maybe we'll shoot guns off, too. What the hell.
Later, maybe we'll go find some carne adovada.
However, I take some time from the holiday festivities over here at my mom's, to answer a question I'm sure you're all needing answered: where shall we eat in Albuquerque?
As soon as we get off the plane, find our bags, rent our car, and arrive at my mom's, we collect all the various kinfolk who are there waiting for us -- brothers, uncles, grandparents, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc. -- and head out to Monroe's. My family's been regulars at Monroe's since we moved out here, about 40 years ago. Monroe's used to be a little dinky place on 4th street; now, besides the restaurant in the valley on Lomas, they've got some branch out on the mesa. They've hit the big time, and rightly so. If we were staying here longer, we'd probably eat there again, maybe even twice more, because we love them so. Also, you have to go more than once, in order to get the tamales, and then the rellenos, and then the enchiladas, and then the famous green-chile cheeseburgers. I have a bumpersticker on my car telling people that they should eat at Monroe's. I don't expect this does the restaurant much good, since I drive that car mostly around Pittsburgh, but I like to do my little bit.
So, there's Monroe's.
Sometimes, if we're feeling flush, and we've got enough time, we drive WAY the hell and gone out to El Pinto, on 4th street. But mostly we don't do that.
And we used to go regularly to Ron Without Marsha's. The sign said it was Ron's Camino Real, but before it was Ron's, it was Ron and Marsha's, but they split up, so we called the restaurant -- well, Ron Without Marsha's. But now it's defunct, so we can't eat there after all. What the hell, Monroe's is open.
And when we're up on the mountain visiting my dad, we like to go by Kokopelli's, which, despite its trendy name, is excellent. Absolutely fabulous green chile stew, the child got yesterday.
Any of these places -- and many others in Albuquerque -- will give us what we require when we're here, which is a constant feed of New Mexican food, which is sort of like Mexican food, and sort of like Arizonan food, and sorta like Tex-Mex, but not really like any of them, no, not really at all, and we HAVE to have our fix. I can cook it, but I'm not as good as Monroe's, and besides, it's going to be a cold day in hell before I spend it making tamales, which are too damn labor-intensive. And yet, we require tamales, and so must get them here.
So that's what we eat in Albuquerque.
Mostly.
Except when we're eating at my mom's.
Or, as today, when we go to the Heart Hospital.
We found out about the cafe at the Heart Hospital because, since my mom has to spend time there fairly often (it's that durned pacemaker), my dad's been hanging out at the Heart Hospital cafe. One of the world-renowned famous heart doctors told him that it was the best restaurant in Albuquerque. We though this was so funny we thought we should try it out.
So we went over there today -- piled in a car and drove over to the Heart Hospital. Mostly, people only go to the Heart Hospital if they work there, or are having their hearts messed with, or, need to hang out there waiting for somebody inside, but if you want, you can drive up and park and go right in and eat what turns out to be very good food. Now, mind you, there was no chile involved, either green or red, which was slightly disconcerting. The food today was oven-fried chicken. But it was good, really, no kidding, and in case we needed it, the nutritional information was displayed on the counter. Mom thought maybe we should take salt with us, in case there was none, but no prob, there are salt shakers on the table. All was well. It was real food.
I have to say, honestly, that I do not think it's really the best restaurant in Albuquerque. However. Should mom have to be staying there again, I think we could all eat there very happily. (Mom says dream on -- she's not going back, not if she has anything to say about it.)
And you can indeed eat healthily there, if you want. You don't have to, though; I saw plenty of opportunities to clog your arteries, if you insist.
We found out later that the doctor who recommended the cafe to Dad has some sort of share in the proceeds. This did go far towards explaining the recommendation.
So there you are. My Albuquerque Restaurant Picks: 1) Monroe's, hands down. 2) Ron Without Marsha's, if it still existed, which it doesn't. 3) El Pinto, if you have the time and money, which I don't. 4) Kokopelli's, if you're up in Cedar Crest. and 5) Heart Hospital Cafe, if you don't need the green chile.
Tonight, though, it's grilled hotdogs, and fireworks in the backyard. Albuquerque. You gotta love a place which, in the middle of a very dry heat wave, with smoke from Arizona brush fires visible, allows you to set off fireworks in the backyard. Maybe we'll shoot guns off, too. What the hell.
Later, maybe we'll go find some carne adovada.
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