View from the Innside

Albuquerque Restaurant Week, March 18-25, 2012

Restaurant Week is happening all over the country. New York City has just finished their 20th year! Albuquerque Restaurant Week will be March 18-25, 2012. Now's your chance to try some fantastic restaurants, maybe some of them new to you, for a fixed price.

This year we want to try Zacatecas Tacos and Tequila. For $29 per person, we'll have Tarascan Soup (roasted tomatoes, guajillo chiles in a rich broth, garnished with crispy tortilla strips, cotija cheese and pico de gallo), Pepita Crusted Pork Loin (poblano pozole, manchamantel sauce and peach habanero marmalade), and Pastel Tres Leches (sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk, whipped cream, toasted almonds).

Every restaurant presents their offerings a little differently. Some give a choice of three or four entrees, some have additional courses of soup or salad, some may include a glass of wine or any soft beverage. There's a wide range of menus and prices, so there's something for everyone.

Restaurant Week in other parts of New Mexico:  Santa Fe--March 4-11, Taos--March 25-April 1, and Las Cruces--March 11-18. If you don't live in New Mexico, check for Restaurant Week in a city near you.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy
Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com
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Restaurant Week in Albuquerque, New Mexico--March 13-20, 2011

Have you discovered Restaurant Week?  It's a chance to have a really great meal at restaurants all over the country at a reasonable price, and it lets the restaurants showcase how good they really are.  The menus are a set price and you get 3-4 courses, making a selection among several entree choices on a special menu.  If you can't come to New Mexico, check out Restaurant Week in your area.

Listed below are the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week in Albuquerque, March 13-20.  If one looks interesting, click on the name and it will take you to that restaurant's listing for Restaurant Week with the menu, location, directions and other information.

Restaurant week in other New Mexico cities (you could even travel around the state and catch them all!):

Las Cruces: February 20-27, 2011
Taos: February 27-March 6, 2011
Santa Fe: March 6-13, 2011

Albuquerque restaurants participating in Restaurant Week:

Artichoke Cafe--contemporary American
Blades' Bistro--American & European
Brasserie La Provence--French Provencal
Casa Vieja Restaurant--American & New Mexican
Chama River Brewing Company--American
Corn Maiden at Hyatt Regency Tamaya--Native Fusion
Cristobal's--Continental & New Mexican
El Pinto--New Mexican
High Finance--American
Lucia--Mediterranean
Marcello's Chophouse--American
Nick & Jimmy's--American
Nicky V's Neighborhood Pizzeria--Italian & Pizza
Nob Hill Bar & Grill--American
Pars Cuisine--Persian & Mediterranean
Prairie Star Restaurant & Wine Bar--contemporary new American
Sandiago's Mexican Grill--New Mexican & coastal Mexican
Savoy Bar & Grill--California Wine Country
Scalo--Italian
Seasons Rotisserie & Grill--American & Californian
St. Clair Winery & Bistro--French country fare
Yanni's--Greek
ZEA Rotisserie & Grill--inspired American
Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro--American, French, Californian

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town

historic bed & breakfast

110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Streetfood Asia Restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Streetfood Asia is a new restaurant in the Nob Hill area of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and we tried it the other night for dinner. It was quite busy and we enjoyed the decor while we waited for our table. Even the ceiling has a suspended grid reminiscent of the rice-paper doors in Japan, and my favorite light fixture was one that looks like a giant upside-down lotus flower made of bright red brocade-type fabric.

We opted for seats at the counter so we could watch all the action in the kitchen. It was fascinating to watch them handle all the woks and pots, and they have multiple gas burners emitting blue flames at 30,000 BTU. We have kitchen envy--you just can't cook food properly in a wok unless you have that kind of power, and we have an electric stove.

I ordered the Bangkok Street fried rice with chicken and all sorts of yummy things, like cashews, scallions, and hot peppers. It was delicious, and the serving was so generous, I had plenty to take home for lunch. Steve ordered the udon noodles, which he said were so good, he hasn't tasted anything that good since we left northern Japan over 30 years ago. Streetfood Asia purchases their tea from New Mexico Tea Company, and our dinner was accompanied by a pot of lovely and soothing green tea.

We're so glad to have Streetfood Asia among our favorite Albuquerque restaurants, and we'll definitely be going back.

Streetfood Asia 
3422 Central SE 
Albuquerque, NM   87106
505.260.0088
www.streetfoodasiaabq.com

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

 

Cafe Trang Vietnamese Restaurant in Albuquerque

"You have some of the best Vietnamese food in the country right here in Albuquerque," one of our guests declared several years ago, "and I've had Vietnamese food all over the world." We recently had an opportunity to try some and discovered Cafe Trang.

You know how you get in a rut and go to the same restaurants all the time?  Sometimes we're too tired or uninspired to think of, or even remember, someplace new.  We also discovered Groupon, and Cafe Trang had an offer we couldn't refuse. Why not? Now is the time.

Cafe Trang is a fair-sized restaurant occupying the former Ta Lin World Market space, until Ta Lin outgrew it and built a new market across the parking lot. The cafe is clean and well-lit, the food is excellent and the prices are reasonable. What more could you ask?

We had the opportunity to talk to the owner, who had sold an extraordinary number of deals on Groupon, and he was very pleased that he had an influx of new customers. While we may have been persuaded to try a new restaurant because of the good deal, we will definitely be returning because we've discovered a great new place.

Cafe Trang
230-A Louisiana Blvd. SE
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 232-6764
Hours:  Mon-Sat 11:00am-9:00pm, closed Sundays
www.cafetrangabq.com

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

Murphy's Mule Barn restaurant in Albuquerque

Several weeks ago we had the rare opportunity to have breakfast out and decided to try Murphy's Mule Barn up in the north valley.  

If you grew up in a rural town, it has that same feeling.  Nothing fancy, but the food and service were good.  It has pretty much the standard breakfast menu--eggs, bacon, pancakes, etc.  I had a craving for biscuits and gravy.

What I especially enjoyed was watching the "locals."  One might think that we're locals, since we live in Albuquerque, but there was interaction among a number of the customers that suggested these folks lived very close by and came there all the time, making us the "outsiders."  You know, when you walk in and people look at you because they've seen everyone else there except you.  There was a table of about eight men and a boy about 10 years old, obviously joining his father in having breakfast with the guys.  Some people are fortunate to have a group of good friends and can have a meal together every week.  

I wouldn't say it was an exceptional place, yet it was comforting.  It's a piece of Americana that's rapidly becoming lost among the chain restaurants.  It's the kind of place where if you go often, everybody knows your name.

Murphy's Mule Barn
9700 Second Street NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87114

I'm having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
Albuquerque, New Mexico
www.bottger.com

 

 

 

66 Diner in Albuquerque, New Mexico--good homestyle food

As we re-theme the Bottger Mansion of Old Town, our bed & breakfast, and create a Route 66 Room, I'm doing a lot of Route 66 research and also looking for decor items.

Last week we had a great lunch at the 66 Diner right here in Albuquerque on Central Avenue.  Steve opted for his favorite, huevos rancheros, but I tried the daily special, chicken pot pie with mashed potatoes.  It was really good!  I had intended to have one of their great burgers and a chocolate milkshake but got distracted.  It was a good distraction.

I love the decor.  They've taken the whole Route 66 theme and put it everywhere, from the items on the walls and ceilings to the music to the map of Route 66 and part of a Plymouth imbedded in the wall in the back dining room. 

It's total Route 66 immersion, not to mention really good food.

At a time when most of the original Route 66 buildings and landmarks have disappeared, you can still get your kicks at the 66 Diner.

 

 

66 Diner
1405 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico
www.66diner.com

I’m having fun--come on along!

 

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

Salathai Restaurant in Albuquerque

When Ragin' Shrimp moved to their new location on the south side of Central Avenue, Salathai moved into the space at 3619 Copper Avenue NE.  It's a family-run operation with a homey feel. 

It's good to have a Thai restaurant nearby.  The food is really good, although not comparable to the great Thai restaurants we knew and loved in Portland.  Still, it's worth a return trip when I'm hankering for a bowl of Mussamun Curry.

Salathai Thai Restaurant
3619 Copper Avenue NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

 

Oasis Coffee & Tea in Corrales

Several weeks ago we had lunch at Oasis Coffee & Tea in Corrales.  The food was good, and the ambiance was really amazing.  The building is innocuous on the outside, but once inside the door, it's like being in an indoor garden.  Lush plants, sculpture and artwork are everywhere, and water features provide soothing sound and visual impact.  It's also part art gallery, with paintings by various artists that change periodically. I especially liked their creative use of screens interwoven with silk ivy garlands to divide the space into smaller seating areas.

Their calendar of events includes live music and wine tastings.  What's not to like?

Oasis Coffee & Tea
4940 Corrales Road
Corrales, NM   87048

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

Rasoi Indian Kitchen in Albuquerque

Sometimes a detour can have an unexpected benefit.  As we headed east on Central Avenue to the Nob Hill area, we discovered that the entire street is being repaved and we had to go on some side streets for a few blocks.  We turned back north on Yale Boulevard to get back on Central and found Rasoi Indian Kitchen.

Looks can be deceiving.  The building is rather innocuous on the outside, but step inside to find the interior magnificently decorated with rich paprika-colored walls and hanging panels of gauzy fabric reminiscent of the colors of the spices of India.

Given my choice of ethnic foods, I'll choose the flavors of India every time.  I had the vegetarian thali combination dinner.  Usually, I expect to receive smaller portions of a number of dishes, but these appeared to be full-size servings of two entrees, a large portion of jasmine rice, a pykora, raita, naan bread and a lovely mango custard.  This was preceded by a bowl of soup, salad, and papadum.  I have a healthy appetite, but it was too much even for me.  Fortunately, they gave me a take-home box for the leftovers.  All of it was absolutely delicious!

Thank goodness for detours.

Rasoi Indian Kitchen
110 Yale Blvd. SE
Albuquerque, New Mexico

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

Crazy Fish sushi restaurant in Nob Hill

The other night we intended to go to another restaurant, but as we passed Crazy Fish on Central Avenue in Nob Hill, Steve said, "boy, sushi sounds really good right now.  I could go for that."  So we did.

Dinner started with miso soup, the "chicken soup" for Japanese people, as a Japanese friend of mine once said.  Any time he felt even the slightest bit under the weather, his mother would make miso soup for him.  Even the first sip of it brought back memories of many meals when we lived in northern Japan.  Steve had a lovely combination platter of various types of sushi.  I always opt for the tempura and had a shrimp and vegetable tempura platter.  Everything was light and crispy, just the way it should be.  It was an "appetizer" plate, but was just fine for dinner when I ordered a bowl of rice on the side.

As you can see, we ate every bit of it!

There were two really fun things about the decor of the restaurant:  first, they had a flat panel monitor on the wall showing a continuous loop of tropical fish in a tank.  Since it was an HD TV, it looked very real and nearly 3-dimensional.  Second, there were large prints of Japanese comics about sushi hanging on the wall.  All of the dialogue was in Japanese, of course, so by looking at the pictures, I made up my own story about what they were saying.  It's like watching a TV show in a language you don't understand and it doesn't have subtitles.  You can make up your own script based on what's on the screen.  It's amazing how closely you can get to the story line.

The next time you crave a good Japanese meal, try Crazy Fish.

Crazy Fish
3015 Central Avenue NE (Nob Hill)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 232-FISH

I’m having fun--come on along! 

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com