View from the Innside

Old Town Diner in Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Old Town Diner has been open in Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a couple of months, and I have to confess I've been there about a dozen times already--it's my new favorite place!

Mike and his crew completely renovated the space, updating it to a Route 66/1950's kind of theme, complete with record album covers and retro-look funny signs. It evokes lots of great memories as those tunes play in the background. Everyone in my family had Elvis Presley's Christmas album--didn't yours?

The food is outrageously good. The Old Town Diner is open for breakfast through very late lunch, and their breakfast menu items are served all day.  Besides great burgers, sandwiches, endless fries, and the breakfast menu (I love the Chuckwagon Benedict!), they also have a good selection of New Mexican food, and all of it is great. As much as I want to try every item on the menu, I find myself going back to my favorites, like the chicken quesadillas and the Romero Street Burger.

Give it a try, and you'll find you have another great reason to keep returning to Old Town.

Old Town Diner
301 Romero Street NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104
open Tuesday through Sunday

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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Tour of Old Town: Old Town Pizza Parlor

This building was the DiBlasi House prior to 1935, when it was purchased by the Apodaca family.  John and Frances Apodaca operated the Old Town Chili Parlor in this building for many years.  Their daughter Barbara told me that during World War II, the "society hall" was right across Rio Grande Blvd. and used to hold dances for the soldiers and sailors on leave or passing through Albuquerque, and the Chili Parlor would often be open until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. as people would come over after the dance to get something to eat.

It's now home to the Old Town Pizza Parlor.  They have great pizzas, pastas and salads at good prices.  If you're a fan of beer, every Monday night is "Marble Monday" with Marble beer on tap at half price.  The zoning in Old Town requires that food has to be purchased and served with any alcohol, so enjoy a pizza with that beer.  You know you want to...  they even had a live bluegrass band in the courtyard out back on the Monday we were there a few weeks ago.

Owner Mike Tafoya has also created a lovely courtyard in the back with tables and chairs, lots of plants, awnings and lights--really delightful.

And on the wall inside is one of my all-time favorite signs:  "There will be a $5 charge for whining."

Old Town Pizza Parlor
108 Rio Grande Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
(505) 999-1949

www.oldtownpizzaparlor.com

dinner and jazz at Seasons Restaurant

The perfect summer evening dinner at Seasons Restaurant included grilled Atlantic Salmon with double corn polenta cakes and garlic green beans for me and grilled Marlin with coconut-jasmine rice for Steve in the open-air cantina upstairs.  They have a lovely restaurant downstairs, but I'll always have a meal outside if I have a choice and the weather is nice. 

Seasons is part of the Albuquerque live jazz scene.  Albuquerque is a national hot spot for live jazz--who knew? 

Here's the schedule for jazz performances for the rest of the summer:

 

August 8, 7:30-11:00—Le Chat Lunatique

August 9, 7:30-10:00—Jazz Jam with Rudolfo Gonzalez Quartet

August 15, 7:30-11:00—Calle 66

August 16, 7:30-10:00—Jazz Jam with Rudolfo Gonzalez Quartet

August 23, 7:30-10:00—Jazz Jam with Lewis Winn Quartet

August 29, 7:30-11:00—Quar Trio

August 30, 7:30-10:00—Jazz Jam with Lewis Winn Quartet

September 5, 7:30-11:00—Chava & the Society of Musical Admiration

September 6, 7:00-10:00—Ryan McGarvey Trio

Seasons Restaurant

2031 Mountain Road NW

Albuquerque, NM   87104

(505) 766-5100

Tour of Old Town--La Placita Restaurant and the new portal

Here's a view of the new portal in front of La Placita Restaurant on the Plaza in Old Town.  The roof had been leaking badly, so they had thought simply to put a new layer of roofing tar on.  However, when the contractor looked it it to make a bid, he found that there was a lot of rot in the support posts, canales and vigas.  It turned into a much bigger job than expected, as is frequently the case with really old buildings.

And that's pronounced "por-TAHL" which is the New Mexico version of a porch overhang.

Our vendors under the portal just have to be New Mexico residents.  The ones in Santa Fe actually have to be Native Americans. 

Most of La Placita Restaurant is one story, except for this second story with the peaked roof in part of it.  When the owner's daughter was going to get married in 1872, she wanted to come down a staircase in her wedding gown, so her father built a second story on this part of the house and imported a staircase from Spain.  Oh, the lengths people will go to make sure their daughter has a "perfect wedding," no matter what it takes.

The house dates back to the early 1700's and was part of the Spanish land grant to the Armijo family.  A descendant, Manuel Armijo, served as governor of New Mexico three times.  Now there's a character.  Whether he's a hero, a villain or a con man depends on whose version of history you read.

The La Placita Restaurant goes back many years.  It seems like just about anyone who grew up in Albuquerque, especially in the 1940's to 1970's, worked at the restaurant.

Tour of Old Town--High Noon Restaurant at Christmas

The building housing the High Noon Restaurant and Saloon dates from the 1700's and 1800's.  As with most buildings around here, it started as a small building and was added to over time, probably a number of times.  The older, front part of the building has low ceilings and the "newer" part in the back (1800's) has high ceilings. 

It's a comfortable place with brick floors, whitewashed adobe walls and vigas (big log beams) holding up the roof.  The Christmas decorations are lovely, they usually have a fire burning in the fireplace in the corner, and there is live Spanish guitar music Thursdays through Sundays.  If I go in there in the late afternoon, I usually see someone I know sitting at the copper-topped bar.

About ten years ago they wanted to put in a nice Christmas tree but were concerned about taking out a table to make room for the tree.  They do a good business at Christmas and often have groups in for parties, so they can't afford to lose a table. 

I don't know who came up with the idea of hanging the Christmas tree from the ceiling, complete with lights, ornaments and wrapped packages.  It works well for them.  They still have the table space, and it's also become quite an attraction.  I always encourage people to pop in and take a look at the tree, have a drink, have dinner...

High Noon Restaurant and Saloon
425 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
(505) 765-1455