Things to do in ABQ

D is learning the city through his job selling payroll systems and visa machines. Cards for restaurants, gift shops, and specialty businesses flutter onto table tops wherever he goes. He also brings me cards for hair stylists and yarn shops. He is into it.

My research is much more low key. For example, I was talking to TH in the break room, and in addition to discussing various cooking techniques for New Mexican cuisine, she gave me a list of restaurants:

El Martino (which I cannot locate, maybe it's Marino's? since she was giving me NE addresses)

Straight up pizza

Torino's

Garcia's: on 4th street. (She is not the only person to indicate that location is important with this local chain) This is apparently where I should go for sopapillas and green chili stew, but we haven't made it yet. D, however, keeps stopping by for fresh sopapillas, which, by the time I get them, are no longer fresh. The intent is stellar, but the execution is flawed.

Mary and Tito's (New Mexican)

Barb told me about Tim's Place, a cafe run by a guy with Down's Syndrome. Jenny recommends the Frontier, on Central in the Nob Hill area.

While I was in training, I got into a conversation with a Main security guard, and he suggested El Charritos on SW 47th and Central for good spicy New Mexican food. He was the 2010 first place winner for the annual salsa contest and gets his tomatoes from the Mexican market on Central, in the downtown district. Neither are high end places, but he vouches for their authenticity and quality. He promised me some home-made salsa, fresh from his kitchen, but it didn't happen before I left Main for the branches.

We already knew about 5 Star Burgers from our Taos visit, and on our first night we discovered Dion's for Pizza.

Of course, we've made our own discoveries....

1. After we drove to Sandia Peak to see the sunrise, we stopped at Blake's Lotaburger (a blast-from-the-past 50's decor) for breakfast burritos. The other day I heard that it made National Geographic's Top 10 burgers in the US, placing 4th. There's one a block away from home, so we'll have to give it a shot.

2. For our first nice meal out (to celebrate my first CABQ paycheck), we went to Yanni's for Greek food. Later I checked out the Best of ABQ guide, and there it was. But now I can't find the guide. If it's from the Albuquerque Magazine, you have to subscribe. The 2011 Best of Burque (from the alternative weekly, the Alibi) snubs Yanni's for Olympia Cafe. But suffice it to say, there is plenty of good ethnic food to be found.

3. On our first Sunday drive (to Placitas), the local art gallery AND the local real estate dude both recommended The Range in Bernalillo. There's one in ABQ as well, but we stuck with the original, which was located on the Main street/old highway. It had a gallery and gift shop and wine/tequila bar attached and took up the entire block.

4. When D asked for a good place for ice cold beer and burgers, the rangers at El Morro suggested nearby Tinaja for the Navajo Burger, served on frybread. I'm normally not a fan of frybread, but this really worked. The place itself was low-budget warehouse/diner decor, with tile floor, screen door, plastic chairs, light from windows and open screen door, and a TV showing Crocodile Dundee (in English with English subtitles). They actually had no beer, but they brought us bottled water with a glass of ice and a lemon and included a complimentary plate of juicy watermelon triangles. Just what one wanted after an afternoon in the high desert sun.

5. On the same trip, we also discovered the Cimarron Rose B&B, near the Continental Divide. It's a beautifully restored space, surrounded by fragrant juniper trees: we hope to spend our anniversary there.

6. To celebrate D's successful last hiring hurdle (setting 20 appointments), we had home-made pasta at Scalo. It's another local Best, and I was really looking forward to my leftovers, tagliatelle with a rich 3-cheese sauce. Sadly, they stayed at the table. We did, however, manage to remember to take home the wine, in a sealed plastic bag.

In Albuquerque

They give you doggie bags for

Your leftover wine.

Last week the library directors took me out to lunch at the original Hilton Hotel in the attached Lucia restaurant (I had a lovely chipotle Cobb wrap and peppery sweet potato fries.)

Lest one think I'm only into eating, I also grilled them about things to do. They all agreed that the 2.7 mile Longest Tram Ride in the World to the peak (oh yes, there's a restaurant there, too) was well worth the effort to overcome my acrophobic jitters. L suggested I stand in the middle and don't look down, and promises that the ride is smooth. Except when passing the towers. hmmm.

They also gave a thumbs up to the botanic garden/zoo/aquarium complex, aka the Biopark. It's a city service, and later in the day DS brought me free tickets for that.

J at Cherry Hills and H both talked about hiking into the hills. Apparently the Open Spaces are perfect for that, although homeless folks find other uses for those areas.  J says she's never seen a rattler up there, and as long as I'm prepared with sunscreen and water, I should be fine.

TG had some suggestions for craft and art, as well as hair stylists:

Tommy at the downtown Inspire has received local kudos
Village Wools at San Pedro and Paseo, and the Yarn Store on Nob Hill, will supply my knitting fix.
Papers (also Nob Hill), Longells art supply, Mama's Minerals, and Artisan Santa Fe will take care of the arts and crafts needs.

So now I just have to find the time and money to patronize these places. And maybe some friends to go with me.