Pardon the Punctuation... before making my trip to Albuquerque, all I knew about it was that I always had to "Google" how to spell it and that Bugs Bunny should have never taken that left turn there. My eyes have been opened. This place is loaded with amazing scenery, art, food, and culture.
Where to stay: The Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm is just far enough out of town that you can really connect with nature. Elegant rooms and breakfast so good you'll slap yo mama.
Day 1:
- Dinner at Hotel Andaluz. The chef from MAS -Tapas Y Vino threw down a killer menu with fresh ingredients. My two favs were an egg/pancetta dish and the lamb lollipop. It's also worth grabbing a drink in the lobby because have a great saxophone quartet playing some great jazz classics.
Day 2:
- Breakfast at Golden Crown Panaderia. Great bakery with a son and pop feel. The father and son duo that run the bakery make it worth the trip. Their passion is unparalleled and the bread reflects that. You must have the "Green Chile Bread."
- Brewery bike tour with Routes Bicycle Tours and Rentals. Definitely worth checking out. It's not for the out of shape foodie but the payoff is yummy beer throughout the day and no guilt over the extra calories. We visited Rio Bravo Brewing Company, Canteen Brewhouse, and Red Door Brewing Company.
Rio Bravo: The Snakebite IPA is king.
Canteen Brewhouse: The "Dark and Lusty" stout is just exquisite and can compete with the best of them from Ireland.
Red Door Brewing: Get your hands on the "Unhinged Cider." It's unfiltered and perfectly balanced. They also feature talented local artists exhibited on their walls.
- Next we headed over to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for some knowledge, tastings, and dinner. Dinner was at Pueblo Harvest Cafe and by the time I got there I was so full from all the beer and snacks that all I ate was a kale salad....insert joke here.
Day 3
- Breakfast at Farm & Table. What a great spot. Sits in the center of it's own farm that supplies some of the products for the restaurant and has a quaint store on the property that sells local goods. Get the Shrimp and grits if they're on the menu. Perfection on a plate. Also their pastries can hold their on versus a Parisian bakery.
- Next headed out of town to the Hyatt Regency Tamaya for some bread-making, lunch at Corn Maiden, and a tour of the property. We didn't have time to make any bread but we sure had time to taste it. Yum Yum. Our meal at "Corn Maiden" was top notch. Chef served a duck breast that was cooked so perfectly it could hang on the wall at the Louvre and people would line up to photograph it. My favorite thing about the property was the tour of the horse stables. They even rehabilitate specials horses. What a unique experience to spend time with such beautiful animals.
- Dinner at Zacatecas Tacos. Located in a great part of town, Zacateca Tacos was the perfect spot to end this busy day. Great margaritas and both the pacific cod and carnitas tacos were on point.
Day 4
- Yogaritas and lunch at El Pinto Restaurant & Cantina. Yoga, margaritas, and an amazing lunch. Who could ask for more? The three things you must have are blue corn blueberry pecan pancakes, dry aged New York strip, and the outstanding fall off the bone red chile ribs. Those ribs have the "wow" factor in spades.
- Wine tasting at Casa Rondeña Winery. Who knew there was any wine worth tasting in New Mexico? Goes to show there are things you don't know that you don't know. Specially enjoyed the "Precious Land" red blend. Went down smooth and can compete with the California wines.
- DInner at Garduños at Old Town Restaurant & Cantina. If you had to order one thing go for the ceviche and wash it down with the coconut margarita. YUM!!!!!!
To wrap it up I have to say that this trip to the Albuquerque was a refreshing departure from the norm. More than the land of "Breaking Bad" and blue meth. Definitely a place to consider traveling to. If you like food, art, culture, and anything outdoors, the ABQ might be for you.
