Re: [CH] Way off topic, but a great idea.

Rael64 (z42dkm@yahoo.com)
Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:53:29 -0700 (PDT) 

Never ate at the Frontier.  Looked pretty dumpy and
there was some incident where a woman getting attacked
in the parking lot there or something like that going
on soon after moving there.  In fact, Central is a
pretty rough area once you start moving east of USM,
but hey, every big burg has it's shitty areas.  I
biked (bicycle) on Central quite a bit, and my worries
were far less of the winos/thugs than the crazed FedEx
drivers, fat SUV drivers, and most other moterized
vehicle drivers who thought a person on a bicycle was
little more than a Moving Target.  Think Death Race
2000.  Drivers in ABQ suck, which somewhat explains
why the insurance there is so high...for the few who
have insurance.  Watch yer arse!

Anyhow, the few eateries that I gravitated towards in
ABQ are thus:

On Central, just a bit West of UNM but before the
Interstate (I think) is a place called Yasmines.  Just
damned fine Middle Eastern food; they've a vegetarian
platter that will feed two easily, and some wicked
good lamb.  Nothing particularly chilehead hot, but
I'm pretty sure you pack your own.  I honestly miss
this food.  I mean really.

Also on Central, probably around the area of the
Frontier is a Vietnamese restaurant that I forget the
name of but it's on the North side of Central and
between San Mateo and Carlisle.  Anyway, it's worth
the visit because the family/cook has some French
flair in her (I believe) presentation as well
abilities, which suggested to me some formal training
(the French did sorta 'claim' Vietnam for a while, I
think).  Anyway, the food was super-fresh; not the
usual 'asian/Chinese' mass produced stuff (I love
Chinese, mind you, but hate the premade crap that is
usually served up).  The money was quite reasonable,
and I'm sure you could hand over chiles to these folks
and say "use them in whatever you think would work
best, and bring it to me."  Excellent food.

Also, for Indian on Montgomery is Indian Palace. 
There's also a place called India Kitchen which was
good too, but not nearly as good.  The Palace is Class
all the way and outstanding food.  Again, nothing
wicked hot (my experience in ABQ was that most folks
there are about the 'jalapeno hot' level; food is
toned down), but I'm sure you can ask them to jazz it
up.  Really fine food; excellent chai.

Pretty damned good green chile stew at Garcias, which
is an ABQ landmark.  4 or 5 locations.  We always ate
at the one on Juan Tabo since we lived over that way,
but I'm sure they're all fine.  Cheap too.  You hear
all about El Pinto, which I had once; it was good
Mexican, and pretty, but it wasn't anything really
exciting and the money was high for me.  Garcias is
Damned Cheap and as good if not better, albeit maybe
not as pretty.

There's a local-ish chain called Flying Star Cafe (4
locations, one on Central that's MASSIVELY busy, or
was) that is pretty good as an all-around eatery;
daily specials, and a tasty pot pie.  Huge dessert
selection.  I mean HUGE.  That you'll spend money on. 
Admittedly, one was only a few blocks from where I
lived in the NE, so it was easy to gravitate there. 
Yet, the food was consistently good and fed my sweet
tooth.

There's a Greek place called Yanni's on Central too. 
Really fine food, and definitely classy and pricy.  I
love lamb (sorry Brother Doug!) and they did it well. 
Another Greek place waaaaaay up in NE ABQ that I
forget the name of that was slightly cheaper but
pretty primo Greek food too.  If I had had the bucks,
I probably would have eaten here a lot; they've a
parmesan fish dish that is too damned simple and too
damned good.

Pudge Bros. pizza was about the best we found, but I
wasn't overly impressed with any of the pizza places
there.  Not worth the drive in, IMO.  In fact, for the
3 hour drive, you'd probably want to make the trip
really worth your time, so you need a Stock Up place.

Lastly, and not a restaurant, is the Tal Lin (I think)
market on Central at Louisiana (I think).  It is the
place to get all the Asian stuff you need, including
Italian and other International foodstuffs.  Some
fresh goods (even fishmongering), including some Asian
produce.  Great place to shop.


--- Dave Anderson <chilehead@tough-love.com> wrote:

> I have a couple of problems with keeping the tire
> chains. The first is 
> that they're for 13 or 14" tires and my truck has
> 18" tires. The other 
> is that according to mapquest, we're going to be 210
> miles south of ABQ 
> and more importanly, 1200' lower in altitude. Been
> in ABQ in January and 
> the weather is as bad as it is here at 5200'.
> According to the Las 
> Cruces Chamber, average snow fall is 2". Rael, I
> took the measurement 
> from the Frontier Restaurant on Central. Is the food
> as good as they 
> say? With a 75 mph speed limit, Mapquest says I can
> get there in 2 hours 
> 59 minutes.
> 
> Dave
> > Rael64 wrote:
> >> I'd keep those tire chains.  You just never know
> what
> >> may come in New Mexico.  And don't make the
> mistake I
> >> did of getting rid of all your cold gear thinking
> NM
> >> is a sunny paradise.  It ain't.
> >>
> >> 'Course, you're moving a bit further south than
> ABQ;
> >> my travels down there were more pleasant.  Don't
> >> forget to make regular trips to Truth or
> Consequence. Groovy place, 
> >> there.
> >>
> >> Peace, Hendrix, and Chiles.......
> >> Rael64
> >>
> >>
> >> --- Dave Anderson <chilehead@tough-love.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >>  
> >>> (Remember those?) and some
> >>> tire chains. Lots of people in need out there.
> >>>
> >>> Dave
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>     
> > I would listen to Don, Dave! One time in mid fall,
> October I flew into 
> > ABQ, and the Sandias were totally covered in a
> nice? blanket of snow!  
> > I suffered the same culture shock as Rael did. We
> had flown from 
> > Northern Ontario, a radar base, part of the old
> PineTree early warning 
> > chain, where we had to get out and get the ice off
> the wings of a 
> > Dakota DC 3, in order to get of the ground, and
> then landed there and 
> > saw all that snow....pilot said, laughing, I think
> it came with us, guys!
> > Hang onto your snow shovels and chains, David....I
> was hitch hiking by 
> > air to LA, and I must say when we flew into George
> AFB it was a whole 
> > heck of a lot nicer! !   Cheers, old Doug in BC
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 


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