Due to a family emergency, I wound up making a quick trip back to NJ while Doug was left alone to his own devices in Albuquerque. I definitely had some Fear Of Missing Out feelings when I saw photos of many of the delicacies he enjoyed while on his own, and maybe a few moments of “Oh no you didn’t!”
Blue Corn Pancakes from Indian Pueblo Kitchen definitely got an “oh no you didn’t” from me, so much so that I made Doug take me there when I got back to ABQ. I didn’t like them near as much as I thought I would, though Doug enjoyed them more.
Frito Pie. When chili, cheese, salsa and the like are added to a Fritos bag (which Fritos makes expressly for this purpose!). This is something I also want to try, though I suspect I may have a hard time finding a vegetarian version and may need to just assemble it myself.
We went to Cocina Azul because it showed up as a “best of” place to get a number of items on the list.
Up front is my “stacked enchilada”, which was indeed delicious.
Calabacitas is the dish featuring zucchini, which was “OK”.
Above the zucchini dish is Posole, a traditional stew made from hominy with meat.
Fideo is toasted pasta simmered in a seasoned tomato sauce; it just felt too out of place with the rest of our Mexican food — pasta is Italian!
Doug tried again and again to find a worthy Breakfast Burrito, this one from Burrito Express.
A breakfast burrito from Stripes Burrito Co.
The breakfast burrito at The Pantry Dos in Santa Fe, rated one of the best breakfasts in New Mexico, and the best one he found in NM.
Huevos rancheros (for lunch) at the Church Street Cafe in Old Town.
Top-ranked green chile cheeseburger from Santa Fe Bite.
A “California-style” cheeseburger from Blake’s Lotaburger, a southwest chain.
Baked goods to die for! Biscochitos cookies (in the back), New Mexico Wedding Cookies (on the left), and empanadas from the world-famous Golden Crown Panaderia.
Doug says this Mexican salad at Boxing Bear Brewing was very good! This is his way of claiming that he actually had some vegetables to eat while he was roaming around by himself.
Doug “happened” to discover that the New Mexico IPA Challenge was going on while he was in town, so he bought himself a ticket and helped to judge 16 different IPAs from craft breweries in the state. It’s a tough job, he says, but someone has to do it!
Here are all the samples to be tested and rated.
The round of judging that Doug attended was held at Bow & Arrow Brewing, a highly-rated women-/native American owned brewery.
After turning in their votes, participants got a full pour of their #1 choice.
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