Grub
ABC Cake Shop & Bakery
A cake for almost all of Eric’s birthdays came from ABC, and the 2009 Guide release party’s sugary delight had its beginnings here. (Thing was incredible. They printed the full-color Magdalena on there, impeccably.) Specializing in taking your crazy idea and making it edible. Unheard-of customization.
ABQ Press Club
Hidden in plain sight on a tree-covered hill at Central and the I-25, this place is beyond classic. Yes, it’s a private club, but no, you don’t have to be press to join.
Albuquerque Tortilla Company
You thought it was just a factory, but what of the front café? Is it really open to the public? Hell yes! Fresh, cheap, and stocked with piñatas. Honestly, how could this end wrong?
Allure Bar & Grill
Perhaps you’ve noticed the big blue building that appears to have sprouted between the Lexus dealership and the Rocky Mountain Stone place on the Pan Am Freeway southbound on I-25. “Didn’t that used to be Dickey’s BBQ?” you may have asked yourself. Yes, it was once, but now it’s Allure Bar & Grill, and the blue building isn’t the only way they’re trying to stand out.
Annapurna's World Veg. Café
In spite of allegations from Guide readers of employee mistreatment and a couple remarks about the owner making the ladies feel a bit uncomfortable, Annapurna’s remains a favorite. You don’t gotta be a vegetarian to find a munch.
Apothecary Lounge (Hotel Parq Central)
Burqueños know exactly why this swanky east-of-downtown hotel bar is both creepy and cool: The Hotel Parq Central used to be a (possibly haunted) mental institution. And a Tuberculosis hospital.
Artichoke Café
Any joint with the balls to call itself something so brazenly New York better pony up where the food is concerned. An impressive and regularly updated menu. Gourmet clientèle; classy, complex grub; and the artichoke apps are to-die-for. The cheese platter, while pricey, is scrumptious. Terrific wait service, as you’d expect. Albuquerque at its fine-dining-est.
Asian Café
Formerly Chow’s Asian Bistro, Asian Café maintains its progenitor’s menu: fresh, healthy Chinese food that won’t leave you swimming in grease. There’s plenty here for both the veggie– and meat-lover, but with value comes price, so make it special or consider splitting a plate.
Asian Noodle Bar
An excellent all-round Asian restaurant, featuring everything from fresh sushi to dangerously good pad thai, though the phở is a real standout. One of the most vegetarian-friendly Asian restaurants in town.
Bailey's on the Beach
Roy ‘Iron Man’ (he competes!) Solomon, daughter Bailey, and Kirk Clark (plays with local group Chris Kill Trio), had a vision. A silky, wavy-palm-tree, with plenty of drinks in a lawn chair, in the middle of the city… type of vision.
Barelas Coffee House
Second home to countless Burqueños. Still the Soul Food of ABQ. Never more than a 20-minute wait. Eric recommends the Huevos Deluxe and carne adovada enchiladas, red, with an egg on top. Vegetarians: ask the obliging wait-staff for alternatives–and beware the chile. Bill Clinton-tested, Barack Obama-approved.
Blackbird Buvette
A definite favorite for loud live music downtown, and in possession of one of the great drinking patios in all the city.