Tabatha Roybal

They butter up their octopus

Villa Del Mar is one of many mariscos restaurants, but they are set apart from the masses by the way they prepare squid. Sautéed in butter with paper-thin shaved onions, it positively melts into a meaty, salty orgy of epicurean proportions. Too often squid is forced to be tough. Here, it's elegant simplicity.

Most our homies don’t need encouragement to eat their leafy greens, but hey, it happens. For those who don’t get salad (and they are out there, even among vegans), there is one and only one cure: excellent croutons. They can turn a plate of salad into a big bowl of tasty bread that happens to have some lettuce mixed in it.

Tina Larkin

An interview with one of Albuquerque’s favorite chefs

Beloved chef Jennifer James, formerly of Graze, is back on Albuquerque’s food scene after a year-long hiatus. Last week the Alibi spoke with James about her current stint at Chef du Jour, why she left Graze and her plans to open another restaurant in the near future.