Best of Burque 2012

Local Flavor

Mark Beyer

For the most complete restaurant poll in Albuquerque, pick up the Best of Burque Restaurants issue: on stands Oct. 11!

Best Growers' Market

Downtown Growers' Market

Robinson Park

Eighth Street and Central NW

Saturdays mornings, June through October

farmersmarketsnm.org

A warm afternoon in Robinson Park, some just-picked sweet corn, a wedge of fresh goat cheese, a bag of ripe heirloom tomatoes and maybe some live bluegrass: This is the kind of thing Albuquerqueans dream of.

2) Los Ranchos Growers' Market
3) Corrales Growers' Market

Best CSA

Skarsgard Farms

skarsgardfarms.com

Winning by a landslide, the community-supported agriculture service formerly known as Los Poblanos Organics makes it easy for customers to take home weekly deliveries of high-quality organic produce and groceries.

Best Butcher

Keller’s Farm Stores

2912 Eubank NE
294-1427
6100 Coors NW, Suite H
898-6121
kellersfarmstores.com

Discerning carnivores rejoice over this long-standing purveyor of incredibly fresh (and humanely raised, chemical-free) meats and deli selections.

2) Nelson’s Meats
3) Tie: Sunflower Market, Whole Foods Market

Best Locally Made Condiment

It was hard to narrow this one down. Among the standouts: 505 green chile sauce, Aroma Fresca pesto, Heidi’s raspberry jam, Dion’s ranch dressing, Lusty Monk mustard and Cervantes’ red chile. Salsa loyalties were divided, natch, with shout-outs to El Pinto, Los Cuates, Monroe’s, Pedro’s and Sadie’s.

Best Bakery

Golden Crown Panadería

1103 Mountain NW
243-2424
goldencrown.biz

This Downtown-area panadería steals the baking crown thanks to its addictive green chile bread, its wide selection of fresh pizzas and its award-winning bread sculptures.

2) ABC Cake Shop
3) French Riviera Bakery

Best Specialty Grocery Store

Talin Market World Food Fare

88 Louisiana SE
268-0206
talinmarket.com

Lured perhaps by the new food truck gathering on Wednesday afternoons, ethnic-food-seeking shoppers knocked La Montañita Co-Op out of the top spot. Talin is clearly the place to go for Asian food, but the far-reaching selection of goods from Europe, South America and Africa makes this specialty superstore an Albuquerque essential.

2) Trader Joe's
3) Sunflower Market

Best Produce Selection

Sunflower Market

Multiple locations
sfmarkets.com

The expanding Sunflower empire (four and counting in Albuquerque) impresses with its weekly cornucopia of bright, crisp fruits and vegetables. And let's not forget all those “Crazy Price” specials, which have readers gobbling up buckets of blueberries and sacks of strawberries.

2) Whole Foods Market
3) La Montañita Co-op

Best Wine Shop

Jubilation Fine Wine & Spirits

3512 Lomas NE
255-4404
jubilationwines.com

Jubilation’s a safe bet for obscure craft beers, a vintage Highland Scotch or a great bottle of red. And the staff is knowledgeable and conversant to the point that you may just walk out fancying yourself a connoisseur.

2) Quarters Package Liquor
3) Trader Joe's

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