Imagine a barrel-sized vat filled to the brim with melted chocolate, swirling in an unending and hypnotic cycle. Luscious chocolate spins before your eyes, and your mouth begins to water. Continue picturing that, and add copious trays of chocolate-covered strawberries, truffles, candy molds in every shape imaginable and an abundance of delight. The phrase “like a kid in a candy store” resonated with me at Theobrama, as I stood in awe of all the delicious treats surrounding me.
Theobroma Chocolatier is Albuquerque’s own Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory. Located at Tramway and Montgomery, this quaint shop proffers all the goodness you could ever want. Their ingredients include bulk chocolate from the company founded by the guy who invented milk chocolate in Switzerland. It’s hard to beat that standard. For the past few weeks, I’ve reaped the benefits of having a friend working in the chocolate business. Every time I see him, I’m presented with some confectionary concoction he created that day at Theobroma. Needless to say, I’ve been beyond grateful.
It wasn’t until I visited the store that I really understood the mastery of the process. The chocolate here is virtually all handmade, from hand-dipped Oreos to caramel-filled chocolates, you can guarantee it was constructed by skilled hands. A personal favorite of mine is their signature Cortez Crunch bar, a concoction of layers of dark and milk chocolate, separated by the perfect amount of smooth caramel. It might actually be the best chocolate bar out there, and I’m not exaggerating in the slightest.
I’ve sampled boxes of truffles, chocolate and caramel-covered popcorn, chocolate-mint pecans, and so much more in the past month; I cannot even begin to tell you. Theobroma creates some serious sugar cravings and exceeds at fulfilling them. Chocolate, they say, is addictive and I may need rehab, but I simply refuse. Theobroma Chocolatier has me hooked and I never plan on giving them—or their chocolates—up.
“Who thought of this idea? Like, ‘Hey man, I’m gonna buy a bus, make it awesome and then sell crepes from it.’ I mean, thank God they did cause this is delicious. ...”
That was a quote from a neighboring customer, and my taste buds surely agree.
Food trucks are not a new phenomenon. They’ve been driven around cities for decades. I even grew up frequenting a taco truck on the way home from soccer practice. It was quick, easy, cheap and, above all, delicious. However, the difference between the taco truck parked in the dirt lot by I-25 and what I experienced this past week are worlds apart.
It began in Los Angeles, as Kogi Korean BBQ trucks weaved their way into the hearts of Californians through tantalizing cuisine. With instantaneous tweets updating the location of their fleet of tasty grub, I’m pretty sure this contributed to the population compulsively checking their smart phones. The whole city was glued to their mobile devices, in pursuit of that damn Kogi truck. I like to imagine a bug-eyed crowd, clutching their growling stomachs while making a rapid zombie crawl into parking lots to find the infamous truck. Needless to say, food trucks were making a gourmet comeback.
The trend soon made its way across the nation and cultures: Belgian waffles in New York City, lobster rolls in Harvard Square, crème brûlée in San Francisco and cupcakes in Philly. You can pretty much get any type of food you could ever want from a mobile kitchen. Yet, unbeknownst to many Burqueños, we too have our own collection of motorized restaurants.
Every Wednesday in the Talin Market parking lot, an array of eclectic vehicles serve up delicious nosh. In the mood for some comfort food? Head on over the The Supper Truck for some good ol’ shrimp and grits or maybe some catfish tacos. What about pierogies? The Gedunk Food Truck can sate that craving in a savory second. Needless to say, Albuquerque is not lacking in diversity. This makes choosing what to eat so much more difficult, but that’s not a problem I’m too upset about having.
The variety and temptation of the trucks did have me wandering around the parking lot for a good 15 minutes, unsure of what delectable dish I was going to have during my lunch break. I finally settled on The Boiler Monkey. This refurbished bus caught my eye with one simple word: crêpe. Whether you want sweet—think Nutella with banana, cinnamon with baked apples—or savory—maybe the Burque Turkey interests you—there will be a crêpe specifically created to suit your tastes. As much of a sweet freak as I am, I opted for savory and went with The Farm. Complete with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and feta, and topped with a balsamic reduction sauce, I was in taste bud heaven.
Congrats to commenter 27eh for identifying Christy Mae's Restaurant from the Tricarico family portrait (it turns out that Christy Mae hasn't been involved in the place for a couple of decades now).
After a month of some seriously top-notch guessing, the moment you've all been waiting for has arrived. I've retrieved the Randomizer 3000 from its secured underground vault, deactivated the incredibly dangerous biological booby traps that prevent it from being misused by unscrupulous randomizers, and entered the PhotoGuesser names into its sophisticated data bank.
Emptyv. LundyJ. Okeefine. 27eh. Who will walk away with the big prize? Close your eyes and picture a swirling array of blinking LED lights, hear the click and hum of a thousand powerful ASIC circuits tabulating the probabilities and reticulating the splines.
*Bing!* It's done. The lovely Geoffrey Plant, Circulation Manager and contributing writer, receives the results:
LUNDYJ! You have won two $10 Alibi Bucks certificates to Mirai Light and Healthy Japanese Cuisine, Sake and Beer!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I must deactivate the Randomizer 3000, which involves a team of four technicians, 25 pounds of dry ice and a six pack of beer.
Congratulations to emptyv for identifying the wood stove in Cecilia's downtown dining room!
I get the feeling that this week's restaurant might be a little more challenging for you guys (the clientele seemed a bit more ... midwestern than I peg our readership [that's a hint]), but feel free to prove me wrong.
A quick rules run down: See the picture? It's from a restaurant that I've been to recently. Figure out where it is and post your answer in a comment below (not on Facebook, don't email them to my Alibi account, don't tap it out in code on the wall of your prison cell; put them in the comments section or you won't win). The first person to do so with the correct answer will be declared Dark Lord of the PhotoGuessers for the Week AND, at the end of the month, will be entered into a drawing for an Alibi Bucks prize along with the other Dark Lords of the PhotoGuessers.
Got it?
Now, one more thing. If you win, I'll be notifying you via Alibi.com's message feature, which some of you may not know about. Look at the upper-right hand corner of the screen. See that block of red text that tells you if you're logged in, etc.? If I send you a message, that block will also display a notification along the lines of "2 messages." Click on it, and it will take you to your inbox where a cheery "YOU ARE A WINNER" message may very well be waiting. Read it and then write back to me to acknowledge that you've received it. You can also get to your inbox through the "my alibi" drop down menu.
Congratulations to Okeefine for correctly identifying O'Niell's Irish Pub in Nob Hill (and even spelling the name right) from some table-side metalwork. Now, send me a message Okeefine (ty@alibi.com)
A quick reminder of what this contest is all about. See the picture I've posted there? It's of an Albuquerque restaurant. If you are the first one to name it correctly in a comment below, you will be declared Grand Moff PhotoGuesser of the week, and what's more, you'll be eligible for our prize drawing (free Alibi bucks to a local restaurant!) at the end of the month. Not too, shabby eh?
So, get to it! Figure out which restaurant I've been to recently!
One more thing: If you win, I'll be sending a short message to your Alibi.com mail account. Look in the upper right hand corner of the screen; if you're logged in and you've got a message, you'll be notified in that little block of text up there. It's important that you write me back after you've won so that I can notify you if you win the big prize at the end of the month.
Congratulations to Lundy J for correctly identifying the Model Pharmacy from a herd of ceiling-strung elephants. Now on to the next!
A quick rules run down: See the picture? It's from a restaurant that I've been to recently. Figure out which joint it is and post your answer in a comment below (not on Facebook, don't email them to my Alibi account, don't flash them via signal lamp from your luxury yacht; put them in the comments section or you won't win).
The first person to post the correct answer will be declared Baron PhotoGuesser of the Week AND, at the end of the month, will be entered into a drawing for an Alibi Bucks prize along with the other Baron PhotoGuessers.
Got it?
Now, one more thing. If you win, I'll be notifying you via Alibi.com's message feature, which some of you may not know about. Look at the upper-right hand corner of the screen. See that block of red text that tells you if you're logged in, etc.? If I send you a message, that block will also display a notification along the lines of "2 messages." Click on it, and it will take you to your inbox where a cheery "YOU ARE A WINNER" message may very well be waiting. Read it and then write back to me to acknowledge that you've received it. You can also get to your inbox through the "my alibi" drop down menu.
A new month, a new chance to win free Alibi Bucks to a local restaurant. Just yesterday, commenter Schmeltzy won $20 worth of Bucks to Cafe Lush, and last month Msanchez won the same for Tia Betty Blue's.
A quick rules run down: See the picture? It's from a restaurant that I've been to recently. Figure out where it is and post your answer in a comment below (not on Facebook, don't email them to my Alibi account, don't tap it out in code on the wall of your prison cell; put them in the comments section or you won't win). The first person to do so with the correct answer will be declared Pope PhotoGuesser of the Week AND, at the end of the month, will be entered into a drawing for an Alibi Bucks prize along with the other Pope PhotoGuessers.
Got it?
Now, one more thing. If you win, I'll be notifying you via Alibi.com's message feature, which some of you may not know about. Look at the upper-right hand corner of the screen. See that block of red text that tells you if you're logged in, etc.? If I send you a message, that block will also display a notification along the lines of "2 messages." Click on it, and it will take you to your inbox where a cheery "YOU ARE A WINNER" message may very well be waiting. Read it and then write back to me to acknowledge that you've received it. You can also get to your inbox through the "my alibi" drop down menu.
Another month has passed, and the day of the TTM drawing is here!
But first, I must address a point of controversy. A scandal, even. There were three successful photo-guessers last month, but only two will be competing for the prize. Why? It turns out that last week's winner, GardenGnome, was actually ineligible to play and his name has been cast out of the Randomizer 4000.
With that ugliness out of the way, let us turn to the big event. Our two contestants are commenter Schmetlzy, who deduced Loyola's Family Restaurant from a roadrunner themed lamp, and commenter Evarockstar who correctly identified Limonata Italian Street Food Caffe from a group of crowded shelves.
Music editor Samantha Anne Carrillo concludes the randomizing sequence.
As usual, the contestant's names were placed within the secure confines of the Randomizer 4000. Our guest drawer, music editor Samantha Anne Carrillo then activated the randomizing sequence (mixed up the names with her fingers) and then selected the lucky winner. Two impartial observers (myself and staff writer Mark Lopez) were unhand to make sure that everything was on the up and up.
The winner? Commenter Schmeltzy!
Congratulations, you've won two $10 Alibi Bucks for breakfast at Cafe Lush.
Check back tomorrow for another mysterious photograph and another chance to win.
At the Santa Fe farmers market this last weekend, market mainstay Matt Romero had a fried fingerling potato demonstration going. But when his buddy, the restaurateur Matt Yohalem of Il Piatto stopped by to say hi, Romero added some eggs to the pan. They had the most amazing yolks I’d ever seen, sunset orange and round as super balls atop the cackling eggs. Romero credits a diet of red chile scraps for the yolks’ awesomeness.
I’m a backyard chicken farmer, so I know a thing about fresh eggs. As I watched these fry, I was humbled. Watch the video to see for yourself.
My bad for not filming Yohalem's plate after the eggs had broken. It was deep orange.
First of all, congratulations to NOBODY for guessing last week's photo. That's right, none of you could figure it out. So I'm giving you guys some homework: Get over to Budai Gourmet Chinese as quickly as you can and scarf up some of their excellent food. Don't forget to ask for the secret menu!
Now, a quick rules run down on how this works: See the picture? It's from a restaurant that I've been to recently and it is SIDEWAYS. Figure out where it is and post your answer in a comment below (not on Facebook, don't email them to my Alibi account, don't write them down in your diary; put them in the comments section or you won't win). The first person to do so with the correct answer will be declared Emperor PhotoGuesser of the Week AND, at the end of the month, will be entered into a drawing for an Alibi Bucks prize along with the other Emperor PhotoGuessers.
Got it?
One more thing. If you win, I'll be notifying you via Alibi.com's message feature, which some of you may not know about. Look at the upper-right hand corner of the screen. See that block of red text that tells you if you're logged in, etc.? If I send you a message, that block will also display a notification along the lines of "2 messages." Click on it, and it will take you to your inbox where a cheery "YOU ARE A WINNER" message may very well be waiting. Read it and then write back to me to acknowledge that you've received it. You can also get to your inbox through the "my alibi" drop down menu.
Congratulations to commenter schmeltzy, for correctly identifying Loyola's Family Restaurant from a light fixture.
A quick rules run down: See the picture? It's from a restaurant that I've been to recently. Figure out where it is and post your answer in a comment below (not on Facebook; don't email them to my Alibi account; don't write them down in your diary; put them in the comments section or you won't win). Please note that the damn thing is once again sideways because I am bad at the Internet. The first person to do so with the correct answer will be declared Esteemed PhotoGuesser of the Week AND, at the end of the month, will be entered into a drawing for an Alibi Bucks prize along with the other Esteemed PhotoGuessers.
Got it?
Now, one more thing. If you win, I'll be notifying you via Alibi.com's message feature, which some of you may not know about. Look at the upper-right hand corner of the screen. See that block of red text that tells you if you're logged in, etc.? If I send you a message, that block will also display a notification along the lines of "2 messages." Click on it, and it will take you to your inbox where a cheery "YOU ARE A WINNER" message may very well be waiting. Read it and then write back to me to acknowledge that you've received it. You can also get to your inbox through the "my alibi" drop down menu.
So. GUESS.
(Commenter emptyv, send me a message or email at ty@alibi.com. I have something for you.)
First of all, congratulations to commenter evarockstar, for correctly identifying Limonata Italian Street Food Caffe from its back wall.
A quick rules run down: See the picture? It's from a restaurant that I've been to recently. Figure out where it is and post your answer in a comment below (not on Facebook, don't email them to my Alibi account, don't write them down in your diary; put them in the comments section or you won't win). The first person to do so with the correct answer will be declared Lord PhotoGuesser of the Week AND, at the end of the month, will be entered into a drawing for an Alibi Bucks prize along with the other Lord PhotoGuessers.
Got it?
Now, one more thing. If you win, I'll be notifying you via Alibi.com's message feature, which some of you may not know about. Look at the upper-right hand corner of the screen. See that block of red text that tells you if you're logged in, etc.? If I send you a message, that block will also display a notification along the lines of "2 messages." Click on it, and it will take you to your inbox where a cheery "YOU ARE A WINNER" message may very well be waiting. Read it and then write back to me to acknowledge that you've received it. You can also get to your inbox through the "my alibi" drop down menu.
This is important because our very first winner from last month still hasn't gotten back to me. Msanchez? Are you out there? CHECK YOUR MESSAGES. If you don't get back to me by the end of today, I'll be passing the prize on to the runner-up.
First of all, congratulations to commenter msanchez for winning last month's prize of two $10 Alibi Bucks to Tia Betty Blue's!
Second of all, msanchez, I still haven't heard back from you. Get in contact with me by next Tuesday or we might have to award the prize to the runner up. (ty@alibi.com or send me a message through the site.)
Third of all, with February a new round begins! Rules are the same as last time: each week I'll post up a terrible photograph of a restaurant I've recently visited. Your job is to correctly identify which place it is in the comments below (not on facebook!). First one to do so correctly is the winner. At the end of the month, I'll put the names of each winner into a hat and draw one out. That commenter will receive an Alibi bucks prize to a restaurant of my choice!
Okay? This week's restaurant shot is up above. Get guessing! Except for you, msanchez. If you won the big prize in the last drawing, you can't try again for a full month.
The air is thick with excitement. Two weeks of intense bad-photo guessing has resulted in two very skilled semi-finalists, commenters emptyv (who correctly sussed out B2B Bistronomy from a portion of its decorative blackboard) and msanchez (who deduced Duran's Station from a glimpse of its beer cooler).
The prize? Two $10 Alibi Buck certificates to Tia Betty Blue's New Mexican restaurant. Home of the best damned red chile you're ever going to find atop a blue corn waffle boat.
The competition? Randomized hat wrestling.
Alibi staff writer Mark Lopez approaches the sophisticated Randomizer 4000 (aka a hat we found lying around the office). He reaches in, hesitantly pulls out a folded slip of paper.
There is a tension laden silence over the room.
He unfolds it, holds it up, and reveals ...
COMMENTER MSANCHEZ!
Congratulations Msanchez. I'll be contacting you through a direct message to your Alibi profile in the very near future.
As for the rest of you, the new month kicks off another round of bad-photo guessing. Each week, you'll get a chance to correctly identify the restaurant my hasty, blurry, sometimes sideways photo depicts. The first one to do so will be entered into the very next randomized hat wrestling throwdown, which will take place at the end of the month.
First of all, congratulations to last week's winner, commenter emptyv! He managed to guess the mystery restaurant (the excellent Bistronomy B2B) just about 30 seconds after I posted it. Let's see if this week's shot proves to be a little more challenging.
What is this all about? Each week, I'm posting a haphazard and generally terrible photo from one of the restaurants I've been to recently. Your job is to figure out which one it is and post the correct answer in the comments below (it doesn't count if you comment on facebook or shout it at your roommate or whatever). Whoever does so first will be eligible for the monthly Mysterious Alibi Bucks Drawing of Mystery (so named because I don't know which Alibi buck your vying for until the day of the drawing) wherein one lucky winner will receive a FREE Alibi Buck.
Now, because the contest only started in mid-January, today's winner will have a much better chance of winning the big prize (with only one other correct commenter to vie with). So stop reading this and start guessing! (Commenters who have correctly guessed in January have to wait till next month to try again.)
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