   | AlbuquerqueThe nickel slots are bright, noisy: Bien Shur is subdued, quiet, tasteful. The dining room is classy and beautiful but still comfortable, leaving diners to contemplate the wonderful contemporary cuisine and stunning views of the city and Sandia mountains. After your meal, you can head back downstairs into the casino scuffle for some live jazz in the Tlur P’a Lounge and a hand of video poker. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ] Albuquerque - DowntownArtichoke Café and Wine BarLunch: Mon-Fri: 11am-2:30pm
Dinner: Mon: 5:30-9pm
Tues-Sat: 5:30-10pm
Sun: 5-9pm
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri: 3-6pm (subject to change)
Once your lunch or dinner at the upscale Artichoke Café has concluded, you’ve got to adjourn to the sexy new Wine Bar next door. The wine list is actually a leather-bound tome with a massive assortment of wines. Prices start at a decent $28 or $30 a bottle and zoom up into the upper stratospheres of frivolity, but you can also order select vintages by the half-bottle or glass. You'll love the front-facing "big city" windows, curvy wooden bar and comfortable seats. It’s open until 11 p.m. on the weekends, but beware: The kitchen stops serving at 10 p.m. No matter. It’s got one hell of a breadbasket, and, as our server once suggested, "You can fill up on the wine!" Don't mind if we do! (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  LuciaBreakfast: Mon-Sat: 7-10:30am
Brunch: Sun: 9am-2pm
Lunch: Mon-Sat: 11am-2:30pm Dinner: Mon-Sun: 5:30-10pm (subject to change) Full review: My, how I do like them oysters (1/21/2010)
Downtown's Hotel Andaluz and its restaurant, Lucia, seem like they were designed to make you feel cool. The dining room is dimly lit by low-volt lamps hanging from paper ceilings and the occasional flash of fire from the open kitchen. Mediterranean fusion fine-dining begins with grilled artichokes smothered in saffron butter and capers, or heavenly grilled oysters with smoked chile-chive-oil mojo (a kind of Caribbean mayo) and pancetta on pea greens. Fully rested after a night of cocktails and herb-crusted rack of lamb, come back in the morning for fluffy, toothsome lemon-ricotta pancakes and organic breakfast burritos. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 2 ] Albuquerque - Far Northeast HeightsAdd a Review Pacific Rim is a restaurant displaying attention to detail, from its carefully executed decor to its exceedingly well-rounded menu. Appetizers like meaty sake clams in a garlicky broth cause the diner’s expectations to rise, and entrées like the fantastically named "evil jungle prince curry" deliver heat balanced by intoxicating fragrance. It’s basically two restaurants in one—a sushi bar and Korean
bulgogi
with a
dining room that brings all the elements together. And did we mention the Buddha Lounge? The small bar stays open late, turning out sake-based cocktails alongside sushi and TV. Try the ginseng, date and honey tea! (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 5 ]  Pelican’s RestaurantMon-Thurs: 5-10:30pm
Fri-Sat: 5-11:30pm
Sun: 11am-10pm
*Bar opens at 4pm every day (subject to change) Meals Served: Dinner Full review: Lips Ahoy! (10/5/2006)
Roughhewn wood planks lead you into this nautically themed steak and seafood restaurant, which doesn’t start seating for dinner until 5 p.m. Luckily, happy hour begins at 4 p.m. Have a “Lady Godiva” hot cocktail and a baker's dozen of “topless” oysters in the bar while you wait. Then dive into creamy clam chowder, 10-ounce, butter-sweet Australian lobster tail and Ranchero center-cut top sirloin. There's plenty of key lime pie in the icebox and Phil Collins on the speakers. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Savoy Bar and GrillLunch: Mon-Fri: 11am-3pm
Dinner: Sun-Thurs: 5-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5-11pm (subject to change) Full review: Grape harmony (9/6/2007)
Wine flights are the best way to try different selections without going broke, and Savoy has some interesting choices. They pair perfectly with the restaurant’s stunning interiors and lovely New American dishes—grouper in an almond-romesco sauce, seafood linguine, grilled peach and seared sea scallop salads, and the house charcuterie plate. For dessert, there’s praline-chocolate torte ($6), house-made blackberry-Chambord ice cream ($3.50), cheese plates and, of course, a glass of La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti ($5). Open ’til 10 p.m. weekdays, 11 p.m. weekends. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Albuquerque - Midtown Jennifer James 101Full review: A class of her own (7/3/2008) Read more: Mina's Dish: Jennifer James on the Joy of Cooking (12/23/2010)
Jennifer James and Nelle Bauer, along with a dedicated staff, have definitely set the bar high. A surprising location—in a Menaul strip mall—seems to suggest that JJ is separate from the Nob Hill gang in more than just geography. The menu is short and sweet: a smattering of primary and secondary courses followed by dessert, all of which change often to suit the available ingredients (reverently selected and prepared) and the chefs’ moods. While studying JJ’s offerings, a small bowl filled with ever-so-thin pickled cucumbers, along with crusty bread and a brilliant compound butter, gives a hint of what’s to come. Even the vegetarian dishes don’t treat herbivores as an afterthought. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ] Albuquerque - Nob Hill Yanni's Mediterranean Grill and Opa BarMon-Thurs: 11am-10pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-10:45pm
Sun: 11:30am-8:45pm (subject to change)
You love Yanni's. So do we. As the only restaurant in Albuquerque with a diverse and refined Greek-influenced Mediterranean menu, who can top them? Their adjoined Opa Bar seats about 85 people and is open for lunch, dinner or just cocktails. Painted deep red, dimly lit and accented with lots of dark wood, the lounge provides a stark contrast to the bright, light and airy dining rooms at Yanni's. It’s an ideal place for pre- or post-movie cocktails and snacks, or more substantial cuisine. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Zinc Wine Bar & BistroLunch: Tues-Fri: 11am-2:30pm Brunch: Sun: 11am-2:30pm
Dinner: Mon-Thurs: 5-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5-11pm (subject to change) $$$$ • Vegetarian Available • Booze Served • Full Bar • Wine Bar • Catering • Live Music • Credit Cards Full review: A tale of two restaurants (12/20/2007)
Best Wine Bar winners in 2008’s Best of Burque poll, Zinc is a delightfully renovated historic space in Nob Hill, reborn as an upscale restaurant serving elegant American food with noticeable French inspiration. Thirsty? Don't miss the mocha, with “Zinc” written in chocolate syrup, or the wonderful selection of wines by the glass. Downstairs, the wine bar attracts a younger crowd for drinks and music. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 4 ] Albuquerque - North Valley Terra Bistro and Wine BarLunch: Tues-Fri: 11:30am-1:30pm Dinner: Tues-Sat: 5:30pm-close (subject to change) Full review: Grounds for celebration (2/8/2007)
Upscale is as upscale does, and Chef-Owner Peter Lukes does it right. The wine list is huge and the menu reflects the very best of seasonal American bistro dining with hints of the continental—like baked Brie, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, Angus beef carpaccio, seared crab and corn cakes, and a traditional salad Niçoise. Lunch or dinner, there’s never a bad time for a chicken Waldorf salad, and the service here is top-rate. Bring a friend, bring a date or bring a divorce lawyer—the intimate setting and fine cuisine will impress all. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review  Vernon’s Hidden Valley SteakhouseCuisine: Steakhouse Full review: Dine well and speakeasy (1/24/2008)
Only open Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 9 p.m., Vernon’s is a swanky underground of good eats and high times, delivered speakeasy-style. The dining room is walled with lustrous, ebony-adobe, and the tables are clothed in crisp, black and white linens. By the glass or bottle, there’s plenty of quality hooch. (Or, for an additional $10, the staff will happily pour a vintage from the adjoining liquor store.) The menu is classic steakhouse stuff, with beef tournedos in a silky demi-glace, fresh fish and a damn fine veal Oscar. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review Albuquerque - Northeast HeightsVoted Burque’s Best Steakhouse by
Alibi
readers, Paul’s is the kind of place normally associated with slabs of artery-clogging red meat, liver-corroding martinis and (until recently) the freedom to light up during dinner. With high-backed banquette seating and intimate mood lighting, it's the perfect date destination—especially if your suitor is paying. Open until 10 p.m. weeknights, 11 p.m. weekends. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 10 ] Albuquerque - Old TownView/Add Reviews [ 1 ] Albuquerque - UniversityRanchers Club is arguably the city’s fanciest restaurant, where fine steaks and seafood are king. Certainly it has the dining room with the most formal service—you know, tuxedos and golden-domed plates and all—but with live music and expertly crafted cocktails, the resplendent bar is also worth your time. This is the place we like to go for really special occasions—like when someone else is paying or when we want to break a hunger strike. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 2 ] Albuquerque - Upper Nob Hill Desert FishMonday Closed
Tuesday–Sunday 11AM – 11PM (subject to change) Full review: So fresh, you’ll feel the sand between your toes (1/27/2011)
An outpost of the Pacific Northwest, you enter Desert Fish to a front-and-center refrigerated glass display case, in which oysters and Dungeness crab sections are bedded down on crushed ice. You’ll catch onto a wet, salty vibe before you know it. Connoisseurs in search of marine
terroir
will have plenty to obsess about. There’s a rotating menu of oysters on the half-shell; fluffy and crisp crab cakes; seafood-studded cioppino; juicy, charred scallops; giant slabs of Atlantic salmon; one hell of a wine list and a whole lot more. It’ll cost ya, but it’s worth every penny. Open until 11 p.m. every night except Monday (when it’s closed). (Alibi Staff, May 5, 2011) Add a Review Albuquerque - UptownMarcello’s Chop HouseLunch: Mon-Sat: 11am-3pm
Dinner: Mon-Thurs: 5-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5-11pm
Closed Sunday (subject to change)
Get ready to drop some serious dough on this place, but if anything will get you into someone’s pants, it’d be a meal here. This joint is cool, smooth and classy, the
foie gras and Kobe beef are tender and delicious and even the mac and cheese is fancy-schmantzy with a sprinkling of shaved black truffles. Have an excellent glass of wine, an order of oysters Marcello and don’t forget to lay on the charm. Your date (and your libido) will thank you for it. Open late—10 p.m. weekdays, 11 p.m. weekends—of course. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) View/Add Reviews [ 1 ] Albuquerque - WestsidePelican’s RestaurantMon-Thurs: 5-10:30pm
Fri-Sat: 5-11:30pm
Sun: 11am-10pm
*Bar opens every day at 4pm (subject to change)
Roughhewn wood planks lead you into this nautically themed steak and seafood restaurant, which doesn’t start seating for dinner until 5 p.m. Luckily, happy hour begins at 4 p.m. Have a “Lady Godiva” hot cocktail and a baker's dozen of “topless” oysters in the bar while you wait. Then dive into creamy clam chowder, 10-ounce, butter-sweet Australian lobster tail and Ranchero center-cut top sirloin. There's plenty of key lime pie in the icebox and Phil Collins on the speakers. Dinner’s served until 10:30 p.m. every night. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010) Add a Review |   
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