Seven reasons why we bother listing places to eat when this is supposed to be about music: 1) Ya gotta eat. 2) You might as well eat Downtown since you're going down there anyway. 3) If you plan to eat early in the evening, then you won't be reduced to getting patted down and wanded at the door of Frontier at 3 a.m. 4) Eating before drinking will help keep your energy level up for all the “woo-hoo”-ing and fist-pumping you'll be doing later. 5) It'll also help keep you from barfing. 6) Barfing is what we call “conduct unbecoming of a lady.” 7) Also, nobody wants to make out with a guy who just blew chunks all over his shoes.
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Atomic Cantina (315 Gold SW, 242-2200) Catering specifically to Crawl workers, bands and set-up crews, Atomic will be making big-ass burritos stuffed with carne asada, carnitas or chicken and selling them for $4.50 each. How big will these burritos be? Chef Richard Agee says they'll be at least twice the size of his … uh … well, let's put it this way: bigger than a spice jar but smaller than a coffee can.
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Brewster's Pub (312 Central SW, 247-2533) You might not even know that Brewster's serves food, but they do! From lunch time until at least 10 p.m., you can throw down on wings, burgers, ribs, hot dogs and sandwiches. This is one of the hottest Crawl venues and it always fills up early with an enormous line snaking down the street. So go really early and stake out a table from which to observe the mayhem.
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Coffee Jerk (111 Fourth St., 242-0233) Stop by the Coffee Jerk for a half-dozen shots of espresso and spare yourself the indignity of drunkenly asking strangers if they know where you can score illegal stimulants.
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Cold Stone Creamery (First and Gold, 843-9456) “Oh my God I'm so drunk I think I'm gonna barf! Oooh, who wants ice cream?” Sound familiar? Stumble behind the movie theater for freshly made ice cream with toppin's. Open until 11 p.m.
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Conrad's (125 Second St. at Copper, 242-9090) Ease into the fray slowly with a mellow dinner at Conrad's inside La Posada Hotel. People-watching through the big glass windows is free, but cocktails in the cool lobby bar aren't.
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El Chamizal (508 Central SW, 765-1900) Just what Downtown needed, a tasty and cheap Mexican joint. Tacos, enchiladas, burritos, sopapillas, they're all good here. Open until 2 a.m.
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The District Bar and Grill (115 Fourth NW, 243-0003) The district's kitchen will be open until midnight but you're kidding yourself if you think you'll just be able to stroll in and grab a snack at 11:30. The place will be packed so do yourself a favor and stake out a table before 9 p.m.
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Fresh Choices (402 Central SW, 242-6447) This pizza, pasta, soup and salad Italian buffet next to Nick's will be cranking out the food until 2 a.m. It's quick, it's cheap and it's quiet. So take a break, eat and relax here.
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Lindy's (500 Central SW, 242-2582) Chicken fried steak and Bud Light. It's Lindy's version of the Big Mac and Diet Coke.
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Maloney's (325 Central SW, 242-7422) Step right up and get your chicken strips, wings and potato skins. The kitchen should be open until 10 p.m. or so.
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McGrath's (330 Tijeras NW, 766-6700) Located inside the Downtown Hyatt, McGrath's quiet dining room is a respite from the crowds. The restaurant is open until 10 p.m.
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Nick's Crossroads Café (400 Central SW, 242-8369) Whether you want a burger, a Monte Cristo, gyros, green chile stew, chicken cacciatore or huevos rancheros, Nick's has it. From inside, the floor-to-ceiling windows give you a view of the action and the outside tables will be hotly contested. They'll be serving Greek food specials all night and will be open until 2 a.m.
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NYPD (215 Central NW, 766-6973) Get your slice to go and watch the Crawlers drool with envy! Or knife-and-fork it at a table in the dining room or outdoor patio. NYPD also has salads, ice cream and beer.
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Pearl's Dive (509 Central NW, 244-9405) Long a late-night hunger-helper, Pearl's will be serving big, fat burgers, sandwiches and salads until midnight.
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Sauce (405 Central NW, 242-5839) Right about 7 p.m., as the sun is starting to set, you really can't do better than lazing around on Sauce's patio, nibbling on a wood-oven-fired pizza and nursing a cocktail.
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Sushi King (118 Central SW, 842-5099) Sushi King is a small, casual spot located a few doors up from the Century 14 Downtown movie theater. They serve fresh nigiri, sashimi and sushi rolls, plus an interesting assortment of seafood salads and Chinese and Japanese rice and noodle dishes. We love the variety and convenience this place offers when you've got a case of the downtown ho-hums. Open until 11 pm.
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Thai Crystal (109 Gold SW, 244-3344) Not in the mood for a burger? Check out this pretty Thai restaurant in the Century Theatres building. How about a chicken wing stuffed with ground chicken, noodles, green peas, celery and carrots? Or maybe pineapple fried rice served in a pineapple? Open until 11 p.m.
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Tucanos (110 Central SW, 246-9900) Meat, meat, meat. All you can eat meat. And then there's the salad bar. This lively, busy and fun Brazilian-themed restaurant next to the movie theater is open until 11 p.m.
