Anyone For Leftovers?

\ Oct 11, 2012

8 min read

Anyone for Leftovers? — Best New Restaurant: Jamon’s Frybread Cabana

This is not just an award but an advisory. The “hot” at Sadie’s is full-on, kill-a-Midwesterner hot. No eye-rolling misnomers here. Extreme eaters name this as their favorite for scorched bliss.

2) Thai Tip

3) Thai Cuisine II

Best Mobile Food Truck

The quarter-pound Boar’s Head hot dogs make this food truck top dog with our readers. Pile on some sauerkraut, pull up a curb and we’re in dog heaven.

2) Good Food Eat Here

3) Torpedo Dog

Best Place To Take Out-Of-Towners

President Obama ate here. ’Nuff said. But really, this 50-year institution is stunning. It showcases some of our city’s best qualities in ambiance as well as cuisine, and that’s the kind of thing that’s worth showing off.

2) Sadie’s

3) Sandiago’s Mexican Grill at the Tram

Best Bar Food

Fish and chips, bangers and mash, Two Fools has some of the best pub food in town. Or maybe it’s the Scotch eggs you like so much. You can’t go wrong with two hard boiled eggs wrapped in house-made sausage with breadcrumbs, then browned.

2) O’Niell’s Pub

3) Gecko’s Bar and Tapas

Best Fine Dining

For years now, our readers have chosen the Artichoke as the restaurant they’re most willing to blow a chunk of paycheck on. The fact is that owners Pat and Terry Keene know their stuff when it comes to fine food. Here’s a hint: Stop by for lunch to enjoy their menu with the prices downsized.

2) Scalo Northern Italian Grill

3) Lucia

Best Local Ingredients

This new addition to Albuquerque’s culinary landscape has already rooted itself (get it?) in our stomachs. That’s due to the stellar craftsmanship of its chefs, as well as its devotion to local ingredients. Farm & Table dedicates daily, weekly and monthly specials to what’s fresh from its very own farm and uses as many local foods as possible in its menu.

2) Flying Star Café

3) Jennifer James 101

Best Downtown Restaurant

Eating art. That’s what if feels like when you dig into your meal at Lucia. The entrees are so exquisitely plated you may be tempted to hang them on your walls. In fact, dining at this restaurant inside the beautifully renovated historic Hotel Andaluz, just might lead to sensory overload in the best way possible.

2) Farina Pizzeria and Wine Bar

3) Tucanos

Best Nob Hill Restaurant

In a word: class. That’s the real item Scalo serves, from the jazz-thumping bands it brings in, to its white tablecloths and wine offerings. The rich, inventive dishes that dot its menu simply round out the experience.

2) Two Fools Tavern

3) Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro

Best North Valley Restaurant

A favorite for a friendly breakfast and lunch. One might even strike up a conversation with the cooks while ordering at the counter. Sophia’s is a real social experience, and the fine food puts folks in a great mood. Expect to be delighted by all the New Mexican standbys and pleased by the pancakes.

2) Sadie’s

3) Farm & Table

Best South Valley Restaurant

This place isn’t easy to find and doesn’t have much in the way of atmosphere or, for that matter, indoor seating. What does it offer? Great food, that’s what. Its chicharrones are unmatched, its red chile spare ribs are utterly decadent, and its tamales are the stuff of legend. Discover it as quick as you can.

2) Barelas Coffee House

3) Burritos Alinstante

Best Heights Restaurant

Start with a flight of wine and baked local goat cheese. Move on to herb-roasted prime rib, and finish with a plate of dessert cheeses. Savoy Bar and Grill offers a culinary tour like no other. No wonder it has your attention.

2) Scarpa’s

3) DaVinci’s Gourmet Pizza

Best Westside Restaurant

With its use of local and organic ingredients and hand-crafted dough, Nicky V’s pizza is making waves with Westside Burqueños this year. Owners Nicole and Greg Villareal have made efforts to follow a European pizzeria model, with an emphasis on high-quality ingredients and a neighborly atmosphere. Looks like it’s paying off.

2) Mimmo’s Ristorante & Pizzeria

3) Jinja Bar & Bistro

Best Restaurant In Rio Rancho

Microbrewed beer has come to Rio Rancho, courtesy of Turtle Mountain. Try a Cabo Lager, a Pork and Brew Brown or a Red Rye. No matter what you choose, you’re bound to be pleased, especially if you pair it with one of their hearty calzones.

2) Namaste

3) Joe’s Pasta House

Best Restaurant In The East Mountains

After a trek or ride up to Sandia crest and back, this East Mountain eatery offers a refreshing pit stop. The Greenside’s cozy patio is cyclist and dog-friendly and a great place to enjoy the healthy foods served up by a jovial waitstaff.

2) Pinkie’s Country Cafe & Catering

Best New Restaurant

South America and New Mexico find each other at last at this unassuming west-of-the-river eatery. As you might guess, there’s plenty of frybread to be had in Indian tacos and the like, but the cabana also features an exquisite array of Brazillian food. Order up a skewer of seasoned sausage, a plate of frybread with black beans and red chile, and a grilled pineapple on the side. You’ll be thankful for the day these worlds collided.

2) Pasión Latin Fusion

3) Zacatecas

Most Missed Restaurant

It’s no wonder readers voted for this Nob Hill mainstay. Vivace gave us 16 years of candlelit dinners with decadent, flavorful and truly fine Italian fare. It’s like losing an old friend.

2) Chocolate Café

3) Graze