It was a cold and snowy Sunday morning when I first went to Cecilia’s. The air smelled like piñon smoke. Inside, it was still chilly sitting by the old brick wall at the south end of the dining room. I noticed a wood stove at the other end, so I switched seats. There was a woman sitting next to the stove sorting a big sack of pinto beans.

How's this for a masterpiece of marketing mojo: The Copper Lounge, an upscale watering hole situated between East Downtown and the University district—and formerly one of Burque's greatest dive bars of all time, the notoriously fun Jack's Liquor and Pizza—holds a Christmas in July Tiki Party on Saturday, July 27, beginning at 6pm. Of course, it's a no cover, 21-plus affair, carnales; the Copper Lounge is one of Dirt City's premier spots to load up on cocktails in a swank yet sports-friendly setting, replete with comfy furniture and huge teevees tuned to the latest in sportsball. Add to that some Santy hats, ukeleles tuned to an open C and the aforementioned drinks—that one assumes will be appropriately decorated with tropical fruit, umbrellas and tinsel—and you've got one heck of a cool time in an otherwise hot, hot summer. C'mon, it'll be sexy in the artificial snow after slugging down a few Mai-Tais! Tiki attire is required, surfers.

Get Out There

It’s summer in Burque and myriad patios await your presence. Snap the kids out of their bought air-and-video game trance for an outing that culminates in the joyful consumption of healthful and delicious paletas—no, really!—or invite some colleagues and comrades out to smash the swanky local rooftop bar scene with you. If you’re looking for a more pastoral vibe, get your farm-to-table on in Albuquerque’s resplendent North Valley. Here are a handful of our favorite patios in The Duke City. Don’t neglect to slather on some sunscreen and install a rideshare app (such as Uber, Lyft or zTrip) on your smartphone ... in case you over-hydrate.

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