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.

Farm & Table hosts their Taste the History of Chocolate IV on Monday, Jan. 20 from 6 to 9pm. Tickets for this event are $93, though you can splurge and pay $118 to take it with wine pairings, and leads you through the rich, decadent history of everyone’s favorite snack. This time around, be treated to some fascinating information about the heavy travel cacao went through to get to Chaco Canyon over 1,000 years ago. The guest chocolate maker Steve Prickett, from Eldora Chocolate, and Dr. Patricia Crown, who led the team that learned so much about the history of cacao at Chaco Canyon, are the guests of honor. For more info on how to get your hands on these sweet treats, email reserve@farmandtablenm.com and guarantee a spot before it's gone.

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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