Downtown BrewA new set of hop-heads is gearing up to join the ever-growing Burque brewery throng. On Aug. 14, the Boese Brothers Brewery (601 Gold SW) will start slinging pints from the old (but refurbished) parking structure on the corner of Sixth and Gold. Not only will tipplers be able to choose from pints of Patriot ale and Old Shonie Scottish, but rumor has it that the nearby Gold Street Caffé will be supplying the munchable side of the menu. No doubt the city’s nomadic food-truck population will be cruising in from time to time as well.New Mexico’s NutsAll this rain has probably been good for one of New Mexico’s crops: the delicious, though unpredictable, piñon nut. According to an article in the New Mexican by former Alibi editor and writer Margaret Wright, the El Niño-instigated rainfall that has swept over the state has helped our scrubby little pine trees produce a bumper crop of cones that, hopefully, will open up and drop the best nut numbers since 2005. Unfortunately, it’s still a bit too early to tell for sure, as the piñon tree is very particular and sensitive to a wide variety of environmental factors.Genericana RisingAccording to the Albuquerque Journal, the generification of our state continues apace as Walmart’s ironically named “Neighborhood Market” stores lead off the continued growth of the mega-box retailer. The juggernaut now has 50 stores in New Mexico and plans to continue growing with an emphasis on opening more of its specialized grocery branches.Meanwhile, Starbucks has three new stores slated for the Albuquerque area, including one at the corner of Washington and Lomas, within latte sloshing distance from local Humble Coffee Company. Defining “Fair”The so-called “Fair Workweek Act” proposed by City Councilors Isaac Benton and Klarissa Peña ran into immediate resistance from restaurant owners (among other businesses) for provisions like requirements that managers make employee schedules at least three weeks in advance. According to the Journal, Benton and Peña are doing their best to address those concerns by creating an updated version of the proposal before submitting it to committee on Aug. 10. The three-week scheduling leadoff will be changed to a two-week window, for instance, though the new version will keep measures such as allowing part-time workers to accrue sick time.On the Cheeseburger TrailYou know what’s fun? Voting for things. And since you’ve got a few weeks before you can start voting for things in the Alibi’s Best of Burque Restaurants survey, why not get your picking-and-choosing muscles warmed up by heading over to USA Today and voting for the best “food trail”? New Mexico’s own Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail is going head to head with the likes of the Vermont Cheese Trail, Louisiana’s Cajun Boudin Trail and Indiana’s Hoosier Pie Trail (whatever the hell a “Hoosier Pie” is). Let’s put those scrub states in their place and give the Trail Crown to New Mexico’s obviously superior regional cuisine. Vote quick! The competition closes on Aug. 17.
Food News: Bite-Sized Buffet
All The News That’s Fit To Eat
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