Albuquerque Dining

• Tully's - Italian delicatessan. Prosciutto, salami, parmesan, pesto, fresh pasta, homemade lasagna, etc. San Mateo just north of Lomas.
• Ta Lin - Asian supermarket. Fresh whole fish, asian vegetables, udon, kimchi, curry paste, etc. Lousianna and Central.
• Yin Ching - Korean BBQ. Skip the Chinese food. Tell the waitress you are there for Korean BBQ. I recommend the pork or chicken. Twenty little dishes with various kinds of kimchi will soon cover the table. Beer recommendation: Kirin Ichiban. Montgomery and Wyoming.
• El Norteno - Mexican (not New Mexican!) restaurant. The best chicken mole in Albuquerque. Excellent corn tortillas and fish tacos. Beer recommendation: Negra Modelo. Zuni, just east of San Pedro.
• Yanni's - Greek restaurant. Excellent lamb shank. Central, just east of Richmond.
• La Parrilla - A little shack across from Blake's on Isleta in the South Valley (2 min. after it intersects Bridge). Say "Una torta de lomo y una horchata grande por favor." A torta de lomo is a sandwich consisting of salsa verde, avocado, mayonaisse, lettuce, tomato, and thinly sliced grilled pork on a roll. Horchata is a sweet drink made from rice and vanilla. It's worth the drive.
• Irysh Macs - They know how to make a proper espresso. Enough said. On Yale.
• Scalo - The new menu, featuring smalls, mediums, and larges is very convenient when sharing with a bunch of friends. Small: The flank steak wrapped in butter lettuce. Medium: The hot sausage in a Guinness glaze. Large: The poussin (a baby chicken), deboned with slices of garlic under the skin, pressed under a weight, served with mushrooms and pancetta. Wine recommendation: Ochoa tempranillo. Next to La Montanita Coop.
• Paisanos - The only Italian restaurant in Albuquerque (apart from Carabas) which serves fresh pasta. The wild mushroom lasagna is insanely great. On Eubank north of Candelaria.
• Il Vicino - Excellent pizza. Microbrews on tap. Central, just east of Richmond.
• Minato - Excellent sushi (I am not kidding). Montgomery, near Juan Tabo.
• Church St. Cafe - New Mexican restaurant. Great for breakfast. Excellent huevos rancheros, carne adobada. On Church St. in Old Town.
• Wild Oats - Upscale organic supermarket. Best seafood and meats in Albuquerque. Wide selection of fresh sausages. Little neck clams, mussels, tuna steak, Alaskan sockeye salmon.
• Frontier - Student hangout/restaurant. Excellent fresh squeezed orange juice, flour tortillas, carne adobada. Across from UNM Bookstore.

New Mexico Dining

• Gabriel's - By far the best Mexican restaurant in New Mexico. Although they are famous for their guacamole (which they make to order at your table), I go for the chicken mole. It is the Oaxacan kind, very dark. Located on Rt. 11, 5 minutes north of the Sante Fe Opera. Eating here makes my trips to Los Alamos worth the drive.