Lunch at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

A couple weeks ago, I visited the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC), located along 12^th Street, in Albuquerque. According to their website, the IPCC seeks to preserve Pueblo culture and advance understanding of the Pueblo people’s accomplishments and evolving history. Coming from the Northeast, I haven’t had the opportunity to visit such a place and definitely took the opportunity while in town.

Before exploring the grounds, however, which includes a museum, gallery space, and a permanent exhibit called “We Are of This Place: The Pueblo Story,” stopped for lunch at Indian Pueblo Kitchen.

Entrance to the restaurant is in the main lobby of the IPCC, right in front of the admission desk. While waiting to be seated, there are an array of items scattered throughout the lobby to look at, along with brochures and a calendar of events to browse through.

Once seated, one of the items on the menu that immediately jumped out at me were the blue corn onion rings. Instead of the typical batter, these onions rings are crusted with blue corn, which is a staple of both New Mexican and native cuisine.

Served alongside green chile ranch and salsa de árbol, these onion rings were dense. However, despite the breading being a bit thicker, it was still crispy and the delicious onion taste came through.

Then, the main course: prime rib fry bread dip.

Native American beef cooked with roasted green chile and grilled onions, and served inside a Pueblo fry bread. Of course, had to take a peak inside before diving in.

Served with a red chile au jus, this was a hearty lunch. The delicious fry bread was filled with the meaty mix and it’s definitely one of the best lunches I’ve had in New Mexico.

Afterwards, made my into the IPCC and towards the courtyard, where they host a Cultural Dance Program every weekend.

According to the IPCC, “The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is the only place in North America to offer Native American dances every weekend year-round, showcasing dance groups from the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, as well as our neighboring Tribal Nations.”

After lunch and the dance program, wandered the grounds and learned about the history of the area and the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, along with local exhibitions.

At the time, they had the Pivot exhibit, which featured artwork using skateboard decks.

“Prayers for Restoration” by Leandra Yazzi (Navajo)

The IPCC was an unforgettable experience and is a must-see for visitors.

Burgers and Bravas at Sawmill Market

While in Albuquerque, one of the spots I had been hearing about is a place called Sawmill Market. Located near Old Town, the facility was once owned by the American Lumber Company, which, in 1908, was the largest manufacturing company in the Southwest. It wasn’t until 1958 when it became the showroom and warehouse for the Frank Paxton Lumber Company.

Beginning in 2019, the space was renovated to house eateries and other types of vendors, making for a fun spot for locals to hang out.

The first visit was pretty impressive.

Coming from the Northeast, there are a lot of these industrial complexes being renovated into shopping centers and residential spaces. Sawmill Market definitely has a similar, cool vibe.

The goal on that first visit was lunch and this place literally has something for everybody. There were vendors serving local New Mexico fare, pasta, seafood, barbeque, pastries, pizza, and other cuisines.

Among all the options, the eatery that caught my eye had a deli case full of meaty goods out front: Dr. Field Goods.

A farm-to-table establishment, Dr. Field Goods sources their meat and poultry from local New Mexico ranches.

Aside from their location at Sawmill Market, they also operate a restaurant and butcher shop in Santa Fe.

The menu at Sawmill Market is dominated by burgers. While difficult to narrow it down to one, went with the cheddar burger.

The burger is topped with melted Tucumcari white cheddar and lettuce but the standouts are their housemade pickled onions and blended mustard. The flavors were out of this world and definitely going back to try another one.

Now, what really drew me in was their menu of patatas bravas.

Anybody that knows me knows on every trip made to Barcelona, patatas bravas are ordered multiple times before boarding that flight back home. This place had a number of varieties and, it’s New Mexico, had to get their New Mexico Bravas.

Of course, I ordered them “Christmas” (tossed in both red and green chile aioli) and they were fantastic. Served with a sharp cheddar and their “New Mexican gremolata,” these were unlike any patatas bravas enjoyed anywhere else.

Can’t wait for the next burgers and bravas experience.

The neighborhood Chinese spot

Anybody living in an urban or suburban area has their “go-to” Chinese restaurant. Growing up in New Jersey, we had several Chinese takeout options but, after a while, managed to narrow it down to a regular spot—to the point where the workers recognized our faces.

Moving to Bacolod City in the Philippines, found out they don’t do Chinese takeout in that part of the world. There are Chinese restaurants but they’re usually these large establishments with wide tables and not the hole-in-the-wall Chinese place one would be used to in the American suburbs.

Finally back in the United States, I’ve documented the Chinese food enjoyed during my stay in New York City—from dim sum to noodle houses—but, in Albuquerque, I’ve found a place that has become that “go-to.” Just walking distance from home, China Garden, located at the Glenwood Village shopping center at the corner of Montgomery and Tramway Boulevards, has become my latest neighborhood Chinese spot.

Stepping inside, there’s a familiarity to the place; kind of a stereotypical Chinese takeout place look. Basic layout and tables with menus under the glass.

To start, I always order hot tea.

It always arrives in that standard kettle.

The last time I went, the server asked me to try it first to test the strength. I told her it was good, she replied, “Good, I like it strong, too.”

Another standard with any Chinese takeout place, it’s all about the lunch special!

At China Garden, it’s an entrée and choice of white rice or fried rice; along with an egg roll, soup, soda, crab rangoon, or fried wontons.

The first time I went, I had the Hunan beef with white rice and an egg roll.

The place is very generous with the beef and it was served up with crisp vegetables in a tasty, brown gravy. All of it went perfect with a spoonful of rice.

In addition to the lunch special, I also put in an order of fried dumplings.

During the Lenten season, Chinese restaurants have always been one of the regular stops on Fridays because most places have a wide variety of seafood or vegetarian options—basically, a number of their dishes served can be made with beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, or tofu. China Garden is no exception.

The last time I went was on a Friday and I ordered the Szechuan shrimp with egg drop soup.

On that day, the server let me know they didn’t have vegetarian egg rolls and suggested the soup. It was a good substitution.

As the name suggests, the shrimp dish was spicy. The shrimp was plump and every bite was satisfying.

There’s something comforting about having that neighborhood Chinese place. While, most times, the food isn’t an outrageously fantastic experience, one knows, no matter what you order, it’s going to taste good.

Ice cream sandwiches and cookie shots

While looking for somewhere to indulge in dessert, I did a quick search for nearby spots and was completely drawn in when I saw Rude Boy Cookies. Oddly enough, there happened to be a number of nearby cookie shops but this place appeared to be cookies along with a myriad of other items.

Starting from Presbyterian Hospital, the place is located just down Central Avenue (Route 66) and along the University of New Mexico campus.

Stepping inside, it’s a big open space with lots of seating. The red walls are adorned with ska records and customers are greeted by a large case displaying a variety of goodies. For a first timer, it’s a lot of take in and deciding on what to order was definitely a challenge.

When deciding between cookies and ice cream, seeing the option of a freshly-made ice cream sandwich was a no-brainer. Additionally, the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming, and made sure every detail was covered such as what kind of cookies or if I wanted it “classic” or “deconstructed.”

I went with a classic and ordered two red velvet cookies and vanilla ice cream. Maybe it was a bit basic but I promise to be more adventurous on my next order.

It was fantastic. The cookies had the right amount of firmness to support the sandwich, while the thick layer of ice cream was soft—but not too soft—and delicious.

It’s been a while since last enjoying an ice cream sandwich.

In addition, while ordering, my attention was drawn to the cookie shots and noticed the “milk bar” aspect of Rude Boy Cookies. Behind the cashier, there are taps for milk, including chocolate and almond. Meanwhile, they also offer shots with just whipped cream.

I went with an almond milk cookie shot.

The cookie “shot glass” is thick and firm enough to hold the liquid. Taking sips and chewing through the cookie shot was great—it’s, essentially, a fun way to enjoy cookies and milk.

On the next visit, I’ll definitely be trying out a different ice cream sandwich combination; plus, they also have macarons, various dessert bars, and so much more.

Breakfast at Flying Star Café

One of the places I had heard about since arriving in Albuquerque is Flying Star Café. First established in 1987, they has since expanded to six restaurants across the city. Dropping by the location along Juan Tabo Boulevard on a Tuesday morning, the place was pretty busy.

Stepping into the restaurant, customers are greeted by a big menu and a large display case containing a variety of pastries and backed goods. After deciding on breakfast, put in my order at the cashier and went to find a table.

As noted, the place was pretty busy but there was an available table… in the sun. It wasn’t too bad since it was a bit chilly outside and it had some really nice lighting.

Looking around, it’s a really laidback place. They also provide free Wi-Fi, so it works as a spot to get some work done with good ambient noise.

It’s a great place to just grab a cup of coffee and Flying Star Cafe has a pretty lengthy coffee menu, with coffee provided by local roaster Satellite Coffee. In addition, Satellite doesn’t just do coffee but they also provide tea, and work with direct trade importer Rishi to source their teas. According to their website, “Rishi was one of the first importers of fair trade tea into the United States and they remain a fair trade tea importer today.”

That morning, I went with a personal favorite: a dirty chai.

I ordered a large with almond milk. The chai spices were very prominent, and served hot and delicious—an excellent start to the day.

Then, breakfast arrived. I had the Rise & Shine Sandwich.

If I say so myself, the sandwich that arrived to the table looked even better than the photo on their website. The eggs are big and fluffy, topped with cheddar cheese, and I got it on one of their homemade biscuits. It comes with your choice of bacon or sausage and, while I usually would go for bacon, Flying Star offers a turkey green chile sausage—it was a fantastic complement to the sandwich.

Plus, the home fries were great.

In a previous blog documenting breakfast at another establishment where I was struck by the sight of a giant cream puff, a similar situation arose while waiting for an available cashier.

Browsing the goods in their display, I saw the biggest eclairs I have ever seen in my life and—obviously—had to order one.

It was fantastic. The pastry was soft, the chocolate glaze was delicious, and it was FILLED with custard.

Eclairs should be part of every breakfast.

Flying Star Cafe has such an impressive selection of items for all meals of the day (including dessert). It will take multiple trips back to get a taste of everything I want to try.

Bingsu and Boba in Albuquerque

It’s been a while since the last time sitting down to a bowl of bingsu, a Korean shaved ice dessert. I’ve enjoyed it on a couple occasions back home in Bacolod City in the Philippines, along with visits to Seoul. Recently, while driving around Albuquerque thinking of a place for dessert, remembered TeaSu, located at the Pavilions at San Mateo along Cutler Avenue NE, not only served bubble tea but they also had bingsu.

Stepping inside, the place is set up with several tables, a couple arcade games, along with board games.

Getting to the register, they had a wide selection of bubble tea—both milk tea and fruit tea—along with several choices when it came to bingsu.

Among the choices for bingsu included oreo, taro, and coffee but, in the end, went with strawberry.

The shaved ice, which was really smooth and fine in texture, was topped with sliced strawberries and whipped cream. However, what really took it to the next level were crushed graham crackers. It was delicious and cannot wait to come back to try the other flavors.

When it came to tea, chose a favorite—wintermelon—and ordered the wintermelon green tea.

The tea was good. The wintermelon flavor went very well with the green tea. In addition, for others who also love wintermelon, TeaSu also offers a wintermelon milk tea.

Aside from the milk tea and fruit teas, they also sell Vietnamese iced coffee and Thai tea.

As mentioned before, there will definitely be a trip back just to give the other flavors a try. The coffee bingsu looked particularly tempting.

Third time’s a charm

It was during my stay in Albuquerque that I first encountered a BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. The restaurant, which got its start in Southern California in 1978, has two locations in the city.

The first time visiting the restaurant at the Winrock Town Center, located along Louisiana Boulevard, it was extremely crowded, and ended up elsewhere for dinner. We made another attempt a while later and, unfortunately, we were never seated. I voiced my concerns on Twitter and was immediately contacted by the company’s guest relations team. I informed them that we were told somebody would be with us shortly and, in the end, nobody ever returned to the abandoned host station.

Put the whole situation aside and last Sunday thought about giving them another try.

Third time really is a charm because we were seated right away.

Known for their award-winning beer, I opted for one of their brews, the Nutty Brewnette.

Described as “a blend of four different dark malts” with “a flavor profile that is sweet with ‘nutty’ notes,” the beer went down really smooth and those “nutty notes” were definitely there—easily a favorite.

For appetizers, went for the potato skins but they were out that day. Made a last minute decision and ordered the ahi poke tacos, which are apparently a new item.

It was a fantastic choice.

The tuna was great and was perfect with the crispy wonton taco shell. I especially enjoyed the wasabi guacamole. It was delicious and creamy with that kick from the wasabi.

I knew I wanted a burger for lunch and the one that immediately jumped out at me among their multitude of options was the crispy jalapeño burger.

First and foremost, it looked exactly like the picture.

The burger was piled high with ingredients and topped with several big slices of jalapeños—it is a must for any lover of spice and jalapeños. The burger was delicious and BJ’s also serves up some tasty french fries.

We also enjoyed dessert and, at BJ’s, it had to be one of their pizookies.

Given that I love white chocolate macadamia cookies, once I spotted it among the flavors, that was the one.

Essentially, it was a big sugar cookie with white chocolate and macadamia nuts, and topped with two heaping scoops of vanilla ice cream. It was an excellent end to the meal and there are still so many more flavors to try.

While I did run into some issues when first visiting BJ’s, the guest relations team is very prompt in handling such matters, which made it fairly easy giving the place another chance. After finally trying out the food and drinks BJ’s had to offer, would definitely visit for another meal (and another pizookie).