So…. there’s a pretty well regarded chain of “upscale” burgers moving into Albuquerque.  Not sure about their prospects, given that the Duke City already has a huge number of really good burger places where we can get our fix of either gooey green chile cheese or the truly squishy and delicious Otis Burger at Standard Diner (fried egg and all).

Per the NMBW, “For hamburger aficionados hungering for gourmet beef chains to arrive in New Mexico, the wait is over. Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a fixture on the East Coast, is invading the Land of Enchantment with 15 restaurants over the next five years.”

So what can Five Guys do that we already cannot?  (Apparently one thing they do that I applaud is print their nutrition info – that’s one thing that the chains have been browbeaten into doing in recent years and I don’t think it is a bad move.)

My hope is that if they do well, it is not at the expense of gems like Little Red Hamburger Hut and Bubster’s and heck, even places that are more refined like Independence Grill and Route 66 Malt Shop (yes, I called them refined – its the burger, not the atmosphere, that I’m assessing).

So where is it?  In that weird little nexus of Louisiana, San Pedro, and Paseo Del Norte that I had very little reason to frequent previously (Trader Joe’s) and now I’m pretty much never up there.  Guess I’ll be making another visit.

I’m shocked and appalled that I have not yet blogged about this!  Coming up in just one week, Albuquerque Restaurant Week will showcase a ton of local favorites, special menus, and no-fuss pricing for complete meals.  Most restaurants – which are scattered all over town for your dining convenience – are using the $25/person model, with only two squeaking in for $25/couple (Flying Star and Sandiago’s at the Tram).

Are all of those meals screaming bargains for the $25?  Not necessarily.  That’s not the point, though you will find some respectable discounts relative to just ordering the same food off the menu, especially at places like Prairie Star, Lucia, and Casa Vieja, where your $25 meal would be in the 35+ range or so.

But again, that’s not the point – many of these restaurants are showcasing their most recent creations and I think there are just a few that have crafted an entirely new set of flavors just for this event.  Who’s doing that?  I’ll do the research and report back – stay tuned!

There are even some special events and dinners outside of the “regular” $25 specials, so make sure you take a peek at those.

So, what is the point? Simply, it is to get you all out eating at our local establishments.  Inspire passion and appreciation for those hard working cooks and chefs who put out food that would be respected in any major city, food that gets you fumbling for your phone so you can try to take a blurry photo or text your best friend to convey the wonderfulness that is happening in your mouth and on your plate.

Get out, enjoy our restaurants, and eat glorious food.  Perfect.

Woot to Jennifer James and her eponymous Jennifer James 101.  She’s been toiling for years and years to local foodie accolade but yet only middling success.  This town “ain’t ready for her” is a big problem, but she is loyal to Albuquerque and for that I love her dedication.

A nominee for “Best Chef Southwest”, I was tipped to this by Chantal’s tweet, and had to do some digging to find good links – as for a stint of time yesterday, the James Beard site was pretty much down under the load of a bazillion foodies all wanting to see the nominations list, from regional chefs to restauranteurs to writers and everything in between.

But then, way up in Denver, my old pal Westword comes to the rescue:  List of  Nominees 2010

They even included a link to the pdf, which I’ll post (below) when I can download the darn thing.

[Congrats are in order, as well, to James Campbell Caruso of La Boca (IMO, best fig newton EVER), and Eric DiStephano of Coyote Cafe (IMO, best bacon bourbon cocktail, seriously)]

Here’s the original link to the James Beard site, and a direct link to the pdf file

Did you not get the treats you wanted for Valentine’s Day? Head over to Flying Star with the printed image/coupon below and have yourself a fistful of cake & buttercream!

(Yeah, you do have to buy some real food, too – that’s how this kind of thing works)

I just had occasion to take another look at the menu at Vivace – one of the Nob Hill Italian eateries that has been a mainstay for many years in Albuquerque.

On the menu one of the items listed is a Bruschetta, and I noted that the bread is house made, “Tuscan style”.  I remember having mussels at Vivace some time ago and nearly being unable to stop eating the lusciously grilled hunks of bread that rimmed the brothy bowl.  Now I see why I was hooked – bread made by someone who knows what the heck they are doing is a wonderful thing, especially then when it is drizzled with good olive oil and marked by the grill.

Maybe I need to go back and have more of it….