Today is the LAST day to get your vote (or votes) in for the best Green Chile Cheeseburger in the entire gosh-darned state of the Land of Enchantment. The Land of Enchilement.

Whatever you want to call it, your voice must be heard, crying out in the wilderness of yellow processed cheese and canned chiles – choose the best, and vote as many times as you can ethically stand.  Get creative and remember that amazing burger you had in some little dive in a tiny town, or just pile the love on to something BIG and inspiring and well-known.

VOTE NOW!

Aye Carumba, there has been some crazy food-related news here in the Duke City as of late. First of all, if I were going to get into an altercation (with rocks!) over some stolen food it might be oysters or chocolate or red chile . . . but a muffin?  And, (sorry guys), but really – a muffin from Copper Canyon Cafe, which may very well have come from Costco?

How about a place with good muffins, like Just Muffin Around, or Flying Star?

It only gets more interesting and sordid after that. Garduno’s continues to splinter, after the current creditors decided that the remaining family owners were more trouble than they were worth and canned the lot of them. Henrique Valdovinos is the head of the current ownership-group and he wants the much-slashed chain to remain open and viable for years to come, especially if someone steps in and buys the business. Anyone got $1.75mil?

Readers voted over the course of a month, and the BIG honkin’ list is now out from the Local IQ, the upstart little alternative newspaper that continues to succeed.  I applaud them, I hope they stay around for awhile, and make sure you visit the businesses featured on the list!

Some personal faves, where the readers at large and I agree:

Most Romantic Restaurant
Blades’ Bistro
221 State Highway # L, Placitas, 505.771.0695
bladesbistro.com

Blades is under-appreciated for their tucked away location, their gracious hosts, and the “wow” factor for special meals.  Everyone knows about Antiquity and Jennifer James 101 – Blades is something new and nifty for most Duke City diners.

Best Place to get a Chocolate Fix
Chocolate Cartel
315 Juan Tabo NE, Ste. A, 505.797.1193
chocolatecartel.com

Hells Yeah! Even if it is only one of the two original brothers, I’ll still take the confections that come from any cute tall man, especially when the flavors are delicious and weird and the chocolate is not cheap Rocky Mountain Chain Place crap.

Best Pizza
Farina Pizzeria
510 Central SE, 505.243.0130
farinapizzeria.com

Stewart Dorris took his wine skills and pie-loving friends across the street from Artichoke and has been making sweet music with dough and tomatoes and meatballs ever since. GO.

Oh, but I disagreed with y’all (or the Local IQ) on a lot of food categories…. stay tuned for that dirt.