Garduno's Chile Rojo - delicious red chile and steak

Garduno’s Mexican Restaurant group, of which just 2 are still in operation, was BOUGHT for $1.7 million dollars, quite a sum if you consider the troubles they’ve been through the last few years.

Many locals, however, seem to just not care about all that internal stuff – just bring the food back!  I kind of agree – the guacamole was quite tasty, the bowl of red (Chile Rojo) with beef tips is one of my favorite comfort meals of all time.

So, we’ll see what will happen under new control and new ownership – they say they’d like to continue sourcing locally, and that would be a great thing for Albuquerque and the loyal fans who no doubt will be back to order up some of that tableside guac.  (Though you can now get it made tableside at the FORMER Garduno’s on 4th, which is now El Brunos of Cuba – and it’s good there, too.)

(Yes, that’s a good thing.)  It appears that restaurants might get a handy grandfathering on the 2005 law that requires even small restaurants and nightclubs to install really super-duper sprinkler systems.  The proposal would allow capacities of under 500 to continue under the old code.

I am not advocating that buildings should be vulnerable to fire or unprotected, but when you’re talking about a lot of historic and awesome restaurants that are in older buildings, especially former homes and such, putting in a fully code-compliant sprinkler system would have put a lot of them out of business.  It’s damn expensive and no substitute for straight up common sense practiced by YOU, as should be normal practice when entering a public space:

1. Find the first and second available exits, just like they tell you when you’re in a plane.

2. Don’t panic.

Still plugging along, Kiva 1550 radio station is broadcasting the newest, coolest way for people who love food to gab and conspire about their favorite spots around Albuquerque and New Mexico. The goal is to promote local restaurants and entice listeners to give up their chain habits and forever avoid places like the Olive Chili Outback Corral kind of spots.

This Saturday will be another live show with at least one featured guest, and yeah, this weekend it is one of the blogging bastions of the Duke City:  Larry McGoldrick, accompanied by the owner of Nicky V’s pizzeria – simply one of the best pies in town.

http://breakthechain.info/

Streaming live during the broadcast on the radio’s site, as well as available later for live stream to listen at your leisure.

Here’s the press copy from the parent radio station:

“If your loyalties lie with local restaurants – those owned and operated by our friends and neighbors, you’ll love “Break the Chain,” an enlightening and entertaining new radio program hosted by Ryan Scott. Break The Chain premiered on Saturday, May 14th at 3PM on 1550 KIVA AM and www.1550kiva.com. This weekly radio show will feature locally owned and operated restaurants here in New Mexico.

Obviously Break The Chain isn’t about breaking or bankrupting heavily bankrolled chain restaurants. It’s about breaking the chain “habit,” the inclination many have to visit the ubiquitous and convenient chains. Break The Chain is a celebration of local mom-and-pop restaurants, aiming to show the many outstanding alternatives to the familiar chains. It’s an interactive show in which you can call in and express your opinions and share your experiences. Most of all, it’s a fun and lively show you will love.”

. . . but the folks at the NM Tourism department still think that that’s what can and has been done.

Seriously.  Choose your SINGLE favorite Green Chile Cheeseburger from a list of well over a hundred places, and then, list them all out for the entire state and culinary tourist nation to behold.

How to pick the best, if you were choosing all over again?  Do you go by pure flavor, the size, the cheese, the spiciness of the chile, the condiments (or not), the price, the ambiance, the overall experience?  Tough call, but with tons of foodie-driven voices already all over this list, you now have some great specimens to check out and evaluate – did they pick correctly?

Weigh in and tell me YOUR fave, and which one is on this list that really doesn’t deserve it.  I’m sure there are a few.

NM Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail

McDonald’s – yes, that McDonald’s, whom I love for their Egg McMuffins – is certifying its EUROPEAN locations as purveyors of M.S.C. eco-labeled sustainable fish.  That’s 100 Million fish sandwiches per year. This is amazing and hopefully a sign of the times.  We understand that we love fish, but there ain’t as many to go around as there used to be, not with the availability of sushi at your local grocery store and such.  (Ick, but that’s my opinion)  Now, this is just Europe for the moment, where standards for ‘clean’ food are already higher than in the U.S., but still a sign of progress.

Further, in the same NYTimes story, Wal-Mart has announced they will require all suppliers of seafood products to both Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club to be either M.S.C certified OR “an equivalent certification”.   I’m excited about this, and withholding any concern so far, like “will the equivalent certification be good?”.  It is still a step in the right direction, especially as Wal-Mart has a lot to make up for with it’s participation in the utter destruction of the Chilean coastline for their unending demand for cheap salmon.

Great article, and thank you, New York Times, for bringing all of the announcements together as one story.