Pizza 9 will be moving in to the former frozen-dessert spot behind the Century Downtown theater.  They say they’re Chicago, I say not-so.  Good pizza, but it’s thick crust, plain and simple.

McGrath’s in the Hyatt.  Ever eat there?  Yeah, maybe once and you didn’t choose to.  What did you eat?  Who knows.  It was fine.  Finally the uninteresting is shoved out and a new contender steps in.  It’s called Forque and whether or not they intend to compete with Lucia, it is always a good sign when new places open, especially in a down economy.  Looks like steak . . . and stuff.  Duck, ok, and some South American influences like chimichurri (one of the greatest condiments ever).

More hotel renovations:  the downtown Hilton, home of the Rancher’s Club, is now rebranded as Crowne Plaza.  Rancher’s Club stays, but the casual restaurant will be reopened as “innovative New Mexican” and called Stonestreet Restaurant.

East Mountain diners have one less spot to have drinks with dinner – the Backside Alehouse has been fighting for a liquor license but recently lost their legal fight, and as a result they will close down completely.  Big bummer for the 10,000+ residents out there.

http://breakthechain.info/2011/05/21/andrea-lin/

Restaurants I wanted to mention but didn’t get around to:

Fat Boy Cafe for great coffee

Cedar Point Grille for a recent revamp that includes great breakfasts and wonderful biscuits and gravy

Slate Street Cafe for just being pretty gosh darned good for a long time

Winning Coffee for being there for all of us coffee hounds long before Charlie Sheen made it trendy

Annapurna Chai Shoppe and Restaurant for Cardamom Pancakes – seriously delicious

Thank you for your support of local restaurants, and tune in this Saturday as the guest will be Cheryl Jamison, a prolific cook and author here in our fabulously spicy state.

Wine and Cheese in Cedar Crest — Taste wines and cheeses from around the world TONIGHT at the Triangle Grocery in Cedar Crest (12165 N. Hwy. 14, 281-3030). 5-7 pm.

Right next door is Greenside Cafe, the perfect place for dinner after your sips and nibbles. Jay Wulf, formerly of The Range and Standard Diner, will treat you to well-crafted entrees in the cool light of evening.

A previously loved-and-lost cafe is re-opening in a new space: Chilepeno’s opened its doors in the space previously occupied by Ming’s Chinese (which was a second location of Ming Dynasty on Eubank). I’ve raved about Chilepeno’s before as a staple of good hearty chile and egg dishes – I hope they’ve brought back the same cooks (Lawrence, you there?).

It seems like months, but THREE YEARS have gone by since Greenside Cafe started serving excellent simple food, providing a necessary alternative to the pizza/chinese/BBQ stalwarts of the North 14 corridor. You could say the food is “generically” American, but in reality it is just good. Hanger steaks, chicken piccatta, meatloaf, and some awesome eggs benedict are all on the menu augmented by homemade ice cream and wine & beer. I think their anniversary bash already happened, but swing by and thank Jay Wulf for his commitment to the area.

Finally EVERY SINGLE Thursday the Triangle Grocery holds a wine and cheese tasting to allow sampling of one of the best little liquor departments around. (take that, Edgewood Smith’s!)

East Mountains should be called the Eat Mountains!

This week there are some really amazing specials (like a Cantaloupe Bisque TODAY), so take a quick little drive and check out Jay’s cooking skills.  He’s open every single day with the latest hours on the mountain – that’s great news for you, even on a “school night”.

Greenside Cafe

Open weekdays at 7am, weekends at 8am, and open until 8pm weekdays, 9pm weekends.  Here are some other of the nifty specials this week (via Facebook):

Seabass Tacos:  Seared Pacific seabass, served with white corn tortillas, black beans, rice, fresh avocado and spicy grilled pineapple salsas

Buffalo Tortilla Burger: Grilled onions, pepper jack, all rolled up in a flour tortilla with a grilled 1/3 lb hamburger.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Beer poached bratwurst with saurkraut served OR Hebrew National Hot dog topped with homemade chile.

Oh, and don’t forget – Jay makes his own ice cream!!!

If you want to do something a little different but not crazy over Valentine’s Day, head out of town just a few miles to the green pine trees of Cedar Crest and the Greenside Cafe.

The owner/chef Jay Wulf is of the Range Cafe / Standard Diner clan and has been giving those in the East Mountains a better alternative for the last few years, with reliable morning-noon-night hours that keep nearly everyone happy.

On top of that, Jay likes to do wine dinners and special  occasions like he’ll be doing for Valentine’s Day.

Some teaser menu items from the evening pre-fixe meal:  crab cake salad, homemade truffles, pepper steak….

Here’s his info from the website (greensidecafe.net):

http://www.greensidecafe.net/valentine.pdf

For months already, Fat Boy Cafe has been plying locals with sandwiches and homemade pastries in addition to the already spank-your-cheeks good roasted coffee.

Gordon’s italian opened in the previous Kokopelli’s (previously Pete’s Home of the Halfbreed), by Vivace’s Gordon Schutte.

And…. now we have North Inspired Cuisine in the old Chilepeno’s Bagel spot in the A-Frame up near the ski turn-off.

It shall be a good fall, friends.  Reports to follow, but comment away if you’ve been!

In the list:

• Marshmallows in funky flavors to make Smores
• Truffles, more decadent than imaginable
• Crackers, from olive cheddar to savory herb
• Mexican Wedding Cookies, natch
• Roasted/spiced nuts, at least 3 kinds from sweet to spicy to savory and combinations thereof

I love making snacky foods – it is such a personal touch.  Local bakeries could provide this, and if I were going that route I’d call up Flying Star, Le Paris, Just a Bite, and a few others to supply those treats.

My local grocery store implored customers to buy it by putting up a hand lettered sign saying, “better than ice cream!!!”, and hopefully the message will get through to those a little shy about paying the admittedly steep $6/pint for the ambrosial dessert.  It taps into a recent trend giving gluten and sometimes dairy the cold shoulder, while embracing healthy fats from nuts and fish – including coconut.  Purely unsweetened coconut would fit into a primal diet, and this ain’t unsweetened, but in a showdown vs. regular ice cream, I think you’re in safer territory here.

He is an east-coaster and rather slender, once you identify the source of fresh cups of jitter:

As it turns out, I was reading the guy’s news feeds months ago and was all excited the someone – anyone – was handling Ethiopian Harar in these parts.  Once Thomas set up shop inside Wooby’s Cafe, I had to go pay a visit, exchange Twitter pleasantries, and of course talk about coffee.

He also had me sample some Harar brewed with an AeroPress, a new-fangled contraption that combines the best of the french press with the strength of a moka pot.  Sheer wonderment ensued as I snarfed down a mega-caffeinated black cuppa right there on the spot, scalding my tongue in the process.  Perfect!

Fat Boy (and Wooby’s) is open from 7:30-3pm daily, but call ahead especially in the morning, just in case they’re running a little late.   Wifi is provided on the premises, and if they’re especially busy or bored, the 3pm closing hour could be extended at whim.