Yeah, its that time of year again.  Wasn’t it just 2008?  2005?  Sheesh.

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

The Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail is now officially done and a must-have for those in-state travelers searching for unique and delicious burgers.

Yet, if you wanted to make your own, you could add the ideal cheese for melting – American.  Or, you can go a little more upscale and flavorful, even if the results won’t be quite as silky in the end.

I think you cannot go wrong with a cheesemaker that’s a mere few miles from where I grew up in America’s Dairyland:  Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in Theresa, WI.

Getting a big ol’ pile of shrink-wrapped bars is a holiday tradition, but you can have the delicious love, too – their prices online are identical to in the store.  You’ll only pay shipping, and they’re even pretty cheap in that regard, too!

For the top of the line, 10 year aged Cheddar is as rich and decadent as Parmesan, for slivers on a salad or whatever use you can dream up.  On burgers, I’d probably go a little more mellow, like Provolone, salty and tender.

Here’s to green chile meets meat meets cheese!

The Albuquerque restaurant world lost one of its matriarchs in the last few weeks – Loyola Baca, the guiding soul of Loyola’s Family Restaurant on Central.

I noticed when it occurred and wondered why I didn’t visit the cozy little spot more often.  Sometimes I hit Mannie’s instead, but Loyola’s was also one of those places that made you feel almost like a regular even if you were not.

Someone who went there as often as I would have liked to was a fantastic writer on Duke City Fix who goes by “Masshole in Fringecrest”, and he wrote a poetic tribute to Loyola and her legacy.

Enjoy.

Yes again, as the strangely re-rising star of Neil Patrick Harris hits headlines due to the Emmys last weekend, his parent’s restaurant in Albuquerque’s North Valley – Perennials – is getting more mentions than most mom & pop cafes could ever dream of.

I ate at Perennials a while ago and it was fine.  That’s about all I have to say, sorry Harrises!

But any locally owned establishment that isn’t serving bad food is a good place to support and give your love and money to – the Chili’s and Outbacks of the world will do just fine.  Or not.  And that wouldn’t be horrible, either.

I am so all about the local eateries.  They have character, they have style, they have . . .

The Travis.

Grandma Warner’s K & I Diner has been in business off and on (mostly on) for over a generation, and when I made the drive down Broadway it took me through years of Albuquerque history on my way to a fantastic diner meal surrounded by old farm and kitchen paraphrenalia tacked on the walls.

I had an enormous pancake, yellow with flavorful cornmeal, and a side of carne adovada, perfect for dredging in my pancake-pseudo-cornbread thing.  But the legendary Travis is a whole ‘nother deal.  A smothered burrito completely encased in a pile of french fries.  I think that Man vs. Food guy should come on down for the Travis challenge.

Now, with nearby businesses closing, the K & I is threatened by lack of lunch traffic.  (Burritos Alinstante is under similar gloomy forecasts – I’ll feature them later….)  If you haven’t been, NOW is the time.  Take the extra few minutes to head south down Broadway and you’ll be in for a real treat.  Albuquerque eating at its most homey, colorful, and tasty.

You will not be disappointed, and Grandma Warner will be proud to keep the doors open for many more years to come.