Thanks to a (finally) nudging forward economy, people are opening their wallets just a little bit more, and that’s benefiting some restaurants – if they’ve managed to stay open so far. Holiday eating-out traffic is probably merely stable this year, but the seasonal uptick is still occurring, especially with things like celebratory meals and gift certificate purchases. All good!

Cecilia’s downtown (a gem worth seeking out, even after the fame of Guy Fieri’s show) is cranking out hundreds of tamales for holiday orders, and Buffett’s Candies is doing well because everyone loves sugar.

Economists talk about the “lipstick index”, meaning that lipstick sales do well in recessions because it is a small luxury that won’t be done without even when times are tight.

In the food business, you might call it the “chocolate factor” – everyone loves sweets and chocolates, candies, and other confections are a cheap way to have a little treat and remind yourself that the world has not gone entirely into the crapper.  And thusly Buffett’s does well, Van Rixel Brothers is cranking along with awards all over the place, and the same goes for Cocopotamus – they’ve been featured in HUGE publications like Martha Stewart and other girly-type magazines as a healthy indulgence, and Theobroma is still one of the local torchbearers of chocolate.

All hail the locally-owned producers of deliciousness!

Just released: New Mexico Culinary Treasures Trail, a list of tried-and-true spots all over the vast state.

Who knows what kind of things the state of New Mexico is up to, what with the upheaval and changeover in the executive office, and who knows if the Rail Runner will survive the likely gutting of the state budget, but, hey – at least someone is getting paid to point out the best Green Chile Cheeseburgers in the state!

OK, OK, I shouldn’t be so cranky – I just let the potential death of Rail Runner get me down again. Anything that promotes the patronage of small businesses is good, especially restaurants which sustain us, give us a place to meet with family, and fill us with a sense of community in ways that you just won’t get from indifferent chain owners.

The Culinary Treasures Trail does just that – it only highlights spots in business for over 40 years, and chose those based on tons of feedback and a research team that has a good deal of experience eating all over the state. I even got to throw my 7 cents in (when I’m offered 2 cents, I’ll typically spout a bit more…).

Local highlights include Grandma Warner’s K&I Diner, the Dog House, and (duh) Mary & Tito’s. A few that I haven’t visited in awhile popped up and made me interested in re-visiting those classics. Murphy’s Mule Barn wins with their hubcap-sized chicken fried steak, Mannie’s has the unforgettable waitress Laverne and fantastic pancakes, and Sadie’s for anything and everything with chile.

If you are loving the cooler fall weather and just can’t get enough, take a quick drive to the East Mountains and you’ll not only find tall trees but a culinary scene that deserves more attention.

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!

Congrats to a Mom & Pop burger shop who’ve been doing it right for decades: Hurricane’s!

I love that the Disaster Burrito was created after a food critic said their food was a disaster. Great story.

Other recipients: Steve Paternoster of Scalo Northern Italian Grill, Stefan Springer of Chez Axel French Restaurant, and not one but TWO of the employees of The Frontier: Cedar Erickson and Samantha Grande. Nice work, everyone!

Full Awards list here:

New Mexico Restaurant Association 2010 Industry Awards

I heard about this almost too late, but you can still get your nominations in.

Pick your favorite local restaurant that needs a little love.  Maybe they have the best breakfasts ever but that fading decor could use some sprucing up, or maybe its the kitchen items that need some expansion.  Doesn’t matter – just show some love and send the city’s “rock this restaurant” project to your favorite haunt for some TLC.

Nominate soon – they were supposed to stop accepting on 8/31, but have extended that temporarily!

http://rockthisrestaurant.com