Farina Pizzeria opened this weekend to preliminary rave comments.  The masterminds of Artichoke Cafe had planned this extension of their talents for well over a year, and it has finally made it to completion.

Due to the skills of Stew with his wine pairings and the cooking abilities of the entire staff, Terry Keene predicted even before opening that things would go well.

I certainly hope so, as I love a good chewy pizza crust, and I also love to see a small business succeed, no matter what the economic climate.

Not in front of The Frontier, anyway:

Daily Lobo feature about forbidden hot dog dude

Scram, hot dog man!  I admit I have not eaten a vendor cart hot dog in Albuquerque.  Time to change that?

New sushi restaurant, that’s why!

It looks good, I’ve heard reports that it is pretty tasty, the interior is lovely, and the have happy hour every day from 4:30-7:30.  Now, how can you beat that?

By having really great quality fish, of course.  I’ll let you know…

Sushi Hana

How cool – there is yet another sushi joint open in the downtown area for MY mackerel eating pleasure.  It is called Sushi Hana (as opposed to the very good Sushi Hama in the Northeast Heights), and is located at 6th & Central, right in the pit of downtown bar scene.  I’m pasting right in their press release, which I received today:

“Kathy Chao, owner of Sushi Hana located on the northeast corner of 6th and Central would like to announce the restaurant’s opening to the Downtown community.

Come and try a variety of sushi roles and menu items for lunch or dinner all seven days of the week. Set in a Modern Asian atmosphere with bar and table service available, Sushi Hanna features the freshest product on the market, assembled by a team of experienced sushi chefs.

Open weekdays 11:00a.m-9:30p.m and weekends from 11:00am-10:30p.m.”

The brewpub’s popularity cannot be stopped.

Case in point: Kelly’s patio on any evening that is not 5 degrees and snowing.

Case in point: An hour-long wait at Chama River most evenings.

Case in point: A NEW brewery and restaurant, called Marble Brewery is opening just north of the downtown area, quenching the thirst of all of we office workers whose drive home looks long when viewed from happy hour.

The owners (part of the Rio Chama group) will keep things simple, offering their own crafted beers along with a small menu of sandwiches from Chama River, completed onsite. The location couldn’t be more convenient – between Lomas and Mountain on Marble Ave, perfect for these summery evenings as the sun is getting golden.

Soft opening (which means they’re testing the waters and the menu) was yesterday evening, and once things really start rolling I hope the feedback is all good.