So, hotel restaurants.  Good?  Bad?  ”Meh”?

Regardless, they’re opening left and right here in Albuquerque.  Al Bilotti’s Lucia in the Hotel Andaluz (more about *that* later), and now in the Doubletree, home to fresh baked cookies at check-in, we have a New Mexican-Californian restaurant called La Oja.

No word on menu specifics.  I hope it will be decent combinations of our own local treasures with some of the stereotypical California touches – goat cheese enchiladas?

Good luck to Chef Alberto Mendez – let’s see what ya got!

http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/11/09/daily31.html

In a development that I can only describe as surprising yet good, Albuquerque will soon be home to a new restaurant whose concept is. . .  salads.

Salad Bowl, a small franchise with only 5 locations so far across Texas and Colorado, has set their sights on many locations right here in New Mexico, with the first to be on San Mateo & Academy (is this the old Sweet Tomatoes location?  Nope, looks like a former massage therapist.)

Whoa.  In this economy, with food prices at record highs and dining options getting tighter?  I hope they do well, but in the “more is more” eating mantra I fear that many diners will check them out a few times, then retreat to Sweet Tomatoes or Souper Salad for volume.

Best of luck to Salad Bowl – I’ll be there checking out the variety!

Salad Bowl Business Information

At the downtown growers’ market this a.m., I talked with a friend who said that Azu Cappuccino Cafe in Cedar Crest is now open, after some permitting issues that left all of us wondering what the heck was up with the signage and no action.

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 old Johnny Carino’s space at I-25 and Jefferson, the Yanni’s team is set to open a new restaurant,  called Nick and Jimmy’s Bar and Grill, serving more of the usual ‘comfort’ food that diners gearing up for a movie are usually craving.

Steaks will be broiled in their 1400-degree drawer, and the interior got nearly a million dollars’ worth of upgrades overall.  Yikes.

But, sales are already up at Yanni’s, so Nick and Jim are hoping the upturn will continue to bring eaters back to their usual habits of sitting down for an enormous bowl of pasta or some meat & potatoes.

Employees are being trained already, so the open date should be soon!

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.