Community tables at JJ101 is one of those local things that I “want” to do more. I “try” to make time to go. And yet it rarely happens.

This coming month the quotes are coming off and I’m going, dammit. Why? Single ingredient themes.

Here’s a few choice items from the list:
coconut
stone fruits
banana
tomatoes
soy
peanuts
coffee

She kind of had me at tomatoes, but banana sounds pretty interesting, too. Will there be plantains? Some old-school banana pudding with vanilla wafers? I could totally see them do that with the comfort food tendencies that are borne from their midwestern background.

After all, this is the restaurant that brought us Grandma’s peach pie, fantastic fried chicken, bacon fat popcorn, and Nellie’s own amazing coconut pie. Whoa. I just realized I might need to go to the coconut night as well. I’m having a thing for macaroons lately since being thrust back into the world of Orangette with the blog and reading her book and all.

As per the usual setup, it is $35/person with a table wine included, but tax+tip not included.

I just had occasion to take another look at the menu at Vivace – one of the Nob Hill Italian eateries that has been a mainstay for many years in Albuquerque.

On the menu one of the items listed is a Bruschetta, and I noted that the bread is house made, “Tuscan style”.  I remember having mussels at Vivace some time ago and nearly being unable to stop eating the lusciously grilled hunks of bread that rimmed the brothy bowl.  Now I see why I was hooked – bread made by someone who knows what the heck they are doing is a wonderful thing, especially then when it is drizzled with good olive oil and marked by the grill.

Maybe I need to go back and have more of it….

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.

I have a mostly love relationship with Jennifer James 101.  My annoyance comes from technological factors, which I do for a living and therefore bugs the crap out of me when what I see as simple problems are not dealt with.

For example, calling JJ101 can be tricky.  Sometimes they don’t answer.  Sometimes the VM box is full. 

A much larger problem comes from their webpage.  It was dead in the water for nearly 10 months showing just a teaser banner, and now has “stuff” on it - but it is ALL images!  Guess what that means for their browseability on my smartphone?  Impossible to click on their phone number and call them, that’s for sure.  Hard for Google to index them, as well.  It means that my blog post from 11 months ago about them ranks #3.  That’s suicide in this era of “surfing the net for dinner”.

That being said, when it comes to the actual restaurant mechanics, they can do no wrong.  Wonderful food, friendly people, inventive flavors….  absolutely heaven.

And so, I post their weekend specials here now and then, mostly when I get around to it.  But please, ya’ll – fix that darn website!

WEEKEND SPECIALS 2/6–2/7
(subject to availability and change)
roasted atlantic monkfish (poorman’s lobster) in an aromatic tomato-saffron broth
topped w/ gremolata
grilled lamb tenderloin over whipped garbanzos, fried cauliflower tossed w/ fresh turmeric, dilled yogurt
sutcliff signature merlot–sexy & smooth
sutcliff chardonnay–slightly nutty and food friendly
chocolate pudding shots
british sticky toffee pudding

please call 884-3860 to reserve

Unbelievably, there are still seats for tonight’s “Bacon, Glorious Bacon!” Community Table dinner at Jennifer James 101.

Call to grab a seat and have a fantastic family-style meal with wine and probably more pig than you’ve et in quite some time.  The menu is below, call 884-3860 for a reservation and come hungry!

Tuesday:: Bacon, Glorious Bacon (today)  $35 +tax +grat  6pm  Seats left!!

Bacon-popped popcorn

JJ’s darn-near-world-famous Deviled eggs w/ sweet & spicy bacon

Bacon-wrapped blue cheese-stuffed figs

Classic B(acon)LT sandwiches

Bacon mac&cheese

Spinach w/ bacon vinaigrette

Swedish bacon fat cookies

Bacon & chocolate chip ice cream