I don’t like the usually burnt coffee. I whine a bit about increasing prices. Sometimes I find myself the recipient of sporadically inept hands in the kitchen.

BUT.

Flying Star, like Ari LeVaux said in his recent Alibi article, is the “friend you hang out with all the time, even though you sometimes complain about him”. And like an old friend, a heck of a lot of people would miss Flying Star if it were missing from the local dining landscape.

NINE, count ‘em, nine locations. Gorgeous interior design. Local roasting that has upsized several times. Over nearly 25 years, the operation has both grown and refined itself, finding solid ground in serving what most people want, most of the time, at prices that are perfectly fine (mostly).

Remember that organic costs more. Imported butter for great pastries costs more. Local chicken costs more. And in the middle of a recession, everybody hurts. Raw ingredient costs are up at least 25% for restaurants in the last 4 years, yet menu costs are up under 10%. That means that even though it sucks to pay more, the restaurants are sucking it up, too, and that includes Flying Star.

This is roundabout way of me congratulating Ari for his article. He appreciates what Flying Star does, even with a few grumbles thrown in.

Here’s my issue:  They’ve been open ONE WEEK.  Urbanspoon already has 4 reviews both great and bad.  Give it some time, folks . . . even experienced restauranteurs need time to get things flowing.  Go visit, take notes, wait, go back, think about it…. and then post a review.

Thanks.

P.S. I’m not saying that Gregorio’s is getting any different treatment than most new and hyped joints in town, but this one happened so quickly that I wanted to object in public to the general practice of lobbing critique at brand new restaurants.

Think you know the history of the Bundt Cake?  Yeah, me neither.  But that’s O.K. – all you need to know is that Nothing Bundt Cakes is located at Wyoming and Academy – near the 5 Star Burgers and Whole Foods, etc.

And, don’t forget the FREE – I will be giving away a YEAR of “Bundtlets”, individual cutesy cakes, one per month.  Just comment below and you’re in the running – I’ll give away the certificate this weekend!  If I get a crapload of comments I’ll decide who deserves the cake the most.  If I get just one, well…. you get it!

I’m not going to attach the press release because it’s kind of PR overload, but here are the details you need:

Today, 8/17:  ribbon-cutting ceremony

Friday 8/19: Animal Humane NM benefit – go on this day and help out critters to the tune of 20% of anything you buy!

Saturday 8/20: First 50 customers get free cake, AND more benefits for Animal Humane.  Yay!

5901-X Wyoming Blvd NE
505.924.4444
albuquerque@nothingbundtcakes.com
Monday-Friday: 9AM-6PM; Saturday: 10AM-6PM

“Inspectors said they found raw shrimp on the buffet, chicken not kept hot enough, improper sanitizing and soiled and moist cloths on the kitchen counters.”

I’m a huge fan of raw food – WHEN it is from a clean source and meant to be served raw.  That’s a big difference from a place like a buffet where dozens or  hundreds of people are looking for inexpensive belly-filling sustenance.

AA Buffet also serves sushi and oysters on the half shell – something I’d be pretty wary of, not only because their sanitation is in doubt, but because the source of the (non-oyster) fish is probably factory farms and East Asian shrimperies.  It’s hard to avoid, true, but when I *know* I can avoid meat of questionable origin, I still will do my best.

Oh, the shame . . . it’s almost as bad/tempting/delicious as the infamous recipe posted to eGullet years ago under the subject of “Guilty Pleasures”. The awesome-sounding literal mashup included tortilla chips, several taco salad ingredients, and a larger-than-necessary spoon to eat it all with the windowshades drawn. The author called it “Trailer Trash Crap“. Tee hee.

Some day I might attempt such a feat, but for now I’ll content myself with the knowledge that I have polished off the Silverton equivalent: the Mexican Funnel Cake.

Anyway, at some point I found out that it is essentially a second location of Saggio’s, with some tweaks and minor menu changes. This is pretty neato since I like Saggio’s yet never seem to haul my butt over there. Perhaps I am frightened by the looming dessert case, or put off by the insane noise levels in there.

But I will have to investigate Fastino’s and let everyone else know they don’t just serve noodles. They even took it upon themselves to add a note to their sign that says, “Saggio’s!!!”

But if you are a small business and/or restaurant with an upscale target market and a really polished image, it might not be the best thing for you, especially if you’ve opened recently. Google for “groupon sucks” and the #1 hit you will see is a blog post from a spa marketing company talking about how discounting is not always the best way to attract new customers. It is certainly food for thought and a great post, but targeted at “luxury” goods like hundred-dollar treatments and the like.

What if your per-check average is well under $20? Is it such a bad idea to discount, then?

A friend just told me that they were hesitant to try a local restaurant because it always looks empty. I know for a fact that the restaurant‘s food is quite good and told him so. They have a dining room too big for their needs and that hurts them with walk-by traffic, as my friend’s perception shows. This place might benefit from a quick-and-dirty campaign to get more people in the door. Or perhaps you can skip giving half the money to Groupon and just go to the restaurant. Do we have a deal? Good. Also try out another local place experimenting with Groupon – but just go instead of buying the coupon. Their sandwiches are amazing.

….today (and tomorrow?) are the days to get your (American) Kobe burger fix at Independence Grill.

Jerry Wright, as friendly a restauranteur as I could hope for, is closing the doors to this restaurant which has WON best burger in all of Albuquerque for his Caprese Burger, marrying juicy beef to mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.  Albuquerque the Magazine crowned Jerry’s burger the winner over a year ago, but it was not enough to keep him going.

If you’ve never had one, stop in.  A restaurant’s closing is never good reason to just stop going – often the owner is already in debt and if you enjoy the food giving them one last vote of confidence and dollars is good for everyone.

Don’t forget his “pig wings”, one of the best porky appetizers in all the land.

So…. there’s a pretty well regarded chain of “upscale” burgers moving into Albuquerque.  Not sure about their prospects, given that the Duke City already has a huge number of really good burger places where we can get our fix of either gooey green chile cheese or the truly squishy and delicious Otis Burger at Standard Diner (fried egg and all).

Per the NMBW, “For hamburger aficionados hungering for gourmet beef chains to arrive in New Mexico, the wait is over. Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a fixture on the East Coast, is invading the Land of Enchantment with 15 restaurants over the next five years.”

So what can Five Guys do that we already cannot?  (Apparently one thing they do that I applaud is print their nutrition info – that’s one thing that the chains have been browbeaten into doing in recent years and I don’t think it is a bad move.)

My hope is that if they do well, it is not at the expense of gems like Little Red Hamburger Hut and Bubster’s and heck, even places that are more refined like Independence Grill and Route 66 Malt Shop (yes, I called them refined – its the burger, not the atmosphere, that I’m assessing).

So where is it?  In that weird little nexus of Louisiana, San Pedro, and Paseo Del Norte that I had very little reason to frequent previously (Trader Joe’s) and now I’m pretty much never up there.  Guess I’ll be making another visit.

Soothing your spirits is key, so head up to the heights on Saturday for some candles, lights, holiday specials from local retailers, and delicious Tea from A Tea Co (otherwise known as Kung Fu Cowboy Tea).

They serve hot teas as well as delectable sandwiches, soups, and pastries, with a Gluten-free option every single day.  Neato!

Scottsdale Village Champagne and Lights - 4pm – 7pm