The owners of the newly updated and finally tasty again Luna Mansion in Los Lunas were taking a nice little respite in Chile when the earthquake hit.

After a long bout of fear, a ton of agog staring at the damage around them, and thanking the stars for their fortune, they are back in town and ready to spread some generosity – a special dinner Thursday night to benefit the relief effort.

NOW is the time to check out Luna Mansion all over again, for the food (and this event if your schedule is free).

I am so all about the local eateries.  They have character, they have style, they have . . .

The Travis.

Grandma Warner’s K & I Diner has been in business off and on (mostly on) for over a generation, and when I made the drive down Broadway it took me through years of Albuquerque history on my way to a fantastic diner meal surrounded by old farm and kitchen paraphrenalia tacked on the walls.

I had an enormous pancake, yellow with flavorful cornmeal, and a side of carne adovada, perfect for dredging in my pancake-pseudo-cornbread thing.  But the legendary Travis is a whole ‘nother deal.  A smothered burrito completely encased in a pile of french fries.  I think that Man vs. Food guy should come on down for the Travis challenge.

Now, with nearby businesses closing, the K & I is threatened by lack of lunch traffic.  (Burritos Alinstante is under similar gloomy forecasts – I’ll feature them later….)  If you haven’t been, NOW is the time.  Take the extra few minutes to head south down Broadway and you’ll be in for a real treat.  Albuquerque eating at its most homey, colorful, and tasty.

You will not be disappointed, and Grandma Warner will be proud to keep the doors open for many more years to come.