kegmcnabb wrote:Hey, I dig Sadie's too, but they have never been quite as good since they moved outa the bowling alley into the big, shiny, new place. The Garduno's on 4th has a killer bowl of red chile, as does Barrella's in the South Valley. And in Santa Fe, Tomasita's for a roast beef and green chile burrito. Surly, condescending wait-staff, but mouth-watering chow.
Oh man, I miss good New Mexican cuisine!
Yes, they were a little better in the bowling alley and you didn't have to drive as far north. But back then they had better competition, too, because Mexican Carry-Out Kitchen was still in business in the north Valley. Sadies had to be on their game to compete with the stuffed sopaipillas at the Kitchen. But they are still excellent.
Garduno's has gone all chainified now, and is not the same as it once was. Might as well eat in the Heights. I expect the store on 4th to close at some point--folks in Duranes and other north valley locales won't stand for that yuppiefied mexican food.
Tomasita's had a branch in Austin, Texas of all places for many years. That was the first store-bought pasole outside of New Mexico that impressed me, and they had carne adovada that was to die for. Pretty good by Santa Fe standards, but I'll still take Sadie's in absolute terms.
Before Tomasita's closed in Austin, they passed along the secret of flat, blue-corn enchiladas to Chuy's, which is a funky local joint in Austin with a couple of branches elsewhere (including Houston and Dallas). They added the Southwestern Enchilada to the menu right about the time Tomasita's closed in Austin, complete with ground beef, green chile, blue-corn tortillas, and a fried egg. Now, THAT's an Albuquerque-style dish that makes any hamburger a waste of time.
I miss it, too, more than you know. But not as much as I miss San Antonio Tex-Mex.
Rick "with hunger pangs in Virginia" Denney