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Where to eat in Albuquerque and Santa Fe with picky eater

Where to eat in Albuquerque and Santa Fe with picky eater

Old Sep 14th, 2015, 01:07 PM
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Where to eat in Albuquerque and Santa Fe with picky eater

Spending 5 days next month in New Mexico with friend. She is an admitted picky eater, but is the most unobtrusive picky eater I have ever met. She will always quietly find something to eat off any menu. I want to experience some of the local food spice and flavor - but I know this is not her thing. Any compromise restaurants?
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Old Sep 14th, 2015, 02:52 PM
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Um, your post is a bit confusing because if she's going to find something to eat no matter where you are, then why fret about it - just drag her happy arse along to wherever you want to go, no?

Albuquerque has 700,000 people and all the chains you'd expect, so if you really must you can find somewhere for her to eat. That would be your default compromise - whatever bloody chain resto you want. Coronado Mall area has the full lot in and near it.

Santa Fe is about 1/10 the size of Albuquerque and chain hell is on the outskirts of the town on Cerrillos Road and a couple of other sites. The downtown and vicinity don't have copycat food emporia.

Beachgirl247 (I think that's her screener) has a HUGE post on this board for Santa Fe restaurants. If the search function is usable, use it - her post itself is highly useful.

I always go to Tomasita's once. Every other place is negotiable.
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Old Sep 14th, 2015, 02:54 PM
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Well, here's a start for SF: http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm
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Old Sep 14th, 2015, 03:49 PM
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Gail, just about any New Mexican restaurant will have a non-chile option of some kind, so your friend should be able to find something she can eat. She can also, if she wants an enchilada or something like that, order the chile on the side. That way she can try it if she wants without it being overwhelming.

Lee Ann
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Old Sep 14th, 2015, 06:00 PM
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My favorite restaurants in ABQ are Zinc Wine bar and Bistro on Central Ave. (which is Route 66) and Artichoke café. Neither are NM chile places but you can get a lot of that in Santa Fe. Zinc has really good food and wine. If she can not find something there, good luck. The menu is varied with some great seasonal specials.

http://zincabq.com/full-menus/dinner/

In Santa Fe we really like La Casa Sena. Excellent food, great wines, lovely atmosphere. We go there every rip, at least once a year. Again, it is not a chile sauce place, but there are lots of those.

http://lacasasena.com/

For New Mexican we go to La Choza in Santa Fe..
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Old Sep 14th, 2015, 09:38 PM
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I'll just throw out Santa Fe restaurant suggestions not knowing what an unobtrusive picky eater is -- but I think I know what you mean
BigRuss, you are very kind.

First, if she wants to try green or red chile on the side just know that a baked corn tortilla without the chile on top will not be soft but a little crunchy and dry as the New Mexican chile dish is really all about the chile so it won't be as enjoyable. You can't predict if the chile going to be hot or mild as it changes as the kitchen's batch of chiles change.

Nice Dining -- Geronimo (a fav of many), The Compound (we enjoy a nice lunch over the one-turn country-club like dinner), Coyote Cafe (a little heavy), Restaurant Martin (small portions), La Boca (Spanish Tapa style), 315 Bistro (a go-to fav for food and wine)

New Mexican: The Shed ( a local and tourist favorite in an historic building), La Choza (The Shed's sister restaurant we like if you don't want to be in the plaza area) Tia Sophia's (just west off the plaza for a local's breakfast), Tomasita's (at the rail yard, good sopapillas but a blah ambiance), food truck Chile Toreado between St Francis & Cerillos on Cordova is great for cheap eats and road trip food.
Tune-Up Cafe (quirky, fun spot with great food, salads, sandwiches, New Mexican, soup, etc)
Counter Culture (walk=up counter, table service; salad,soup,entrees,breakfast,pastries,coffees & teas -- has something for everyone)

Others of interest:
La Casa Sena (great courtyard with a 100+ year-old cottonwood tree, good food and affordable wine, never anything wonderful but a good overall experience and wonderful surroundings)
SantaCafé (menu includes many items for all eaters)
Midtown Bistro (old SantaCafe chef Angel; good food, nice courtyard, off plaza so a car is required)
BumbleBee's - fish tacos are great at this casual, walkup restaurant

Breakfast: Tia Sophia's, The Pantry, The French Pastry Shop (coffee pastry/crepes), Cafe Pasqual's, Harry's Roadhouse,

I don't recommend The Plaza Cafe (chile is watery and it's mediocre compared to other spots), Tesuque Village Market (for two/three plus years I've been disappointed with the food quality and the service. Busy with tourists at times but never busy with locals unless they don't want to drive into town)
Anasazi Bar - used to be a staple but with the recent striping of all things Santa Fe/remodel and losing the best bartender in town (who had quite the following) no locals are eager to frequent it.

I may have overlooked a few but this is a good start for a few days in Santa Fe.
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Old Sep 15th, 2015, 02:15 AM
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Thanks for the suggestions. By unobtrusive picky eater I mean she would never complain about a menu - she would just find something she could eat within her limited preferences. She would eat a lot of bread if she found herself in some place that she could not. I have never met a chile I did not love - she is not as into spice or heat.
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Old Sep 15th, 2015, 05:27 PM
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gail, she won't have any problems at most restaurants, even The Shed. The have delicious salads and a yummy mushroom soup. Everything isn't New Mexican or spicy so I think she'll be fine. And, most have sample menus online as well to check out before you commit to a meal.

You've picked a beautiful time to come. Leaves might be changing in a couple of weeks up on the mountain as well as some starting along the high road to Taos.
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Old Sep 15th, 2015, 05:37 PM
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** correction **

Not High Road to Taos but the Low Road taking you through Nambé, Chimayo and other charming, small towns along the way.
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Old Sep 16th, 2015, 07:44 AM
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>

If that's the issue, your problems should be minimal. A woman of a certain age who looks like me and bore me for nine months can't handle anything spicier than a breath mint and she had minimal problems in New Mexico because there's a good bit of bland . . . er, I mean . . . non-spicy edibles even in places where the chili flows like water.
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Old Sep 16th, 2015, 03:16 PM
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Consider Los Poblanos in ABQ. The menu is small but food is wonderful and varied.
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