Best restaurants north of Albuquerque
 

I will be staying at the Hyatt north of Albuquerque and wondered about several restaurants I have read about:

Corn Maiden -- in the Hyatt
Prairie Star -- on the Santa Ana Pueblo,very near the Hyatt
Bien Shur -- at the Sandia Pueblo casino and related to the Artichoke Cafe

I have looked at the web sites and liked the menus, but wondered about the quality of the food and the ambience. Are the views as great as the web sites claim?

I also wondered which was better -- Terra American Bistro, Artichoke Cafe (its menu seems different from Bien Shur's), or Seasons Rotisserie & Grill. Any thoughts?

Thanks

I haven't eaten at Terra, and it's been a few years since I've been to Seasons (though it was good and I haven't heard anything bad about it), but we really like Artichoke Cafe.

I don't think the Keenes, who own Artichoke Cafe, are involved with Bien Shur anymore, but I could be wrong about that.

The chef at Prairie Star just won some kind of award - check http://www.localflavormagazine.com for more information.

The Range Cafe in Bernalillo has great food - no view, but it's worth a visit.

Lee Ann

I have eaten at Bien Shur and the food was very good. The view is spectacular. Haven't eaten at the others. Another place that has great views inside and out[patio for beers at sunset]... is near Jackaloupe on RT 550. It has changed hands and is now called Capo's. I have eaten at other Capo's and they have good food. It is a locally owned restaurant serving Italian.

Terra is good too, no view though. Artichoke is great and Seasons is really good. No views in either of those, but Seasons has jazz music.

As I recall, you are staying at Tamaya? Your first group are close to Tamaya, but the rest of these are south of Tamaya. Terra is closest, then Artichoke and then Seasons.

You really can't go wrong with any of the ones I mentioned. And LeeAnn is right about Range Cafe...really good food. And right near there is Abuleta's for terrific homestyle new mexican.

Finally, there is a website for restaurants in ABQ that sells dining certificates. www.999dine.com

They are like gift certificates that can be used towards cost of your meal. They are good for 90 days from the date of purchase. And they offer around 30% to 50% off...so a
certificate that is good for $25 towards your meal may cost anywhere from $12.50 to $17.50 depending on the discount and the restaurant. I use these ALL the time and they are a great savigns. No gimmicks....just savings to good restaurants. There are also sample menus on the site for the restaurants. Be sure to check it out and save yourself some $$.

Hope this helps...
Debi

Thanks for the info about 999dine. I had seen something about it but wondered if it was legitimate.

Also, I had read good things about the Range Cafe but thought I'd save it as a breakfast option, so we don't have to eat at the Hyatt every morning. We eat big breakfasts and skip lunch, so we like to be adventurous.

Are there other good places for breakfast in Bernalillo or nearby?

Down the road [RT 528] in Rio Rancho {about 10 minutes drive} is Weck's for a really good breakfast. It is in the KMART shopping center, behind Hastings and Shell Gas Station.
Debi

Range Cafe in Bernalillo. Love it! Don't they serve breakfast too?

Yes, the Range serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. One of these days, when I'm in a carb frenzy, I want to try their oatmeal with Taos Cow cinnamon ice cream on top. :-)

Lee Ann

Does the Range Cafe serve carryout ice cream? I have read about the Taos Cow ice cream and will want to try it.

Truthfully, I don't think Taos Ice Cream is anything special IMHO but yes, they have take out.

Debi

another vote for Range Cafe.

*saving for a rainy day*