If you could only eat at 3 "local favorite" restaurants in Albuquerque on a short whirlwind trip, what would they be? (Not looking for fine dining options, however. Just really great, fairly priced, representations of ABQ and New Mexico).

Remember, only three! And number them in order of importance (#1 being the most important).

Go!

OK, fine, I'll start:

1) Frontier
2) El Patio
3) Flying Star (only because I spent many an evening drinking tea in the old closet-sized Double Rainbow when I was in college--memories!)

Anyone else want to play? These aren't set in stone; I'm really looking for the best 3-restaurant combo I can come up with for my upcoming stop in ABQ later this month. Help!

Are you mainly interested in New Mexican food?

Lee Ann

A good mix of good food, that's all. But yes, at least one should be New Mexican.

I'm no expert on ABQ - visiting this weekend for the third time. But, I do LOVE good food wherever I am. I will be returning to JenniferJames 101 (owned by three women) - my favorite - delicious, carefully prepared American food by a creative chef - with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients.
I will also go to Farina's again - extremely casual - excellent thin crust pizza, salads, Italian dishes. I also like Artichoke Cafe (they own Farina's).

Again, not interested in fine dining.

Farina's would fit your bill.

The Range Cafe (tho I enjoy going to the one in Bernalillo more than the ABQ one)

Second the motions on Frontier, El Patio and Flying Star. Also not a local

Breakfast - Torino's on Jefferson, just south of Paseo del Norte
Lunch - Frontier on Central across from UNM or The Grove on Central, just west of I25
Dinner - La Provence on Central in Nob Hill.

http://torinosfoods.com/

http://www.thegrovecafemarket.com/

{Breakfast and lunch places above, could be switched}

Did you just want dinner places??

Deb--seeking mainly lunch joints. Wanna take a stab @ top 3 lunch joints?

La Provence - have a Brasserie Burger with Truffle Frites

Frontier - anything

Torino's - anything

The Grove - BLT

Jessica's mama's kitchen - the best tamales in the world...and everything else too