UPDATE: Mean Bao is now closed. One balmy evening a few weeks ago, Arne and I were walking down Central in Nob Hill when a curious sight met our eyes. In the window of the recently vacated Ecco Gelato space was a sign with a cartoonishly irritated white blob – maybe a marshmallow? a…
Eating ABQ: Rebel Donut
A couple of weeks ago, my mom came up from Belen to hang out for the day. We were lounging around, chatting about nothing much, when she uttered eight fateful words: “Did you hear about the new doughnut place?” Then she topped them with three more: “maple-bacon bar.” Five minutes later – long enough to…
Eating ABQ: Pollito con Papas
Please see the update for Pollito’s new location and other changes! When we opened the screen door of the little building on the corner of Broadway and Cesar Chavez, I almost turned around and walked away. The no-frills dining room of Pollito con Papas was broiling – not just in the AC-is-expensive way one must…
Eating ABQ: Limonata Italian Street Food Caffe
A new shop has moved into the space recently vacated (in a hurry, it seemed) by Cafe Giuseppe. That coffee and gelato shop, in a bright space on Silver and Wellesley in Nob Hill, was a place I always wanted to like but never really did. The location was awesome, the multi-room space charming, and…
Eating ABQ: Banh Mi Coda
The pork meatball banh mi at Banh Mi Coda Welcome to a new obsession: banh mi. These delicious sandwiches – a sort of Vietnamese sub – may seem an unlikely Asian food, depending as they do on fresh baguettes. They make sense, though, when you realize that Vietnam was influenced by France since the 17th…
Eating ABQ: Van Rixel Bros. Gelato & Sorbet
Calling me a locavore would be like calling a meal vegetarian because there’s broccoli and a baked potato next to the steak. I love trying and collecting foodstuffs from all over the world – my pantry is crammed with Asian condiments and imported olive oils. But few things thrill me more than really good local…