JULY 2025, ALBUQUERQUE THE MAGAZINE by Albuquerque The Magazine

OF ABQ

FEATURE

PAGE 86

Albuquerque is home to thousands of hardworking people—nurses, police officers, firefighters, and teachers, just to name a few. On the job, these folks often undergo situations that most folks would find unimaginable—and yet, there’s something that motivates and sustains them through the most difficult of days.

In this year’s Everyday Heroes of Albuquerque, ATM honors those who have selflessly gone above and beyond to serve their community—often putting their life on the line in the name of the greater good. From intelligence analysts to firefighter lieutenants, these heroes don’t wear capes— but they certainly save the day.

BY ATM STAFF | PHOTOS BY : DON JAMES

A local typewriter society types up a storm; the American Lung Association of NM awards firefighters for their service; the Land of Enchantment’s most popular baby names; a backyard train museum; Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center; plus ways to stay cool this summer.

Touro College of Dental Medicine recently opened a campus in ABQ, in part to help boost the dentist population in the state. The campus dean, Dr. Joseph Parkinson, fills us in on the details.

Behind the Scenes

After an impressive city-wide revamp of the public safety system, learn how the everyday heroes at Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) lend a helping hand across the ABQ metro area.

MadVan Design is ABQ’s in-town fashion house, founded by upand-coming designer, runway producer, and avant garde enthusiast, Madison Van Der Lingen.

146 Storytellers

A spotlight on ‘New Mexico Civil Rights and Justice’ by Ray John de Aragon, prolific New Mexican author; plus, ATM talks with local foodie, Linda T. of @ilinsterr/ HappyBites Co. and John Fleck, former Albuquerque Journal science writer

148 Tiempo

A monthly check-in with longtime Tiempo editor Mel Minter on the new performers—and familiar faces—making waves in ABQ’s thriving local music scene.

152 Eats Review

As a dining concept, Tula’s Kitchen has created a lot of buzz since opening its doors. But the real talk of the town lies in its playful and diverse menu.

156 Eats, Etc.

Dagmar’s Specialties carries on the tradition of authentic German food; plus Turqouise Desert Taproom serves up made-from-scratch dishes for your next big game.

158 Spirit Spotlight

Splash into the summer season with Uptown Sports Bar’s Seaside Splash, a gin and pineapple drink—mixed with a special (blue) ingredient.

160 A Recipe for Success

Christopher Sandberg, Executive Board of the High Desert Council, shares his story—plus a recipe that’s perfect for breakfast and dessert lovers alike.

162 Bites

Info-filled nuggets about the city’s restaurants to take with you on the go.

JULY 2025 Volume 22 Number 3

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

Lise Watkins lise@abqthemag.com

PHOTO DIRECTOR

Don James don@abqthemag.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Emily Klumpenhower emily@abqthemag.com

Kristy Johnson kristy@abqthemag.com

STAFF WRITER

Austin Seidel austin@abqthemag.com

DATEBOOK EDITOR

Lori Wilding datebook@abqthemag.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Tristen Critchfield

Mel Minter

Addie Siembieda

Peter St. Cyr Some Photos From Free ABQ Images

Albuquerque The Magazine (ISSN 1936-4350) is published monthly except January by Albuquerque The Media Corporation, 1550 Mercantile Ave. NE, Top Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87107. Periodicals Postage Paid at Albuquerque, NM 87101, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Albuquerque The Magazine, 1550 Mercantile Ave. NE, Top Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87107.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We welcome letters to the Editor. You may e-mail yours to editor@abqthemag.com, or submit it directly from our website, or via snail mail.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS

Our editorial calendar is available online at www.abqthemag.com/MediaKit.pdf. No phone calls, please. Unsolicited manuscripts require a SASE.

DEPARTMENTS

193 Fun

194 Look Good, Feel Good

In desparate need of a tan—and a little TLC—this summer? Seek advice from these seasoned experts.

196 Local Stuff We Love

Your touchstone for ABQ’s cool, fun, and eclectic retail goodies that will help you live life a bit smarter and happier.

198 Shop Talk

People & Planet Refill is a sustainablefocused retail space, providing the community a way to cut down on plastic waste and overconsumption through locally-sourced, bulk household goods.

200 Paws Button

For decades, the ABQ BioPark has been involved in extraordinary conservation work to restore endangered Mexican gray wolves to the wild. This August, the BioPark will add to their amazing efforts with a brand-new, behind-thescenes facility.

202 Amazing Pets

This month’s winners: Bentley the dog; Mocha the ball python; and Calcifer the cat.

204 Passenger Window

A more in-depth look at the controversial ‘Cultural Crossroads of the Americas’ by Bob Haozous, nearly 30 years later.

207 Photo Contest

This month’s winner: ‘Morning Dip in the Rio Grande’ by Dan Delph

208 A Few Things

Learn about the Albuquerque Police Department’s recent improvements— along with how the men and women in blue are keeping the community safe.

Special Advertising Sections

47 Architecture

Architecture is both art and science—and these builders and businesses have arguably perfected both. Led by excellence and innovation, they’re making the ABQ of tomorrow, one construction at a time.

107 Personal Protection

Get proactive about your safety this summer by consulting ABQ’s trusted professionals in personal protection. It’s easy to start—and equipment can be personalized based on lifestyle and needs.

111 Experts in Their Field

From Power Ford to periodontics, these trusted experts are here to help—wherever life takes you. Vetted by peers with a full listing of accomplishments, skill sets, and accreditations, these professionals go above and beyond for their customers and clients.

JULY 2025 Volume 22 Number 3

PUBLISHER

Larryl Lynch larryl@abqthemag.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Gena Goodson gena@abqthemag.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Philip Kjelland philip@abqthemag.com

SENIOR ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

Megan Life megan@abqthemag.com

PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Bill Stanage bill@abqthemag.com

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

Jake Handler jake@abqthemag.com

PUBLISHING ASSISTANT

Ariana Lopez ariana@abqthemag.com

BUSINESS OFFICE business@abqthemag.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER EMERITUS

Scott Davis (1966–2004)

Who doesn’t like to celebrate good deeds? We certainly do, which is why we reached out to readers and asked them for nominations for our cover story this month on ABQ Heroes.

Now, there’s no actual award or trophy that goes with the honor, but for the 29 people we selected to feature, it’s obvious that recognition isn’t what makes them tick. Rather, the folks on this list (which includes first responders, law enforcers, teachers, foster parents, non-profit workers, and others) do what they do out of love, caring, compassion, and their own personal call of duty to serve their neighbors and communities.

From a brother-and-sister pair of EMTs who followed in the footsteps of their first-responder parents, to a beloved local principal who instituted a tough-love contract to help students earn grade promotions, the stories in this issue are uplifting and encouraging. The heroic tales begin on page 86.

In this month’s ABQ The Interview, we chat with Dr. Joseph Parkinson, who moved to the city last year to oversee a new branch of the Touro College of Dental Medicine, a New York-based school which aims to provide locals with an affordable healthcare option while simultaneously training tomorrow’s dentists. Get all the details, beginning on page 132.

And in keeping with our Heroes theme, we tagged along with the crew from Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS), a 120-person unit that works in tandem with police and firefighters to provide a first-response mode for calls that require a more compassionate and creative approach. Learn about their role in safeguarding citizens on page 140.

We also provide an update on the ongoing improvements within the Albuquerque Police Department, which recently completed a 10-year oversight mandate from the U.S. Department of Justice, in part due to controversial officer interactions with citizens in the

course of police work. A federal judge in May confirmed that APD completed all aspects—positively—of the oversight, and in our A Few Things column on the magazine’s back page, we outline a few of those positive changes, ranging from technology to culture.

Lastly, I’d like to offer up a little digital treat for all you lovers of craft beer. ATM this month is launching “Beers Of The City,” a robust Web app that allows subscribers to receive two half-price pints of draft beer each month at more than 30 local breweries throughout Albuquerque. For those doing the math in their heads, that’s an offering of 60+ half-off draft brews every month, for just $8. (I’d like to say ‘essentially 30 free beers,’ but state laws are a little picky when it comes to such terminology.)

Starting July 9, go to abqthemag.com and sign up, then head to one of the participating local breweries, and enjoy your discounted suds. (Oh, and here’s another treat: I’m inviting you as my special VIP guest to be among the first to get the app at our Launch Party on July 8 at Hollow Spirits Distillery from 3-7 pm. Cheers!)

We hope you enjoy this issue of ATM. We’re already working on the next one for you!

Sincerely,

CORRECTIONS

On page 118 of our previous June issue, the ABQ Newcomer’s Guide (And Old-Timers, Too!), we egregiously stated that Albuquerque is home to 800 parks and 80 miles of running and biking trails. The proper statistic is 400 miles of running and biking trails and 288 parks. We sincerely regret the error.

You’re Just My Type

Nostlalgic—or curious—about the bygone days before the onslaught of high-speed Internet and Bluetooth? Look no further than ABQwerty, the city’s foremost typewriter club. Geared towards enthusiasts and beginners, ABQwerty not only teaches how to repair old typewriters but also provides helpful tips for newbies on how to care and use these charming machines. Type on! (p. 22)

TINY BITES OF EVERYTHING TO SEE, DO AND BUY IN ALBUQUERQUE

ABQwerty Type Writer Society

Typewriters first became prevalent in the United States in the late 1800s, but in the current technology-driven era, they have long since fallen by the wayside as a preferred word processing tool.

However, there are those in the Duke City who still maintain a certain fondness for these machines—and perhaps, the skill of typing without the luxury of a delete button. Founded in 2017, the ABQwerty Type Writer Society is a club dedicated to maintaining, appreciating and using old typewriters.

“Our focus is twofold,” reads a statement on the club’s website. “First, we collect and/or repair and restore early- to mid-20th century typewriters. Second, we promote their use not only as tools for creative expression, but also as gateways of discovery into the written arts.”

At various times throughout the year, the club will hold events called Type-Ins, where typewriter aficionados convene and learn about devices with names like Hermes 300, Olympia SG3, Underwood Universal and Princess Exemplar 300. A recent gathering at the Cherry Hills Library included more than 40 participants and 23 different types of machines.

According to a blog post by founding member Joe Van Cleave, education is part of the goal, with “Typewriter 101” sheets readily available for attendees. These included “a diagram showing the controls of a typical machine and how to thread paper, set the margins and get the machine ready to use.”

“Putting on these events is a labor of love,” Van Cleave wrote. “We love typewriters, typewriter people and writers, but the labor is in hauling several dozen heavy machines, moving table and chairs and setting up the rooms, then tearing it all down again after.” —TC

What to Consider When Choosing a Typewriter:

& Build Quality

TAKING A DEEP BREATH

THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION OF NM RECENTLY HONORED FIRST RESPONDERS, JOINTLY RAISING LUNG HEALTH AWARENESS

Firefighters frequently put their lives— and lungs—at risk in the line of duty. It only makes sense, then, that the American Lung Association in New Mexico would honor the efforts of these heroic first responders.

Five years ago, the organization created the Firefighter Service Awards to “recognize outstanding service, leadership, and community impact of firefighters across the state.” The awards are presented at the American Lung Association’s “Fight for Air Climb,” a signature event that raises awareness and funds for lung health in the Land of Enchantment. Those who participate climb 365 stairs to pay tribute to those who struggle to breathe due to lung conditions like asthma, COPD and lung cancer.

“We were especially honored this year that many of the firefighter award recipients and nominees participated in the climb themselves, demonstrating once again their commitment to protecting and promoting lung health,” said Ameri-

can Lung Association in New Mexico development director, market lead Victoria Byrd.

This year’s Firefighter Service Award recipients were selected not only for their heroism in emergency response situations, but also for their efforts in public education, volunteerism and health advocacy. All were nominated by their peers.

As an example, Albuquerque Fire Rescue’s Mike Schum, who won the Distinguished Career Award, is praised by one of his colleagues for an unwavering sense of dedication in his nomination:

“Throughout the last few years of working together, Mike has continued to impress me with his knowledge and work ethic. Not only does he work proficiently in the office, but oftentimes he goes home and continues to work off the clock. Countless times I have seen him submit work or call/text me late into the evening asking my opinion on something he’s working on.” —TC

AT&T FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR AWARD: Brandon Sterza

Roswell Fire Department

Recognized for his exemplary service, community outreach, and leadership under pressure.

DISTINGUISHED CAREER

AWARD: Mike Schum

Albuquerque Fire Rescue

Honored for his decades of dedication to public safety, mentorship of younger firefighters, and commitment to healthfocused initiatives.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD: Jesse Johnson

Las Cruces Fire Department

Celebrated for going above and beyond in both emergency response and community support efforts.

What’s in a Name?

SOCIAL SECURITY REVEALS THE MOST POPULAR BABY NAMES IN NEW MEXICO

Can you guess the most popular baby names in New Mexico? Here’s a hint: the answer might surprise you. According to a recent survey conducted by the Social Security Administration, the top baby boy and girl names for 2024 stack up a little bit differently in the Land of Enchantment, at least when compared to the nation—but that just goes to show how unique we truly are (and personally, we’d like to keep it that way).

Does your name fall on the list? Or perhaps your child or family member? Or maybe you need a little bit of inspiration for a possible baby on the way? Take a peek and see where the trends are!

BOYS:

Models, Trains, and Automobiles

You’ll find more vehicles than just cars and trucks at Cataline Automotive. Beyond the garage lies The Train Room: a model train store that owner Carl Cataline has been curating since 1997. It all started on the office floor, playing with his thenfour-year-old granddaughter. The two bonded over programming engines and putting wheels to track, and the idea to open the train store actually came from her. Cataline tells the story of he and his granddaughter fixing up one of his friend’s trains, recalling that “she turned to Grand-

ma one day and said, ‘hey Grandma, we need to start a train store,’ and Grandma went, ‘okay’. And that’s what we did”.

Since then, The Train Room has been maintained by Carl and his wife Patty. The couple sells a combination of new and used model trains, tracks, and parts. As the only specialty train store in Albuquerque, The Train Room attracts visitors from across town and out of state. “I sell a lot of old, post-war Lionel stuff to guys ages 55 up through 85, because they can’t find it anywhere else,” he says. Thanks to

his repair guy in Belen, Cataline ensures that every train will run–or he sells it at a discount.

Foot traffic varies from day to day. The Train Room sees about 15 people on any given day, with busier days bringing over 40 customers. Whether you’re a new hobbyist or old collector, The Train Room at Cataline Automotive is your station for all things locomotive. —AS

The Train Room at Cataline Automotive

2515 Utah St NE Monday–Friday 7:30am–5:00pm, Saturdays by appointment

ark It HERE

MANZANO MESA MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER

An affordable and cooler alternative to spending the summer on-the-road or sweating outdoors, Manzano Mesa is one of Albuquerque’s three multigenerational centers, putting the popular adage into practice: that age is just a number, and that no matter where you’re at in life—young or old or somewhere in-between—there’s truly something for everyone.

Primarily geared toward retired folks, multigenerational centers are community hubs funded by the city of Albuquerque and provide low-cost meals, classes, educational events, and outings for the public. For $20 a year, members can enjoy the full benefits of the center. Fitness rooms, billiards, table tennis, yoga classes, shuffleboard, and badminton are offered at Manzano Mesa for the more physically inclined, and art opportunities abound for those with a creative streak—from pottery classes to woodcarving. Not the most technologically apt? Turn towards the ‘Teeniors,’ a monthly group made up of teens who get together to provide oneon-one help for seniors with tech-centered questions and concerns. Splash pads are also set up during the summer for kiddos—and up to 5 children are allowed to accompany one member-holding adult (how’s that getting bang for your buck?).

Low-cost breakfasts and lunches are provided Monday through Friday, with a changing menu that, every Thursday, features a vegetarian meal made with locally grown fruits and vegetables.

To stay in the loop—and see what’s next—head on over to cabq.gov/seniors to check out the full list of what’s going on for all ages at Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center.

CENTER AMENITIES:

• Pickleball courts

• Summer splash pad

• Exercise room

• Ping pong tables

• Tech room with plenty of computers

• Dining room and social area

• Handicap accessible

• Easy access to parking

ATM JOKES lol lol

What do bees say during a heat wave?

Boy, it’s swarm!

What’s the best way to watch a fly fishing tournament?

Live stream!

Why are basketball players afraid of going on summer vacation?

IF YOUR POSTS OF ABQ ARE AWESOME ENOUGH TO PRINT, TAG THEM!

What does a bee do when it’s hot?

They don’t want to get called for traveling. He takes off his yellow jacket!

Where do sheep go on vacation?

The Baa-hamas

BEAT THE HEAT!

SUMMER GOT YOU SWELTERING?

HERE ARE A FEW WAYS TO KEEP COOL THIS SEASON, ABQ STYLE

Sure, Albuquerque is in the middle of the high desert, with temperatures during June and July often climbing towards 100 degrees Fahrenheit (and above). But despite our oftentimes harsh climate, there are still a few sure-fire ways to avoid the wrath of the sun in and around the metro area—all while staying seriously chill. Read on, readers, to find out how to keep cool and carry on this summer.

CITY POOLS & SPLASH PADS

Did you know that the city of Albuquerque maintains 7 outdoors pools, 5 indoor pools, and 6 splash pads during the summer months? In other words, you don’t have to know a well-endowed neighbor with a backyard pool if you’re seeking to swim this summer. With family passes available at $115 that cover the entire season, from May 24 to August 3, Albuquerque makes it a breeze to get out of the heat and into some H20.

CLIFF’S AMUSEMENT PARK

Cliff’s isn’t just home to the bone-shaking New Mexico Rattler roller coaster; it’s also host to a classic log ride that’s sure to soak—along with a water jungle gym and a splash pad, making it perfect for little ones and their adults looking for an aquatic adventure this summer that isn’t too far away from home. Day passes start at $35.99 for ages 8-64 and $29.99 for ages 3-7.

SANDIA PEAK TRAMWAY

Due to varying elevations, Sandia Peak maintains cooler temperatures than the valleys of the metro area during the summer months—making it a prime spot to escape from blistering weather. Roundtrip tickets on the tram start at $34 for ages 21-61—and with over 200 miles of trails nestled in and around the mountains, outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers alike are sure to find something to quench their craving for adventure.

ISLETA LAKES

If you’re wishing to fish, Isleta Lakes is a short drive from town and provides two ponds that are stocked year-round with Channel Catfish in the summer and Rainbow Trout in the winter. Shady trees and grassy areas also offer relaxing picnicking spots out of the sun—and fees are relatively reasonable, starting at $13 for non-tribal members. Anglers and observers take note: Osprey, Loons, Great Blue Herons—and the occasional Bald Eagle—are also known to frequent the area. Fish on!

INDOOR AMUSEMENT CENTERS

Maybe the outdoors isn’t really your thing (we get it); thankfully, there are plenty of exhilarating indoor options around town for all ages. Start at the BioPark’s Aquarium for an excursion under-the-sea—complete with appearances by American River Otters, large stingrays, sharks, and sea turtles. Main Event, meanwhile, offers a full-blown arcade, along with laser tag, bowling lanes, billiards, and an impressive selection of food and drink. In the same vein, Electric Playhouse is an experimental space that puts the 21st century in amusement centers; with a library of motion-based games, from Light Hockey to Paint Pong, visitors will be sure to move and play the day away. —AUSTIN SEIDEL

FACES&PLACES

ABQ Birthday Party

Historic Old Town

1. 2. 5. 3. 6. 4. 7.

Albuquerque’s 319th Birthday Celebration, held on Apr 19, honored the city’s rich history and cultural roots. Hosted by the Department of Arts & Culture, the event featured live performances like flamenco, Mariachi, and salsa, plus a Founders’ Ceremony to recognize the city’s origins. This event was a meaningful way for the community to come together and honor the people and cultures that have shaped our beloved city over the years!

1. Craig Degenhardt, Abigail Garcia-Huff, Alyssa Pana

2. Michael Garcia, Justina Alarcon

3. Lindsay Wagner, Cade Sickafoose

4. Jeanette Reece, Lucille Vigil

5. Lilly Gibson, Mayson Hammon

6. Manuel Rovayo, Jessica Rovayo

7. Orlando Cobos, Melissa Gonzales

FACES&PLACES

DVRC

Cornhole Tournament

The Toss for a Cause DVRC Corn Hole tournament held on Apr 11 brought awareness to an important cause while incorporating fun. Each team competed to win first place, with the winners receiving a customized corn hole set. All proceeds from registering a team were donated to the Domestic Violence Resource Center.

1. Charlene Rimbert, Amber Ortega

2. Glenn St. Onge, Trish St. Onge

3. Marie Brown-Wagner, Terry Riddle

4. Ron Rimbert, Mike Masoner

5. Shannon Lowry, Seth Sherwood

6. Paul Arellano, Brian Ortiz

7. Ron Sisneros, Rachael Maestas

Dirty Bourbon

FACES&PLACES

Hospitality Games

Albuquerque Convention Center

1. 2. 5. 3. 6. 4. 7.

The 11th annual Hospitality Games held on Mar 28 assembled members of the hospitality industry in friendly competition of “industry” related games. This event showed appreciation to hourly employees and the hard work they put in. The games raised scholarship money for New Mexico State University and Central New Mexico Community College students interested in hospitality-related careers.

1. Mike Chesley, Andrew Bustos, Scotty Giron, Joani Jones

2. Ernie C’deBaca, Roberta Ricci

3. Erik Contreras, Kiana Yamada, Rocky Cruz

4. Nicole Lucero, Amanda Lucero

5. Michelle Dressler, Karl Holme

6. Dominic Baca, Minerva Jurado-Perea, Barbara Abeita

7. Veronica Corona, Evelyn Espinoza, Hope Garcia, Gracie Cortez

FACES&PLACES

New Mexico United - Pups on the Pitch Isotopes Park

2. 5. 3. 6. 4. 7.

New Mexico United hosted “Pups on the Pitch” on Apr 23. Fans could bring their dogs by purchasing a separate dog ticket for $5. Proceeds from the purchased dog tickets were distributed among local animal shelters. Some of the shelters included Watermelon Mountain Ranch, Cross My Paws, and Animal Humane. The event also had adoptable dogs inside of the stadium. Those dogs also walked out of the tunnel with the players pregame.

1. Carlos Reyes, Oakley, Autumn, Jiseell Garcia

2. Shelly Armstrong, Dante, Tiffany Angel, Leona

3. Stanley Mount, Roxanna Meyers

4. Lee Anne Klombies, Kimber, Miquela Beggs

5. Kori Vidana, Luigi Vidana

6. Angelica LiRosi, Andre LiRosi

7. Sarah Robles, Rebekah Hovis, Graciela Licon

FACES&PLACES

Radiology Club FUNdraiser

The Radiology Club FUNdraiser, held on Apr 13, was a creative paint and wine night. Guests enjoyed a funfilled evening of painting, laughter, and connection all while giving back, as 25% of the proceeds went directly to the Radiology Club. This event was a perfect mix of artistic expression and support for our future healthcare professionals.

1. Josh Grajeda, Mireya Rojo

2. Mariah Gray, Marissa Webb

3. Zisley Bencomo, Maria Garcia

4. Sonia Ocampo, Limbi Banda

5. Edith Bencomo, Zisumy Bencomo

6. Lisa Bloom, James Bloom

7. Mary Bloom, Briana Roth

Painting with a Twist

Partner Content

Architecture

Buffalo Design Architects

Architectural trends are ever-changing with technology accelerating at a rapid rate. As architects at Buffalo Design, we have the responsibility of sustainability, adaptability and human well-being.

It is not always about vertical buildings. Albuquerque is growing. Planning for growth is paramount to our success. This sometimes seems to be an enormous beast that can move slowly. City leaders are trying to be more adaptive and must continue to improve on bringing business to the city.

Implementing energy-efficient technologies, embracing green practices, adaptive reuse and renovation, and preserving cultural and historic significance is critical to Albuquerque’s future. We are a city with a long history of culture and diversity, and we want to emphasize that in our work.

Smart Technologies represent a significant evolution in our industry. Climate control and security systems play an integral part in our future. Biophilic design also plays an important role, integrating nature into architecture. This is what our clients are looking for and expecting from

Buffalo Design. Being a Native-owned firm, our mantra of “maintaining diversity of people, place and culture” could not be truer as we practice responsible design.

Architecture as a profession will continue to be significantly impacted by the development of new technologies, environmental concerns and the changing needs of society. AI-Generation is our next challenge, and how that affects our profession remains to be seen. We are also seeing new developments in computational design, building information modeling and many more software tools within our reach. This is not a static environment, nor is it static for Buffalo Design.

Albuquerque will continue economic growth in many diverse sectors. Investing in infrastructure and actively pursuing its 10-year destination master plan is critical to our progress. We work closely with Native tribes, and their needs are great. Helping them with visualizing their dreams and aspirations is what keeps us going. It is always great to meet a new client and make new friends, but it is also of great satisfaction to see our clients realize these dreams with smiles on their faces as they walk into their new or renovated facility.

Huitt-Zollars

Joe Gallegos

Vice President

Managing Principal Albuquerque

6501 Americas Pkwy #830

(505) 883-8114

huitt-zollars.com

At Huitt-Zollars, our best work begins by helping clients define and shape their vision. Every project starts with affirming and aligning each client’s unique needs with our integrated design team to transform those ideas into fully realized buildings.

This year marks a major milestone: Huitt-Zollars’ 50th anniversary! Since our founding in 1975, we’ve grown into a national leader in architecture and engineering. With offices in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, we offer a full spectrum of architecture and engineering services. The Albuquerque office leads our architectural efforts, while Rio Rancho specializes in engineering. Together we deliver seamless, multidisciplinary solutions to municipalities, public agencies, school districts, indigenous communities and private clients across New Mexico.

Our portfolio spans higher education, healthcare, public safety, federal and transit facilities, P-12 schools, aquatic and wellness centers, senior centers and a wide range of community-focused buildings. For over 25 years in New Mexico and 50 years as a firm, we have built a legacy rooted in innovation, technical excellence and lasting relationships. Our culture of ownership, collaboration and service continues to drive us forward.

We take pride in delivering design excellence on every project, no matter the size, scope, or budget. Each client interaction is an opportunity to provide meaningful, impactful services to the communities we serve. While we are part of a national firm, our local presence sets us apart. Our New Mexico teams offer personalized, hands-on support backed by the resources and expertise of a 24-office network.

As an employee-owned company, we bring a unique sense of ownership to our work. Every team member is deeply invested and has a stake in our success. This fuels a culture of accountability, collaboration, and long-term commitment to our clients and communities.

“I’m very proud of the great designs our office has produced for our clients,” says Huitt-Zollars vice president and managing principal Joe Gallegos. “Over the past few years, the dreams brought to life by our office have tripled, inspiring us to grow our team and expand our services. Beyond the numbers, however, what truly matters is the sense of family we’ve built— within our walls and in the communities we serve.”

Studio Southwest Architects

Laura Anderson President, Principal Architect

2101 Mountain Road NW, Ste B 505-843-9639

studioswarch.com

Studio Southwest Architects is a small, Albuquerque-based design studio with a strong emphasis on creative thinking and collaboration. With decades of experience in both public and private sector projects, our firm has cultivated a holistic approach to architecture, planning services and civil engineering.

We recently celebrated 40 years of architectural practice in New Mexico. Notable projects include The Australia at the ABQ BioPark Exhibit, New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute’s new 120,000 square foot Forensic Unit, Explora’s Studio-X Addition, The Balloon Museum and many more.

Our success is rooted in a deep passion for transforming our clients’ businesses and community initiatives into meaningful, tangible spaces. We prioritize our clients’ vision while keeping overall community wellness at the forefront of every project. While many firms focus on aesthetics or function alone, we strive to bring together multiple essential elements: functionality, sustainability, affordability, collaboration, and timeless design.

Our vision for the future is grounded in thoughtful growth and continued commitment to design excellence. We aim to focus on projects that address the evolving needs of our community, particularly those that support wellness, sustainability and cultural relevance.

Simons Architecture P.C.

Joe Simons Architect, President

New Mexico | Texas | Kansas (505) 480-4796 | simonsarchitecture.com

“The plans are drawn, the vision is clear and the excitement is growing,” remarks Joe Simons, Architect, President of Simons Architecture P.C., about The Rock (TheROCKabq.com). Simons designed the building at The Rock to offer hope to ABQ’s homeless, hungry and hurting over a decade ago. Today, he looks forward to the plans’ completion for The Rock - Women’s Center, which safely provides for women in crisis at 2400 2nd St NW.

In addition to designing worship, community and commercial projects in three states, Joe serves at The Rock regularly. He often plays guitar and sings songs of encouragement during lunch. Simons Architecture strives to live “Building Integrity.” It’s how their teams lead professional projects and personal giving time to be intentional to people first. The Rock is a great example of this, by expanding on efficient designs to meet the needs of diverse ABQ communities in each purposeful space.

TUESDAY 15 | 7 PM

Science has proven that the more beer you drink, the better you sing. Join Quintessence: A Community of Singers as they lead the crowd in singing pop songs, show tunes, and soulful melodies from the Beer Choir Hymnal. No experience is necessary, and all ages are welcome. Info: Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd NE. More information at quintessence-abq.com.

JULY 2025

SATURDAY 5 | 7:30 PM

A Year in Quirky Town. Local playwright Terri Klein will take you on a fun parody tour of Albuquerque with dialogue and song. Performances are Saturday, July 5 and 12 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, July 6 and 13 at 2:00 pm. Info: The Adobe Theater, 9813 4th St NW, (505) 898-9222. Tickets are $17-$26 and are available at adobetheater.org.

LATIN BEATS

LOCAL THEATER

Trust us, these are a few ABQ events YOU CAN'T MISS.

ART SHOW

THURSDAY 17 | 7:30 PM

AMP Concerts: Flor De Toloache. Latin Grammy® winning, New York-based, allfemale ensemble Flor de Toloache continues to win the hearts of both progressive and traditional mariachi music fans alike through their distinct artistic vision and sophisticated, enlightened interpretation of traditional mariachi instruments. Info: NHCC Albuquerque Journal Theatre, 1701 4th St SW, (505) 724-4771. Tickets at https:// my.nmculture.org/43373

FRIDAY 4 | 11 AM–4 PM

Bursts of Color Artists Reception at Amapola Gallery. The Fourth of July brings more visual fireworks than the exploding kind. Join Lynda Burch and Pam Troutman to celebrate their Featured Artist display for July at Amapola Gallery. One of Lynda’s abstracts, in a palette of seasonal red, white and blues, will be embellished with Pam’s beadwork in an interesting collaboration. Their show will run through July. Info: Amapola Gallery, open 10 to 5 daily, upstairs on Old Town Plaza, 205 Romero St NW. (505) 242-4311, amapola-gallery.com.

LYNDA BURCH

TUESDAY 1–SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 |

TUESDAYS–FRIDAYS

10 AM-5 PM

Fritz Scholder at Tamarind. Scholder is best known for his expressionist paintings that are in museum collections around the world. His style is well known for its distortions, explosive brushwork and vivid colors. Spanning a decade of his printmaking practice, selected works reflect Scholder’s increasing confidence with bold color, layered imagery and expressive markmaking on the press, revealing an artist in constant dialogue with his materials and ideas. Info: Tamarind Institute, 2500 Central Ave SE.

FRIDAY 4 | 3–10 PM

FRIDAY 11 | 5–8 PM

Northeast Meets Southwest Artists Reception. The Gallery ABQ celebrates an exhibition of the works of two New Mexico artists, John Stermer (painter) and Laura McIndoo (ceramics). The show explores the artists’ connections to New England and New Mexico, and the influences of the climate and culture of both regions on their art. Other Featured Artists will be Britt Gallagher (oil) and Daniel Garcia (photography). Info: The Gallery ABQ, 8210 Menaul Blvd NE, thegalleryabq.com or FB@ TheGalleryABQ, (505) 292-9333.

Freedom 4th. Join the City of Albuquerque and bring the family to Balloon Fiesta Park to celebrate our country’s Independence Day. The brightest fireworks show in the state follows a concert with local bands and national headliner Hunter Hayes performing at 7:45 pm with fireworks at 9:15 pm. Gates open at 3 pm for this free event and will include local food vendors, kids’ activities, and free park and ride. See website for prohibited items and more information. Info: Balloon Fiesta Park, 5000 Balloon Fiesta Pkwy NE, (505) 768-6050, cabq. gov/artsculture/things-to-do/annual-events/freedom-4th.

THURSDAY 3 | 10 AM–3 PM

Surface: Emerging Artists of New Mexico. Annual juried exhibition dedicated to cultivating the creative and professional growth of artistic talents and to expanding their visibility and viability in our community. Each year Harwood Art Center invites emerging artists from around New Mexico to submit works for consideration. Info: Harwood Art Center, 1114 7th St NW, harwoodartcenter.org. The show runs through July 26 and gallery hours are Thursday–Saturday, 10 am–3 pm. Free.

SATURDAY 12 | 7 PM

MARIACHI NEW ARTSITS FESTIVAL

Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque Concert. Experience an unforgettable night of music, culture, and tradition at the Mariachi Spectacular Concert presented by The Atrisco Companies. This vibrant outdoor concert showcases some of the most powerful and passionate performances in mariachi music today. Enjoy an incredible lineup featuring Mariachi Las Catrinas, Mariachi Nuevo Mujer 2000, and the highly anticipated Leyendas del Mariachi, with a special appearance by Ballet Folklórico Paso Del Norte. Info: Sandia Resort & Casino Amphitheatre, 30 Rainbow Rd, (505) 836-0306, ldiaz@atrisco.org. Tickets available at Sandia Casino Box Office or etix.com.

CREDIT GEORGE EVANS

FRITZ SCHOLDER, INDIAN WITH BEADED SASH, 1975

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tuesday 1–saturday, august 30 | tuesdays–fridays

10 am–5 pm

Fritz Scholder at Tamarind. Scholder is best known for his expressionist paintings that are in museum collections around the world. His style is well known for its distortions, explosive brushwork and vivid colors. Spanning a decade of his printmaking practice, selected works reflect Scholder’s increasing confidence with bold color, layered imagery and expressive mark-making on the press, revealing an artist in constant dialogue with his materials and ideas. Info: Tamarind Institute, 2500 Central Ave SE.

tuesday 1 | 1–4 pm

Cookie Cutter Glass Casting. You’ll fill casting molds with sheet glass, crushed glass, frits, noodles, and stringers, then layer the colors with clear and dichroic glasses to get

brilliant combinations. Hang the castings, use as a paper weight, or just display. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW. Reserve your spot at thegrooveartspace.com. All materials are included for $75.

wednesday 2 and 16 | 7–8 pm

Albuquerque Concert Band. Enjoy the band on July 2nd when the conductor will be Col. Jim Keene (Ret.). On July 16, the conductor will be Chris Dollesin, Graduate Student of Conducting, UNM. Info: Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque Balloon Museum, 9201 Balloon Museum Dr NE. Free admission and open to the public.

thursday 3 | 10 am–3 pm

Surface: Emerging Artists of New Mexico. Annual juried exhibition dedicated to cultivating the creative and professional growth of artistic talents and to expanding their visibility and

viability in our community. Each year Harwood Art Center invites emerging artists from around New Mexico to submit works for consideration. Info: Harwood Art Center, 1114 7th St NW, harwoodartcenter.org. The show runs through July 26 and gallery hours are Thursday–Saturday, 10 am–3 pm. Free.

thursday 3 | 6:30 pm

Lymphedema + Lipedema Support Group. Patients, caregivers, and advocates are invited to share experiences and strategies in a supportive space. Learn about wellness resources, compression options, and self-care techniques. Info: Hosted by Balanced Physical Therapy + Wellness, 7849 Tramway Blvd NE, Ste. A, balancedrehababq.com/lymph, (505) 821-3831. Note: Meetings are held every other month; the next one after this will be in September.

friday 4 | 7:30 am and 8 am

Freedom Run. Join other runners on New Mexico’s Most Scenic Racecourse for a 5K run and kids’ 1K fun run. Info: ABQ BioPark Aquarium, 2601 Central Ave NW. Packet pickup and registration at Tin Can Alley, 6110 Alameda NE from 3 to 7 pm on July 3rd. Register at tcrproductions.com where there is more information.

friday 4 | 11 am–4 pm

friday 4 | 3–10 pm

Freedom 4th. Join the City of Albuquerque and bring the family to Balloon Fiesta Park to celebrate our country’s Independence Day. The brightest fireworks show in the state follows a concert with local bands and national headliner Hunter Hayes performing at 7:45 pm with fireworks at 9:15 pm. Gates open at 3 pm for this free event and will include local food vendors, kids’ activities, and free park and ride. See website for prohibited items and more information. Info: Balloon Fiesta Park, 5000 Balloon Fiesta Pkwy NE, (505) 768-6050, cabq.gov/artsculture/things-to-do/ annual-events/freedom-4th.

friday 4 | 5–10 pm

Red, White, and Balloons at the Balloon Museum. Join others on the hilltop for our annual Independence Day and fireworks viewing celebration to include food trucks, balloon glow, artisan market, cash bar, viewing fireworks, games and fun, all benefiting the Museum Foundation. Info: The Anderson Abruzzo

International Balloon Museum, 9201 Balloon Museum Dr NE. Tickets at balloonmuseum.com/red-white-andballoons; various prices. Be sure to read the fine print.

saturday 5 | 10 am

Author Event with Sage Vogel Discussing “Dichos en Nichos.” Sage Vogel’s debut story collection invites readers into the heart of an archetypal 1950s Northern New Mexico village, where the fruit orchards, arroyo roads, adobe homes, and even pigsties hold tales of wit, romance, woe, and wisdom. There are ten interconnected stories inspired by original dichos— pithy folk sayings and proverbs. Vogel’s dichos—in both Spanish and English—are shared among a colorful cast of characters. The dichos offer guidance, caution, and comfort as the townsfolk navigate themes of identity, community, loss, and love. Info: WHEELS Museum, 1100 Second St SW, (505) 243-6269. Admission free, but donations gladly accepted.

saturday 5 and sunday 6 |

10 am–3 pm

Glass on Glass Mosaic Suncatchers. Learn a variety of techniques for working with glass mosaic while creating a beautiful suncatcher in this two-day class. Artist Erika Harding leads this class for everyone, from beginners to more experienced. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW. Full details and reserve your spot at thegrooveartspace.com. All materials are included for $150.

saturday 5 | 7:30 pm

sunday 6 | 9 am–1 pm

A Joyful Morning. The public is invited to a celebration of the 20 Years

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of Joy exhibit, showcasing the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum Foundation and museum’s history with creativity and color. For two decades we’ve soared high, celebrating the art, science, and spectacle of ballooning and are now celebrating them. Info: 9201 Balloon Museum Dr NE, balloonmuseum.com, (505) 880-0500. Admission is free, as it is every Sunday morning.

monday 7 | Registration Due

Gingerbread in July. Please see Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26 for information about the Gingerbread Southwest Contest and gingerbreadsw.com. Space is limited; sign up now.

monday 7–saturday 19 | 1–3 pm

Teen Thespian Camp (Ages 12–17). The Vortex Theatre will offer activities that will include scene study and script analysis, advanced acting

techniques, stage movement and blocking, voice and diction training, and auditioning. Info: The Vortex Theatre, 2900 Carlisle Blvd NE, (505) 247-8600. Register at vortexabq.org. $300. The showcase for family and friends will be Saturday, July 19 at 10 am.

thursday 10 | 1–4 pm

Fused Glass Coasters and Jewelry. This is a fun class for ages 8 and over. We will make two pairs of earrings, one pendant and a set of two coasters with kiln-fired glass. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW. Reserve your spot at thegrooveartspace.com. All materials, and one kiln firing, are included for $100.

friday 11 | 10 am–1 pm

New: Frit Slurry Tie Dye Suncatcher. This is a fun fusing class using the frit slurry method. Once you design your tie-dye we will do a frit slurry to blend your colors. Learn a new

way to create your own unique glass. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW. Reserve your spot at thegrooveartspace.com. All materials and one kiln firing are included for $150.

friday 11 | 5–7 pm

A Show of Exploration and Adventure–A Celebration of Masculine Energies Opening Night. Weems Gallery presents this exhibition for viewers to explore themes of strength, resilience, and adventure through a curated selection of artworks that celebrate diverse expressions of masculinity and masculine energies. The collection features a wide array of pieces emphasizing a focus on innovative and thought-provoking work. Info: Weems Gallery and Framing, 5935 Wyoming Blvd NE, (505) 293-6133, weemsgallery.com. The event is free and open to the public and will run through July 26th.

friday 11 | 5–8 pm

Rusty New Works by Scott Randolph Artist Reception. The show will run through August 31st. Info: Mariposa Gallery, 3500 Central Ave SE, (505) 268-6828, info@mariposa-gallery. com.

friday 11 | 5–8:30 pm

Opening Reception: Luminous; Art Glass Show. Luminous is a celebration of the versatility and beauty of glass as a medium. Experience the vision of New Mexico glass artists that

illuminate the unique qualities of glass. You will be exposed to diverse perspectives as you experience highquality, innovative art that pushes the boundaries of glass. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW. Free.

friday 11 | 7–10 pm

Music Under the Stars. The New Mexico Jazz Workshop presents Ivon Ulibarri and Café Mocha, a spicy blend of Latin musical influences. Info: The Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater, 2000 Mountain Rd NW. Tickets at holdmyticket.com.

saturday 12 | 10 am

Speaker Event with John Taylor. Mr. Taylor will discuss “The Development of the Catholic Churches in New Mexico.” Info: WHEELS Museum, 1100 Second St SW, (505) 243-6269. Admission free, but donations gladly accepted.

saturday 12 | 10 am–12 pm

Pastel Society of New Mexico. Please join us at our July meeting and enjoy a fascinating presentation by award-winning New Mexico artist Lynn Kearny. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet and learn from an amazing artist and acquire knowledge about pastels and the Pastel Society. Info: Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW. Free.

saturday 12–monday 14 | 10 am–5 pm

New: Modeling Glass Feather and More. Learn to work with Modeling Glass in this three-day workshop. Complete a life-like 13” feather with glass powders and explore various techniques to work with this exciting product as you complete three projects. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW. Details and reserve your spot at thegrooveartspace. com. Instruction and all materials are included for $550.

saturday 12 | 12 pm

Author Event with L.E. Austen discussing “The Holy Doves.” Ms. Austen will do a

short reading of this spiritual thriller novel with a discussion of the book and the divide between humankind’s behavior and the spiritual morality of the ages. Info: WHEELS Museum, 1100 Second St SW, (505) 243-6269. Admission free, but donations gladly accepted.

saturday 12 | 7 pm

Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque Concert. Experience an unforgettable night of music, culture, and tradition at the Mariachi Spectacular Concert presented by The Atrisco Companies. This vibrant outdoor concert showcases some of the most powerful and passionate performances in mariachi music today. Enjoy an incredible lineup featuring Mariachi Las Catrinas, Mariachi Nuevo Mujer 2000, and the highly anticipated Leyendas del Mariachi, with a special appearance by Ballet Folklórico Paso Del Norte. Info: Sandia Resort & Casino Amphitheatre, 30 Rainbow Rd, (505) 836-0306, ldiaz@atrisco. org. Tickets available at Sandia Casino Box Office or etix.com.

saturday 12 | 7–10 pm

Music Under the Stars. The New Mexico Jazz Workshop presents Ladies Sing the Blues, a group of musicians and singers who have been performing together and apart in New Mexico and beyond for close to 50 years. Cadillac Bob and the Rhinestones ride again for this edition of Ladies Sing the Blues. Info: The Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater, 2000 Mountain Rd NW. Tickets at holdmyticket.com.

sunday 13 | 10:30 am

Chatter Sunday. Del Sol String Quartet performs music illuminating Britten’s Turn of the Screw, presented in collaboration with Santa Fe Opera. As always, your ticket includes a custom coffee drink from our espresso bar. Info: Chatter, 912 3rd St NW. Tickets: $17 adults in advance; $20 at-door, $9 students/under-30, $5 under-13 and at chatterabq.org.

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sunday 13 | 8 am

Car Collector Appreciation Day. Info: WHEELS Museum, 1100 Second St SW, (505) 243-6269. Admission free, but donations gladly accepted.

tuesday 15 | 7 pm

Beer Choir. Science has proven that the more beer you drink, the better you sing. Join Quintessence: A Community of Singers as we lead the crowd in singing pop songs, show tunes, and soulful melodies from the Beer Choir Hymnal. No experience is necessary, and all ages are welcome. Info: Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd NE. More information at quintessence-abq.com.

tuesday 15 | 7:30 pm

Ally Venable in Concert. Entertainment will be provided by this dazzling Texas blues-rock singer/songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire. Info: South Broadway Cultural Center, 1025 Broadway Blvd SE, (505) 8481320. Tickets at ampconcerts.org/ event/448230 or by phone at (505) 331-6338.

wednesday 16 | 7–8 pm

Albuquerque Concert Band. Enjoy the band when the conductor will be Chris Dollesin, Graduate Student of Conducting, UNM. Info: Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque Balloon Museum, 9201 Balloon Museum Dr NE. Free admission and open to the public.

thursday 17 | 6 pm

NHCC Summer Film Series: El Norte at Bank of America Theatre. Join us for a film screening by a Hispanic/ Chicane/Latine filmmaker. We will be presenting films that preserve, promote and/or advance the vast cultural identity and experience of Hispanic/Chicane/Latine people. After an unsuccessful attempt by a community of Mayan Indians to improve their living conditions, the Guatemalan army destroys their village. Brother and sister are able to escape and begin their challenging

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journey towards a new life in the USA. Info: National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th St SW, (505) 7244771. Cash bar with Pop Fizz; film at 7 pm. Free community event, but please reserve a spot at my.nmculture. org/43076/43077.

thursday 17 | 7:30 pm

AMP Concerts: Flor De Toloache. Latin Grammy® winning, New York-based,

all-female ensemble Flor de Toloache continues to win the hearts of both progressive and traditional mariachi music fans alike through their distinct artistic vision and sophisticated, enlightened interpretation of traditional mariachi instruments. Info: NHCC Albuquerque Journal Theatre, 1701 4th St SW, (505) 724-4771. Tickets at my.nmculture. org/43373/43374.

friday 18 | 7–10 pm

Music Under the Stars. The New Mexico Jazz Workshop presents Calle 66, a native New Mexico salsa band that serves up contemporary salsa, merengue, cumbia, and bachata with a unique style and flavor. Info: The Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater, 2000 Mountain Rd NW. Tickets at holdmyticket.com.

saturday 19 | 10 am

Author Event with Richard and Shirley Flint discussing “Overhaul”. Historians Richard Flint and Shirley Cushing Flint present the largely forgotten story of Albuquerque’s locomotive repair shops, which were the driving force behind the city’s economy for more than seventy years. In their study they also document the thousands of skilled workers who kept the locomotives in operation, many of whom were part of the growing Hispano and Native American middle class. The Flints provide an informative account of how these shops and workers played a crucial role in the formation and development of the Duke City. Info: WHEELS Museum, 1100 Second St SW, (505) 243-6269. Admission free, but donations gladly accepted.

saturday 19 | 10 am–3:30 pm

New: 3-D Stained Glass Butterflies. For anyone who has taken a beginning stained glass class, this level 2 class takes you 3-D. Learn to cut, assemble and solder these fun little butterflies that will attach a spinner so that they will turn in the breeze. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW. Reserve your spot at thegrooveartspace.com. All materials are included for $175.

saturday 19 | 11 am–5 pm

Gallery Hózhó 5-year Anniversary. Please help us celebrate our 5-year anniversary inside Hotel Chaco in the Sawmill District. We work to support local New Mexico artists and invite you to join us for a festive event with food, music, drinks, and a raffle. Some of our artists will be in attendance.

Info: Gallery Hózhó inside Hotel Chaco, 2000 Bellamah Ave NW, (505) 306-2977, galleryhozho.com. Free.

saturday 19 | 12 pm

Music Event: 3 on a Match Kabarett. Back by popular demand this is not only a musical act, but a theatrical performance group with a distinctive and unconventional approach to musical performance. Embracing the spirit of the European Kabarett style that flourished between the World Wars, they offer a oneof-a-kind ensemble experience. Their repertoire seamlessly blends traditional songs with elements of humor, satire, and wit, ensuring an entertaining journey for the audience. Info: WHEELS Museum, 1100 Second St SW, (505) 243-6269. Admission $10.

saturday 19 | 1–3 pm

A Magical Space: Linocuts and Pottery Artists Reception. This show will feature Karl and Mary Hofmann and will run through August 3rd. Wild Hearts Gallery is an artist’s collective of 14 local artists. Info: Wild Hearts Gallery, 221-B Homestead Village, Highway 165, Placitas. Hours are 10 am–2 pm Saturday and Sunday, closed Monday, 10 am–4 pm Tuesday–Friday. Virtual tour available at wildheartsgallery. com, (505) 361-2710.

sunday 20 | 10:30 am

Chatter Sunday. Chatter presents Seraph Brass Quintet, a group whose mission is to showcase the excellence of women brass players and highlight musicians from marginalized groups, both in personnel and programming. Info: Chatter, 912 3rd St NW, chatterabq.org. Tickets: $17 adults in advance; $20 at-door, $9 students/ under-30, $5 under-13.

sunday 20 | 3 pm

Quintessence Summer Choral Festival Concert. 100+ singers and a full professional orchestra perform Karl Jenkins’ “The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace.” This is the culminating event of the 13th Summer Choral Festival

from Quintessence: A Community of Singers. Info: V. Sue Cleveland High School Concert Hall, 4800 Cleveland Heights Rd, Rio Rancho. Tickets and more information at quintessenceabq.com.

sunday 20 | 6 pm

On Point Dance: Moonwalk Magic. Join us for performances from our mini 3-year-old dancers all the way through our high school dancers. We will be showcasing different genres of dance, including Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Folklorico, Contemporary and Tumbling. Our amazing competitive teams will be making an appearance, and the teachers will also be celebrating the best of Michael Jackson and his music. Info: NHCC, Albuquerque Journal Theatre, 1701 4th St SW, (505) 246-2261. Tickets at my.nmculture.org/46705/46706.

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monday 21–friday 25 | 9 am–5 pm

New: Form, Fabricate, Paint and Print Stained Glass. Renowned New York visiting glass artist Joseph Cavalieri teaches this week-long hands-on class encompassing all aspects of making a stained glass panel. Perfect for beginners and those wanting to expand their knowledge further. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW. Full details and reserve your spot at thegrooveartspace.com. All instruction and materials are included for $1,000.

thursday 24 | 7:30 pm

Jason Aldean: Full Throttle Tour 2025. Known for his energetic performances and chart-topping hits, he’s a threetime ACM “Entertainer of the Year”. Aldean has released 11 albums and 40 singles with Broken Bow Records since 2005. He has 26 solo numberone singles across Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay, and all but one

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of his solo singles have made the Billboard Hot 100. Info: Isleta Casino Amphitheater, 5601 University Blvd SE, (505) 452-5100. Tickets available at concerts.livenation.com.

friday 25 and saturday 26 | friday 4 pm–6:30 pm, saturday 9:30 am–12 pm

Gingerbread in July. Learn secrets to making gingerbread dough and practice rolling dough. Learn how to make gingerbread clay, get hands-on experience using tools and chocolate clay. Make wafer paper windows and much more. Take home all you need to bake and build your own homemade gingerbread house. Info: Now We’re Cooking, 8100 Wyoming Blvd NE, Ste. F1. Sponsored by Now We’re Cooking, Gingerbread Southwest and Linda Lyle, the Gingerbread Lady (505) 3313821. $125 includes 2025 Gingerbread Southwest Contest Registration of $25. See gingerbreadsw.com for

information about the contest and auction with proceeds benefiting A Child’s Garden.

friday 25 | 7–10 pm

Music Under the Stars. The New Mexico Jazz Workshop presents Team Havana, originally from Cuba and now based in El Paso, Texas. They keep the dance floor full all evening with their mix of salsa, bachata, merengue, chacha, timba, and kizomba. Info: The Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater, 2000 Mountain Rd NW. Tickets at holdmyticket.com.

saturday 26 | 8 am–3 pm

Lavender in the Village Festival. Join others for the largest lavender festival in the Southwest with 150 vendors of lavender plants, products, art, and delicious foods. Enjoy live music, kids’ crafts, and agricultural seminars as well. Info: Balloon Fiesta

Park, $10–$15 entrance fee. Tickets at lavenderinthevillage.org.

saturday 26 | 10 am–8 pm

New: Groovy Glass Art Market. Glass artists from across New Mexico will be setting up shop with their colorful and unique creations. Visit with all our vendors to find fabulous, oneof-a-kind, handmade gifts. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW. Free.

saturday 26 | 11 am

Author Event with Suzanne Stauffer. Suzanne will discuss “The Santa Fe Railroad Reading Rooms and the Harvey Publishing Company.” Learn the who, what, where, and especially the why behind the creation of the Santa Fe Reading Rooms, as well as their link to the Fred Harvey Newsstands and to public library development in the Southwest. More information regarding Professor

Stauffer can be found online. Info: WHEELS Museum, 1100 Second St SW, (505) 243-6269. Admission is $10.

saturday 26 | 7–10 pm

Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater. Swing into summer with Swing Dance 505 and the 18-piece Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra. A Southwest favorite for over 30 years, AJO brings big band energy and classic swing to the dance floor. Info: 2000 Mountain Rd NW. Sponsored by New Mexico Jazz Workshop. Tickets $25 general admission at nmjazz.org.

sunday 27 | 10:30 am

Chatter Sunday. Lou Harrison’s Suite for Violin, Piano and Small Orchestra, plus music for harp and winds by NM composer Michael Mauldin. As always, your ticket includes a custom coffee drink from our espresso bar. Info: Chatter, 912 3rd St NW, chatterabq. org. Tickets: $17 adults in advance;

$20 at-door, $9 students/under-30, $5 under-13.

friday, saturday and sunday through 27 | fridays and saturdays 7:30 pm, sundays 2 pm

Complete History of America, Abridged. Enjoy 600 years of American history delivered in just 90 minutes. This is a fast-paced, hilarious rollercoaster ride through U.S. history, from Washington to Watergate and beyond. Info: The Vortex Theatre, 2900 Carlisle Blvd NE, (505) 2478600. Tickets at vortexabq.org.

wednesday 30 | 7–8 pm

Albuquerque Concert Band. Enjoy the band with conductor Dr. Emily Moss, Director of Bands, UNM. Info: New Mexico Veterans Memorial Park, 1100 Louisiana Blvd SE, abqband.org. Free admission and open to the public.

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thursday 31 | 1–4 pm

New: Cool Copper Inclusions in Glass. Can you include metals in glass art? Yes, you can, and copper works very well. In this class, you’ll cut copper sheet using templates and slip them between sheets of glass to be kilnfired. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW. Reserve your spot at thegrooveartspace.com. All materials are included for $75.

ONGOING/DAILY EVENTS

every day |

Albuquerque Craft Beer Trail. Explore, drink, and win. Albuquerque has some of the best craft breweries in the country. The Albuquerque Craft Beer Trail will take you on a tour of some of the award-winning breweries in the city. Check in to breweries, collect points and win prizes. The pass is free and delivered to your mobile phone via text or email. Sign up today and start exploring craft beer in

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Albuquerque. Info: visitalbuquerque. org to sign up for free.

every day |

Tickets On Sale Now–It’s Balloon Fiesta in Spring. Just like Christmas in July, but with balloons. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta will be held October 4–12 this year. While that seems far away, an amazing Observation Deck experience is being

curated just for you. Comfortable and accessible indoor and outdoor seating, delicious catered meals, no lines, and a bar – as a matter of fact, have a drink on us. Get your tickets today and be prepared to have an elevated experience. Info: Tickets and lots more information at redziaevents. com/e/the-observation-deck-2025.

various days | various events and times Presbyterian Health Plan Place. This beautiful facility has been open for a while and has activities all month long, including fitness, nutrition, and wellness classes, such as strength training, pain care awareness, beginner’s fitness journey, tai chi, salsa dancing, sewing, making crafts, Zumba, education, and fun such as Lego Club and Dreamcatcher making. Info: 2100 Louisiana Blvd NE, Suite 408. See what’s available and the calendar at phs.org/health-planplace. Registration can also be done at this web address.

various days | various times

Albuquerque Visitor’s Guide. Info: Check out visitabq.org for many great ideas for exploring our city. An official printed Albuquerque Visitor’s Guide can also be obtained.

various days | various times

Cancer Support Now. Free services. Info: Call the helpline, (505) 2550405. Also, various days/times listed throughout Datebook for specific group and individual assistance.

various days | various times

CSP Dance Studios. Providing Albuquerque with the best partner dance instruction in town, including ballroom, Latin, swing, country, and line dance instruction. Info: 1624 Eubank Blvd NE, (505) 883-9521. Please check out our website to see all that we offer, cspdancestudios. com.

various days | various times

Overeaters Anonymous. This program of recovery uses Twelve Steps, Traditions, and Concepts, as well as the nine tools of recovery to provide a fellowship of experience, strength, and hope, where members support each other’s recovery from compulsive eating disorders such as overeating, binging, bulimia, and anorexia. Info: For more information

and a list of local meetings at oacnmi.org or call (505) 261-3553.

various days | various times

New Mexico Young Actors, Inc. Now in their 45th season, NMYA features youth ages 9 to 19 in all roles. The mission is to develop an appreciation of theater in our community –performances by children and for children. NMYA offers classes, workshops, and productions, and are always looking for new young actors to join their company. Weekly theater classes are offered for ages 5 to 18; Drama I classes for elementary, middle, and high school students; and Advanced Drama productions are available for returning students. Call (505) 821-8055, email info@ nmyoungactors.org, or visit the website at nmyoungactors.org. Prorated fees and tuition assistance available.

various days | various times

Old San Ysidro Church Tours. Come see the beauty and learn the history of one of Corrales’ most significant historic buildings. Informative docents are on hand to provide insight into the history and current usage of this iconic landmark. Info: 966 Old Church Rd, Corrales. Register for a tour at corraleshistory.org. Free.

various days | 8–10 pm

Haunted Tour of Old Town. Take a tour of Old Town Albuquerque and learn about the many ghosts who have made the Old Town square their home. Legends, folklore, ghost stories, and history come to life as you depart on an intriguing excursion – 314 years of haunted history. Info: Approximately 1 hour, 50 minutes. abqtours.fun.

daily |

Cancer Support Now. LGBT Cancer Peer Support, no charge one-on-one peer cancer support matching for cancer survivors and/or caregivers. Info: Our Helpline is available seven days a week at (505) 255-0405. Currently hosting web meetings only. Please

call our helpline for an invitation to join a web support group or to connect with someone for one-toone support.

daily | 9 am–5 pm

At Play in the Atomic Age. The toys of the atomic age reflect the times and culture of their day. The Atomic Age was born with the Manhattan Project and blasted into the public’s

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consciousness in 1945. This exhibit features over 100 artifacts from the permanent collection of the Nuclear Museum and artifacts on loan specifically for this exhibition. Info: The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, 601 Eubank Blvd NE, (505) 245-2137. Tickets $15 at nuclearmuseum.org.

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daily | various times

Wellness Classes at Los Poblanos. Restore, revive, and move with a class in the Wellness Yurt. Class offerings include Gentle Yoga, Flow and Restore Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga and Mat Pilates. Info: Los Poblanos, 4803 Rio Grande Blvd NW, (855) 486-1380. $15 per class. To reserve your space, visit lospoblanos.com/hacienda-spa/ wellness-classes.

daily | various activities and times

Jewish Community Center. The Ronald Gardenswartz Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque (JCC) is part of your extended family, your home away from home, providing programs and services for all ages and stages in life. Within our walls or around the world, our members gather to meet, play, learn, celebrate, and be part of the community. Everyone, regardless of age or religious affiliation, is welcome. Info:

JCC, 5520 Wyoming Blvd NE, (505) 332-0565, jccabq.org.

daily | various times

Al-Anon Family Groups and Alateen. Meetings held various days, times, and locations throughout Albuquerque and New Mexico and is an anonymous fellowship of relatives and friends of problem drinkers. We come together to share our experience, strength and hope to recover from the effects of another person’s drinking. Info: AlAnon Information Service, aisnm.org, (505) 262-2177.

daily |

Agora Crisis Center Volunteers. Are you a compassionate, non-judgmental person who wants to help others? Learn new skills, make friends, earn class credit, and be part of a rewarding organization. Info: Agora Crisis Center, agoracares.org (505) 277-3013.

daily | 10 am–5 pm; closed sunday

Weems Gallery & Framing. The website enables people to purchase fine art online, as well as kaleidoscopes, jewelry, glass, sculptures, photography, and wood. Go to weemsgallery.com, (505) 293-6133.

daily |

Animal Humane Free Behavioral Helpline. This service is available to all pet owners who are experiencing behavior problems with their dogs or cats. Animal Humane New Mexico’s trained behavior coaches answer questions and provide tips on everything from housetraining to living with multiple animals. Info: (505) 938-7900.

daily |

Donate Blood. Because every day, someone needs it. Info: (505) 8436227, unitedbloodservices.org.

daily |

Epilepsy Support and Education Services. For meeting times and places, call (505) 243-9119 or visit epilepsysupportnm.org.

daily | 11:30 am–5:30 pm, closed mondays

Rattlesnake Museum. See different species of live rattlesnakes displayed in recreated natural landscapes. The owners are dedicated to conservation and preservation education. Info: American International Rattlesnake Museum, 202 San Felipe Rd NW, Suite A, (505) 242-6569, rattlesnakes.com.

Tickets: $8.95 adults; $7.95 seniors, military, students, teachers; $6.95 children (ages 3–12).

daily |

Roadrunner Food Bank. Volunteers needed to prepare packaged food for distribution, repack and sort items, and other activities. The gift of your precious time helps solve hunger for many New Mexicans. Volunteers must register in advance. Shifts are available in two-hour increments, Mondays–Saturdays. Info: 5840 Office Blvd NE, givetime@rrfb.org, (505) 349-5358.

daily |

Ronald McDonald House Charities of New Mexico. A “home-away-from-home” is available for families whose children are in medical treatment. Operating the 30-guest room Yale House, 20-guest room Highlands House, and the Ronald McDonald Family Rooms at UNM and Presbyterian Hospitals, volunteers make a vital difference in the lives of the people they serve. Info: Volunteer Coordinator, volunteer@rmhc-nm.org, rmhc-nm. org, (505) 842-8960.

daily |

Cancer Support Now. Relaxation support sessions over the telephone by appointment. Our Helpline is available seven days a week at (505) 255-0405. Currently hosting web meetings only.

daily | 7 am–8 pm

Free Fishing at Tingley Beach. From sun-up to sun-down, practice your basic fly-tying methods, fly-rod casting techniques, fishing etiquette, effective catch-and-release practices, and enhancement of advanced skills. Bring your own equipment and refreshments as the store and cafes are currently closed. Great place for a picnic with trails. Make sure you have a fishing license. Info: Tingley Beach, 1800 Tingley Dr SW, call 311 or (505) 768-2000.

daily

| 9 am–4 pm

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Please join others for virtual and in-person events which offer a unique way to experience Pueblo culture including cultural dances, daily artists, lecture series, pick-up meals, book club, collections tours, Indigenous agriculture workshops, and many other special events. While here, enjoy the restaurant and shop

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at the store. Info: IPCC, 2401 12th St NW, (505) 843-7270. See website for events and exhibitions, indianpueblo. org.

daily | 10 am–1 pm; 2–6 pm

Adopt a Pet. Find your best pet ever. Adopt a dog, cat, puppy, or kitten from Animal Humane New Mexico. Adoption fees include spay/neuter, vaccinations, and a microchip. Info: 615 Virginia St SE, (505) 255-5523 and 10141 Coors Blvd NW, (505) 3237387, animalhumanenm.org.

daily | various times

NAMI NM and NAMI Albuquerque (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill). There are many support programs available weekly – Zoom at no charge. Also, 8-week classes are offered on mental illness that are available at no charge to family members and people with a mental health condition or diagnosis. During trying times, stress, anxiety, depression, and anger are

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prevalent. Info: naminewmexico.org, namialbuquerque.org, information line (505) 260-0154. Free.

daily | 10 am–5 pm

Amapola Gallery. This is a group of 39 local artists and artisans who have joined together to keep quality and variety up, prices down. They are small, local, creative, and the artists’ wondrous works are always priced right. Info: Amapola Gallery in Old Town on the Plaza, 205 Romero St NW, (505) 242-4311, amapolagallery. com.

daily | 10 am–5 pm

Explora! Explora! is an innovative experiential learning center located in the heart of Old Town Albuquerque with over 250 interactive exhibits and activities in science, technology, engineering, art, and math for the whole family. Open 9–11 Mondays for Toddler Time. Info: 170 Mountain Rd NW, explora@explora.us, (505) 600-

6072. Tickets: $6–$10 at explora@ explora.us/visitor-information.

daily | 10 am–8 pm

Watermelon Mountain Ranch Animal Center. New Mexico’s largest no-kill animal shelter seeks loving homes for rescued dogs and cats. Adoptions occur at select PetSmart locations and Watermelon Mountain Ranch. Donations, fosters, and volunteers are always welcome. Info: wmranch. org, (505) 771-0140, wmranchnm@ aol.com.

daily

| 12:30 pm

Duplicate Bridge. There are open games for newer and experienced players Monday–Saturday, and special novice games on Thursdays. Come with your favorite partner or call us for help finding a partner. Info: Duke City Bridge Club, 8616 Northeastern Blvd NE, (505) 271-2877, dukecitybridge. com. Entrance fee is $6.

various days | monday–thursday 9 am–12 pm; saturday–sunday 10 am–2 pm The Wheels Museum, Inc. This museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit community organization whose mission is to create a transportation museum at the downtown Albuquerque Steam Locomotive Repair Shops. Educational programs, tours, and presentations are provided for the community in the 21,000 square foot historic building located at 2nd and Pacific SW (1100 2nd St SW). Info: Visit wheelsmuseum.org for information on all the interesting and informative exhibits, (505) 2436269. Tax deductible donations are gratefully accepted; contact Leba at leba4@aol.com.

various days | various times

Create Art at The Groove Artspace. Explore your creativity in a relaxed setting with local teaching artists. Offered is a wide range of art classes

for adults, teens, and youth. Info: The Groove Artspace, 309 Gold Ave SW, (505) 750-1713. Check out our full list of daytime and evening availability, as well as weekday and weekend classes at thegrooveartspace.com. Class fees generally include all materials.

various days | various times

ABQ Scavenger Hunt. Teams of two to five people solve clues, complete challenges, and work together to unravel secrets of the city. Info: (805) 603-5620, 1919 Old Town Rd NW, urbanadventurequest.com, $49 per team; $10 off coupon at visitalbuquerque.org.

various days | various times

Tango Club of Albuquerque. Please contact info@abqtango.org for details about various classes, workshops, and opportunities for social dancing.

saturdays and sundays

Birthday Parties at Explora. The smartest party in town is at Explora! Celebrate with all-day museum admission, a private party room, and an interactive activity of your choice led by an Explora host. Now booking online at explora.com for two-hour blocks. Pricing for members and nonmembers.

sundays

| check website

Breaking Bad Tour. Breaking Bad fans won’t want to miss this entertaining and action-packed tour that features many show locations that only true fans will appreciate. Your Breaking Bad knowledge will be tested with trivia from the show, so come prepared to win prizes. Locations may change depending upon ongoing filming schedules. Info: 1919 Old Town Rd NW, abqtours.fun for more information and $80 tickets.

sundays | 10:30 am

Chatter Sunday offers weekly Sunday morning concerts which also include readings and refreshments. A calendar can be found at chatterabq.org and in Datebook above. Info: Performances are held at 912 Third St NW. Doors

open at 9:30; for best seats, come early and enjoy the coffee and camaraderie. Advance tickets: $17 adults, $9 under-30 and students, and $5 children, at chatterabq.org/ boxoffice and if still available, at the door: $20 adults, $9 students, $5 children.

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sundays | 1–3 pm

Brain Gang Trivia with host, Matt Hoffberg. Bring your brain, bring the gang, and show us your wits. It’s free, it’s fun, and there are prizes to be won. Info: Craft Republic, 4301 The Lane 25 NE, braingangtrivia.com. 18+ welcome.

sundays | 5–7 pm

(not Father’s Day, June 15th)

Brain Gang Trivia with host, Matt Hoffberg. Bring your brain, bring the gang, and show us your wits. It’s free, it’s fun, and there are prizes to be won. Info: The BLOCK, 7805 Enchanted Hills Blvd NE, Rio Rancho, braingangtrivia. com. 18+ welcome.

mondays–saturdays | 10:30 am–2 pm

Albuquerque City Library Bookshop. Funds raised by the Bookshop go directly to the Library to fund important literacy programs, staff development, and community outreach efforts. Info: Main Library, Lower Level, 501 Copper Ave NW. Two-hour free parking available; bring parking ticket to the library to get validated.

mondays | 9–11 am

Toddler Time at Explora. Enjoy Explora with your wee ones in an exclusive extra hour, including story time and special songs by the resident musician, Tom. Info: Explora, 1701 Mountain Rd NW, (505) 600-6072, explora.us.

mondays | 12 pm

Kiwanis Club of Albuquerque. Speaker luncheons are held the first three Mondays of each month. The speaker programs are highly regarded. Info: Embassy Suites Hotel, 1000 Woodward Pl NE. Reserve your seat for the buffet lunch at dorner66@ gmail.com.

mondays | 2:30–4 pm

UNM and Cancer Support Now. Survivors Writing Together is a journaling support group for survivors, men and women, all cancer diagnoses. Info: Our Helpline is available seven days a week at (505) 255-0405. Currently hosting web meetings only. Please call our helpline for an invitation to join a web support group or to connect with someone for one-toone support.

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first and third mondays | 4:30–5:30 pm

UNM and Cancer Support Now. Survivors and/or caregivers, all diagnoses, men, and women. Info: Our Helpline is available seven days a week at (505) 255-0405. Currently hosting web meetings only. Please call our helpline for an invitation to join a web support group or to connect with someone for one-to-one support.

mondays | 6–8 pm

Brain Gang Trivia. Bring your brain, bring the gang, and show us your wits. It’s free, it’s fun, and there are prizes to be won. Info: Canteen Taproom, 417 Tramway Blvd NE, (505) 200-2344, braingangtrivia.com. 18+ welcome.

mondays and wednesdays | 9:30 pm

Online Tango Classes. Live lessons with Eva Garle˙ and Pablo Rodriguez. Info: Bien Milonguero Tango School, 1512 First St NW, evaypablotango@ gmail.com or (505) 313-5316 text or Whatsapp.

monday–friday | 9:30 am–2:30 pm

Albuquerque Garden Center. Our events include the Cactus and Succulent Society Show and Sale, the African Violet Show and Sale, the Annual Spring Plant Sale, and the Aril and Iris Show. Info: Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd NE. albuquerquegardencenter.org. Free.

mondays–saturdays | 12–2 pm

Exquisite Turquoise in the Castle. This extraordinary German-style castle is the museum setting featuring rare turquoise specimens, lapidary demos, history and geology, a mine tunnel replica, hands-on activities for kids, and silversmithing. Info: The Turquoise Museum, 400 2nd St SW. Tickets at turquoisemuseum.com, (505) 433-3684.

mondays, wednesdays, and fridays | 10 am–1:30 pm

Telephone Museum. The museum’s purpose is to educate young and old alike to the history of the telephone in New Mexico and to preserve the legacy of the telephone people who built that industry in New Mexico. There are four floors of exhibits, telephone switchboards and telephones, as well as four audio exhibits in the original telephone building from 1906. There are telephone directories from 1916-current from almost every town in New Mexico. Info: 110 Fourth St NW, (505) 842-2937. Scheduled tours can be made after normal museum hours.

mondays–fridays

8:30 am–4 pm

Presbyterian Health Plan Place. Start enjoying your health and wellness journey. We will educate and guide you no matter where you are in your health journey to build a strong foundation. Our resources, services, and classes are open to all, free of charge and regardless of insurance. Join us for activities around nutrition, fitness, and self-management and wellness. Any Medicare eligible individual with any type of health insurance is welcome at Health Plan Place. Info: 2100 Louisiana Blvd NE, Ste. 408. View a number of upcoming events at phs.org/health-plan-place. Free.

tuesdays | 2–3 pm

Caregiver Support Group. Caregiving for a loved one can be overwhelming and isolating. This group provides a compassionate space for caregivers to gain emotional support and information. Facilitated by Erin Tarica, LMSW. Info: Jewish Community Center, 5520 Wyoming Blvd NE. Preregistration required, (505) 3484451, free.

tuesdays | 6–8 pm

Chess Club. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Info: Corrales Community Library, 84 West La Entrada, (505) 897-0733.

tuesdays | 6:30–8:30 pm

The New MexiChords Barbershop Chorus. Love to sing? The New MexiChords Barbershop Chorus is looking for men and women to join them. It is not necessary to read music to join. Sheet music and learning tracks are available to learn songs. Two concerts are performed annually and they also sing at Albuquerque’s Citizenship Naturalization Ceremonies as well as other civic events, such as the Balloon Fiesta and others as they arise. Info: St. John’s United Methodist Church, 2626 Arizona Ave NE. For more information, contact Walt Parsons at (505) 410-9635.

tuesdays | 7–9 pm

Brain Gang Trivia with host, Matt Hoffberg. Bring your brain, bring the gang, and show us your wits. It’s free, it’s fun, and there are prizes to be won. Info: The Tatted Bee Brewhouse, 11500 Menaul Blvd NE, (505) 554-2513, braingangtrivia.com. 18+ welcome.

second tuesdays | 4–7 pm

Tasting Tuesdays at Town and Ranch. On the second Tuesday of every month, New Mexico spirits are sampled with guests from distilleries around the state. Stop by to try something new, meet local distillers, and relax. Info: Town and Ranch, 1318 Fourth St NW, lospoblanos.com/events/townranch-events, (505) 808-1715.

second tuesdays | 5:30–7 pm

Turquoise Trail Harley Owners Group, Chapter #2015. Socialize with other Harley Owners Group members to learn about upcoming events and rides and get to know our fellow Harley-Davidson enthusiasts. Green chile cheeseburgers are available for purchase from the Moose Lodge. First meeting is free; National HOG membership is required in order to join the Chapter. We love to RIDE. Info: Loyal Order of Moose Lodge, 2121 Edith Blvd NE, turquoisetrailhog. org.

tuesdays, wednesdays, and thursdays | 6 pm

Argentine Tango Classes. Practicums and events with Puerta al Tango (Graham P. Stanford). Info: Las Puertas, 1500 First St NW, Puerta-al-tango.com. Contact graham@puertotango.com.

tuesdays–saturdays | 9 am–5 pm

Art and History Exhibitions. See the Albuquerque Museum website for the current listing of exhibitions. Info: Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW, cabq.gov/ artsculture/abqmuseum, (505) 2437255. General admission: $3–$6; a $5 exhibition surcharge may apply.

tuesdays–saturdays | 9:30 am, 1:30 pm tuesdays–fridays;

10:30 am, 12 pm, 1:30 pm saturdays

Casa San Ysidro Tours. Take a tour of this late 19th century building filled with an excellent collection of New Mexico vernacular art. Info: Casa San Ysidro, 973 Old Church Rd, Corrales, cabq.gov/casasanysidro, (505) 8983915, $4–$6 general admission.

tuesdays | 3:30–5 pm

UNM/Cancer Support Now. Advanced cancer survivors writing together. This is a journaling support group for survivors of cancer; men and women, all diagnoses. Info: Our Helpline is available seven days a week at (505) 255-0405. Currently hosting web meetings only. Please call our helpline for an invitation to join a web support group or to connect with someone for one-to-one support.

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tuesdays | 7 pm

Music Bingo Night. Enjoy yourself and invite friends to join you with food, drinks, and friendly competition presented by World’s Best Trivia. Food truck on site from 5–10 pm. Prizes awarded. Info: Flock of Moons Brewing Company, 111 Harvard Dr SE.

second tuesdays | 10:30–12 pm

Pueblo of Isleta Cancer Community Support. Info: Isleta Pueblo Health Clinic, 1 Sagebrush St.

tuesdays–sundays | 10 am–5 pm

National Hispanic Cultural Center Exhibits. See the website for the current listing of exhibitions. Info: National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 Fourth St SW, (505) 246-2261, nhccnm.org.

tuesdays, thursdays, fridays, sundays | 11 am

Historic Old Town Tours. Explore historic Old Town on foot with informative docents who will provide insight into the people and places that shaped this early community. Info: Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW, cabq.gov, 243-7255. Tour included with paid museum admission, $4–$6, Sundays free.

second and fourth tuesdays | 4–5:30 pm

Cancer Support Now. Santa Fe Women’s Group, Surviving Sisters. All cancers, all diagnoses, all stages, all women. Info: The Helpline is available seven days a week at (505) 255-0405. Currently hosting web meetings only. Please call the helpline for an invitation to join a web support group or to connect with someone for oneto-one support.

tuesday–sunday | 10 am–5 pm

The Corrales Bosque Gallery. Artistowned and operated, the Corrales Bosque Gallery is delighted to display the work of its 18 memberartists. You will find a wide variety of media and styles, including painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, drawing, folk art, beadwork, and mosaic. Info: 4685 Corrales Rd, (505) 898-7203, corralesbosquegallery.com.

first wednesdays | 9 am–5 pm

Free First Wednesday. Start your month off right with free admission to the Albuquerque Museum and vetera Garden tour. An additional $5 special exhibit surcharge may apply. Info: Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NE, cabq.gov/ artsculture, (505) 243-7255.

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wednesdays | 6–8 pm

Brain Gang Trivia with Host, Matt Hoffberg. Bring your brain, bring the gang, and show us your wits. It’s free, it’s fun, and there are prizes to be won. Info: Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd NE, (505) 881-2737, braingangtrivia. com. 18+ welcome.

second wednesdays | 12–1 pm

Cancer Support Now. Sandia Base cancer support group for survivors of all cancers, all stages, men and women. Info: The Helpline is available seven days a week at (505) 255-0405. Currently hosting web meetings only. Please call the helpline for an invitation to join a web support group or to connect with someone for oneto-one support.

second and fourth

wednesdays | 11:30 am

Rotary Club of Albuquerque Del Norte. The Club welcomes visitors and community partners interested

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in networking, fellowship, and uplifting presentations to luncheon attendees. New members are welcomed into committees which suit their interests and skills. Info and schedule: rotarydelnorte.org, email rotarydelnorteabq@gmail.com.

wednesdays–sundays | 10 am–4 pm

Natural History Museum. Explore the most dynamic dinosaurs that roamed New Mexico. Learn to balance like Seismosaurus, hunt like Coelophysis, and stomp like Tyrannosaurus. Info: New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 1801Mountain Rd NW, nmnaturalhistory.org, (505) 841-2848.

wednesdays–sundays | 11 am–3:30 pm

New Mexico Holocaust & Intolerance Museum. The museum is dedicated to providing knowledge about

genocides and intolerance throughout history, continuing to the present day. Approximately 50 percent of the museum focuses on the Holocaust; the remaining space is devoted to other genocides, human rights, and social justice issues. Info: 616 Central Ave SW, (505) 2470606, nmholocaustmuseum.org. Reservations required for parties of five or more.

wednesdays–sundays | 11 am–5 pm

Help Socialize Cats and Have Fun. Please visit and enjoy drinks, snacks, and spend time with adorable, adoptable cats at Catopia Cat Cafe. Your visit will support their foster home and they will love the snuggles and playtime until they find permanent homes. Regular hours are ages 8+ and an all ages night is offered from 5-8 pm Wednesdays. Also offered are Yoga with Cats, Painting with Cats, and

Henna Cat-toos. Info: catopiacatcafe. com, Paseo Village, 8001 Wyoming Blvd NE, Ste. C-5, (505) 508-4278. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

first thursdays bimonthly (every other) | 6:30 pm Lymphedema + Lipedema Support Group. Patients, caregivers, and advocates are invited to share experiences and strategies in a supportive space. Learn about wellness resources, compression options, and self-care techniques. Info: Hosted by Balanced Physical Therapy + Wellness, 7849 Tramway Blvd NE, Suite A (Paseo Del Norte and Tramway Blvd). balancedrehababq.com/lymph, (505) 821-3831.

thursdays | 10:30 am

Story Time at the Zoo. With storybooks and props, volunteers will take you on imaginative tours of the world. Aimed at our youngest zoo-goers,

Story Time includes fun tales and educational facts about animals at the zoo. Each week features a different animal. Info: Story Time meets in the Africa amphitheater February–November depending on volunteer schedules. Story Time lasts about an hour. Info: Albuquerque BioPark, 903 10th St SW, (505) 764-6214 for more information.

thursdays | 11:30 am

Road Runner Business Networking Group. If you’d like to generate more business referrals, meet with us. Info: Jimmy’s Café, 7007 Jefferson St NE. Contact Terry at (505) 377-6074, triddle@ rmmsonline.com or roadrunnersabq. com.

thursdays | 4–5:30 pm

UNM/Cancer Support Now. Friends and Family Writing Together. This is a journaling support group for survivors of metastatic cancer; men and women, all diagnoses. Info: Our Helpline is available seven days a week at (505) 255-0405. Currently hosting web meetings only. Please call our helpline for an invitation to join a web support group or to connect with someone for one-toone support.

thursdays | 5:30—7:30 pm

Study Hours with Childcare. CNM student families are invited to take advantage of study hours at Explora. Childcare will be provided by Brillante for kids between the ages of three and 12. X Studio programming is available for children older than 12. Info: This is a free service available at Explora, 1701 Mountain Road NW, (505) 600-6072 or email brillante@explora.us for more information. Space is limited.

thursdays | 6–9 pm

Karaoke. Join DJ Danielsan for an evening of fun. Take the stage and sing your favorite songs or relax with friends while enjoying great drinks and food. Sip on cocktails, local NM craft beers, and wines. Feast on dishes from Ursa Minor, Suffocakes, La Cocina de Maria, Vegan Vato, and

Latin Flavor ABQ. Info: Imperial Inn, 701 Central Ave NE. Free.

thursdays | 6:30 pm

Nerd Nite. Nerd Nite is a monthly lecture event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. It’s often about science or technology, but by no means is it limited to such topics. And it’s definitely entertaining. Our unofficial tag line is “It’s like the Discovery Channel–with beer!” There are Nerd Nites around the world; ABQ is just one of them. Info: Santa Fe Brewing Company Taproom at Green Jeans Food Hall, 3600 Cutler Ave NE, #1. Take a gander at nerdnite.com for more info or contact Nat at (650) 319-5001.

thursdays | 7–9 pm

Brain Gang Trivia with Host, Matt Hoffberg. Bring your brain, bring the gang, and show us your wits. It’s free, it’s fun, and there are prizes to be won. Info: The BLOCK, 7805 Enchanted Hills Blvd NE, Rio Rancho. 18+ welcome.

second and fourth thursdays | 3:30–5 pm

Cancer Support Now. Pancreatic cancer caregiver support group for caregivers of patients and survivors of pancreatic cancer, all stages, men, and women. Info: The Helpline is available seven days a week at (505) 255-0405. Hosting web meetings only currently. Please call the helpline for an invitation to join a web support group or to connect with someone for one-to-one support.

first and third thursdays | 5–6:30 pm

Cancer Support Now. Women’s North Valley cancer support group for all cancers, all women, survivors and/ or caregivers. Info: The Helpline is available seven days a week at (505) 255-0405. Currently hosting web meetings only. Please call the helpline for an invitation to join a web support group or to connect with someone for one-to-one support.

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thursdays | 4–6 pm

Tutoring Thursdays at Explora. Tutoring in the Tech Lab. Want help with tricky homework or a study partner for that upcoming quiz? Drop in for an effective tutoring session. Ages 13–19 welcome. Info: Explora, 1701 Mountain Rd NW, (505) 600-6072, explora.us.

thursdays | 6–8 pm

Live Music at Town & Ranch. We are featuring our favorite local artists to pair with our selection of local spirits and craft cocktails. Info: Town & Ranch, 1318 4th St NW. For details visit lospoblanos.com/events. Free.

thursdays | 9:30 pm

Online Tango Classes. Follower’s technique with Eva. All levels. Info: Bien Milonguero Tango School, 1512 First St NW, evaypablotango@ gmail.com or (505) 313-5316 text or Whatsapp.

first friday | 9 pm

Chatter Late Works. Info: Chatter, 912 3rd St NW. Doors open at 8:15; concert starts at 9 pm. General admission is $15 with tickets at chatterabq.org/ boxoffice and, if still available, at the door. Cash bar provided by Rumor Brewing.

fridays | 12–1:30 pm

Grief and Loss Support Group. Grief is a natural process that can often be eased – sharing with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one or any other significant loss. Info: Jewish Care Program, (505) 8213214, free.

fridays | 1–4 pm

Tamarind Institute. See the workshop facility, learn about fine art lithography, current programs, and the history of Tamarind (a division within the College of Fine Arts at UNM). See a collaborative process video and a printing demonstration. The public is welcome, no reservation required; reservation for other times: tamarind.unm.edu. Info: Tamarind

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Institute, 2500 Central Ave SE, (505) 277-3901. Free.

fridays

| 4–6 pm

Fix-it Fridays and Crafternoons at Explora. Join others for a variety of projects – repair your broken electronics, use sewing skills to bring old clothes back to life, and craft with friends over Boba Tea drinks. Info: Explora, 1701 Mountain Rd NW, (505) 600-6072, explora.us.

fridays

6, 13, 20, and 27 | 6:30 pm

Live Music at Winrock Park. AMP Concerts is presenting a Summer Concert Series on Friday evenings in June with a mix of local, national, and international stars, as well as food venders, activities, and local brews from Santa Fe Brewing Company. Two groups will perform each night. Free parking and water stations will be available; bring blankets and chairs for seating on a first come,

first served basis on the lawn. Info: Winrock Park, 2100 Louisiana Blvd NE. See the current schedule at ampconcerts.org/tag/winrock, (505) 232-9868. AMP Concerts – Amplify your life.

fridays | 7–10 pm

Dance Party. Learn a new dance and meet new people each week at ABQ’s newest studio, with three beautiful ballrooms and state-ofthe-art floating dance floors. Enjoy refreshments and an introductory dance class from 7–8 pm. Info: Holiday Dance Studio, 5200 Eubank Blvd NE. Call to confirm schedule, (505) 5084020, holidaydancestudio.com, $30.

every first friday |

Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum Free Admission Day. Check out this award-winning, world-class facility highlighting the art, culture, history, science and sport of hot air ballooning and other lighter-than-

aircraft. Info: 9201 Balloon Museum Dr NE (north of Alameda), (505) 7686020, cabq.gov/balloon.

fridays | 7–9 pm

Square Dance. Come dance with the Duke City Square Dance Club every Friday night. We dance SSD, Mainstream and Plus levels. Info: Albuquerque Square Dance Center, 4915 Hawkins St. Dukecitysquaredanceclub. The cost is $8. For more information, contact dukecitysd0@gmail.com.

fridays | 7–9

Solid Grounds Music Café. Solid Grounds is a unique venue offering musical inspiration and community in a coffeehouse atmosphere, every Friday evening. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Live music from 7 til 9 pm. No cover charge. Info: Hosted by Rio Grande Center for Spiritual Living. 4374 Alexander Blvd NE, (505) 224-9405, rgcsl.org. Everyone is welcome and donations are gratefully accepted.

second fridays | 6–7 pm

Free Country Dance Lessons. Friday night just got waaaay better. Info: Dirty Bourbon, 9800 Montgomery Blvd NE, (505) 883-9521. Sponsored by and information available at cspdancestudios.com.

every

third friday | 7–9 pm

Cactus and Succulent Society of New Mexico. Discuss cacti and succulents; enjoy a program presented on a subject relevant to these plants. The program usually includes a slideshow. It is not necessary to be a member to attend. Info: Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd NE, (505) 296-6020 new-mexico.cactussociety.org.

fridays, saturdays, and sundays

Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque. The passion and energy of flamenco comes alive as you experience flamenco in its most intimate, powerful setting

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in the heart of historic Old Town Albuquerque. Featuring a worldclass lineup of artists, the Tablao Flamenco presents a dynamic schedule of performances. Info: Friday and Saturday dinner shows feature electrifying performances accompanied by an exclusive fourcourse meal created by Hotel Albuquerque’s Chef, Gilbert Aragon. Visiting on Sunday? Enjoy a light tapas menu and regionally inspired fine wines and spirits. Reservations and more information, dates, and times are found at tablaoflamenco. org.

saturdays | 8 am–12 pm

Downtown Growers’ Market. Shop the largest selection of local farmers and ranchers in Albuquerque. Each bring their own knowledge, flavor, and personal touch to the plants they grow, animals they raise, and bees they tend. Info: Robinson Park, 8th St and Central Ave.

saturdays | 9 am–12 pm

Duplicate Bridge Lessons. Whether you are new to bridge or a former or rusty player, enjoy the free supervised play lessons – no partner needed. Info: Duke City Bridge Club, 8616 Northeastern Blvd NE, (505) 2712877, dukecitybridge.com. Free.

saturdays | 10 am–2 pm

Study Hours with Childcare. CNM student families are invited to take advantage of study hours at Explora. Childcare will be provided by Brillante for kids between the ages of three and 12. X Studio programming is available for children older than 12. Info: This is a free service available at Explora, 1701 Mountain Rd NW, (505) 600-6072 or email brillante@explora.us for more information. Space is limited.

saturdays | 12–1 pm

Watermelon Mountain Ranch Volunteer Orientation. Come to the main facility

in northern Rio Rancho to find out all about the volunteer program and the opportunities to work with the animals in our care. Info: Watermelon Mountain Ranch, 3251 Westphalia Blvd SE, Rio Rancho, wmranch.org. Reservations required: volunteerwmr@gmail.com.

saturdays | 12:30–1:45 pm

Children’s Chorus of Rio Rancho Rehearsals. Rio Rancho’s premiere children’s chorus for 2nd–5th graders accepts singers of all backgrounds, styles, cultures, orientations, abilities, and identities. Our program is led by a professional chorale director and accompanist at every rehearsal. Discover the joy of singing in a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone is welcome. Info: Star Heights Recreation Center, 800 Polaris Blvd, rr-cc.org or email info@rr-cc.org for information on registration. You may also come to any rehearsal in September to speak

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to us directly. $125 sibling discounts/ payment plans available.

saturdays | 12:30–1:45 pm

Rio Rancho Youth Chorus Rehearsals. Rio Rancho’s acclaimed youth chorus for 6th–12th graders accepts singers of all backgrounds, styles, cultures, orientations, abilities, and identities. No experience or auditions required. Our program is led by a professional chorale director and accompanist at every rehearsal. Join us as we discover new genres, learn fun and challenging music, harmonize, make friends, and grow together in music. Register today. Info: Star Heights Rec Center, 800 Polaris Blvd, rr-cc.org/ or email info@rr-cc.org for information on registration. You may also come to any rehearsal in September to speak to us directly. $125 sibling discounts/ payment plans available.

saturdays | 1–3 pm

Duke City Model Yacht Club. Join us every Saturday at Tingley Beach where we race remote-controlled sailboats. All are welcome to visit us at the pond. We will be happy to help you sail one of our boats before or after the races. Info: 1800 Tingley Dr SW, dcmyc.org.

most 2nd and 4th saturdays | 7–10 pm

ABQ Dance Club. Fun social dances with a variety of music for swing, country, ballroom, and Latin. All levels. No partner needed and beginners are welcome (introductory dance lesson at 6:45 pm on 4th Saturday). Info: ABQ Square Dance Center, 4915 Hawkins St NE. For more info and to confirm schedule, email glkello@ nmia.com or call (505) 299-3737 (no text; leave message). $8 fee ($5 ADC) includes light refreshments, lesson or mixer dance (TBD).

saturdays | 2:30–4:30 pm

Tango Club of Albuquerque’s Weekly Practice. At this Argentine Tango practice, no partner is necessary. Info: ABQ Square Dance Center, 4909 Hawkins St NE, abqtango.org.

second

saturdays | 6–8:30 pm

Community Coffee House. Warm up with a cup and the opening musical performer. This is a great way to spend a Saturday evening listening to music and enjoying friends, old and new. Info: Unity Spiritual Center, relocated from the East Mountains to 9800 Candelaria Rd NE, (505) 292-1998, uscabq.org/coffeehouse for information about the month’s performers. (Not affiliated with the church.)

third saturdays |

Blue Star Mothers. General membership meeting for mothers of sons or daughters who currently serve or

have served in the U.S. military. They pack care packages four times a year for those serving in the military. They also volunteer and participate in several military events throughout the year. Info: 2919 2nd St NW, rgvnmbsm.org. Contact Ruby at rubyjeangarcia@gmail.com or (505) 203-8250 or Denise at (505) 8836240. Free.

every first saturday | 10–11:30 am

People Living Through Cancer. Support Group for women with any gynecological cancer plus concurrent group for families/caregivers. Info: The Gynecological Cancer Awareness Project holds these peer-led groups at the People Living – Cancer Office, 3411 Candelaria Rd NE, Suite M, theGCAP.org.

every second saturday | 10 – 11 am

Visionary Arts Crafts Guild (VACG) Monthly Membership Meeting. VACG’s mission is to develop a fellowship among craftspeople and facilitate a market for crafts. Info: Meet at the RRRCC, 4201 Crestview Dr, Rio Rancho (except Nov and Dec) (505) 340-5846.

EARLY AUGUST EVENTS

friday 1 | 1–4 pm

Serendipity and Sharing. Amapola Gallery presents Delfie Martinez and Vera Russell as our Featured Artists in August. Their works include kiln

INCLUDE YOUR EVENTS IN THE DATEBOOK!

Please send an e-mail with the date, time, and event description to datebook@abqthemag. com. If available, include a high-resolution digital photograph or image. Listing information deadline is the 10th two months prior to publication (e.g.—all MAY events must be submitted by March 10, etc.). All events are subject to change. Please call event organization for final verification on events, times, dates, prices, and ticket availability.

glass and paintings. Using vastly different art forms, both artists benefit from the serendipity of process, and proceed with a desire to share their visions of the world with others. The exhibition will be up for the entire month of August. Info: Amapola Gallery, on The Plaza in Old Town, upstairs at 205 Romero St NW, (505) 242-4311, amapola-gallery.com.

friday 8–31 | fridays and saturdays 7:30 pm; sundays 2 pm

A View From the Bridge. Arthur Miller’s iconic drama tells a gripping story of family, loyalty, and betrayal and follows a Brooklyn longshoreman whose dangerous choices threaten to unravel his fa mily and his community. Info: Vortex Theatre, 2900 Carlisle Blvd NE, vortexabq.org, (505) 2478600.

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tuesday 5 | 4:30–5:15 pm

Town & Ranch Production and Distillery Tour. Join a behind-the-scenes tour of our production space, meet the team, and watch our lavender essential oil be transformed into soaps, salves, spirits and more. Closed-toed shoes are required. Info: Town & Ranch, 1318 4th St NW. For details visit lospoblanos.com/events. Free.

wednesday 6 | 5:30–7:30 pm

Artist Talk: A Toast to 10 Years. Join us at La Quinta for a special evening celebrating Valpuri Remling and her ten-year journey as Tamarind’s Master Printer Info: La Quinta Cultural Center, 4803 Rio Grande Blvd NW. $35 includes a sparkling wine toast, light hors d’oeuvres and a hands-on activity guided by a Tamarind student printer. For details visit lospoblanos. com/events.

Everyday

WOF ABQ

hat exactly does a hero look like?

Do they wear a cape—or perhaps a uniform? Does a certain person or a specific character come to mind?

By definition, heroes perform noble and noteworthy feats, although popular depictions often seen in comic books and on the big screen usually paint heroes as having supernatural abilities, which skirts the truth of the matter: that heroes in real-life are everyday people, just like everyone else.

However, there’s something to be said about what constitutes a hero—and perhaps it does involve some sort of innate, unnameable power. What possesses a firefighter to run through a burning building, risking

their life for another person? What motivates, for example, a teacher to show up every morning (often at the crack of dawn) to educate the next generation? And what sacrifices do these incredible individuals make as a result of their careers?

Nominated by members of the community, these heroes run the gamut in terms of the work that they do; from a retired principal to a parole officer, the face of heroism is not limited to first responders—although there are certainly police officers, firefighters, and EMTs among the mix. However, one uniting factor stands for all: a deep sense of commitment—and a higher calling to help people, no matter who they are or what the situation requires.

BY : ATM STAFF | PHOTOS BY : DON JAMES

AdrianMontoya

Albuquerque Police Officer & Awe-Inspiring Athlete

Some people, as they say, were born to serve—possessing a certain unnamable attribute that allows them to put their life in the way of danger for the greater good. Either a person has it, or they don’t—but for Adrian Montoya, it’s always been an essential part of who he is.

“From the time when I was 10 years old, all the way until I graduated high school, I played offensive line. And as an offensive lineman, you protect your quarterback and the running backs,” explains Montoya. “I think that protecting is kind of just ingrained in me. Being a protector is so deeply rooted in my DNA.”

Born and raised in ABQ, Montoya served in the Air Force for four years, until circumstances brought him back to the desert—even though he didn’t plan on returning. But it’s home now, says Montoya—and he absolutely loves it here.

Often seen with his loyal police aid, Sonic, Montoya is currently an Albuquerque Police Officer—and he has been partnered with his canine companion for a little over a year now. His role in law enforcement has ultimately led to tremendous, life-altering results, including a decisive effort that completely changed the course of a young boy’s life.

“We took a child abuse call, myself and my partner at the time. She was on scene first, visibly upset,” he remembers. “And she’s like, he’s in the car, this little boy, and he had teeth missing. He was five. He probably shouldn’t have had teeth missing yet. His face was swollen shut. Burn mark on his face, below his mouth. Like this little

boy had been getting abused really bad.”

A month or so later after the call, AFR and APD held a joint Christmas toy drive—and Montoya and the rest of his team got the chance to see the little boy again.

“We all got him Christmas gifts, and they had breakfast and donuts and stuff for him and his foster family at the time. And he came in and was completely unrecognizable. He was just so excited to

see all the first responders that were there for him that night. And it was so cool to see that we did take him out of a really bad situation. He was safe, and he was happy.”

Montoya’s remarkable dedication to his community goes beyond his day-today life as an officer—which is anything but typical. He has been an instrumental member of the New Mexico Brujos rugby team since 2013, supporting fellow rugby players on and off the field. “He fosters unity and strength,” says longtime teammate Cody Peluso. “And he teaches important life skills, encouraging resilience among the youth and fellow athletes.”

In addition to rugby, Montoya has recently taken up jiu-jitsu, which helps him counteract the stresses and demands of his work. He also coaches his oldest son’s baseball team and finds great joy and fulfillment in spending time with his family.

For all of his outstanding work and dedication to the community, Montoya notes that there’s still a huge disconnect between law enforcement officers and the general public.

“We’re just normal people too,” he says. “We just chose to do a job that can sometimes be the bad guy. As long as we all start taking on that mindset of treating people with dignity and respect, I think we can start bridging those gaps.”

CChristopher Northup Firefighter Lieutenant

hristopher Northup knew from a young age that he wanted to help people—but early on, he lacked the direction needed to turn it into a career. But all that started to change after one devastating event.

“Around high school, we had graduated, and I lost one of my best friends in a car accident,” he remembers. “I know the fire department responded—so I knew they help people, they do great work, and it’s very rewarding and humbling to be in a position like that.”

Northup at the time also received a little help from a friend—someone who spoke to him about the firefighting program and all involved steps—from licenses to the application process. “And so he’s like, how come you haven’t thought about the fire department? I was like, I don’t know. It’s a good question. I guess I just never thought about it. It took me four tries to get in, but eventually I got in.”

His perseverance paid off: Northup has been a firefighter since 2013 and is now the Lieutenant for the busiest station in Albuquerque—and one of the top 20 busiest in the nation. “I always joke around because I’m like, the fire department is rough on the body, and it’s rough on the mind. One year is seven years, dog years, you know.” Because of the intensity of the job, firefighters operate on 20-to-25-year retirement plans (Northup is essentially halfway there with 12 years under his belt).

Career fires—or big, high-stakes calls–are not actually as common as people might think, says Northup, but he does remember one instance where he and his crew seamlessly bound together to save lives.

It was an abandoned two-story apartment complex—two units on top and two on the bottom. “We get the full dispatch to a structure fire. And through the dispatch, they didn’t say any reports of victims or

anything.” However, once they arrived on scene, an individual rushed over, yelling that there were people trapped in the adjacent apartment building.

Northup adjusted, successfully assigning units to fight the fire while sending another team to rescue the victims. One individual unfortunately perished afterwards due to smoke inhalation—but Northup and his team were able to recover all victims, proving to be a profound experience for everyone involved.

“Throughout all the calls, you’re putting everything you learned from when you started the academy to where you are now. And it all gets put into play within minutes,” he says. “It’s like this synchronized dance. Everyone’s on the same page think-

ing the same thing, but you don’t have to say it.”

In the aftermath of what happens at work, Northup says that he leans on his faith, his physical fitness, and his family—who he says is integral to the first responder system. “When a loved one is a first responder, our family’s duty becomes helping us and being our support.”

Northup, his wife, and three kids love to travel, and it’s become one way for them to build strength as a family. “They’re busy. It definitely keeps us on our toes, but they’re always like sunshine. I think the transition is tough, too, when you go from firefighter and now you’ve got to be dad and husband and make sure you’re present. And I think if you can master those two, it’ll help you.”

& BrooklynWoods JoshuaCruz

Behavioral Health Responders (Tier 1) | Albuquerque Community Safety

Brooklyn Woods and Joshua Cruz are just about as different as different gets—and yet, despite being polar opposites, the two are able to come together as partners at ACS to be of service to those in need. “I think the reason why we work well together is it’s about the client,” says Cruz. “And when it’s about the client, rarely do we conflict with anything. And it flows.”

Cruz himself is a New Mexico native and grew up in Questa, a small town located in Taos County in the far north of the state. “I wasn’t going to choose this career,” he reveals, “but I feel God kind of put me in the field.”

Woods, on the other hand, hails from the Virginia Beach area on the East Coast—and she previously worked as an EMT before graduating from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies. “My interest in this department began during my final semester at UNM,” says Woods. “I was accepted into the Mayor’s Select Internship, and I was able to see how Albuquerque, in facing its unique challenges, chose to put creativity and innovation first to address homelessness and addiction.”

In the field, Woods and Cruz serve as behavioral specialists, meaning they are involved in a variety of situations, from welfare checks to supporting unsheltered individuals, which may require de-escalation and expert mediation. This dynamic duo has worked together for nearly two years now— and their efforts at ACS cannot be understated. “I feel like the work that we do is essential in assisting the other emergency departments of the City of Albuquerque,” says Woods. “We take pride at ACS in being considered the right response at the right time.”

Amidst the difficulties of the job, Cruz and Woods are both sustained by acts of gratitude from those whom they have helped. “I’ve seen people say that it’s because of you talking to me that day that I am off the street or that I’m housed or I’m in treatment or I’m clean,” says Cruz. “And when that happens, it makes it all worth it.”

In fact, Woods still remembers a handwritten letter that she received, months later, after she and other ACS responders assisted a woman named Brittnie in finding access to shelter, programs, and food—thus getting her off the street and one step closer to sobriety. In this handwritten letter, Brittnie details her newfound life in New York, along with four months of sobriety—plus her nearing completion of a

6-month restoration program.

“No one here works in a vacuum,” says Woods. “Everything we do each and every day builds on each other, which leads to creating trust and providing positive outcomes for those that accept our help. My coworkers in every program in this department give all of themselves all of the time. This department is full of Joshes and Brooklyns.”

Off the field and on the weekends, Woods says that she unwinds by reading books and spending time with her dog, Lula, the love of her life. Cruz, meanwhile, can be found somewhere new, preferably out of town, with his truck and electric bike, in search of new sights and sounds.

I’ve seen people say that it’s because of you talking to me that day that I am off the street or that I’m housed or I’m in treatment or I’m clean, and when that happens, it makes it all worth it.

– JOSHUA CRUZ

Joshua Cruz

Brooklyn Woods

Edgar‘Ed’Briggs

Retired Principal and Community Trailblazer

With a career spanning over 30 years, Ed Briggs knows a thing or two about teaching and caring for the community—and he doesn’t show any signs of letting up (even in the midst of retirement).

Briggs arrived in New Mexico by way of Kansas, after his brother, an inner-city minister in Kansas City, nudged him in the direction of teaching. He had just graduated from Duke—on a full scholarship, no less—and hadn’t really thought about entering the education sphere. But all that quickly changed once Briggs started as a teacher at Van Buren Middle School.

“After that, I went on into education and teaching and then people said, why don’t you take on a leadership role? I said, what? A principal? Really?” remembers Briggs. “So I went into the administration role, still being a teacher, but as a principal, teaching other people how to work with kids and supporting their work with kids.”

His first principalship would decisively be at Truman Middle School, where Briggs introduced an academic intervention contract after seeing an alarming number of students who weren’t technically passing due to New Mexico’s ‘social promotion’ policy, which allows students who are not meeting academic standards to graduate to the next grade level.

“I found that many of those kids went on to high school with no grades, which means you can do nothing in middle school and become a high school freshman,” says Briggs. The program was a success—bringing down the number of failing students from enough to fill a cafeteria twice over to just 20—and would later lead Briggs to Grant Middle School, where he spent the last 13 years of his career as principal.

“When I went to Grant, it was about 300 students, and a lot of schools around Albuquerque were getting low and slow,” he says. “We brought the academic contract to Grant, and the teachers and the

parents embraced it. And in a three-year period, we went from 300 kids to over 1,000.”

In addition to introducing the academic contract to Grant and bolstering student success, Briggs also helped implement one of the first middle school community centers in Albuquerque, which started taking off in 2001. “We became a community school—and a community center—and we had quinceañeras, powwows, cherry blossom festivals, any church group, bluegrass groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts—which all attracted kids,” says Briggs. “And we had kids transferred from all over the city to Grant because it was the only middle school community center in this part of the country.”

Nowadays, the beloved Grant principal is still involved with the community through various councils and committees, most notably the Kennedy Middle School food bank and the Evening Optimist Club, an organization that helps raise money for kids to go to camp in the Jemez Mountains.

In fact, he still makes time to see former teachers and fellow colleagues once a month for lunch, often with his grandkids in tow. In the words of former employee Nancy Wiggins, his dedication to the community isn’t just a part of his life, it is his life.

“My wife gives me a hard time sometimes,” he says. “She said that I don’t know how to spell retirement. But, you know, it’s been my passion.”

EricaAlvarado

Foster Mom

Sometimes when it gets really crowded, Erica Alvarado says, it’s like a big party at her house.

On one particular weekend, Erica and her husband, Martin, housed 14 foster children simultaneously. The itinerary included a monster truck rally, a cheerleading banquet, sports practices and other afterschool activities. As they have been doing for a while now, the Alvarados found a way.

“I don’t know that necessarily I would say we’re good at it, but I think we’re just constantly willing to get up and keep trying, keep figuring out what else these kids need,” Erica says. “It’s a constant journey of learning because every kid is so different and they all need such different things.”

When including respite care, Erica estimates that they’ve fostered somewhere

between 80 to 100 kids over the past 13 years. Their stays can range anywhere from to a couple of days to several years because there’s no true timeline for foster care. The Alvarados have also adopted four children.

Erica says she unwittingly stumbled upon her life’s mission while attending Our Lady of Belen Fiestas more than a decade ago, where there was someone present providing information about foster care. For the next year, she couldn’t get the notion of all those kids in need out of her head. Once she got her husband on board, that’s when the party truly began.

While the kids themselves have often been through various traumas, fostering comes with its own brand of heartache for the parents, as well. But every time the Alvarados have thought about pulling back a little bit, CYFD (Children,

Youth and Families Department) comes calling with another case.

“It’s so hard to say no, and there’s such a need and such a lack of foster parents,” Erica says.” I mean, I get it. Not everybody can do this—it’s so hard. Sometimes there’s weeks that I have 17 to 22 therapy appointments between all of them and doctor’s appointments and visits with parents or whatever it is.”

Sometimes the Alvarados will remain involved in their kids’ lives long after reunification—like part of the extended family.

“Building those connections with the families to the kiddos that we’ve had in our homes is one of the most rewarding things,” Erica says. “Because we get to stay part of these kids’ lives and we get to watch their moms and dads flourish and succeed as a family.”

JoshArreola

Problem Response Team |Albuquerque Police Department

One of the most scrutinized areas in Albuquerque these days is the southeast area of the city, where homelessness and drug use are prevalent—sometimes in plain sight. While it might seem like an unenviable task to navigate that space, it’s a job that Josh Arreola specifically requested.

“It changes every day, and I’m a person that needs to be busy,” says Arreola, who has been with APD for more than seven years. “And then I also like working with the community that I live in.”

Arreola is part of the Southeast Area Command Problem Response Team (PRT), whose officers work proactively to shut down crime, while also conducting community engagement and outreach.

“Currently we’re working an operation where we’re trying to clean up Central,” Arreola says. “I work between San Mateo and Wyoming, and we’re just out there every day talking to people, making a lot of arrests, issuing a lot of citations and criminal summons.”

While criticism comes with the territory, steady progress is being made thanks to the efforts of Arreola and his colleagues.

“I’ve actually had a couple people that take the ART bus tell me that there’s a difference in Central. It’s actually looking a lot cleaner,” he says. “They’re able to take their kids on the bus without smelling fentanyl. So to me, that’s a plus.”

It’s not easy work, and Arreola encounters his fair share of resistance during his shifts. Not everyone wants help.

“I don’t do this job for the praise,” Arreola says. “But it definitely makes me feel good knowing that what we’re doing is actually helping. The community is actually seeing a difference in the areas that we are focusing on.”

Arreola gets his tireless dedication from his dad, who currently manages an

In-N-Out Burger in Colorado. For Arreola, work and family intersected when he met his wife, Marissa, while she worked as an APD dispatcher. As a father himself, with kids ages 9, 3 and 1, Arreola has cut back on his own overtime hours to find a better balance between work and family.

“It’s hard, don’t get me wrong,” he ad-

mits.

However, he can always draw inspiration from the example his father set.

“My dad was always always there for us as a family. Always provided for us. He worked rough hours, too. But everything that we ever really wanted or wanted to do—he was very supportive of us.”

TheMarshall Siblings

Brother and Sister EMTs

For Matthew and Marissa Marshall, serving the community—and saving lives—seems to run in the family. “My mom retired from Rio Rancho PD, and my dad retired from Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office,” says Marissa. “I guess we’ve always been around that first responder life, but we went in a different direction with it, for sure.” In fact, Marissa originally intended on becoming a dental hygienist—that is, until she saw her older brother’s impact as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and ultimately became inspired to do the same.

“I thought I was going to end up just doing what my parents did,” admits Matthew. “And it’s similar in some ways, but I think this is a much better place for me.”

Although they work in separate departments—Marissa is a firefighter EMT whereas Matthew works for Albuquerque ambulances—the siblings can experience a variety of situations, from car crashes to cardiac arrests. And although they haven’t been sent on a call together (yet), they do occasionally cross paths at the hospital.

“We offer a high level of medicine to the public that’s hard to get outside of a hospital,” says Matthew. “We go to all the 911 calls, but everyone thinks about the car crashes and shootings. And we do really good work on that, but the bulk of what we do is just helping people who need help.”

With seven years of combined experience, the Marshall siblings note that the public might harbor common misconceptions about the work that they do as first responders in the EMS field.

“People will say, are you a firefighter? Are you a paramedic? And I’ll say, well, I’m not a medic yet, but I am a firefighter EMT. We respond together.” Like firefighters, Marissa works 48-hour shifts, living at the station for that duration of

time. “Sometimes you go 24 hours without sleeping,” says Marissa, “but I love it.”

The sacrifices inherent in the siblings’ work are arguably admirable—and the number of calls that Albuquerque ambulances can run—close to 130,000 calls a year—is a staggering, mind-boggling amount. (That totals to over 300 calls every day—or 14 every hour!)

To destress and decompress, Marissa and Matthew turn to physical activities; Marissa is a bodybuilder, and Matthew is an amateur MMA fighter and student of martial arts (he tried to get his little sister into both, but alas, Marissa claims that he’s always been so much better at it than her).

However, despite their close bond, the Marshall siblings haven’t always had the best relationship.

“I think growing up, we did not get along when we were younger. We always were bickering, and there were times where we hated each other,” says Marissa. “Once we both graduated around COVID time, we became best friends. We are so close now, and I do think a lot of it has to do with us working in a very similar job. We push each other, and we support each other in a way that we just didn’t whenever we were growing up.”

“I don’t think I go more than a day or two without at least checking on each other,” says Matthew.

JosephLanceSedillo

Probation/Parole Officer | State of New Mexico

Every so often, Joseph Lance Sedillo receives a letter or card from someone he’s supervised, thanking him for keeping them on the straight-and-narrow path. Sedillo keeps those messages as evidence that the work he’s doing is making a difference.

“I may have, in some respects, saved somebody’s life or guided them on the right path,” he says.

Currently a parole officer with the State of New Mexico, Sedillo has been working with troubled youth or adults in some capacity for the past 26 years. That experience has taught him to address each individual—whether they’re a senior citizen or barely old enough to drink—in a manner that’s firm, yet still fair.

“I’ve got to call balls and strikes, basically,” he says. “If they’re BS-ing, I’ll tell them. You basically have to assess what their real needs are.”

Sedillo currently works with the Community Corrections Unit, which serves those that are at a higher risk for reoffending and face multiple barriers to success in the community. These can include those with mental health needs, medical issues, homelessness and addiction.

“A lot of people think that it’s an usagainst-them mentality as officers—but a lot of times it’s them against them,” Sedillo says. “They’re their own worst enemy when it comes to their successes and failures at times.”

Through it all, Sedillo encounters a variety of different cases.

“There are some that are successful that make it through probation without falling backwards,” Sedillo says. “There are some that were just wrong place, wrong time, and we get it as human beings. I’ve got to treat them with as much dignity and respect that I do my murderers or my stone-cold gangbangers.”

In recent months, Sedillo has soldiered onward with a heavy heart.

Much of his energy has been devoted to caring for his wife, who was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). After a 14-month battle with the disease, Dianna Elise Tartaglia passed away on May 22 while surrounded by family and friends. During her care, Sedillo managed his own grief by staying busy, whether that was through his work or performing mu-

sic with one of his bands. He credits his daughters for helping him persevere.

“It was hard—still hard and still going to be hard,” he says. “(It) has taught me a lot about being resolute. I know there were certain feelings that needed to happen and are still happening. But I also realize that I’m still a dad; I’m still a grandpa; I’m still an officer; I’m still part of the music community.”

WMiskeeBlatner

Teacher/Work-Based Learning Coordinator Career Enrichment Center

hen Miskee Blatner was in high school, she could have easily been known as “The Dabbler.” She tried a little bit of this and a little bit of that but admittedly didn’t have a clear direction at that point in life.

“I didn’t have a really great sense of purpose, and I didn’t think I was a stellar student,” Blatner says.

When Blatner encounters a student with a similar mindset today, she can relate. As a teacher for the past 26 years, Blatner’s focus has revolved around career preparation. While some students have a defined vision of their future, there are plenty of others, like Blatner, who are struggling to find their path.

“Teachers really can be that for students: Someone who can recognize that you’ve got a kid who’s spinning, trying to figure out which direction to head and then capitalizing on that,” she says. “We get to see the potential in a student because sometimes we see things in them that they don’t see in themselves. I just think it’s really powerful to be able to be a part of that.”

Blatner currently oversees the Teaching Professions Pathway at the Career Enrichment Center (CEC). The CEC is all about career-connected learning in a variety of areas, and Blatner provides guidance to those who might be interested in becoming an educator, counselor, psychologist, social worker or a speech and language pathologist. Additionally, she serves as the work-based learning coordinator at the school, which means she assists the other teachers who offer courses in other career pathways.

“My passion really comes from helping kids find their pathway after high school,” she says. “Kids will come in the door and they’ll be a little unsure, right? There’s power in kids walking out and saying ‘Yes, I see myself becoming a teacher or a licensed practical nurse or working in a vet

clinic or creating film—all of these different career pathways.”

Whether the students go through her pathway or choose another option, Blatner’s primary goal is to help kids find some direction—and part of that includes figuring out what they don’t like, too. Blatner is driven by seeing the future of the workforce on the other side of the desk, and she’s proud to be part of a col-

lective that is molding future generations.

“There are just so many amazing teachers out there doing great things every single day on behalf of students inside the classroom and outside of the classroom,” Blatner says. “You can call them superheroes if you want, but I think it’s much bigger than that.”

Lt.ChrisMartinez

Belen Fire Department

It began as one of the most harrowing—and heartbreaking— nights of Lt. Chris Martinez’s firefighting career.

In February 2024, Martinez and his crew were called to a house fire in the middle and by the time they arrived, the structure was fully engulfed in flames. When Martinez learned that one elderly woman was still inside—“People were yelling, ‘My grandma’s inside, my grandma’s inside, she’s in the back room,” he recalls—he did what firefighters do: He rushed into the burning building.

Sometimes, even the most heroic efforts fall short. Martinez made it about halfway through the house when he realized he wouldn’t make it back out if he continued to push forward.

“I made it all the way to the living room, and I started burning up—like my ears burned and my wrists, and all my gear melted,” he says.

The firefighters extinguished the blaze, but they couldn’t save the woman. It was an exhaustingly long shift, as they remained on the scene to retrieve the body and ensure no hot spots emerged. As one might expect, it was a bleak scene.

“Any time we lose somebody, we’re pretty down,” Martinez says.

Martinez still has the scars and the melted helmet as a reminder of that night. But life sometimes has a funny way of providing a glimmer of hope in the darkest of moments. The previous year, the Belen Fire Department installed a Safe Haven Baby Box at the station. Upon their return that next day, a newborn baby boy—with umbilical cord still attached—was found in that very box.

Those close to Martinez, including his wife, Janay, like to say he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. It’s part of why he chose to become a firefighter in the first place. This discovery, however, felt almost divine—because Martinez and his wife

had just become licensed foster parents about one week prior.

Martinez knew right away that he wanted to adopt the baby, and when he called Janay, they cried together on the phone. “I just said hey, this is going to be our son,” he recalls.

It took some time, a lot of hearings and plenty of interactions with the CYFD, but the Martinezes officially adopted Mikel

this past March. In addition to a pair of loving parents, Mikel has a cadre of uncles at the firehouse.

“If you think about it, the real heroes are that mom and dad for actually placing him in the box in the first place,” Martinez says. “We knew that we had to be his parents.”

RandyGutierrez

Warden | Valencia County Detention Center

Correctional facilities have come a long way in the last decade or so—and the stigma that has long been attached to them is slowly dwindling—perhaps in large part due to committed and compassionate people like Randy Gutierrez.

“I’ve been the warden here for five years, and I’ve seen this jail dramatically change,” says Gutierrez. “Jail is not the same, and you don’t have the stigma anymore, where it’s like, oh, you guys are a bunch of cops, and you guys just babysit individuals. I mean, that’s always been the narrative of corrections and detentions.”

The narrative is now shifting—and jails today host a plethora of programs aimed at rehabilitating the incarcerated individuals in their care. As warden, Gutierrez is instrumental in this process, and he is responsible for every step: from every dollar spent to the types of programs that are offered. Currently at his helm, Valencia County Detention Center provides peer support, church services, a GED program, medicated assisted treatment programs, parenting classes, music and art therapy, gardening, agriculture—and much, much more.

“When you take a different approach of looking at what we do and understand that the individuals that you work with are human beings—and they’ve just made some bad decisions in their lives— you see them as a human being,” he says.

In fact, detention centers are increasingly becoming more complex and proactive in their approach. Various IOPs, or Intensive Outpatient Programs, have started to partner with jails in Valencia and Bernalillo County in an effort to help assess inmates and start working on their discharge and re-entry plans.

“A lot of times these individuals are so appreciative,” Gutierrez says, “because they’ve never had that helping hand in their lives.”

In a way, it was highly synchronistic how Gutierrez became involved with

corrections. Fresh out of high school at the age of 18, he initially planned on joining the military—until he went to a recruitment event up in Santa Fe and got to talking with some folks from state corrections. After passing their physical evaluations, he was hired on the spot and started working at a Santa Fe prison within about a week. 22 years later, the rest is history.

“And so I never got bored with the job,” he says. “I always had something new to do. I’ve done almost every type of training that you can think of. I’ve done a lot in my 22-year career, for sure.”

Acutely aware of the mental demands inherent in law enforcement, Gutierrez is

also a strong proponent of self-care. “Because, you know, you do get stressed out. There is some trauma that comes with the job. And understanding how to handle your mental capacity is probably the key concept of longevity in any field of law enforcement.”

A Los Lunas native, Gutierrez has been in Burque for the past five years—and despite holding a leadership position at work, he still considers himself, first and foremost, a father. “I take that as probably my pride and joy of being a parent,” he says. “It’s something that’s extremely exciting. You get to see an individual that’s yours grow and blossom into an amazing human being.”

OF ABQ

IrisSandoval &Miranda Lopez

Intelligence Analysts | Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office

The first thing both Iris Sandoval and Miranda Lopez will tell you is this: They can’t tell you everything.

Such is life for intelligence analysts with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, where they utilize a variety of technology to assist with investigations on a day-today basis. Their work is essential, but they aren’t necessarily front and center when it’s time for praise and recognition. Nor can they offer specifics on what they do.

“We are behind the scenes, and we’re OK with that,” says Sandoval, a UNM graduate with a double major in Criminology and Spanish who has been with BCSO for 27 years.

“We do a lot that goes unnoticed, but we’re OK with that because at the end of the day, we’re assisting our colleagues— the detectives, the deputies, the offi-

cers—just getting to that end goal, which is prosecution, making sure that we catch the offender and that justice is served.”

A native of Española, Lopez gravitated to law enforcement because of what she witnessed in her hometown.

“I wanted to be in a role that has real-world impact,” says Lopez, who has an educational background in Psychology and Criminal Intelligence. “As we know, narcotics are one of the most persistent and destructive threats to public safety. Narcotics was one of the key players and one of the main motivators for a lot of violent crimes across the town that I grew up in.”

Sandoval also felt the calling of law enforcement early on, shunning her mother’s attempts to direct her toward a career in education. She had designs on serving the public in a different fashion.

“I’ve always had the desire and passion to help people and those in my community,” Sandoval says. “I strongly believe that everyone has the right to feel safe and have a good quality of life.”

Both Lopez and Sandoval agree that there’s no such thing as a day-to-day routine in this line of work. Everything is fluid, and that’s part of the allure. There’s also the satisfaction in making New Mexico a safer place.

“How I see it is if we get one pill off the street, it’s a chance of saving at least even just one life,” Lopez says.

Adds Sandoval: “At the end of a case when there’s a prosecution and you receive a (good) verdict, then you know that you’ve made a difference in somebody’s life who was significantly impacted by just being the victim of a crime.”

DiegoWeston

Firefighter | Albuquerque Fire Rescue

As a self-professed comic book nerd growing up, Diego Weston was drawn to superheroes. Superman was an early favorite. “The most powerful and iconic,” he says.

As he got older, Weston took his cue from his grandfather, who was a wildland firefighter. He decided that type of work was the closest he would come to emulating the larger-than-life figures from his childhood. Once he joined Albuquerque Fire Rescue, he had an epiphany: Not every situation requires a Superman. In many instances, a different type of hero is necessary.

“The second you actually hit the streets, you very quickly realize that being a superhero isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. You do it because it’s the right thing to do, and you don’t do it for recognition, either,” he says.

“It’s not all burning buildings and fires. Like, 90% of our job is actually medical calls. And it’s not the medical calls that you see on TV, either.”

So even if it’s not always the stuff that makes Hollywood wax poetic, Weston is providing a variety of valuable services. It requires the ideal blend of patience and compassion to arrive for a call in the middle of the night to help a geriatric who has fallen, yet is still stubborn enough to resent the help that’s being offered. Or maybe, it’s someone with a terminal illness who needs assistance.

“You may never see that person again. You may see them every week,” he says. “But (it’s about) just doing what you can with the time that you’re given and trying to do so even at your most tired, when you feel the least composed…. working as a team and treating them how you would want your loved one to be treated.”

Weston is the oldest of five siblings and recently became a first-time father, so setting a positive example is important to him. He credits his mother, Ayana,

and his wife, Julia, for molding him into the person he is today.

Before he was a firefighter, Weston was an artist. He has a handful of mural credits throughout the city and when time allows, he remains an active figure in the art community. The way he sees it,

it’s just another way to make a positive impact.

“It’s just cool to be able to beautify a city, to do art live in the city that I’m from, (and) to serve the city as a firefighter,” Weston says.

CARING FOR COMMUNITY

CALLING OUT THOSE WHO CARE FOR OTHERS

Maia Dalton-Theodore, LCSW, SAP

Behavioral Health Director | AFR (Albuquerque Fire Rescue)

First responders just can’t do what they do on their own; their work takes an immense mental, physical, and emotional toll on their minds and bodies, but talking about it has long been a stigma within first responder communities. Luckily, there are people like Maia Dalton-Theodore who are making waves of changes behind the scenes.

“My uncle was a firefighter in Indianapolis for 30 years, and then my late husband was a captain in the Arlington County Fire Department in Virginia, where the Pentagon sits,” she says. “It’s kind of a long story, but he was forced to retire from a heart attack he had at age 40. He struggled with sobriety, got sober, and became a substance abuse counselor in his second career. And so I learned a lot about the psychology of firefighters.”

In 2021, after now retired Chief Dow went to the city in an effort to address a suicide of an active member that devastated the department, Dalton-Theodore was flown in from the East Coast to help build AFR’s in-house mental health program from the ground up.

“There’s just all this creativity,” she says. “We reach out to clinicians in town. We refer people to them, and we also do conferences and workshops to bring our peers and clinicians together. We’re trying to build this thing so that, you know, when I’m long gone, it can keep on rolling.”

Because of her impact, firefighters are now looking at mental health from a revolutionary perspective. “One of the stations had a pretty difficult call involving a child. But the officers and the firefighters were already sitting around the kitchen table, talking and processing. And so I came out of that whole experience going, wow, they were able to take the tools that we’ve given them—and they were working it.”

KimKerschen

Executive Director of Locker #505

Kim Kerschen knows firsthand the difference that a well-fitting outfit or a new pair of shoes can make; she’s seen it in the hundreds of thousands of kids she’s clothed over the years. “I saw a difference in kids when they had clothing that fit and they did well,” she says. “It was very obvious to me the difference between the haves and the have-nots.”

This discrepancy, paired with her passion for watching students succeed, inspired Kerschen to serve as state PTA president after teaching elementary school for 15 years. After the Bernalillo County Council of PTA clothing bank shut down in 2014, Mayor Richard Berry reached out to her. “He said, ‘We still need something like this in Albuquerque. This is a resource that can’t be lost,’” she recalls. “So I started looking at what it would take to start a nonprofit.”

Locker #505 officially opened its doors in 2014. In its first year, they clothed 421 kids. Now, 11 years later, they’re on track to see just under 4,800 students in grades K–12 by the end of 2025. Kerschen credits much of this growth to the community. “We started without a penny, without a hanger, without a stitch of clothing, without a volunteer,” she says. “The community stepped up very quickly and went, ‘Yep, our kids need this, and we need to make it happen.’ That’s why we’ve made it 11 years.”

Kerschen’s position with Locker #505 is entirely volunteer-based, with every dollar raised going toward staff wages and clothing for the kids they serve. Some of the older students she’s helped have come back to share their success stories, and some have even volunteered at Locker 505. “I always tell my staff, if we change one kid’s life, we’ve done our job.”

IVAN VICE

RETIRED CORRECTIONAL OFFICER

AGE: 56

YEARS WITH ORGANIZATION: 21

HONORS/AWARDS: Academy Physical Fitness award

NOTABLE: In his time working at the State Penitentiary, Vice’s dedication to service extended beyond just making the hour-long commute to Santa Fe every day. As he puts it, “If I don’t take my job seriously, people can get hurt or die.” Interacting with inmates and fellow officers, his role required both giving and commanding respect. “Things can escalate very quickly,” he says. “It could run smoothly during the day, then next thing you know, all hell breaks loose.”

MICHELLE WILLIAMS

CERTIFIED NURSE PRACTITIONER/MIDWIFE, PLANNED PARENTHOOD

AGE: 34

YEARS WITH ORGANIZATION: 2

HONORS/AWARDS: Member, New Mexico Reentry Center Board

NOTABLE: Williams is rebuilding the community’s trust in reproductive healthcare one patient at a time through accessibility and education. “A lot of what I do is helping people understand how their body works and how to take control of their health,” she says. “I do my best to respect where patients are coming from and meet them halfway, or meet them as far as they can come, to get them the healthcare that they need.”

TINA REEVES

US MARINE CORP VETERAN

AGE: 66

YEARS WITH ORGANIZATION: 3

HONORS/AWARDS: The Tina Reeves Award, New Mexico Motorcycle Rights Organization

NOTABLE: From supporting veterans and promoting motorcycle safety to organizing toy drives and junior hot air ballooning programs, Reeves works tirelessly to serve her community. One of the few women to serve in the Marines during the end of the Vietnam War, she says, “if I can give back to someone or help someone, I don’t need recognition. I just do it.”

LT. RON GUNDERSON

LIEUTENANT/CANINE HANDLER, ALBUQUERQUE FIRE RESCUE

AGE: 51

YEARS WITH ORGANIZATION: 21

HONORS/AWARDS: “I know that we have received recognition but it’s just kind of part of the job”

NOTABLE: Lt. Gunderson and his accelerant detection canine, Weezy, have been working together in AFR’s Fire Investigations Division since 2018. “We’ve worked on quite a few fatalities,” Gunderson says, “and each time that I get to use her, it’s just incredible.” In addition to responding to scenes across the state, Gunderson and Weezy present at schools across the metro area, educating students and inspiring them to consider careers with AFR.

RUTH GOLAR

CERTIFIED NURSE PRACTITIONER/MIDWIFE, PLANNED PARENTHOOD

AGE: 48

YEARS WITH ORGANIZATION: 1

HONORS/AWARDS: Board Secretary, New Mexico Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives

NOTABLE: Golar provides sexual and reproductive health care, including gender-affirming care, to patients from all walks of life. “I want people on every visit to feel empowered to say, yes, this is what I want, or no, this is what I don’t want,” she says. Her goal is to ensure that patients understand their options when it comes to treatment and can take control of their own healthcare.

ANTHONY LOPEZ JR

OWNER, TONY’S RV SERVICE

AGE: 48

YEARS WITH ORGANIZATION: 19

HONORS/AWARDS: Who’s Who Award

NOTABLE: Since opening his business alongside his father, Lopez Jr. has been providing fast, reliable service not just to Albuquerque locals, but to visitors who need help while passing through our great state. “I’d want somebody to take care of me if I was broken down out of town,” Lopez says, “so I try to take care of these customers and get them on the road as fast as we can.”

MICHEAL THOMAS

POLICE SERVICE AIDE, ALBUQUERQUE POLICE DEPARTMENT

AGE: 22

YEARS WITH ORGANIZATION: 2

HONORS/AWARDS: Recognized by APD Chief of Police for outstanding service

NOTABLE: Hailing from Bread Springs, just outside of Gallup, Thomas received his volunteer firefighter and EMT certifications while in high school, before moving to Albuquerque to pursue a career with APD. He’s since trained recruits at the PSA Academy, saying “I see them go from not knowing what to do on the job to knowing a lot.”

MELISSA-LOU ELLIS AND STEVE ELLIS

ANIMAL RIGHTS ADVOCATES

AGE: 29 and 58

YEARS OF SERVICE: 11

HONORS/AWARDS: One Albuquerque Award (Mellisa-Lou), New Mexico Humanitarian Award (Steve)

NOTABLE: This dedicated father-daughter duo is committed to rescuing abandoned animals and connecting them with loving owners. Steve and Melissa-Lou have rescued 623 animals, doing everything from pulling them off the street to covering their vet bills. Using her social media platform, Mellisa-Lou finds these furry friends their forever homes. “Incorporating my dad into what I’m passionate about has changed our lives in so many ways,” Mellisa says. “We work really well off of each other,” Steve adds.

SIR KENNETH PRUITT

MICHAEL TORRES FRANCO

AIR FORCE VETERAN/BUSINESS OWNER

AGE: 43

YEARS WITH ORGANIZATION: 20

HONORS/AWARDS: Mayor Tim Keller proclaimed September 1st as Master Sergeant Michael Torres-Franco Military Pride Day; Former president, New Mexico Veterans Memorial Foundation, former Vice Chair, City of Albuquerque Veteran and Militaries Affairs Advisory Board.

NOTABLE: As the owner of Home Clean Heroes and a veteran himself, Torres Franco makes it his mission to give back to local servicemembers. His business offers discounted cleans to military personnel, first responders, and teachers. “I’ve started to focus a lot more energy on promoting others because I sat at the helm for so long,” he says. During his time with the New Mexico Veterans Memorial Foundation, he lobbied to restore dilapidated memorials into symbols of service and hope.

WORTHY GRAND KNIGHT OF COLUMBUS, COUNCIL #15788

AGE: 29

YEARS WITH ORGANIZATION: 3

HONORS/AWARDS: Fourth-degree Knighthood, Color Corps Commander.

NOTABLE: As part of the Worthy Grand Knights of Columbus, a worldwide Catholic fraternal organization focused on service through faith, Sir Kenneth has brought new blood into the council while staying true to traditional Catholic teachings. “Whether it’s caring for one of the guests at our non-profit, or caring for one of our men, we try to be the best versions of ourselves, even if it’s something we would have never done before we were knighted,” he says.

Protection Personal

EXP E RTS IN THEIR FIELD

PARTNER CONTENT

Q: A:

What inspired you to start LPM Family Law?

After many years of success at other firms, we wanted to take that experience and knowledge and start our own firm to focus on a more tailored approach for each client. We focus on the areas of family law that are the best match for our individual expertise, skills and interests.

Q: A:

What types of clients are a good fit for your services?

We encourage our clients to focus on conflict resolution and positive solutions rather than conflict. Over the years, family law has become a less litigation-focused practice with more emphasis on conflict resolution.

Q:

Q: A: A:

What is your firm’s experience?

We boast 50 years of combined experience in practicing family law. That knowledge – along with a dedication for helping clients – makes us successful. We take the time to understand each client’s full story and take them from the hardest part of the story to the next, better chapter of their story.

What areas of law does your firm practice?

Our firm handles all aspects of family law cases from complex litigation to drafting settlement documents and providing mediation/settlement facilitation services. We focus on family law including divorce, custody and timesharing, domestic violence, drafting of pre- and post-nuptial agreements, adoption, Guardian ad Litem and Special Master work. Some of the awards we have received include US News Best Law Firms, Best Lawyers Best Law Firm, Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year and National Academy of Family Law Attorneys’ Top 10 Attorneys.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• 5-star FOCUS rating maintenance

• Awarded child development certificate through Central New Mexico Community College

• Winner of “Best of the City” by Albuquerque The Magazine three years in a row

• Dozens of awards from accrediting bodies

• ABQ Childcare has been serving the community for over 50 years

CLARISSA CASAS

Assistant Director Little Corral Day School

ABQ Childcare 10111 Constitution Ave NE 505-299-0633 - abqchildcare.com

Clarissa Casas is the Assistant Director at Little Corral Day School, where she helps lead programs that nurture children from 6 weeks to 12 years old. She is passionate about partnering with families, mentoring teachers and creating a safe and loving environment where every child can grow emotionally, socially and academically.

If you value early education that feels like family, contact us to learn how we can support your child’s growth and development.

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

• Supports daily operations and ensures program excellence

• Collaborates with staff and families to support child development

• Maintains licensing compliance and quality standards

• Plans and leads professional development for staff

• Coordinates classroom curriculum and assessments

• Promotes inclusive and culturally responsive care

• Oversees nutrition and wellness policies

• Implements age-appropriate early literacy strategies

ACCREDITATION

• Child Development Certificate (CDC)

• General Studies Certificate

• Working toward a Bachelor’s in Family Studies

Q: A:

What inspired you to start a career in childcare?

I’ve always had a heart for kids and families, and once I became a mom myself, I really understood how important early care and education is. Being in this field gives me the chance to support parents while helping children grow and thrive. I wanted to be part of something that made a difference every single day—and that’s exactly what I get to do.

Q: A:

What kind of families do you serve best?

We work with all kinds of families—first-time parents, single parents, working moms and dads — and even grandparents — raising little ones. If you’re looking for a place where your child is loved, safe and learning every day, we’re that place. We value open communication and building strong partnerships with the families we serve.

Have you noticed a greater need for childcare lately?

Definitely. Since the pandemic, we’ve had more families looking for care, especially for infants and toddlers. Parents are working hard to balance everything, and they need a place they can trust. We’ve seen our waitlist grow and more families wanting full-time care with a strong educational foundation. Q:

Q: A:

What are some challenges families are facing right now?

Honestly, a lot of families are juggling a lot—long work hours, tight budgets and trying to be present for their kids. We see families looking for support, stability and a team they can count on. That’s why we focus on communication, consistency and creating a space that feels like a second home.

Have you added or changed anything in your programs recently?

Yes, we’ve really worked to grow our Pre-K options and added more support for our staff so they can keep growing professionally. We’ve also improved how we connect with parents—whether it’s daily updates or family events. Our goal is to keep evolving and meeting the needs of the families we serve.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Completed highly competitive fellowship training with world renowned facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Jeffrey H. Spiegel in Boston, MA

• Opened her own practice in January 2023 in Albuquerque in Facial Plastic Surgery

I am a highly specialized facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon.

If you need help with improving the health and appearance of your face, call 505-421-0091.

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

• Double board certified — highly specialized in plastic surgery of only the face and neck

• Anti-aging surgeries such as facelift, eyelid lift, brow lift, neck lift, lip lift and others

• Facial enhancement surgeries such as facial fat grafting, facial implants, ear pinning and reconstruction, scar revisions and more

• Advanced laser resurfacing procedures such as HALO, Contour TRL and Broadband Light treatments

• Expert in facial injectables including hyaluronic acid fillers and neurotoxin

ACCREDITATION

• Board Certified Facial and Plastic Reconstructive Surgeon

• Board Certified Otolaryngological Head and Neck Surgeon

• American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

• New Mexico Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery

How does a patient determine if facial plastic surgery is right for them?

Determining if facial plastic surgery is suitable for you requires thoughtful consideration over time. Typically, ideal candidates have pondered their desired procedure for a significant duration, often months or even years. This personal journey focuses on their own aspirations and is not influenced by others. Potential patients meticulously educate themselves about the procedure, understanding the expected recovery process and outcomes. They also make practical preparations, such as setting aside recovery time and planning financially for elective surgery expenses.

Moreover, a solid support network is crucial, offering assistance during recovery and ensuring overall stability in life. This stability provides the resilience needed to navigate the emotional and physical fluctuations that accompany recovery. Ultimately, the decision is deeply personal, and having the right support and preparation sets a strong foundation for a successful experience.

What can a patient expect when they book a consultation?

At our practice, each consultation is carefully tailored to ensure our patients feel both valued and unhurried. We begin by providing you with electronic health history forms to complete in advance, ensuring that our time together can be focused entirely on you. Upon arrival, professional photographs are taken in standardized facial plastic surgery views to document your medical chart. These images are reviewed during your consultation and, in the case of rhinoplasty, can be photo-morphed to visualize potential outcomes. These serve as invaluable comparisons post-procedure.

We prioritize understanding your unique concerns and aspirations, dedicating time to thoroughly discuss these with you. Following an in-depth examination, we present personalized options that contemplate factors such as anesthesia requirements, optimal incision sites, recovery time, cost, and, most importantly, your distinctive facial features.

Our surgical care coordinator will then walk you through a detailed written quote, elucidate the booking process, and help schedule any necessary appointments. We encourage you to take home your quote and reflect on your decision, taking as much time as you need before committing to a procedure. Our commitment is to your comfort and confidence throughout this transformative journey.

What type of feedback have you seen as a result of your work?

Q: A:

The most meaningful feedback I receive is that the experience is transformational. Of course, there’s the physical transformation that comes with expert facial rejuvenation or refinement, but what really stands out is the inner shift—patients often speak about a renewed sense of confidence, lightness and empowerment. I’ve also been told time and again that the attention to detail across every touchpoint of care—from consultation through recovery—is unmatched. For me, it’s about delivering beautiful, natural results and an experience that leaves patients feeling genuinely cared for and deeply understood

What are you excited about when it comes to the future of plastic surgery and your practice?

I am truly excited about the continued incorporation of the latest advancements in regenerative medicine into my practice, which significantly enhance my ability to deliver exceptional results, expedite recovery times, and ensure consistent outcomes for my patients. By integrating cutting-edge research, I am elevating all services I offer, including Sciton’s broadband light technology, which reverses skin aging at the genetic level, and nano-fat grafting, which excels in tissue regeneration, skin rejuvenation, and scar repair. I am thrilled to announce that in the coming year, I will be constructing and integrating a fully accredited operating room within my practice, providing a more personalized, private, and comfortable experience for my patients from consultation through their one-year postoperative visit and beyond.

ROBERT’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Chairman of the Board - NM Auto Dealers Assoc.

• Board Governance, Community Advocacy - Boys & Girls Club of Central NM

• Who’s Who Inductee

• Nationally Recognized Speaker and Trainer

• Featured Podcast Guest - KPI Cafe, The Positive Side

• Quoted SpokespersonFordAuthority, Automotive News, Auto Remarketing

• Content Creator - @ FocusedAction

ROBERT SNEED & MATT SNEED Power Ford

Better Deal, Better Experience™

From bold culture shifts to awardwinning guest care, Rob and Matt Sneed have re-engineered every mile of the dealership journey. Rob’s peoplefirst vision and Matt’s operational finesse fuel Power Ford’s record sales growth, leading customer service, and unrivaled awards—proving that when heart meets execution, guests become loyal clients.

MATT’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS RECOGNITION FOR POWER FORD

• B.A. Communication - University of Texas Arlington

• Alumni N443 - NADA Academy

• Noted Speaker, Tekion - NADA

• Keynote Presenter - Podium

• Quoted SpokespersonAutomotive News, Dealer Magazine

• Featured Profile - AdAge Magazine

• Featured Podcast Guest - Mostly Automotive Marketing, KPI Cafe

• President’s Award Winner - Ford Motor Co.

• Zero Friction Award - Meta

• 3-time National Top Workplace Award - USA Today

• 8-time NM Ford Dealer of the Year - Cars.com

• 14-time Best of the City AwardsAlbuquerque The Magazine

• Numerous Industry Case Study Recognitions

Q: A:

Power Ford is one of the most, if not the most, awarded dealership in New Mexico. What’s the philosophy behind that?

Rob: Vehicles bring our guests to us, but people bring them back. A single mom with a stalled SUV or a worker who relies on his truck to reach the job site needs confidence. Whether that comes from an advisor who helps make the repair seamless or a sales concierge who finds the perfect new car, we are different—and that difference shows. When the focus is on the client, not the car, the rest takes care of itself.

Your leadership styles contrast but seem to click. How do those roles mesh day-to-day?

Matt: Rob sees how the puzzle fits long before anyone else; he has a vision for where we’re headed. My job is to bring that vision to life. I choreograph the moving parts, design processes that feel human and remove friction at every hand-off.

Rob: To use an analogy, if I write the score, Matt is the conductor who makes sure every section hits its note so the guest hears a symphony, not a warm-up. Our strengths complement one another, and the guest gets the encore.

Some of your strongest client relationships started in rocky moments. Why do bumps in the road sometimes create lifelong fans?

Rob: Authenticity shows when good plans unravel. If a parts delay or an unexpected misdiagnosis crops up, that’s our cue to get involved, communicate more and make it right. Frustration often turns into friendship because guests see the heart behind our work when we turn a bad situation into a better one. Those “we-gotthrough-this” moments forge loyalty stronger than any promotion ever could.

Q: A: Technology and retail habits are changing fast. How are you staying ahead in ways guests can feel?

First-time guests often say the store “feels different.” What tangible or intangible cues trigger that reaction?

Matt: Our showroom music is upbeat, our lounge feels like a co-working café, and our service drive moves like an airport valet. Even the smell—locally roasted coffee and fresh cookies instead of burned oil and rubber—signals that our guests, not sheet metal, are the center of why we do what we do.

Rob: Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving, connected services, and EVs like the Mach-E and Lightning are changing how people engage with their vehicles. Owners want to engage with their dealership differently, too. That’s why Power Ford invested nearly $2 million in a renovated service drive, an upgraded client lounge and Level-3 EV charging. Matt: And when clients aren’t able to come to us, we go to them—mobile service vans, complimentary pick-up and delivery, and text-to-pay tools that take the stress out of ownership are all part of the Power Ford promise. Q: A:

ALBUQUERQUE PERIODONTICS & IMPLANTOLOGY

Dr. Michael Sparks - Periodontist

Albuquerque Periodontics is one of the oldest specialty practices in Periodontics in the Southwest. Dr. Sparks, who has been practicing here since 2006, treats conditions affecting the health of the supporting structures of the teeth, including the gums. This includes periodontal (gum) disease, receding gums, and the replacement of missing teeth with dental implants.

Such longevity doesn’t happen by accident– Dr. Sparks is focused on taking great care of his team and patients and works closely and collaboratively with general dentists and other specialists. Albuquerque Periodontics provides excellent service and care with state-of-the-art procedures and a great team approach. They are highly trained and experienced, and continually pursue additional, ongoing education on the latest advances in dentistry.

Albuquerque Periodontics also stays updated on rapidly advancing technology in dentistry. Dr. Sparks utilizes sedation, including safe IV moderate (conscious) sedation for more complex procedures, as well as oral sedation and nitrous oxide/ oxygen sedation. They also have cutting edge imagery, as one of the first adopters of Cone Beam CT imaging in the area, as well as electric dental handpieces and piezoelectric surgery instrumentation to provide the most gentle and precise treatment possible. Fully-guided implant surgery is also a service provided. Regenerative procedures using growth factors and techniques that avoid donor site tissue is another emphasis in the practice.

In addition to providing exceptional care, Dr. Sparks and Albuquerque Periodontics connect with patients because they are supported by a leadership development program in the office that ensures the doctor and his team are excellent listeners, highly empathetic, and serve each patient as they would want to be treated themselves. They understand the anxiety that dental treatment can involve and support their patients in a way to maximize their comfort, safety, and aftercare.

That ideal combination of high-quality care and compassion pays off when Dr. Sparks and the team are able to see the satisfaction of their patients. They thrive on the compliments that patients give on how they are listened to and cared for in the practice, as well as the joy of their final results and the expression that their care was more comfortable and easier than expected. It is their joy to also work with some of the finest general dental colleagues/teams and other specialty practices in the state.

Albuquerque Periodontics also gives back to the community. The practice has been a leader and participant in New Mexico Mission of Mercy and also a Donate Dental Services provider as well as volunteers for the New Mexico Dental Association. Meanwhile, Dr. Sparks was elected as a Fellow in the American and International Colleges of Dentistry, an honor that approximately 1% of dentists achieve through humanitarian service, leadership in dentistry, and ethics.

The future is bright for Dr. Sparks and Albuquerque Periodontics, as they will continue working closely with their colleagues in dentistry to collaboratively lead in the field of dental health care. They are excited about helping more people reach their goals of experiencing the joy and benefits of optimum oral health.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Locally Owned and Operated: Heritage Audio Visual was founded and is managed by Albuquerque residents with deep generational roots in the community, dating back to the late 1800s.

• Established Reputation: Since its inception, Heritage Audio Visual has been trusted by prestigious meeting planners, businesses, non-profit organizations, corporations, and national conferences, providing high-quality AV services for various events.

• Experienced Leadership: Heritage Audio Visual has decades of combined experience in audio, lighting, and video production; ensuring professional and reliable service for every event.

• Community Engagement: Joy Gutierrez, the other Partner of Heritage Audio Visual, has an extensive resume of philanthropy work including serving as President of the New Mexico Hispano Entertainers Association, as a State Commissioner with the New Mexico Music Commission under two Governor’s Administrations, along with many other local and regional organizations.

PHIL BACA Partner - Heritage Audio Visual

5551 Midway Park Place NE 505-508-4443 - heritageaudiovisual.com

Heritage Audio Visual has been trusted by some of the most prestigious meeting planners, businesses, non-profit organizations, corporations and national conferences. With Heritage Audio Visual you will receive quality audio visual production. Our services include professional audio, lighting, video systems and technical support needed to accommodate any size corporate conference, large or small.

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

• Comprehensive AV Services: Offers audio, video and lighting rentals with full technical support for events of any size.

• Experienced Technicians: Staffed by seasoned professionals with extensive backgrounds in AV production and event management.

• Custom Set Designs: Specializes in creating unique, branded set designs tailored to client needs.

• Post-Production Services: Provides video and audio editing, graphic design and printing for event materials.

• High-Quality Equipment: Utilizes top-tier, owned and maintained AV equipment for all events.

• Diverse Clientele: Trusted by meeting planners, businesses, non-profits, corporations, and national conferences.

• Community Engagement: Active involvement in local organizations and events, enhancing community ties.

• Client-Centric Approach: Prioritizes customer satisfaction with personalized service and attention to detail.

ACCREDITATION

• Recording engineer and producer for 45+ years

• Professional musician experience

• Well-versed in audio, lighting, production and custom-set design

• Award-winning vocal talent

• Visit Albuquerque

SILA AVCIL

Executive Director -

NM Voters First & NM Open Elections

nmvotersfirst.org

Email: admin@nmvotersfirst.org

A first-generation Turkish-American, Sila is passionate about empowering youth in meaningful ways, enhancing political participation through pro-democracy reforms and engaging individuals through community development efforts. At NM Voters First, Sila led efforts to open primary elections to independent and declined-to-state voters through the state legislature — a historic passage of legislation and law change for our country.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• The passage and signing of SB16, a bill to allow independent voters to participate in primary elections without having to change their voter registration.

• Founding a 501(c)4 organization, NM Voters First

• Enhancing New Mexico Open Elections, a 501(c)3 organization, to reach its full potential

• Co-Founding the Global Shapers of Albuquerque Hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

• Policy strategy

• Coalition building

• Legislative outreach

• Civic outreach and engagement

• Grassroots advocacy

• Nonprofit management

• Co-Founder, Global Shapers Albuquerque Hub

• Co-Founding Board Member, Imagine Abq.

• Master of Arts, Political Science, University of New Mexico

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) member for 34 years

• Agent of the Year with multiple companies

• Successful business operator for over 34 years

BRENTON L. FEWOX

President - Anthem Financial Services

333 Rio Rancho Blvd NE #102 505-980-8270 - anthemfinancial.us

Email: bfewox@anthemfinancial.us

Anthem Financial Services is an independent consulting and advisory firm focusing in estate preservation and distribution, risk management and supplemental insurance services. I, Brenton L. Fewox, am the owner of Anthem Financial Services, Inc., and have more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I’m also an Air Force Veteran. If you need help with financial advice or services, call 505-980-8270.

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

• Knowledgeable in securities and market information

• Knowledgeable in estate and business planning

• Able to take complex financial situations and resolve them

• Financial Advisory for All Ages

• Retirement Planning

• Investment Advice

• Long-Term Care planning

• Disability Planning

• 65 Series Security License

• MA UNM - Secondary and Adult Education

• Life Underwriting Training Council Fellowship

• Investment Advisor Representative ACCREDITATION

GENA TAFOYA-PADILLA

Teeth Whitening SpecialistBrighter Smiles by Gena

505-220-7391

Email: genatafoya@aol.com

Gena Tafoya-Padilla, a lifetime Albuquerquean and UNM graduate with over 25 years in the dental field, launched her own cosmetic teeth whitening and tooth gem practice after the dental office she was working at closed. Motivated to offer more personalized and affordable professional services, she opened her own business with a plan to make truly brighter smiles. Specializing in cosmetic teeth whitening and tooth gem application, Gena performs her services with high-quality products in a friendly, relaxing environment; setting her apart from other teeth-whitening franchises and spas.

Over the past few years, she has perfected her techniques and built a loyal client base. Gena continues to grow her business through local events and networking, all while working within the community where she was raised. This month, Gena is excited to be hosting a charity event with Miss NM, to benefit youth in the foster care system. Her main motivation comes from improving the lives — and smiles — of her clients. Whether it’s from teeth whitening or having some bling added to their smile, Gena loves seeing her clients’ newfound confidence.

“At the end of the day, my clients have become friends as well as my biggest supporters,” she says.

“They are what drive me to keep moving forward. I love to see the difference in each smile that leaves my door.”

MORE INFORMATION

• Brighter Smiles by Gena is a home-based business, to better continue Gena’s mission of helping to keep teeth whitening affordable to most; her services would comparably cost up to $400- 800 in a dental office

• Proud UNM Graduate with a Degree in Dental Hygiene

• Offers Professional Teeth Whitening and Tooth Gems

• Boutique, Friendly, and Professional Atmosphere

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Over 55 years of combined experience in public accounting

• Key leaders of PB&H’s New Mexico presence since 2017

• Active board and community service, including Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Ronald McDonald House of NM

• Advisors to clients in government, nonprofit, private industry and tax-related matters

• Recognized for long-standing client relationships and resultsdriven service

EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD

PATTILLO, BROWN & HILL, L.L.P

Chris Garner & Michelle Dunlap - Partners

5310 Homestead Rd NE, Bldg 1 Ste 100 505-266-5904 - pbhcpa.com

With a combined five decades of experience, Chris Garner and Michelle Dunlap lead Pattillo, Brown & Hill’s presence in Albuquerque. Backed by a firm with more than a century of service, they provide trusted audit, tax and advisory solutions with personalized service and a deep understanding of New Mexico.

Whether you’re planning ahead or navigating a complex financial challenge, PB&H offers smart, strategic solutions backed by decades of trusted service. Call our Albuquerque office at 505-2665904 or visit pbhcpa.com to learn more!

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

• Government and nonprofit audit services

• Strategic tax planning and preparation

• GAAP, GASB and GAAS compliance

• Uniform Guidance (Single Audit) proficiency

• IRS representation and audit defense

• Business entity selection, advisory, and accounting services

• Risk management and quality control oversight

• High-trust, relationship-focused client service

ACCREDITATION

• Certified Public Accountants (CPA)

• Bachelor of Accountancy –New Mexico State University (Garner)

• BBA in Accounting – University of New Mexico (Dunlap)

• Members – American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) & New Mexico Society of CPAs (NMSCPA)

DR. TRAVIS RUDD

Oral & Facial SurgeonBear Canyon Oral & Facial Surgery

10151 Montgomery Blvd NE, Ste 2D 505-292-3400 - bearcanyonofs.com

My goal is to have the best dental implant and maxillofacial surgery practice in the state. That requires a wonderful team, the most advanced technology and superb care for patients. We also give back to the community through our volunteer efforts.

If you need help with dental implants, call our team at 505-292-3400.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• The only provider in Albuquerque certified as an X-Nav Center of Excellence Surgeon (computer guided dental implant surgery)

• Recognized in Albuquerque The Magazine as Best Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon in 2021

• Since 2013, Dr. Rudd has successfully performed over 3,200 dental implants and provided safe IV sedation for over 4,800 patients

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

• Shamelessly silly father of five children

• Specialist in dental implant surgery and IV sedation

• Bear Canyon Cares Day: One day every month donating treatment to those in need

• Theater scholarship as undergraduate student actor

ACCREDITATION

• Diplomate, American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

• President, New Mexico Oral and Maxillofacial Society 2015-2017

• Maxillofacial surgery representative for Health Volunteers Overseas since 2017

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Recipient of numerous awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology

• First to offer the newest version of LASIK surgery called SMILE pro in Albuquerque

• Started a Clinical Research Center called The Juliette Eye Institute Research Center

• Started the Juliette Eye Institute in 2020 to usher in the latest technologies in vision correction for New Mexico

• Served in the New Mexico Air National Guard/USAF as a Flight Surgeon and separated from the U.S. Air Force in 2020 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

• Received consecutive “Best of the City” awards for Best Healthcare Customer Service in 2023 & 2024

ROBERT F. MELENDEZ, M.D.

CEO & Laser Eye Surgeon- Juliette Eye Institute

At Juliette Eye Institute, we’re here to help patients see better, live better, and feel genuinely cared for from start to finish. Founded in 2020, our practice was created with one goal: to deliver exceptional vision outcomes through an elevated, personalized experience. We combine compassionate care with the most advanced technologies in New Mexico to ensure each patient receives a solution that fits their life.

Our private, in-house surgery center and state-of-the-art laser suite offer the comfort, convenience, and precision you expect from a premium provider. Because we focus exclusively on vision correction, most procedures can be scheduled within one to three weeks of your consultation.

If you’re looking for more than just a surgery—if you’re looking for true visual freedom delivered with expertise and care—Juliette Eye Institute is the place.

We look forward to welcoming you soon, and we’re proud to be expanding to Santa Fe in late 2025.

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

• Dr. Melendez has the only practice in New Mexico to offer all six customized vision correction procedures (SMILE pro, PRK, LASIK, EVO ICL, RLE, and Premium Cataract Surgery)

• Clinical Professor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology

• Started several leadership programs and wrote a leadership book, “Focus on the Passion, not the Position.”

• Has presented lectures nationally and internationally on topics surrounding vision correction surgery, leadership and the business side of ophthalmology.

• Started a national business magazine called Ophthalmology Business Minute

• Started a national business meeting called The Outliers Ophthalmology Meeting

ACCREDITATION

• M.D. (UNM Class of 2000, President of the NM Student Medical Association)

• M.B.A. (UNM Class of 2008, Anderson School of Management)

• M.S. (UNM Class of 1996, Biochemistry)

• B.S. (UNM Class of 1994, Biochemistry)

• Board Certified Fellow, American Board of Ophthalmology

• Board Certified Fellow, World College of Refractive Surgery and Visual Sciences

• Member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery

ABQ DENTAL IMPLANT CENTER

3520 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Suite B

505-705-8808

abqdentalimplantcenter.com

ABQ Dental Implant Center in Albuquerque is helping patients reclaim their smiles and confidence through advanced full mouth dental implants. Led by Dr. Jacob Rogers and Dr. Ozzie Rodas—both Fellows of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI)—the practice uses a fully digital process to deliver new teeth in just one day, all while patients are comfortably sedated.

“We see people who’ve been told they’re not candidates for implants,” says Dr. Rodas, host of Smile for a Lifetime on KRQE. “With our advanced training and techniques, we’re often able to provide solutions where others could not.”

Dr. Rogers, who appears on KOAT’s The Wellness Hour, adds, “This is more than dentistry. It’s life-changing. We give people the ability to eat, speak, and smile again.”

Their expertise allows them to stabilize implants even in challenging cases, offering hope to patients turned away elsewhere. Louise, a patient, shared, “Four dentists told me I needed dentures. ABQ Dental Implant Center gave me a full set of teeth in a day!”

To learn more, visit abqdentalimplantcenter.com or call 505-705-8808 to schedule a free consultation!

DR. DIEGO GONZALEZ

4630 Jefferson Lane NE, Ste C 101 Hospital Loop NE Suite 109 505-633-4141 - nmpainassociates.com

I have a medical degree from the Universidad Autonóma de Centro America. This was followed by an Internal Medicine Internship from St. Vincents Sister’s of Charity Hospital in New York and the completion of my residency program in MetroHealth Medical Center in Ohio. I got my residency in Anesthesia. I am also a member of: American Association of Anesthesia American Board of Anesthesia and American Board of Pain Medicine as well as American Medical Board and the New Mexico Medical Board.

MORE INFORMATION

• We treat low back pain, headaches, knee pain, and hip pain, among other things

• Services include:

• Trigger Point Injections

• Radiofrequency Ablations

• Basivertebral Nerve Ablations

• Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

• Kyphoplasty Procedures

• Trial and Implantation of Spinal Cord Stimulators

• Implantation and Treatment for Pain Pumps via Disks

• We have grown to include two offices to better serve the community

• Recognized in “Top Docs” by Albuquerque The Magazine

• Recognized as “Albuquerque Readers Choice” by the Albuquerque Journal

STORIES BEHIND INDIVIDUALS WHO MAKE ALBUQUERQUE GREAT

Safer Together

Established in 2020, Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) is a city-wide initiave made up of passionate people who recognize that some calls require a more holistic approach. This new branch of ABQ’s first responder system addresses non-threatening mental health and substance abuse crises—placing community at the center and empathy as the focus. (p. 140)

PHOTO BY DON JAMES/ATM

ABQTHEINTERVIEW

First Class

New Mexico is home to only 48.4 practicing dentists for every 100,000 residents—a ratio that ranks near the bottom among the 50 states. But that lack of dental professionals is one of the chief reasons that New York-based Touro College of Dental Medicine recently opened a state-of-the-art training facility near Sunport. The 70,000-square-foot center began seeing patients last month in a unique environment: patients are seen by third- and fourth-year Touro dental students, with oversight by a faculty composed of licensed dentists. The model offers several positive aspects: oral health care to those in need of dental services, while simultaneously providing hands-on training for budding dentists—all at a significantly lower cost to patients who might not otherwise afford care. “This facility bridges critical gaps in education and healthcare—training future dentists to serve New Mexico’s underserved populations while providing immediate access to affordable, high-quality care,” says Dr. Joseph Parkinson, DDS, Touro’s executive assistant dean who will oversee the local campus. We caught up with Dr. Parkinson to brush up on the details surrounding the new facility— and what it means for the future of dental care in ABQ and New Mexico.

ALBUQUERQUE THE MAGAZINE: Why did Touro choose Albuquerque for this facility, which is the first one outside of the dental college’s main facility in New York State?

Dr. Joseph Parkinson, DDS, and Touro College of Dental Medicine are set to give locals a boost in oral health for those in need—while training the state’s future dental professionals. Our cost is about one-third of regular dental practices.

DR. JOSEPH PARKINSON: New Mexico has significant issues with the (low) dentist-to-patient ratio. It’s one of the worst in the nation, and it’s particularly bad for people who live in rural areas, where it’s hard to get people to go out there

and practice. Touro not only wants to have 200 practitioners in the state providing care, but also to train people to go back and practice in their underserved communities.

ATM: The first thing that comes to mind is the sheer size of the facility. At 70,000 square feet, it’s about size of one and a half football fields.

DJP: Yes, it’s gigantic. And not only that, but we have every possible technology you could want in a training facility. We have an integrated health record, we have digital radiography, we have lasers, we have intraoral scanners, we have CAD/CAM technology where you can get a crown made the same day. We’ll also have a state-of-the-art technology lab and a simulation lab, which will be great for our students.

ATM: Tell us about the process of getting the facility up and running.

DJP: We started about three years ago with the initial planning. I got involved late last year, and when I came here as part of my interview, there were still pipes coming out of the dirt where the (dental) chairs were going to be. Now the facility is ready and we have 100 chairs. One of my jobs was to start hiring faculty and staff, and we’ve hired 33 faculty members and about 25 staff persons. It’s amazing how fast things have come together.

ATM: So, the students do their first two years of academic work at Touro’s campus in New York, and the final two years in practical application in Albuquerque?

DJP: Yes, the first two years are mostly classroom work and practice on mannequins, which are really lifelike. We also have simulation labs, which are really advanced and pretty cool. They won’t even let you cheat and pull back a mannequin’s cheek; you have to ask first, just

Dentists are likely to practice in the area where they attended dental school.

FAST FACTS

like a real patient. After each dental class of 200 students does two years of primarily clinical work, they will do this practical training, with 100 doing it in New York and 100 coming here to New Mexico.

ATM: What will the experience and level of care be like for dental patients?

DJP: First off, we want to be a dental home for people who don’t have a dentist. That’s the goal—we’re not trying to steal anybody’s patients. Secondly, these are student dentists, so they’re going to be a bit slower as they learn. But it’s a fantastic place to get work done because not only are there general dentists, there’s also every specialty, like oral surgery, periodontics, orthodontics, endodontics. All the specialties are right in the building, so if you need a consultation on something, you don’t have to go to another office

like you do in prior practice. You just call somebody down the hall and say, ‘Hey, come look at this.’

ATM: Walk us through what a typical interaction will be like for the patient, student and faculty.

DJP: For instance, a patient will come in, and let’s say he needs a filling. The student will take the patient’s medical history and list any medications they’re taking. If they don’t need a medical consultation and they’re healthy, the student will get a starting check from the faculty, and go ‘This is Mr. So-andso, he’s 52 years old, in good health, and I’m going to do a filling on tooth number 20.’ And then the faculty member will look at the x-ray, look at the tooth, and give another starting check, and then the student will prep the filling. The faculty member will check everything, make sure it

looks good, and if it does, they’ll do the filling.

ATM: The faculty member is checking every step of the process before approving the student to continue?

DJP: Yes, the faculty check everything. The students are working under their license, because the students don’t yet have a license to practice dentistry in the state. And that’s the model at dental schools across the country.

ATM: How are students graded in this type of working environment?

DJP: It’s a competency-based curriculum. Each student will have to do a number of each procedure, let’s say 20 fillings, and then take a competency exam where they can’t receive any assistance from a faculty member. They have to do it straight

We want to be a dental home for people who don’t have a dentist.

through by themselves. And if they prove they can do it, they’re deemed competent in that procedure.

ATM: How do you go about finding locals who can be patients for the students?

DJP: We work with local groups to get the word out, and it’s been going great so far. We already have over 200 patients who have contacted us, wanting to come in, and we’ve got about 25 already scheduled (as of May 27, 2025). People are beginning to realize how important oral health is to your whole body. People sometimes think it’s a separate thing, that their mouth is separate from the rest of their body. So, good oral health is critical for systemic health.

ATM: Give us an example of why oral health is so important to your overall well-being.

DJP: If you have an infection in your mouth or something is going on in your mouth, it affects the rest of your body. Even if, for example, you lose a tooth or all your teeth and you can’t eat properly, well, that affects your nutrition. You can’t eat the foods that make and keep you healthy. That’s something that more people are learning, the importance of good dental care.

ATM: How does insurance and cost of care differ from regular dental practices?

DJP: The cost is considerably less than prior practice fees, about a third of the cost. But it’s a great place to get your (dental) work done because people like me make sure it’s done right. And we take Medicaid and most insurances.

ATM: You mentioned earlier that the presence of this training facility will mean more of the student dentists who gradu-

ate will end up practicing in New Mexico. Why is that?

DJP: We’ve found that, when dentists train somewhere, they’re more likely to stay in that area after they finish school. There are board exams, and when they take the board for that region, they often stay and practice in that region. They tend to be like, ‘I like it here. I may stay here and practice.’ So that’s another component of what we hope happens, that these student dentists will find New Mexico to be pretty cool.

ATM: Are there other components to the college, such as research?

DJP: There is a research component, but it won’t start right away. There are some students that take an interest in that aspect of dental work and do research with faculty supervision. At some point we’ll have

research be a part of the curriculum, but that’s down the road a bit.

ATM: What had been your previous experience or familiarity with Albuquerque or New Mexico?

DJP: Well, just the fact that my best friend lives in Santa Fe, and we had been there to visit him. And of course, my wife and I came to Albuquerque and went to the Balloon Fiesta, so we knew we liked the area.

ATM: Was that what led you to apply for the job?

DJP: I was going through my email when I saw the ad for this position, and I read it and went, ‘Oh, my gosh, they wrote this job description for me.’ So I handed my wife my laptop— and I didn’t say anything—and she read it and goes, ‘Oh, my gosh, Joe, they wrote this job description for you.’ So I applied, and I was fortunate enough to get selected.

Good oral health is critical for good overall health.

BEHINDTHESCENES

A New Response

Extraordinary in its care-centered approach, Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) is the first of its kind in ABQ— and it’s helping redefine public safety for the 21st century.

Five years ago, amid an unprecedented global pandemic, leaders and community members across Albuquerque came together in mutual realization: that the city needed a different approach when it came to public safety.

“I think when you go back and look, it was a whole change of the public safety system,” says Walter Adams, Deputy Director of Field Operations of Albuquerque Community Safety. “When you called 911, you would expect a police response. And for too long, we’ve asked our officers to do too much. And so, by ACS being created, it puts police in a position to respond to calls that they were meant to respond to, right? It kind of opens up our public safety system so that you can get that right response at the right time.”

Launched in September of 2021 with a modest staff of ten—five responders and five admin—ACS today consists of nearly 120 dedicated field officers and administrators who provide a creative and compassionate response to today’s community concerns.

“We take behavioral health crises, suicidal ideations, welfare checks, wellness checks, suspicious individuals, unsheltered individuals—anything that’s mid-

to-low acute, non-medical, non-enforcement, and non-violent,” explains Adams, who has been with the department, boots on the ground, since day one.

ACS is ultimately one part of a threepronged approach to Albuquerque’s first responder system, working in-tandem with APD and AFR. Any call to 911 is fielded through the city’s emergency communications center and is then sent to the appropriate channel—or one of

the three prongs—based on an evaluation of the situation at-hand. ACS does not respond to violent or life-threatening calls but instead takes on instances that might require de-escalating or connecting people to resources, such as shelters or programs. The folks at ACS are estimated to respond to 3,000 calls a month (up to 100 per day), and since August 2023, they have been able to provide 24/7 service to the entirety of the ABQ metro area.

“You have to kind of put into context that in Albuquerque, there’s never been anything like this,” says Adams. “Now you have trained professionals going and addressing some of these calls that, before ACS, were going to police and fire.”

The impetus behind the founding of the department draws from the fact that not all calls require an armed response. To address the city’s needs and to provide care-informed services, all potential responders—who can be referred to as

BEHINDTHESCENES

Behavioral Health Responders, Community Responders, or Street Outreach Responders, depending on certification and position—must undergo and complete a three-month academy program that is specifically designed for ACS. The department also includes Triage Specialists and a team of Mobile Crisis Clinicians, who work with police officers on higher risk cases.

During the academy, participants undergo crisis intervention training with actors who help recreate situations that might occur on the job. A 40-hour mental health week is also built into the academy, where participants learn different diagnoses and are informed on substance use and its effects.

Due to the unique nature of ACS—being the first of its kind in Albuquerque— many responders come from a variety of backgrounds—Adams included. Prior to his leadership role with ACS, Adams was the Program Manager for the Behavioral Health division of Bernalillo County’s

Metropolitan Court. “For me, my background comes in a lot of different ways,” says Adams. “I’ve done juvenile and adult probation, juvenile and adult corrections. I worked with kids at residential treatment centers. And one of the things that attracted me to this job was the ability to meet people where they were at. You have to come to me for a reason. This was an opportunity to go to someone in crisis and help divert that a little bit, right? Before it escalates to that point.” But Adams says that the common, uniting thread among everyone involved with ACS— and perhaps across the city’s public safety system as a whole—is actually very simple: everybody comes onboard because they just want to help people.

Contrary to fictional media displays, saving someone’s life doesn’t always involve smoking guns and blazing sirens. Instead, help can arrive in different, more subtle ways—many of which are arguably overlooked and often underappreciated by the public at large.

“We came across this individual that was intoxicated up in the Foothills right off Tramway, and it was already getting late at night,” remembers Adams. “It was about 9, 10 o’clock, and the temperatures were dropping. We didn’t know how he was going to do, so we checked on him. We spent about, I would say, roughly an hour with him, talking to him and seeing if we could get him out, but it was a backand-forth kind of thing. And eventually we were able to engage and build rapport with him, and he agreed to go to detox that night.”

Stories such as these are perhaps a daily occurrence for the folks at ACS, and over time, they build off each other to create a ripple effect in the lives of others. Eventually, these ripples extend outwards and produce very real and very tangible results, from months of sobriety to more permanent housing, thereby improving the quality of life for the community— and all of the remarkable individuals involved. AUSTIN SEIDEL

BY DON

PHOTO

JAMES/ATM

Following the Bassline

Gordon Johnson has played with a full cast of influential musicians in a variety of settings—from dive bars to orchestral halls. He can chop up a bassline like nobody’s business, and as a relatively new arrival to Albuquerque, Johnson also brings with him decades of expertise—along with long-time piano technician experience. (p. 148)

PHOTO BY DON JAMES/ATM

CREATIVES

DIP INTO THE PERFECTLY MIXED PALETTE OF ABQ’S ART AND ARTISTS

THREADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

ABQ-based fashion designer, runway producer, and seriously cool creative leans into upcycling garments in an industry notorious for waste.

For Madison Van Der Lingen, becoming a fashion designer was only a natural progression. “I’ve been doing it since I first got a sewing machine when I was 11,” she says. “I wanted a film camera, but my parents decided to randomly give me a sewing machine—and it actually was pretty perfect for me.”

So perfect, in fact, that Van Der Lingen, who grew up in the Northern New Mexican town of Taos, went on to pursue costume design at UNM. Upon graduating, she worked in costuming on a handful of projects for the NM film industry—including the notorious ‘Rust’ with Alec Baldwin—but it just didn’t end up being the right fit.

“Around that time, I was building my brand, MadVan. I just wanted to focus on that,” says Van Der Lingen. “It’s been a whole journey, so I don’t think I belong in film at this point in my life.”

MadVan Design is a testament to years

of sustained effort and creativity—and all pieces are entirely handmade by Van Der Lingen. In the true spirit of high fashion, MadVan often crafts and releases collections for fall, winter, summer, and spring, but unlike other design houses—and

contrary to the industry standard of ‘fast fashion’—MadVan usually repurposes thrifted materials to create whimsical, ethereal, and hyper-feminine statement pieces that are one-of-a-kind and easier on the environment.

“Fast fashion is one of the leading industries that is the most detrimental to climate change,” explains Van Der Lingen. “All of the greenhouse gases are being leaked into the ozone layer because of dyes that are being leaked into the soil. [There’s also] an excess of water that’s being used to even make one cotton shirt.”

Construction of a new garment tends to depend on the piece itself; sometimes Van Der Lingen will begin with a material

PHOTOS

DON JAMES/ATM

in mind, but other times, she will just see what jumps out at her on the thrift store’s racks.

“I think things just call to us, but sometimes we’re making something, and it’s like, okay well, I know I need a yard of this for the lining of something,” she explains. “We’re losing JOANN Fabric, so we have to kind of lean into the sustainable element right now.”

Garment construction can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a few weeks—again depending on the piece. Generally, the process of making a new article of clothing consists of a design phase, followed by pattern-making, cutting, sewing, and then finishing the look to bring it all together.

“I think I just pull inspiration from different elements,” she says. “The theme throughout has been very whimsical and kind of almost cartoonish—a lot of it is Japanese street fashion inspired.” In other words, think maximalist, in-your-face styles—far from the everyday norm of blue jeans and a t-shirt.

Recently, Van Der Lingen opened a collaborative retail space with business partner April June and content creator Evalina Lopez called PüffBügg’s Closet, where fashion-forward femmes can peruse— and possibly procure—some of her and other designers’ pieces. Located inside Classic Century Square, PüffBügg’s ultimately serves as an avant garde collective of ABQ-based creatives who share a similar aesthetic and who all use sustainable practices, namely through upcycling garments.

In addition to PüffBügg’s Closet, Van Der Lingen also has a few other projects up her sleeves. On the heels of completing her fifth year of Denver Fashion Week, she is already poised for her next runway collection as executive producer and designer at ABQ’s up-and-coming extravaganza: Albuquerque Fashion Week.

“I’ve been doing Denver Fashion Week, just because it’s the closest fashion world to us,” she explains. “We don’t really have a huge industry right now.” But Van Der Lingen and a team of budding New Mexico creatives are trying to change that—all while showcasing what makes the Land of Enchantment so special and undeniably unique.

Albuquerque Fashion Week is slated to take the stage this year on July 26, with its theme being ‘Night Aquatic,’ a continuation of last year’s ‘Unknown Garden’ theme. Both are a part of the ‘Enchanted Elemental’ series, a four-part runway show of organically inspired, avant-garde couture. Tickets for ABQFW start at $49 and can be purchased online via albuquerquefashionweek.com/tickets. Meanwhile, for designers, registration is free of charge—which is essentially unheard of in the industry. The idea, however, is to provide a more affordable and therefore more accessible platform for those who are just starting on their fashion journeys.

In addition to Albuquerque Fashion Week, Van Der Lingen is currently trying to raise enough funds to show at Paris Fashion Week—which would be a giant step for her brand. Most fashion weeks, from New York to Milan, require a hefty

‘buy-in’ fee—in addition to an invite— making it difficult for smaller designers to present their work.

Despite, or perhaps in spite of, the ups and downs, Van Der Lingen seems perched on the edge of ‘making it’—all while retaining an against-the-grain perspective that feels fresh, inclusive—and very much needed in the industry. “I feel like fashion should be bizarre and sometimes ugly and weird and funky,” she says. “And it should also celebrate queer and BIPOC people. It’s slowly going in that direction, but then sometimes, it gets swung back. But I feel like we’re in the right hemisphere.” —AUSTIN

SEIDEL

Scan to Donate to send MadVan to fashion week

PHOTO

DON JAMES/ATM

STORYTELLERS

SOUTHWESTERN STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY

In his 34th book, ‘New Mexico Civil Rights and Justice: Tears in the Valleys’, Ray John de Aragón unpacks hundreds of years of history, land struggles, and fights for civil rights.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, New Mexico, John de Aragón has written extensively about New Mexican history and culture. He is a proud activist who has advocated for Hispanic communities in New Mexico and across the country.

ATM: You begin both the Introduction and Chapter One with New Mexican dichos, or sayings. Why did you include these, and what is the significance of the dichos you selected?

RJDA: My mother came from a family of 12 and her upbringing was in the traditions of New Mexico. As part of that upbringing, she always had a dicho for pretty much everything. They always stayed in the back of my mind, so when I got into writing my books, I decided to use some of those sayings.

ATM: Many photos and artifacts included in the book come from your personal collection. How did you come to acquire some of these images?

RJDA: My dad came from Old Town Albuquerque. His grandmother liked collecting photographs because she was a medicine woman, a curandera. So a lot of the people that my great-grandmother treated gave her photographs as gifts in recognition of her caring for her family and friends and relatives. My dad used to tell me that she kept trunks of photographs and other artifacts in her house. When she passed away, my father inherited some of those photographs and he passed them on to me. That’s how I wound up getting original photographs of some people that became well-known in New Mexico history.

ATM: You pack a lot of information into 124 pages. How did you decide which stories and figures to focus on while covering this much history?

NEW MEXICO CIVIL RIGHTS AND JUSTICE: TEARS IN THE VALLEYS

By RayJohn de Aragón

124 pages

$24.99 (paperback)

RJDA: I read ‘Death Comes For The Archbishop’ by Willa Cather in university, and I was incensed with what I read. I wrote a book on Padre Antonio Jose Martinez to contradict the ‘Death Comes for the Archbishop’ because I figured that something had to be done, and no book had ever been written about the famous folk priest of New Mexico.

ATM: Throughout the book, you reference your own personal experiences and involvement with the Alianza Federal de las Mercedes. Tell us about how your activist work influences your writing.

RJDA: I wound up becoming a member of the Alianza because of my dad. I participated in protest marches and attended some of the speeches that Tijerina gave. The activist work that I was involved with in the 1960s influenced my writing because much of what I read in the past is what everybody read about New Mexico history: what Anglo historians wrote.

ATM: Why is it important for both New Mexicans and non-New Mexicans to understand this history?

RJDA: The civil rights movement affected not only all Americans, but the rest of the world. When I think about the period, I call it the Civil Rights and Social Justice Triad: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, and Reies López Tijerina from New Mexico. I call it The Triad because they worked together, they were involved together, and they all saw the injustices against the poor.

ATM: What do you hope the next generation will take away from this book?

RJDA: Improvement in social conditions. I was watching the news this morning, and they were talking about how, now that school is out, a lot of children in New Mexico will go without meals. That’s terrible. Social justice issues and civil rights include feeding families, caring for families, and providing a brighter future for future generations. I hope that my book will bring all of that out and encourage people to pay more attention to, not only what has happened in the past, but what continues to happen today. —ADDIE SIEM-

BIEDA

@ILINSTERR

WHAT: Instagram platform, @ilinsterr, chronicles local food and homegrown restaurants in ABQ and across NM, one delectable bite at a time

WHO: Linda T., UNM Medical Education Program Assistant by day and foodie photographer by night

NOTABLE: Check out Linda’s A-Z Restaurant Challenge, where she tries a different ABQ eatery for every letter of the alphabet

INKSTAIN

WHAT: Blog

WHO: Former Albuquerque Journal science writer John Fleck’s blog covers mostly water issues in the Southwest, with an occasional post about bike riding or tacos.

NOTABLE: The blog was started in 1998 and has over 6326 blog posts

For over eight years, ABQ native Linda T. has put her heart and soul into @ ilinsterr, a foodie-focused Instagram platform that now boasts over 3k followers. The success of her online passion project has even sprouted a food photography business, Happy Bites Co., which originally sold stickers during the pandemic—but grew into something entirely different.

“It’s been something that I’ve grown from a very small seed to get to where it is now,” she says. “And it’s really rewarding to see that we have so many different businesses but also a very diverse food culture here.”

Linda T. treats every trip to a new restaurant as an adventure—and she duly showcases each dish, employing filters that allow the food to shine. “I hate getting catfished by food,” she jokes. “It’s the worst thing possible.”

A natural behind and in front of the

camera, Linda T.’s posts highlight what makes the ABQ food scene so special and unique. “With Albuquerque, we’re a little mix of everything,” she says. “Each one of us is like a little puzzle piece, and we come together and make this very big puzzle.”

In Inkstain, the beat goes on for journalist John Fleck who has spent decades covering water policy in the Southwest. Calling him an “ink-stained wretch” seems unduly harsh, but Fleck is a true newspaperman, having spent nearly 25 years at the Albuquerque Journal bringing a reporter’s eye to the scientific news of the state. “I didn’t quite make it to the Rolex,” he jokes.

It was back in the late 90s when a handful of journalists at the paper started toying with the nascent concept of blogging with members of the UNM IT community just for fun. Inkstain was born out of that and provided Fleck an outlet for his writing without the constraints of the newspaper. When he left the paper in 2015, the blog just continued, in part as a sandbox for ideas that percolated into his books. “That’s where I really learned how to write,” he says. “It is where I really developed my own voice.”

Inkstain is still very much a part of Fleck’s daily life, posting when he sees fit, often more than once a day. Frequently

technical, the blog is a wealth of detail for anyone interested in the ever-changing saga of water policy and its implications in the Southwest. With over 11,000 subscribers to his newsletter, Fleck reaches far beyond our parched land to share his take on our watery future. As to the future of Inkstain, Fleck says, “I’ll just keep writing until I die. I mean, I’m not gonna stop writing.” —Clarke Condé

ABQ’S THRIVING LOCAL MUSIC SCENE

NEW MUSICAL CHAPTERS TIEMPO

TRAVELED AND SETTLED

Looking at bassist and piano technician Gordon Johnson’s résumé, you begin to wonder if there is any major musician he hasn’t played with or behind in his distinguished decades-long career. Just for starters, the Minneapolis native has toured with Gene Bertoncini, Chuck Mangione, Maynard Ferguson, Roy Buchanan, Doc Severinson, and the Paul Winter Consort, playing in the world’s grandest halls and dingiest biker bars from the Arctic Circle to Australia and in all 50 states. He’s performed, at last count, on some 150 albums, including five trio albums that he produced, each with a rotating cast of luminaries that, among others, has included pianists Bill Carrothers, Kenny Werner, and Frank Kimbrough and drummers Peter Erskine, Matt Wilson, and Steve Smith. Additional live performances include some 200 artists—everyone from Benny Golson to Greg Brown. Add to that numerous TV appearances and a boatload of commercial work.

“I was lucky, fortunate, in the right place at the right time,” says Johnson with genuine modesty. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also exceptionally musical and plays a swinging bass—electric or acoustic.

Johnson credits his successful career first of all to his musical parents. “My mom was a great accompanist and taught piano for 60 years and then some,” he says. His dad “played for 47 years” in the bass section of Minneapolis symphonic orchestras under the baton of some of the world’s greatest conductors while also being an in-demand piano technician. “So I acquired a lot of this stuff in my years from my folks’ musical life, and I actually

studied piano technology with my dad as an apprentice,” he adds.

Johnson, a graduate of Eastman School of Music, began his musical career on the smallest instrument in the orchestra that produces the shortest wavelengths—the flute. While principal flutist in the Eastman Wind Ensemble, playing classical music, Johnson nurtured an interest in the jazz bass, the largest instrument in the orchestra with the longest wavelengths, and when he saw the Maynard Ferguson Band in his senior year, he said, “Gee, I want to be in that band.” Within a year, he was its bassist.

In 1989, after years of touring, Johnson

settled in Minneapolis in 1989, where both on stage and in the studio, he found a steady stream of work with the best local and touring artists and where he married artist Susan Taft in 1999. He supplemented his bass income with regular work as a piano technician, working on instruments in jazz clubs, theaters, studios, churches, and private homes.

As it happens, Johnson and Susan would annually “bail out of Minnesota for a week in January or February,” he says, to visit her cousin, Holly, in Tijeras. “It started to sink in that ‘Hey, this is really nice here.’ So in the spring of 2022, they moved to Albuquerque.

Gordon Johnson

PHOTO BY DON JAMES/ATM

Johnson has been pleased with his reception in the local musical scene. “I feel welcomed, and I feel acknowledged,” he says. Hesitant to name names for fear of leaving someone out, Johnson does note that bassist Terry Burns, whom he knew in the Twin Cities, has been especially helpful. He also thanks Tom Guralnick for booking him at the Outpost last season—“It gave me a kind of a validation: ‘Here’s Gordy Johnson!’” he says—and John Trentacosta who pulled Johnson into his regularly working trio when bassist Cyrus Campbell decamped to New York. You can catch Johnson at any number of gigs around town—just check his comprehensive website (tonalities.com), where you can also learn about his piano technician services and make contact.

A GOOD BET

With a guitar in one hand and a deck of cards in the other, Cody Ryan has made a fairly comfortable situation for himself. He makes his living as a professional gambler, which, he says, supports his music habit. That habit’s latest consequence takes the form of an excellent new album, “Feria,” which follows his debut 2023 album, “The Sucker.” The music might be described as folkish rock with an attitude. The songs are marked by Ryan’s keen eye for the detail that tells a larger story, a fearless vulnerability, and a very personal delivery as a vocalist. (Ryan also appears as Cody Lutz on Nara Visa’s “Our Lady of the Duck Pond” album.)

Denver born and Albuquerque raised, Ryan started playing music and writing songs “quite young,” he says. “When I was a teenager, I played in really fast, really loud electric punk bands in Albuquerque, and from there, in my late teens and early twenties, I got connected with what I would say is the DIY punk community in Albuquerque. Lots of house shows, lots of folk punk, acoustic, screaming, and banjos kind of stuff.” On “Feria,” the volume is turned down significantly—there’s an acoustic string quartet involved—and the screaming has been replaced by a subtler vocal style as idiosyncratic as Dylan’s and just as expressive.

Ryan has collected a group of highly sympathetic and talented musicians from his earlier days to back him on “Feria”— Matt Kletecka (bass, vocals); Peach Tauzer (drums, vocals); Gabi Plaza, Hayley

Cody Ryan

Harper, and Stella Martinez (vocals); Alex McMahon (pedal steel guitar, baritone guitar); Troy Krusz (slide and lead guitars, piano, harmonica, trombone, vocals, and producer); the Giovanni String Quartet, with string arrangement by Karl Winkler. “I think it’s important to say that it was really a group effort,” says Ryan, who appreciated the musicians’ personal investment in the project. “If it sounds personal, vulnerable, intimate, that’s not just me, you know. That’s everybody that played on this.”

“Feria” is a sort of second act to “The Sucker,” both of which relate to Ryan’s gambling life. “ ‘The Sucker’ is very much about the come-up of me trying to make it as a professional gambler,” he says. “After having kind of achieved that, ‘Feria’ turns outward much more to seek connection with others—romantic connections, connecting to community, connecting to other people.” There’s a palpable tension between the gambler’s solitary lifestyle and the longing for connection, and the album mines that tension eloquently.

As gamblers say, the profession is a hard way to make an easy living, but it suits Ryan, who’s always enjoyed playing strategy games and who “never wanted to

work a traditional job,” the proof of which is his choice to get degrees in both philosophy and English from UNM. At the same time, he says that he’s never had the desire to be a professional musician, to make money off of music, but he’s happy to go “wherever the music takes me.” For now, gambling gives him an autonomy that allows him to self-finance his music projects. “There’s not a financial need that motivates any of it,” says Ryan. There’s also no record label to answer to.

You can find “The Sucker” and “Our Lady of the Duck Pond” on Bandcamp. “Feria” is currently available on all the usual streaming services, and Ryan plans to have CDs and vinyl in the near future. To stay up to date, check his website, cody-ryan.com. He can be reached through his publicist, Sydney Counce, at sydney@councecreativeconsulting.com or directly at info@cody-ryan.com.

If you’d like to share something with “¡tiempo!” readers, e-mail editor@abqthemag. Be sure to check out Musically Speaking, Mel’s online music journal, at www.melminter.com.

BY DON JAMES/ATM

PHOTO

A TASTE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN ABQ’S WORLD OF WINE, SPIRITS, AND CULINARY DELIGHTS

Classic and Craveable

Truly savvy diners will know that Tula’s, a casual dining concept, is brought to you by the same folks behind Dion’s, one of ABQ’s beloved local chains for pizza, subs, and salads. Tula’s, however, brings something a little different to the table, thanks to an eclectic menu and buzzy atmosphere that serves up everything from Mediterranean nosh boards to green chile strips. (p. 152)

PHOTO BY DON JAMES/ATM

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

With two locations now in the metro area, Tula's boasts a diverse and inspired menu, featuring dishes made with local and global flavors.

While it might not yet be as well known as its sister establishment, Tula’s Kitchen has gained plenty of traction with Duke City diners since its inception a little less than three years ago.

In fact, there’s more than a few satisfied customers who don’t initially realize that it has an association with Dion’s, the well-loved pizza/salad/sub franchise with multiple locations throughout the state.

“Despite having been open now for a few years, we still come across customers every single day that don’t have any idea about the connection,” says chief of staff Deena Crawley. “And at the same time, when folks write reviews or are just giving us our feedback, they say, ‘Oh, well, I’m a big fan of Dion’s, and so I knew that I was

going to love Tula’s.’ So (for) some folks, certainly it helps with sparking the Tula’s reputation, and others still don’t know about the connection.”

While the Tula’s name is an ode to co-founder Jon Patten’s late aunt, the inspiration behind the menu comes primarily from Patten himself. The lineup, which is affectionately referred to as “craveable classics,” has a variety of influences ranging from Greek to New Mexican.

“John is an amazing cook with a great palate, and he just has a real fondness for cooking,” Crawley says. “So he’s always inviting friends and family over and cooking dishes. He really has had the vision for the menu.”

Staples include Greek-flavored entrees like the Chicken Scallopini, a chicken and

pasta dish served with a white wine butter sauce, and distinctly New Mexican appetizers like the Chile Strips and Tater Tots, which features flash fried green chile strips stuffed with cheddar cheese and served with tater tots and four of Tula’s “famous” sauces.” Some of those sauces will be quite familiar to those who frequent Dion’s. Tula’s also has some of its own offerings as well, such as a Housemade Hot Sauce and a Champagne Vinaigrette.

No matter the dish, everything has Patten’s stamp on it.

“He really is relentless about selecting ingredients,” Crawley says. “For example, the cheddar on things like our Duke City Grilled Cheese is a very specific type of Irish cheddar that really just adds a great element to the (sandwich).”

PHOTO

DON JAMES/ATM

In addition to a versatile selection of soups, shareables, salads, sandwiches, entrees and desserts, Tula’s has a full bar menu of beers—both local and domestic—and cocktails. One of the fan favorites is the Santa Fe Blue, which features Smirnoff Blueberry vodka, Blue Curacao and Tula’s fresh lemonade (which utilizes the same recipe as Dion’s). Meanwhile, a rotating lineup of fall and spring seasonal cocktails are created by the bartenders and then sampled by the staff before being finalized.

For the non-alcoholic crowd, there’s a selection of creative mocktails that includes a cucumber and lemon juice blend

GREEK WISDOM

Tula’s, named after the co-founder’s aunt, is short for the Greek name Athenaoula, which happens to be a variation of Athena — the goddess of wisdom.

PRIVATE TIME

The new location boasts a private dining room, perfect for anniversaries, birthdays and business functions alike.

MOTOR CITY MADNESS

The Tula’s staff has been working to perfect a Detroit-style pizza recipe, with plenty of trial-anderror involving ovens and dough. Look for its debut this summer.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

When the initial location was rebuilt, renovations included a massive patio section. When the weather is right, this area often fills up before the dining room.

REWARDING TRANSFORMATION

The first Tula’s was originally an IHOP, and it received an Eagle Award from the New Mexico chapter of the NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association for the redevelopment.

Tula’s Kitchen

8100 Wyoming Blvd NE

Plus one other metro location (505) 418-4488 tulaskitchen.com

called Mountain Water and a Key Lime Pie drink that tastes remarkably similar to the dessert.

The initial Tula’s Kitchen on Paseo and Wyoming proved to be such a success that a second location was opened on Pan American and Jefferson earlier this year. Both spots cater to a different dining crowd.

“Our first location at Paseo on Wyoming attracted folks that really just live or work in that neighborhood. And of course, people would travel to it, but it was certainly a neighborhood destination,” Crawley says. “And given that the new location is right off I-25, it’s bringing in a lot of new customers that have never tried Tula’s. So east-siders, west-siders, travelers for sure—especially given all the

hotels nearby. So it’s definitely brought in different people.”

While both spots come with their own perks, patrons have really taken to the Tula’s environment. That, Crawley says, is by design.

“One of the things we hear frequently is, ‘Wow, there’s not another concept like this in Albuquerque.’ And we love hearing that because that’s exactly what we wanted to create,” she says. “It’s both from a food perspective, but also an ambiance perspective.

“We were really thoughtful about the design of the restaurant and the decor of the restaurant. And folks are certainly noticing and really appreciating it.”

—TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

FEATURED DISHES

CHARCUTERIE BOARD $23 (FULL), $12 (HALF)

Cured meats, artisan cheeses, Marcona almonds, fresh fruit, and fig jam, served with crostini and crackers.

CHICKEN SCALLOPINI, $19.50

Crispy chicken over pasta and seasonal vegetables, sautéed with tomatoes, capers, mushrooms, red pepper flakes, and a white wine butter sauce, served with Parmigiano-Reggiano and a seared lemon.

LEMON ICE BOX PIE, $9

Creamy lemon filling in a graham cracker crust, served with raspberry coulis.

Eats, Etc.

A quick glance at two local eateries that you may or may not already know about.

Michael Almanzar first crossed paths with Dagmar Mondragon in the 1990s, when she ran Dagmar’s Strudel Haus in Nob Hill.

“Being from Germany myself, I wanted to take my new girlfriend at that time to a German place in Albuquerque and found Dagmar’s place,” Almanzar recalls. “I was surprised to find that name in the phone book, since it’s also my mother’s name—a rare one for sure. We became good friends throughout the years, as we both were from Berlin, growing close enough that she considered me her little brother.”

Dagmar moved locations several times over the years, eventually settling on what began as a take-out only spot in Rio Rancho in 2019. Nomadic existence aside, Dagmar’s was renowned for its authentic German food, something not easily found in the Duke City. After Dagmar passed away in February 2023, Almanzar wanted

Dagmar’s array of authentic German sausages, perfect on their own or with a slice of bread.

to continue her legacy, so he reopened the establishment in August of that year.

“The only way I thought it could possibly happen is to keep everything the same: the recipes, the theme she designed—just everything,” he said.

As an added bonus, the original Dagmar’s kitchen staff returned upon the reopening, which made it easier to maintain the recipes. This includes longtime favorites such as The Breakfast Schnitzel—complete with a green chile brown gravy—and the Rueben, which comes with either homemade sauerkraut or red cabbage.

“They’re both very filling and of course, delicious,” Almanzar says. “I have witnessed first-hand people going into a food coma, which was very entertaining.”

In addition to those two staples, there’s a variety of cakes, pastries, breads, strudel

and meals to satiate those with an appetite for German cuisine. Over time, Almanzar did see the need to make one significant change: After some renovations to the original dry storage area, a seating area was opened in February 2024.

“We try to keep the atmosphere very homey and inviting,” Almanzar says. “Dagmar’s customers are very important to us, and we try to make everyone that walks through the door feel very welcome. I’m very glad to keep her legacy alive and will do so as long as we are able to.”

—TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

DAGMAR’S SPECIALTIES

2704 Southern Blvd SE, Rio Rancho (505) 615-5651

Facebook: DagmarsSpecialties

PHOTO

DON JAMES/ATM

Eats, Etc.

A quick glance at two local eateries that you may or may not already know about.

Turquoise Desert Taproom has a sports bar atmosphere, but the food isn’t what one might typically expect for such an establishment.

Armando and Molly Martinez already owned bakeries in Santa Fe and Rio Rancho—Dulce River Bakery is located next door to the taproom—and their goal was to bring a scratch kitchen to The City of Vision. That became a reality in July 2022.

“I wanted to have a sports bar vibe to where people could come in and watch games, but normally when you go to a place like that, the food’s not that good,” Armando says. “Let’s just make it more like a simple, comforting kind of food. My wife makes the hamburger buns for us. We do the hoagies occasionally. The pretzel she makes from scratch, so it’s not a frozen pretzel. We were like, let’s do bar food—but great bar food.”

Make no mistake, Turquoise offers its share of staples such as wings, nachos, burgers and fish and chips—but even those are made in-house, often with an upscale feel. Take the Turquoise Burger, for example. In addition to a homemade bun, it comes topped with bacon jam— made with 100% organic maple syrup— garlic aioli, cheddar cheese and two strips of bacon.

“That’s probably our most popular burger,” Armando says.

There are other options, however, that aren’t as prevalent in sports bars.

“We also wanted to have a little twist to it,” Armando says. “We wanted to have some of the more simple stuff like fish and chips that a lot of places had, but we wanted to do a fried shrimp basket from scratch because not many people have fried shrimp. We do a chicken cordon

Loaded beef nachos with housemade tortilla chips at Turquoise Desert Taproom.

bleu that we beer batter and deep fry, so it’s very non-traditional. We have some cauliflower rice bowls. One of them is chicken and shrimp, another one is steak.”

Turquoise features nine televisions, NFL Sunday Ticket during football season and specially-made sports-themed tables. There’s also rotating desserts from the sister business and plenty of local beers on tap, with plans to brew their own down the road.

“It’s a cool little vibe,” Armando says.

—TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

TURQUOISE DESERT TAPROOM

4405 Jager Way NE, Rio Rancho (505) 835-4701

turquoisetap.com

PHOTO BY DON JAMES/ATM

SEASIDE SPLASH

Dive into delightful turquoise waters this summer with a brand-new cocktail from Uptown Sports Bar: the Seaside Splash, a simple but refreshing tropical take that’s easy on the eyes (and even easier on the palate).

To craft this trip to equatorial paradise, longtime bartender-turned-GM Nohelani Ader starts with a smooth, full-bodied gin, expertly mixing in fresh pineapple and lemon juice for brightness and a bit of subtle island flavor. The star of the show—the cocktail’s striking blue color—actually arises from an orange-flavored liquor—or Blue Curaçao, a classic bar staple made from orange peels found on the Caribbean island, Curaçao. So don’t let appearances fool you: Seaside Splash is perfectly balanced, and before long, you’ll be floating away on crystal clear waters, despite being in a desert-laden landscape.

And the best part? It’s only $11—so you’ll have plenty more seashells in your pocket to spend on another round (or three).

Seaside Splash, $11

Uptown Sports Bar

6601 Uptown Blvd NE

(505) 884-4714

uptown-sportsbar.com

Herbaceous

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

WITH CHRISTOPHER SANDBERG

Executive Board Chair

Scouting America High Desert Council

scoutingamericahighdesertcouncil.org

Christopher Sandberg grew up in the great outdoors. From camping to canoeing to stargazing by the lake, Scouting America gave him some of his most cherished memories and valuable growth experiences of his life. Now, he’s giving back to the Scouts of today.

Originally from Mississippi, Sandberg received his Bobcat pin in 1960, marking the beginning of a journey that spans decades. Scouting took him across the country, from the New York World’s Fair to the World Scouting Jamboree in Idaho. “Pretty much all my really fun stuff as a kid was done in and through Scouting,” he says. Scouting America, formerly known as Boy Scouts of America, was founded in 1910 with the mission of developing character and leadership skills in young people. Today, there are over 250 councils and 1 million scouts. The High Desert Council, which Sandberg oversees, serves most of New Mexico, as well as parts of Texas and Colorado.

Sandberg took a break from scouting as he went through college and law school, but while he was serving as Assistant Attorney General for the state of Minnesota, he had the opportunity to advise kids

who were considering a career in law. “Sometimes, learning you shouldn’t do something is just as useful as learning you should,” he says.

While his wife was working as an attorney at Honeywell, a coworker came in and asked her if her husband had ever been to Philmont Scout Ranch in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. The coworker’s brother-in-law needed another adult to lead a 12-day trip. Sandberg went—and after hiking 62 miles, he was hooked again. “It reminded me that this is the good stuff that I was doing when I was their age,” he recalls, “and now I can see it with adult eyes and it’s even better.”

The idea of learning by doing is critical to both the mission of scouting and Sandberg’s own philosophy. Though some of his fondest memories come from camping trips and hiking, the life lessons that Scouting has to offer run much deeper. “The outdoors is our classroom,” he says, quoting Scouting America founder Robert Baden-Powell. “The real skills we teach aren’t really rubbing two sticks together to make fire. They are leading and following, citizenship, and being part of a group that can plan, carry out, and succeed at a project.”

Since retiring in New Mexico over seven years ago, Sandberg has been involved

in the local scouting community. He led the High Desert Council through its merger with the Yucca Council in El Paso and maneuvered through the national organization’s bankruptcy.

To Sandberg, though, the best part is always getting to work with the kids. “There are lots of opportunities to watch gangly, goofy 11-year-olds become very self-assured, well-spoken, thoughtful 17-yearolds,” he says. “As a volunteer, that’s how you get paid.”

Even though times have changed, Sandberg is committed to making sure kids today have the same opportunities that shaped his youth. “If you let your son or daughter come play the game of scouting with us,” he says, “we know that they’re going to get life skills that will help them succeed, not just next Tuesday, or a year from now, but throughout their adult life.”

Despite guiding his scouts through their cooking merit badge, Sandberg has, as his wife puts it, “a limited repertoire in the kitchen.” This French toast recipe, however, is one of his staple dishes on mornings where he is chef of the day. “It’s kind of my go-to comfort food,” he says. He loves to make it for his wife, as well as anyone lucky enough to be in the house when breakfast is served. —ADDIE SIEMBIEDA PHOTOS BY DON

JAMES/ATM

French Toast

Ingredients

STURDY SLICED BREAD - NOT OVERLY FRESH

1 EGG PER SLICE OF TOAST, PLUS HALF & HALF OR WHIPPING CREAM, 1 TSP PER EGG

GRANULATED SUGAR, ¼ TSP PER EGG

GROUND CINNAMON, ⅛ TSP PER EGG

GROUND NUTMEG, ⅛ TSP PER EGG

VANILLA EXTRACT, ⅛ TSP PER EGG

BUTTER & MAPLE SYRUP TO FINISH

ARECIPEFORSUCCESS

Directions

Select sliced bread that is a few days old, so not super soft - you’ll want it to be sturdy enough to hold together in the egg mixture.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat.

Whisk together the eggs and cream, then add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, whisking until smooth.

Dredge bread slices in the egg batter in a shallow pan, allowing them to absorb fully on both sides. This is the key - if the bread doesn’t have time to fully soak up, it will be dry in the middle!

Melt butter in the skillet, add slices, and cover.

Cook covered over low heat, until the bottom side is golden brown. Flip over and cook the second side, still covered, until the bread slices begin to puff up. Check for good color on second side, remove from pan, and serve with softened butter and warmed maple syrup.

Enjoy!

BITES

OUR EATS ALUMNI, CONDENSED INTO PERFECTLY SIZED SNACKS TO TAKE WITH YOU ON THE GO

POLICY:

“Bites” is a guide to Albuquerque-area eating establishments compiled by Albuquerque The Magazine’s editorial staff. These restaurants have been featured previously in the “Eats” department of the magazine. Restaurants may or may not accept reservations or major credit cards, so call before visiting.

CORRECTIONS:

Please send corrections and suggestions to bites@abqthemag.com.

3128 SOCIAL HOUSE $$

3128 Central Ave SE (505) 461-3128

IG: @3128socialhouse

This European-inspired gastropub features tried and true favorites—like a house burger made with ground New Mexico beef and a rotating selection of fish—that all come with a bit of an upscale twist. Choose from a diverse array of innovative cocktails—and mocktails, too!—at this trendy Nob Hill spot.

THE 377 BREWERY

2027 Yale Blvd SE (505) 916-0331

the377brewery.com

Check out the funky metal and wood sign of The 377 Brewery. This warehouse-style structure is a little off-thebeaten path but they’ve got multiple creative drinks and meaty entrees just an order away. Along with burgers, nachos, and burritos, the Fish and Chips have been labeled as the best in the city.

66 DINER

1405 Central Ave NE (505) 247-1421

66diner.com

This blast from the past specializes in burgers, chicken fried steak, liver and onions, and blue-plate specials, including the Pile Up: a mound of pan-fried potatoes, chopped bacon, green chile, two eggs, cheddar cheese, and red or green chile sauce on top.

ABC CAKE SHOP $$

1830 San Pedro Dr NE (505) 255-5080

abccakeshop.com

Specializing in custom cakes and baked goods for all occasions, this bakery focuses on freshness and flavor. Everything is made from scratch, including the cupcakes, cookies, pies, danishes, pastries, and other desserts.

ABQ SWEET SPOT

9250 Golf Course Rd NW, Ste. D (505) 900-3814

abqsweetspot.net

Cleverly-decorated cakes and cookies are as easy as your everyday chocolate chip cookie for these bakers who think

out of the box for a sight that’s almost too good to eat every time. Almost. Cookies, cakes, cupcakes, macarons–this is basically heaven, even if you’ve only got a tiny sweet tooth.

ABUELITA’S NEW MEXICAN KITCHEN

6083 Isleta Blvd SW (505) 877-5700

abuelitasnewmexicankitchen.com

Kathy Martinez’s brother, Chris Romero, opened Abuelita’s New Mexican Kitchen in Bernalillo 26 years ago. Since then, nothing has changed. The Huevos Rancheros are a best seller, as is the Kitchen’s signature dish, the Tacopilla.

ALBUQUERQUE CITY LIMITS $$

3211 Coors Blvd SW, Ste. F4 (505) 873-8959

abqcitylimits.com

This dive aims to provide food that makes you feel at home. Dishes like made-from-scratch meatloaf with creamy mashed potatoes and savory brown gravy, homemade salsa, or a fan favorite—natillas—bear uncanny resemblances to the dishes mom used to make.

AJIACO COLOMBIAN BISTRO $$

3216 Silver Ave SE (505) 266-2305

ajiacobistro.com

Inside the intimate space, you’ll find combination plates, arroz con pollo, arepas, plantains, and of course, a great cup of Colombian coffee. The dishes at Ajiaco combine indigenous Colombian, Spanish, African, and Arab flavors for a truly thrilling experience.

ALQUDS MEDITERRANEAN

GRILL & GROCERY $

5555 Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 888-2921

alqudsnm.com

Owner Mohamad Abdel Jalil and his sons run this all-inone operation—a small grocery store and Middle East restaurant—seven days a week. This family team makes fresh pita bread every day and serves platefuls of their delicious hummus. It’s a great spot for lunch on-the-go.

AL’S BIG

DIPPER

501 Copper Ave NW (505) 314-1118

alsbigdipper.com

From the beginning, Al’s Big Dipper has been a family affair. Every sandwich is named after a family member, and the owners test every soup they make. Try the 505 Lunch Deal—a cup of soup, a grilled cheese sandwich and a homemade cookie for only $5.05.

ALDO’S NEW YORK STYLE PIZZERIA

1690 Pat D’Arco Hwy, Unit E plus 1 other metro location (505) 892-2026

aldosalbuquerque.com

With handmade lasagna and pizza dough, among other items, Aldo’s New York Style Pizzeria shares family recipes with its customers. From the buttermilk ranch dressing to the Eggplant and Chicken Parmigianas, homemade cooking is not too far away.

ALICEA’S NY BAGELS & SUBS $

1009 Golf Course Rd. SE, Ste 103 (505) 896-4555

aliceasnybagelssubsabq.com

This East Coast–style deli on ABQ’s Westside is serving up 20 different sandwiches to Rio Rancho’s hungriest diners, using fresh-baked New York–style bagels and

meats prepared in house for the likes of its Philly Steak and Cheese or the Cuban. Come hungry, because Alicea’s portions are not for the faint of heart. Can’t get out?

Delivery options in Rio Rancho and parts of ABQ are also available when that hunger pang strikes.

AMADEO’S PIZZA AND SUBS $ 585 Osuna Rd NE plus 2 other metro locations (505) 344-5555

amadeospizza.com

This family-run pizza place believes that there truly are a million different ways to make a pizza. Using fresh, highquality ingredients, they specialize in pizzas, subs, pasta, and fresh salads.

AMERASIA-SUMO SUSHI $

800 3rd St NW (505) 246-1615

amerasia-sumosushi.net

Dim sum—which means “small piece of your heart” in Chinese—takes on a bigger meaning at AmerAsia, where everything is made from scratch daily. Try the fried beef and garlic dumplings, pork and ginger potstickers, or scallion pancakes.

AMORE NEAPOLITAN PIZZERIA $$

3600 Cutler Ave NE, #3 plus 1 other metro location (505) 554-1967

amoreabq.com

After relocating to Albuquerque from Naples, Italy, Gabriel and Kimberly Amador missed Neapolitan pizza. The husband and wife team, certified by the Association of Neapolitan Pizzaiuoli (APN), opened Amore, bringing a slice of Italy to Albuquerque. A Neapolitan brick oven fires delicious pizzas, such as the Margherita and the Zia, for 60 to 90 seconds at 905 degrees Fahrenheit. Local beer and wine compliment the pies perfectly.

ANA’S KITCHEN $

6004 Edith Blvd NE (505) 341-0055

Off the beaten path, but absolutely worth the deviation. Ana’s Kitchen is rooted in family recipes and hearty homestyle meals. This good old-fashioned combination of American classics and New Mexican comfort food ensures that no one leaves hungry and everyone enjoys themselves in the process.

ANNAPURNA’S WORLD VEGETARIAN CAFÉ $

5200 Eubank Blvd NE, Ste. E7 plus 2 other metro locations (505) 275-2424

chaishoppe.com

Annapurna offers some of the most enlightened, healthconscious vegetarian and vegan plates in the city, with plenty of options for people suffering from food allergies or Celiac disease. And the menu is world-class, with options from virtually every continent.

ANNIE’S SOUP KITCHEN $

3107 Eubank Blvd NE (505) 296-8601

anniessoupkitchen.com

With four homemade soups made fresh every day, and home-style favorites such as avocado and bacon omelets and piles of potatoes topped with melted cheese, chile, and eggs, Annie’s specializes in comfort.

TRUFFLE ME, I’M DELICIOUS

Black truffle sauce isn’t a culinary match with everything, but Tamashi head chef Kenny Le has found that it pairs quite nicely with the restaurant’s sashimi salmon. The black truffle, which is a type of mushroom, is known to help elevate a dish when used properly.

“It’s challenging because truffle and oil and all that stuff can be very overpowering, but for some reason with the salmon it just kind of neutralizes a lot of that,” Le says. “It can balance everything out, and then at the end of it, it’s kind of refreshing.”

Tamashi uses premium grade Scottish salmon for the dish, which Le prefers to the more common Atlantic version because it tends to have a less oily and firmer texture—even after freezing. Black lava salt, sliced cherry tomatoes and microgreens on top provide the finishing touches to a dish, which thanks to the truffle addition, Le believes is rarely found in sushi bars around the country. As it turns out, customers appreciate the rare experience.

“Every day we sell like 20 orders easily,” Le says.

—TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

Tamashi

6400 Holly Ave NE, Ste G, Plus one other metro location (505) 717-2457

tamashiabq.com

ANTIQUITY RESTAURANT

112 Romero St NW (505) 247-3545

antiquityrestaurant.com

$$$$

Antiquity Restaurant is located just off historic Old Town Plaza. Antiquity holds the distinction of being the only restaurant in Albuquerque to serve the Henry IV—a baconwrapped filet mignon placed on a bed of artichoke leaves, topped with an artichoke heart and covered with béarnaise sauce.

ARTICHOKE CAFE

424 Central Ave SE (505) 243-0200

artichokecafe.com

$$$

This EDo fine-dining spot boasts a Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence,” and for good reason. A veteran of the Duke City’s fine dining scene, Artichoke Café remains the best bet for a great lunch or evening out. Innovative dishes and European aperitifs served by staff that takes ownership of the experience, the location is also an ideal launchpad for downtown adventures.

ASIAN NOODLE BAR $$

318 Central Ave SW (505) 224-9119

asiannoodlebar.com

Every kind of noodle awaits at this Downtown eatery, from spicy sesame udon noodles to chicken pho with cilantro, jalapeños, and lime. Slurping has never been so tasty.

ASIAN PEAR $

8101 San Pedro Dr NE, Ste. D (505) 766-9405

asianpearabq.com

Specializing in healthy, authentic, Korean-style eats, this shop pleases the palate with delicious takes on BBQ chicken, kimchi pancakes, and flavorful bowls.

A TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN $$

2720 Central Ave SE (505) 503-8428

atasteofthecaribbeannm.com

A Taste of the Caribbean brings flavors from Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Trinidad, and other islands of the vast region right to the Duke City. Friendly staff is available to offer advice to help those unfamiliar with Caribbean cuisine navigate the menu and find something they’ll love.

AZUMA SUSHI & TEPPAN $$

4701 San Mateo NE

Plus 1 other metro location (505) 880-9800

azuma-sushi-teppan-abq.com

Pioneering the sushi game in Albuquerque for the past 20 years, Azuma is guaranteed to have your favorite roll, plus a house-made creation you won’t be able to resist. If you’re in the mood for dinner and a show, step on over to the teppan side and be dazzled and delighted.

BACA BOYS CAFÉ

102 4th St NW (505) 200-0065

FB: @bacaboyscafe

Family is at the heart of this downtown spot, and you’ll know it walking through the doors. You’ll find good, simple New Mexican comfort foods and service that only comes from a local mom-and-pop place.

THE BAKEHOUSE OFF THE

WHEATEN PATH $

515 Wyoming Blvd NE (505) 312-8252

IG: @thebakehouseoffthewheatenpath

Opened strictly as a gluten-free bakery, The Bakehouse Off The Wheaten Path offers delectable baked goods–like oatmeal cream pie or cinnamon rolls–for those with dietary restrictions. But really, anyone is welcome to enjoy–glutenfree or not. Vegan options are also available.

BANDIDO HIDEOUT

$ 2128 Central Ave SE (505) 489-9865

bandidohideout.com

The masked luchador on the median might catch your attention, but venture inside Bandido Hideout, and you’ll be delighted by authentic south-of-the-border specials and a fun, festive, colorful interior.

BARELAS COFFEE HOUSE $ 1502 4th St SW (505) 843-7577

FB: @thebarelascoffeehouse

This legendary neighborhood restaurant serves New Mexican dishes from the Gonzales family cookbook: menudo, posole, chicharrone burritos, and huevos rancheros–all smothered with its famous red or green chile.

BASIL LEAF

VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT $$ 1225 Eubank Blvd NE (505) 323-2594

basilleaf.us

Sure, Albuquerque offers a variety of Vietnamese eateries, but Basil Leaf elevates the everyday with healthy and fragrant versions of traditional noodle and soup selections. They’ll even modify for any dietary desire. Celiacs and vegans, rejoice!

BELLE’S URBAN DELI $$ 3650 Corrales Rd, Ste. G (505) 548-2009

Bellesurbandeli.square.site

Is there anything better than a good sandwich? How about a sandwich made on in-house made Japanese milk bread with truly unique flavors, like lox and goat cheese. Add to that a pickle bar where you can try everything from the classic dill to fermented green chile - how could you resist?

BLACK TRUFFLE SALMON, $19

BITES

BEN MICHAEL’S RESTAURANT $$

2404 Pueblo Bonito Ct NW (505) 267-6827

FB: @BenMichaelsRestaurant

The food at Ben Michael’s is fresh, preservative-free and takes its roots from the owner’s family’s New Mexican recipes. Try the salmon or the steak served with a side of calabacitas, papas, and sautéed mushrooms.

BENNY’S MEXICAN KITCHEN $

1675 Bosque Farms Blvd (505) 869-2210

Since 1972, Benny’s has obliged countless stomachs with delicious New Mexican treats, which include red-chile smothered enchiladas and deep-fried burritos. Don’t let the Benny Burger—a double-meat, double-cheese

beauty—intimidate you. And, don’t forget to save room for that vanilla ice-cream shake.

BEST LEE’S $

2003 Southern Blvd SE, #127 (505) 892-7887

Specializing in American-Chinese and Cantonese Chinese cuisine, Best Lee’s has over 100 items on the menu. From fried rice to chicken dishes and everything in between. You can select your level of heat ranging from a little hot, all the way to extra hot, or for those not a fan of the heat, no spice. Popular items include General Tso’s Chicken, sweet and sour shrimp, and Mongolian Beef. Best Lee’s is a reliable choice for delicious simple Chinese food accompanied by friendly service.

BIG MIKE’S BURGERS AND MORE $$

19388 NM-314 (505) 864-7918

bigmikesburgersandmore.com

The hand-pressed and specially seasoned burgers are the star of the show at this Belen staple. Big Mike’s uses locally sourced ingredients to bring you the best mouth-watering burgers and monster sandwiches.

BLACK MESA COFFEE COMPANY $

Albuquerque International Sunport 220 Sunport Blvd SE (505) 842-4305

fresquezcompanies.com

With two Sunport locations, flight delays are easier when you’re close to Black Mesa. The house coffee and vanilla latte are sure to perk you up pre-flight. The made-toorder turkey sandwich will fill you up far more reliably than the bag of pretzels you’ll get on the plane. Baked goods, including the popular banana bread, are made in-house daily. Five menu items, including brownies and cookies, are gluten-free.

BLADES’ BISTRO $$$

221 NM Hwy 165, Ste. L, Placitas (505) 771-0695

bladesbistro.com

Owner and chef Kevin Bladergroen’s restaurant offers a culinary journey from his 30-plus years of experience in restaurants across the country and Europe, serving up steak and seafood with a twist.

BLAKE’S LOTABURGER

$ 3806 Montgomery Blvd NE plus 30 other metro locations (505) 883-7615 lotaburger.com

Blake’s became an Albuquerque establishment more than 70 years ago, and almost immediately garnered kudos for its out-of-this-world green chile cheeseburgers (the restaurant has since scored spots on National Geographic’s “top hamburgers in the nation” list and Albuquerque The Magazine’s Best of the City list). Everything is made from scratch as soon as it’s ordered—and not a second before.

BOSQUE BREWING CO $

106 Girard Blvd SE, Ste. B plus 2 other locations (505) 508-5967

bosquebrewing.com

Another favorite on the ever-growing ABQ brewery scene, Bosque Brewing Co is the product of three NMSU grads’ love for brew. With 10-12 of Bosque’s own sudsy creations on tap every day, the brewery is teeming with options to pair with seasoned fries, daily specials, or an array of other appetizers, soups, salads, and sandwiches.

BURGER BOY

12023 New Mexico 14, Cedar Crest (505) 281-3949 burgerboynm.com

Everything in this tried-and-true staple is made from scratch: enchiladas, breakfast burritos, tacos and burgers (of course!). Fans are especially enamored with the green chile cheeseburger.

BURRITO EXPRESS $

141 Osuna Rd NW, Ste. A plus 3 other metro locations (505) 503-8964 burritoexpressinc.com

This Roswell-original brings southern New Mexican flavor to the Duke City. With made-fresh-daily tortillas and a myriad of breakfast and lunch options, Burrito Express is a satisfying spot for southern New Mexican transplants and multi-generational Burqueños alike.

THE BURRITO LADY $ 938 Eubank Blvd NE (505) 271-2268

The Burrito Lady—otherwise known as Consuelo Flores— cooks every one of her huge burritos herself, made-toorder. That means you should be prepared to wait (the line here can often go out the door). It’s worth it—ask for your burrito smothered if you want to really heat things up.

BURRITOS ALINSTANTE $

2101 Broadway Blvd SE plus 5 other metro locations (505) 242-0966

burritosalinstante.com

A paradise for anyone who loves wrapping tasty things (chicharrones, carne adovada, bacon, cheese, potatoes— you get the picture) up inside of locally made tortillas, this operation maintains a half dozen storefronts between Belen and Albuquerque.

CAFE

6855

6855 4th St NW (505) 890-9150

cafe6855.com

A sister restaurant to Vernon’s Speakeasy, Café 6855 has gourmet dishes, expertly prepared and served in an elegant atmosphere. The menu is populated with gourmet sandwiches, salads, and cafe specialties that redeploy Vernon’s ingredients to thrilling effect.

CAFÉ BELLA COFFEE

2115 Golf Course Rd SE #102 (505) 994-9436

cafebellacoffee.com

With made-to-order panini and tasty salads filled with the freshest seasonal ingredients, this restaurant’s farm-totable concept is a smart—and delicious—one.

CAFE CHICA

1700 Central Ave SW, Ste. A (505) 499-5111

wearecafechica.com

As a specialty dessert and coffee shop that focuses on Italian pastries, Cafe Chica is known for its signature sweet treats, from bombolonis (Italian doughnuts filled with various pastry creams) to tiramisus. Everything is made from scratch as much as possible—even the bread for its sandwiches.

CAFE ISTANBUL $$

1410 Wyoming Blvd NE, Ste. F (505) 294-9900

Mediterranean delights abound at Cafe Istanbul—don’t be fooled by the name, as this restaurant is known for its wide array of European eats (including the fan-favorite baklava topped with crushed pistachios).

CAFÉ LUSH

700 Tijeras Ave NW (505) 508-0164

cafelushabq.com

Located on a quiet neighborhood corner, this café is perfect for a nice brunch or lunch and your wallet will not be hurt after your visit. The menu is gluten-conscious, vegetarian-friendly and has some of the best gluten-free red chile in town.

CAKE FETISH $

2665 Louisiana Blvd NE (505) 883-0670

cakefetish.com

Cake Fetish specializes in baker’s cups filled with heaven, such as the Sleepless in Albuquerque (chocolate cake with mocha French buttercream frosting) and the InsideOut German Chocolate Cake (coconut and pecans and crowned with chocolate French buttercream).

CAMPO AT LOS POBLANOS $$$

4803 Rio Grande Blvd NW (505) 344-9297

lospoblanos.com

Beautifully situated in the heart of Los Ranchos, Campo is the newly renovated and reimagined fine dining establishment at Los Poblanos. A top-of-the-line menu mixes with fresh ingredients from the Los Poblanos Farm and a quiet, rustic atmosphere to make for one of the city’s best dining experiences.

CANVAS ARTISTRY $$

1 Central Ave NW (505) 639-5214

canvas-artistry.com

Specializing in international street food with a local twist, expect seasonally rotating artsy fare made with local produce, daily and weekly specials, and art to boot. A great late-night spot with live spinning DJs featuring different genres each night.

CASA DE BENAVIDEZ $$

8032 4th St NW (505) 898-3311

casadebenavidez.com

One of the original New Mexican eateries in the North Valley, this expansive property boasts a lush patio, fabled margaritas and authentic eats, including a trademark on the sopaipilla burger.

CASA TACO $$

5801 Academy Rd NE (505) 821-8226

casa-taco.com

Both Casa Taco locations offer a window into owner James Pecherski’s signature take on the U.S. Southwest—a strange place where you could picture a classic John Wayne character lingering over a plate of Jamaican jerk chicken and Yucatan pork tacos. Casa Taco defies expectations.

CECILIA’S CAFÉ $

230 6th St SW (505) 243-7070

Recognized on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives,” and ranked No. 45 on the Travel Channel’s “101 Tastiest Places to Chow Down,” Cecilia’s Café offers tasty New Mexican treats, such as their Fireman’s Burrito or homemade chicharrones in a cozy atmosphere.

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GET YOUR GREENS

In the restaurant business, sometimes it pays dividends to listen to customer input. When La Reforma first opened, it didn’t have a salad on the menu, but that changed when a health-conscious regular suggested that the establishment add some greens to the lineup.

“You should always listen to your guests because they can give you a lot of insight into your business, and sometimes, they’re smarter than you are,” says co-owner Jeff Jinnett.

With that, he and business partner/chef Javier Castillo went to work in what Jinnett calls “the salad lab” to concoct an offering that included organic baby greens, watermelon cubes, jicama (another customer suggestion), pepitas, cotija cheese and fried, homemade tortilla strips. Diners can also choose from housemade cilantro lime vinaigrette or jalapeno ranch and add their choice of protein—carnitas, al pastor, pollo asado, carne asada— for a small upcharge.

“I hear every day from people that it’s the best salad they’ve ever had, which is awesome,” Jinnett says. —TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

La Reforma Brewery

8900 San Mateo Blvd NE, Ste I (505) 717-1361

lareformabrewery.com

CENTRAL BODEGA

3418 Central Ave SE (505) 433-5600

centralbodeganm.com

This European bistro features a marketplace with local products and great eats. Central Bodega spotlights good food, wine, and community with favorites like whipped feta with honey, black pepper, and Italian Eggs Benedict.

CENTRAL GRILL & COFFEE HOUSE $

2056 Central Ave SW (505) 554-1424

centralgrillandcoffeehouse.com

This local favorite on Route 66, adjacent to Old Town, offers a bevy of breakfast and lunch options that will comfort your belly and your wallet. Here, you’ll find traditional New Mexican favorites, serious sammies, and solid caffeine with a staff famous for their classic Southwestern hospitality.

CERVANTES NEW MEXICAN RESTAURANT $$ 5801 Gibson Blvd SE (505) 262-2253

cervantesabq.com

Old-world style meets traditional New Mexican fare at this family-owned restaurant. Go for the made-from-scratch chile rellenos, tamales, and carne adovada.

CESAR’S MEXICAN & GREEK $ 5300 Lomas Blvd NE (505) 256-8017

cesarsmexicanandgreek.com

Both the drive-thru and the dining room at Cesar’s are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On the Mexican menu, try the No. 15, a chile rellenos plate. Popular Greek items include the No. 64 Gyros sandwich and the No. 78 Chicken pita sandwich.

CHEBA HUT $

115 Harvard Dr SE plus 1 other metro location (505) 232-2432

chebahut.com

Located next to UNM, Cheba Hut serves up toasted subs made from quality ingredients. Try sandwiches loaded with everything from guacamole, olives, mushrooms, cheeses, meats and much more.

CHEESE AND COFFEE $$ 2679 Louisiana Blvd NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 883-1226

cheeseandcoffee.com

There’s more than just cheese and coffee here—think homemade soups, sandwiches, salads and specials. At lunch, the line often goes out the door, so it’s worth getting there early.

CHELLO GRILL $

5010 Cutler Ave NE Ste. A (505) 881-2299

chellogrill.com

Known for the varieties of kabobs, Chello Grill aims to introduce authentic Persian cuisine to Albuquerque. This restaurant offers different salads, sandwiches, and combinations of plates packed with immense flavor.

CHEZ AXEL $$$

6209 Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 881-8104

chezaxelrestaurant.com

At Chez Axel, classical music is played at dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and the food has a decidedly French twist: cassoulet, trout amandine, chocolate mousse, and authentic French onion soup. Reservations are recommended.

CHILE CHICKEN

NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN $

3005 Eubank Blvd NE (505) 293-1700

chilechicken.com

As the legend of Nashville chicken goes, revenge is a dish best served fiery hot. This Southern staple comes to the Duke City in red hot fashion. Frying up proteins like chicken and catfish, diners can choose sauces ranging from mild to really cluckin’ hot for a customizable, unforgettable meal.

CHILI HILLS $ 5 NM-344, Edgewood, NM (505) 286-9202

chilihillsedgewood.com

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Chili Hills is a comfort food haven. The team here is all about providing quality food and service at a fair price. From Huevos Rancheros to Chicken Fried steak they are serving up classic American and New Mexican eats.

CHOCGLITZ & CREAM $ 10660 Unser Blvd NW (505) 898-4589

chocglitzandcream.com

Certified fair-trade chocolate and a chocolatier with 45 years of experience means you’ll find some of the best sweet-tooth satisfying offerings (including ice cream flavors such as raspberry red chile and Mexican coffee).

CHRISTY MAE’S RESTAURANT $ 1400 San Pedro Dr NE (505) 255-4740

christymaes.com

“Hearty” and “homestyle” are the key words here, a handsdown favorite of early-dinner lovers. Old-fashioned staples are the standards, so look for chicken salad, potpies, country-fried steak with homemade mashed potatoes, and beef stew.

PHOTO BY DON JAMES/ATM

CHEF JAVI’S DELICIOUS SALAD, $11

CHURCH STREET CAFÉ $$

2111 Church St NW (505) 247-8522

churchstreetcafe.com

Calling the oldest residence in Albuquerque its home, this café serves up favorites ranging from natillas to margaritas. They also sell their own bottled salsa and cookbooks with recipes from the restaurant.

CINNAMON

SUGAR & SPICE CAFÉ

5809 Juan Tabo Blvd NE (505) 492-2119

cinnamoncafeabq.com

Featuring breakfast and lunch options, endless baked goodies, friendly staff and regular cooking classes, this place puts the “everything nice” in the well-worn phrase.

COCINA AZUL $

4243 Montgomery Blvd NE plus 2 other metro locations (505) 831-2600

cocinaazul.com

The newest location of the Old Town favorite serves up the same tried and true home-cooked recipes you’ve come to love. Don’t miss location specific specials and local brews amid New Mexican staples.

CODA BAKERY $

201 San Pedro Dr SE, Ste. B-1 (505) 232-0085

codabakery.com

Wrap your hands around one of Coda Bakery’s unique, Vietnamese-inspired sandwiches. Beyond its popular lineup of sammies, Coda Bakery also puts a distinctive twist on Vietnamese street food, using from-scratch recipes, including the bread, its deli meats, and its desserts.

CORN MAIDEN $$$

1300 Tuyuna Trail, Bernalillo (505) 867-1234

Located at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa on the Santa Ana Pueblo, Corn Maiden is a destination in and of itself and provides fine-dining, Southwestern style–all while centering a garden-to-table menu that celebrates indigenous New Mexican cuisine and flavors.

COPPER CANYON CAFE $$

5455 Gibson Blvd SE (505) 266-6318

coppercanyoncafeabq.com

All-day breakfast and a killer chicken fried steak topped with your choice of traditional white gravy or homemade green chile sauce (naturally) grace this menu, and a steady lineup of loyal customers means the food’s always hot and fresh.

THE

COUNTY LINE BBQ $$

9600 Tramway Blvd NE (505) 856-7477

countyline.com

It doesn’t take long for the barbecue to arrive at your dinner table, whether it’s wood-burning oven cooked and slow-roasted brisket, ribs, or sausage. Throw in the Rib King Platter, green-chile stuffed pork loin, live music, and two stepping, and at The County Line, everybody wins.

CRACKIN’

CRAB $$

2100 Louisiana Blvd NE plus 2 other metro locations (505) 433-4611

crackincrababq.com

Their headline seafood boils are super customizable, allowing you to choose from a trio of house combinations or mix and match your own selection of crab, lobster, mussels, scallops, clams, or shrimp by the pound.

CRAVIN’ COOKIES AND MORE $ 10420 4th St NW (505) 298-2597

cravincookiesandmore.com

Serving up specialty cookies, muffins, breads, pies, and pretty much any dessert you can dream of, Cravin’ Cookies and More offers dine-in and to go orders to satisfy any sweet tooth, with coffee and hot tea to match.

CRAZY FISH SUSHI BAR AND RESTAURANT $$ 3015 Central Ave NE (505) 232-3474

crazyfishabq.com

Tasty, fresh sushi and sashimi await you in this sleek Central Avenue restaurant, along with kitchen-made favorites such as tempura and crispy chicken.

THE CROWN ROOM $$$$ 145 Louisiana Blvd NE (505) 767-7171

abqdowns.com/crown-room

Perhaps Albuquerque’s best-kept fine dining secret, this gem is tucked away in the newly remodeled Downs Casino. With an incredible selection of liquors and wines, gourmet dishes, tableside Bananas Foster, and Dom Pérignon palate cleansers, this special occasion hideout is hard to beat, anywhere in the 505.

CURRY LEAF $ 6910-C Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 881-3663

curryleafrestaurant.us

Curry Leaf is the only restaurant in New Mexico to offer both North and South India cuisine. This means that, while you can get familiar favorites like tandoori chicken, you can also explore the world of chicken chettinad and dosas—a type of crepe made with fermented lentil and rice flour, filled with stuffing like potato, spiced vegetables, or ground lamb.

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THE DAILY GRIND $

4360a Cutler Ave NE (505) 883-8310

dailygrindabq.net

This family-friendly restaurant serves breakfast and lunch, including huevos rancheros and a huge assortment of baked goods. On Friday and Saturday, look for spontaneous specials, such as stuffed French toast or steak and eggs.

DAMACIOS BAR & TAPAS $$

722 Central Ave SW (505) 595-7383

damacios.com

Nestled downtown in a non-traditional eating space, Damacios uses its fun atmosphere and talented chefs to put a twist on classic Spanish tapas.

DAVE’S HIGH DESERT GRILL $$

5200 Eubank Blvd NE, Ste. B5 (505) 433-2380

davesrestaurants.com

Restaurant veteran Dave Hanisch is back with this Northeast Heights eatery serving up Midwestern comfort food with a little New Mexican flair. Come for the hearty entrees like the Braised Beef Short Ribs on Bubble & Squeak, stay for the Biscochito Peach Cobbler; the restaurant’s flagship dessert.

DAVE’S VALLEY GRILL $$ 6601 4th St NW (505) 639-5807

davesvalleygrill.com

Dave’s Valley Grill offers a delightful range of traditional favorites, each infused with a modern twist and a deep respect for ingredients.

DEBAJO TAPAS Y VINO $$

1025 Lomas Blvd NW (505) 503-8645

debajoabq.com

This Iberian-inspired restaurant serves modern-day eats and classic drinks, perfect for a special occasion or a relaxed night out. The chefs are passionate about providing guests with locally sourced ingredients and a farm-to-table experience.

DELICIAS CAFÉ

6001 San Mateo Blvd NE (505) 830-6561

Named after the city in Chihuahua, Mexico, Delicias delivers traditional fare of the region, like caldo de res (beef stew), gorditas, carnitas, flautas, and horchata.

DG’S DELI

1418 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Ave NE (505) 247-3354

dgsdeli.com

With 31 cold sandwich options and a wide variety of grilled hot sandwiches—ranging in size from mini to jumbo— there’s something for everyone here. Try the Green Chile Philly or the Lobo Club.

D.H. LESCOMBES WINERY & BISTRO $$$

901 Rio Grande Blvd NW

Plus 1 other metro location (505) 243-9916

lescombeswinery.com

With generations of experience in winemaking coursing through this North Valley staple’s doors, D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro specializes in pairing wine with its expertly crafted and entirely house-made menu, with a local twist. Themed events and giving back to its community are big parts of this eatery’s success, not to mention popular dishes such as its Chicken Picado, Mac and Cheese Bites, and Ghirardelli Port Brownie.

DR. FIELD GOODS

1909 Bellahmah Ave NW (Sawmill Market) drfieldgoods.com

Located inside of Sawmill Market, Dr. Field Goods is a farm-to-table fusion concept that takes New Mexican flavors in stride with classic American dishes like burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, and fries. Burger patties and dogs are made in-house, and customers also have the option to take home and fix their choice cut of steak or pork chop (but you can also allow a professional to handle the cooking).

DION’S $

6308 4th St NW plus 14 other metro locations (505) 345-4900 dionspizza.com

Launched in 1978, Dion’s aims to keep your wallet and tummy full with build-your-own pizzas, gourmet pizzas, slices, salads, and subs. The ranch and Greek dressings are homemade from secret recipes, and everything on the menu is tried and true.

DOG HOUSE DRIVE IN $ 1216 Central Ave SW (505) 243-1019

An ABQ landmark since the 1940s, the eat-in-your-car Dog House serves grilled footlongs and halflongs topped with red chile, cheese, onions, and more. Enjoy your dog with a side of chili-cheese fries and a thick shake.

DON CHOCHE TACOS Y CERVEZA $ 7319 4th St NW, Unit 1 (505) 433-2242 donchochetacosycerveza.com

Starting as a food truck, Don Choche Tacos y Cerveza established residency in the Los Ranchos area in 2009. Tacos are the signature here and can be ordered with various fillings such as asada, barbacoa, fried shrimp, and green chile brisket, just to name a few. A trip to this classic Mexican eatery wouldn’t be complete without stopping at

the salsa bar packed with interesting and delicious choices. Dine inside or on the renovated and shaded patio.

DONUT MART $

4501 Montgomery Blvd NE plus 2 other metro location (505) 292-6278

donutmartusa.com

Multiple locations sprinkled around town means a donut lover can always get a sweet fix. Find apple strudels, piñon coffee, green chile bialys, croissants, muffins, and even a Peanut Butter and Jelly donut.

DOWN N DIRTY SEAFOOD BOIL $$

6100 4th St NW (505) 345-0595

FB: @downndirtyseafoodboil

Southern transplants who make their way to ABQ have a new spot for traditional seafood boil. From dry rub to a spicy, buttery fusion sauce, your tastebuds will dance with delight when you feast on this eatery’s collection of crawfish, rock shrimp, crab legs, and more.

DUGGAN’S $

227 Lead Ave SE (505) 312-7257

dugganscoffeeshop.com

This breakfast and lunch spot serves up news-themed entrees like the Journalist Salad and Fact Checker Green Chile Chicken Soup in an intimate setting. Cups are filled with locally roasted Trifecta coffee.

DURAN’S CENTRAL PHARMACY $$

1815 Central Ave NW (505) 247-4141

duransrx.com

Where in the city can you get amazing huevos, kitschy printed dish towels, an emergency rubber chicken in a box, and a flu shot? There is only one answer, Duran’s Central Pharmacy.

DURAN’S STATION $$

4201 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 830-0007

IG: @duransstation

Traditional New Mexican food served up with a side of homestyle cooking. An off-shoot of Duran’s Pharmacy, Duran’s station has built a reputation for amazing red chile, house-made tortillas, and plenty of blue corn.

EAST OCEAN CHINESE

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT $$

3601 Carlisle Blvd NE (505) 889-9315

eastoceanalbq.com

East Ocean Chinese Seafood Restaurant was the first of its kind in Albuquerque. Most dishes are served family style and are made fresh to order. Those looking for traditional Chinese dishes should try the Roast Duck. Seafood eaters will enjoy the Honey Crispy Walnut Shrimp.

EL BRUNO’S

RESTAURANTE Y CANTINA $$ 8806 4th St NW (505) 897-0444

elbrunos.com

El Bruno’s got its start in Cuba, NM, in 1975. At the Albuquerque location, the tried-and-true family recipes are still the focus of the menu. The Ceviche, Pollo Adovo, and the Deep Fried Spinach are a few items guests can look forward to.

EL CAMINO DINING ROOM

6800 4th St NW (505) 344-0448

Those with a bottomless appetite might meet their match with any of El Camino’s breakfast burrito options. These plate-sized behemoths are filled with eggs, hashbrowns or home-fries, and your choice of meat, then smothered in red or green chile.

EL CHARRITOS $

4703 Central Ave NW (505) 836-2464

Whether you like the standard New Mexican fare of enchiladas, rellenos, and tacos or if you’re looking for something off the beaten path like steak picado, green

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chile chicken fried steak, or even a deep-fried Monte Cristo sandwich, you’re sure to leave El Charritos satisfied with a full belly.

EL MOLCAJETON $$

4921 Jefferson St NE (505) 881-5332

Enjoy a variety of poultry, seafood, and beef (Cielo, Mar, y Tierra) with vegetables, cheese, and salsas all served piping hot on a traditional molcajeton. El Molcajete has everything from steak to octopus and anything else you could desireor some simply delicious tacos if that’s more to your taste.

EL PAPATURRO

6601 4th St NW, Ste. H (505) 503-15750

elpapaturrorestaurantnm.com

El Papaturro serves traditional El Salvadoran food. In fact, you’ll even find a dish called Tipico Salvadoreno! The menu is rooted in family recipes and includes everything from your classic pupusa and other Central American favorites as well as carne asada, frito pie, and chicken wings.

EL PATIO DE ALBUQUERQUE $

3851 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Plus 1 other metro location (505) 433-4499

elpatioabq.com

El Patio is an Albuquerque institution, and for nearly 50 years, they’ve been serving up classic New Mexican fare like from-scratch sopaipillas, alongside their popular Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas and Carne Adovada Huevos Rancheros. Needless to say, this local favorite is a must-try for Burqueños and visitors alike.

EL PATRON

10551 Montgomery Blvd NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 275-0223

elpatronabq.com

A customer favorite, El Patron’s menu includes dishes such as mouthwatering tacos, enchiladas, chile rellenos, and housemade chips. Wash them down with a tasty margarita.

EL PINTO $$$

10500 4th St NW (505) 898-1771

elpinto.com

Food and atmosphere go hand-in-hand at this Duke City staple, ensuring an unforgettable experience. Enjoy fresh salsa, enchiladas, burritos, carne adovada, and many more New Mexican dishes while sipping a margarita on one of the many beautiful patios. Reservations are recommended.

EL ROI CAFE $$

616 Lomas Blvd NW Ste. A (505) 401-9313

elroicafe.com

El Roi Cafe offers a blend of Native American and New Mexican cuisine aimed to pay tribute to owners’ favorites growing up. Diners will find various options, including mutton stew, Indian tacos, and fry-bread green chile cheeseburgers.

EL SABOR DE JUAREZ $

3527 Gibson Blvd SE (505) 265-3338

Its name means “the flavor of Juarez,” and since 1980, this restaurant has served just that. Try the family recipes for menudo and carne desebrada (shredded roast beef sautéed with jalapeño, tomato, and onions).

EL SARAPE $$

3248 Isleta Blvd SW (505) 877-8871

elsarapeabq.com

Specializing in authentic food from all regions of Mexico, you can count on dishes such as nopalitos (cactus sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and garlic), fresh salsa, burritos, chile rellenos, and seafood specials with shrimp, oysters, calamari, and fish.

ELOY’S NEW MEXICAN RESTAURANT $ 1508 Wyoming Blvd NE (505) 293-6018

Opening 52 years ago, Eloy’s New Mexican Restaurant’s claim to fame is its consistent food and service, offering the same recipes that made it famous all those years ago. Try the No. 1 Eloy’s Deluxe Dinner, with a little bit of everything.

EMBERS STEAK & SEAFOOD $$$ 11000 Broadway Blvd SE (505) 244-8288 isleta.com

Whether you are dining inside or al fresco on the rooftop patio, Ember’s boasts some of Albuquerque’s most beautiful 180-degree views of the Bosque, making for the perfect setting to catch the sunset next to the warmth of the glowing fire pits.

FANO BREAD COMPANY $ 4605 McLeod Rd NE (505) 884-5555 fanobread.com

For more than 16 years, Fano has made the freshest bread in the city. Whether it’s the rustic loaf, the green chile cheese bread or raisin cinnamon bread, you’ll think you’re touring the streets of Italy with each bite.

FAN

TANG $$

3523 Central Ave NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 266-3566

fan-tang.com

With authentic family recipes that include coffee chicken (rubbed in Satellite coffee, then stir-fried with flavorful sauce) and creative additions like soul dumplings (made with tofu, kimchi, and cashew pesto), this spot is sure to satisfy.

FARINA

ALTO PIZZERIA & WINE BAR $$

10721 Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 298-0035

farinaalto.com

The Northeast Heights version of Farina offers the same urban atmosphere as the East Downtown (EDo) Farina, minus the elbow-to-elbow seating. Alto offers every pizza on the EDo menu, such as the Formaggio di Capra and the Carne, but includes unique dishes—Eggplant Parmesan Napoleon and Oven-Roasted Chicken Wings. Alto’s wine room is stocked with more than 300 bottles of wine.

FARINA PIZZERIA

510 Central Ave SE (505) 243-0130

farinapizzeria.com

Whether you like yours bianco or covered in carne, you’ll get a pie cooked to perfection at this relaxed-but-hip urban eatery.

FARM & TABLE $$$

8917 4th St NW (505) 503-7124

farmandtablenm.com

This North Valley eatery’s ever-changing menu features seasonal produce, which often comes from the restaurant’s own farm. If the produce doesn’t come from the farm, it’s sourced from a slew of local vendors. Enjoy grass-andalfalfa-fed steaks and produce-focused dishes that use local kale, chard, okra, chile, and tomatoes.

THE FARMACY

3718 Central Ave SE (505) 227-0330

The Farmacy takes the idea of organic and local ingredients, and presents them in a way that tastes like comfort. The Farmacy provides a tasty menu of eight breakfast items, as well as eight sandwiches for lunch.

FIESTA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT & CANTINA $

4400 Carlisle Blvd NE (505) 881-0478

Fiesta’s Restaurant & Cantina has been family-owned and operated since 1986, making it an Albuquerque go-to for quality New Mexican cuisine. With its family dining area, outdoor patio, lively bar and banquet room, Fiesta’s has something for everyone.

FIVE STAR BURGERS $

5901 Wyoming Blvd NE (505) 821-1909

5starburgers.com

From bison, salmon, turkey and crab to lamb, chicken and Black Angus beef, burger addicts will love Five Star’s 100 percent natural meat. Hand-formed patties or vegetarian options paired with wine from St. Clair Winery or beer from Marble Brewery are a match made in heaven.

FLATIRON BITES AND BREWS $

6001 San Mateo NE, Ste F3 (505) 585-0023

eatflatiron.com

A welcome addition to the ABQ brewpub scene, Flatiron bites and brews knows how to build a flavorful burger, which they achieve by using a mix of brisket-chuck beef, resulting in the perfectly juicy patty. Also available on the menu are chicken sandwiches, wings, and plenty of shareable plates.

FLIX BREWHOUSE $$

3258 La Orilla Rd NW, B-1

plus 1 other metro location (505) 445-8500

flixbrewhouse.com

Flix is a one-of-a-kind concept; a movie theater that serves full meals and an in-house brewed beer menu in its stadium-seating “dining rooms.” The dream is real, Albuquerque–you can catch the latest blockbuster in theaters while knocking back a pint and having dinner brought to you.

FLYING STAR CAFE $$

8001 Menaul Blvd NE plus 5 other metro locations (505) 293-6911

flyingstarcafe.com

With menu options ranging from breakfast served all day to flavor-packed salads and sandwiches, handmade desserts to die for, and beautiful patio dining, Flying Star is the place to treat yourself to good vibes and great food.

FOODTOPIA

4959 Pan American Fwy NE (505) 554-3698

foodtopiarestaurant.com

If you have never had a deep-fried quesadilla, let Foodtopia be the place to introduce you to the dish. Additional tasty treats include a poblano chile relleno, and a whole variety of Mexican-style tacos, burritos, tortas, and enchiladas brought you from the Zacatecas heritage of owner and chef Leticia Gonzalez.

FRANK’S FAMOUS CHICKEN AND WAFFLES

400 Washington St SE (505) 712-5109

franksfamouschickenandwaffles.com

Owner and former Lobo basketball player Frank Willis wanted to give Albuquerque the soul food he had while growing up in Los Angeles. He fiddled with flavors, making sure they were perfect, before opening his restaurant to dish out favorites like chicken and waffles, fried pickles, mac ‘n cheese, and collard greens.

FRENCHISH

3509 Central Ave NE (505) 433-5911

frenchish.com

$$$

Envisioned as a casual neighborhood restaurant, frenchish’s menu draws inspiration from an eclectic mix of French and Midwestern U.S. cuisines, with an active focus on clean, simple foods.

FRONTIER RESTAURANT

2400 Central Ave SE (505) 266-0550

frontierrestaurant.com

Famous for its legendary Frontier Rolls, hot-off-the-iron tortillas, burgers, New Mexican favorites, hash browns, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and more, the Frontier is Albuquerque’s melting pot—it’s a guarantee you’ll see someone you know there.

FUEGO 505 $$

5750 McMahon Blvd NW (505) 705-8439

fuego505.com

Traditional meets trendy at this Westside rotisserie grill and bar. Gourmet tacos, bowls, and hot-fired skewers (including exotic meats like rabbit, elk and rattlesnake) pair nicely with whiskeys from their extensive list. Salads, handshaken cocktails, local craft beers and a large patio round out the scene.

FUN NOODLE BAR $

5317 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 801-6888

funnoodleabq.com

The perfect place to go with family and friends to enjoy fresh Asian cuisine. Fun noodle bar provides you with an authentic and, well, fun experience. Fresh dumplings and hand-pulled noodles are a homerun.

GARCIA’S KITCHEN $

2924 San Mateo Blvd NE plus 5 other metro locations (505) 888-3488

garciaskitchen.com

This Albuquerque institution serves up classic New Mexican dishes, from freshly made tortillas to an extensive burrito list. You’ll leave one of the multiple locations with a full belly and content heart.

GARDUÑO’S OF MEXICO RESTAURANT AND CANTINA $$

10031 Coors Blvd NW plus 2 other metro locations (505) 880-0055

gardunosrestaurants.com

Garduño’s consistently earns enthusiastic kudos for its mouthwatering enchiladas, burritos, salsa, and knock-yoursocks-off margaritas. And, with three locations around town, you’re always near a fiesta.

GECKO’S BAR AND TAPAS $$ 3500 Central Ave SE (505) 262-1848

geckosbar.com

Plenty of tasty tapas—including Southwestern Krab Taquitos and Red Molé Grilled Sirloin Tacos—and hearty salads and sandwiches, too.

GINO’S NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA $ 3908 San Mateo Blvd NE (505) 883-6000

ginosnystylepizza.com

With handmade lasagna and pizza dough, among other items, Gino’s New York Style Pizza shares family recipes with its customers. From the buttermilk ranch dressing to the Eggplant and Chicken Parmigianas, homemade cooking is not too far away.

GIOVANNI’S PIZZERIA

$ 921 San Pedro Dr SE (505) 255-1233 giovannispizzaalbuquerque.com

Giovanni’s isn’t easy to spot at first, but once you’ve had a big slice of fold-in-half New York-style pie, you’ll never miss it again. Whether you like it covered in spinach, pesto and tomatoes, cheese-only, no cheese at all, or plain pepperoni, you’re sure to find your pizza match.

GOLDEN CROWN PANADERIA $ 1103 Mountain Rd NW, (505) 243-2424 goldencrown.biz

Golden Crown Panaderia is known for taking creativity in baking to the next level. Try the original biscochitos or cappuccino, chocolate and sugar-free versions. Don’t miss out on homemade green chile bread, pizza, and creative bread sculptures.

GRASSBURGER

$ 5600 Coors Blvd NW, Ste. C3 plus 1 other metro location (505) 361-2368

eatgrassburger.com

There’s a lot that sets the burger joint apart—including its community involvement, its vegan and gluten-free burger options, and its commitment to a no-corn syrup menu.

GREENSIDE CAFÉ $$$ 12165 NM-14, Cedar Crest (505) 286-2684 greenside.cafe

This Cedar Crest café offers a casual family atmosphere with large portions of gourmet-quality food: French toast made with orange and vanilla batter, Turquoise Trail Trout, rich homemade ice cream, and a Monte Cristo sandwich with green chile.

THE GRILL ON SAN MATEO $ 3300 San Mateo Blvd NE (505) 872-9772

A choice of mesquite-grilled chicken, rib eye, hot dogs, and burgers (beef and garden) accompany bottomless housemade chips and salsa, complete with sides like classic fries

and fried zucchini, and fresh fixings are on a build-yourown basis offering a completely customizable burger.

GRANDMA’S K & I DINER $

2500 Broadway Blvd SE (505) 243-1881

grandmaskandidiner.com

This South Valley dive is known for its heaping plates of classic American comfort food—they’ve even been featured on “Man vs. Food” for their massive “Travis on a Silver Platter” dish.

THE GROVE CAFÉ AND MARKET $$

600 Central Ave SE, Ste. A (505) 248-9800

thegrovecafemarket.com

The brunch and lunch favorite is well-known for its exceptional dishes made from local and organic ingredients, and it now offers a newly expanded menu, with additions such as the French Ham & Cheese with d’affinois cheese, mostarda, and caper mustard sauce.

GOBBLE THIS $$

308 San Felipe St NW (505) 975-3969

gobblethis.biz

A fusion of ingredients from El Salvador, Los Angeles, and New Mexico make up the recipes at Gobble This. Owner and chef Nestor Lopez goes out of his way to make the food and atmosphere like being at a friend or family member’s house for dinner.

GYROS MEDITERRANEAN $

106 Cornell Dr SE, (505) 255-4401 egyros.com

Tried-and-true Greek recipes, such as traditional Kota Reganato (oven-roasted chicken with oregano, garlic and lemon), fresh Greek salads, Patates, and, of course, sweet baklava, served in a friendly, laid-back collegial atmosphere.

GYRO SHACK $

4201 San Mateo NE, plus 1 other metro location (505) 433-3863

gyroshack.com

Serving up their signature gyro and pita sandwiches, Gyro Shack is a no-fuss, made-from-scratch Mediterranean establishment, boasting two locations across the metro area. Friendly service is built into the experience—in addition to the perfect combination of “fast food” and quality. The secret ingredient, however, lies in a proprietary Tzatziki sauce, which like everything else, is made fresh daily.

HANNAH & NATE’S MARKET CAFÉ $ 4512 Corrales Rd plus 1 other metro location (505) 898-2370

Offering breakfast and lunch, Hannah & Nate’s is all about flavor—whether it’s the flavor of traditional New Mexican cuisine, cuisines from throughout the world or the family recipes served.

HELLO DELI $$

7600 Jefferson St NE (505) 797-3354

hellodeliabq.com

Home to one of the most delicious breakfast burritos around, Hello Deli serves sandwiches and even Frontier’s sweet rolls.

HIBACHI ONE $$

3230 Coors Blvd NE (505) 839-0808

hibachioneabq.com

In addition to their tableside teppanyaki service, Hibachi One visitors can take advantage of private rooms. Hibachi options like shrimp, scallops, and filet mignon are available wherever you’re sitting in the house, as is a full menu of sushi, sashimi, and rolls.

HIGH POINT GRILL $$

9780 Coors Blvd NW (505) 312-8519

highpointgrill.com

Those perpetually on the hunt for the perfect burger will find plenty to love at High Point. With a foundation of 100-percent Akaushi, American Prime Wagyu beef, the burgers at High Point Grill are some of the city’s most popular. Its Southwest burger, for instance, features a red chile crusted patty, extra hot local green chile and cheddar cheese.

HIGH NOON

RESTAURANT AND SALOON $$$

425 San Felipe St NW (505) 765-1455

highnoonrestaurant.com

Located in a 300-year-old house in the heart of Old Town, High Noon has a menu stocked with New Mexican fare such as burritos and enchiladas, but you can also find baked brie and buffalo burgers here. Reservations are recommended.

HORIZON BAGELS AND CAFE $

4000 Louisiana Blvd NE (505) 221-0668

New York is a long way from here, but it’s a little closer with Horizon’s delicious bagels. Of course there has to be the NM touch - like a red chile bagel with green chile cream cheese. You can also fill your belly with corned beef hash, matzo ball soup, and fresh cinnamon rolls.

HORSE AND ANGEL TAVERN $$

5809 Juan Tabo Blvd. NE (505) 299-0225

Whether you want a simple sandwich for lunch, appetizers and a beer in the afternoon, or steak and enchiladas at midnight, this Heights tavern is the place to be any time of the day.

HOT PINK THAI $$

2626 San Pedro Dr NE (505) 872-2296

For dine in or takeout at lunchtime, you’ll get $1.50 off dishes over $10 and a free vegetable egg roll. Favorites include pumpkin curry, pad thai, and drunken noodles. Most dishes are customized with your choice of protein and spice level, from no chili at all to Thai hot.

HOT TAMALES $

1520 Rio Rancho Blvd SE, Rio Rancho (505) 962-0123

hottamalesnmrestaurant.com

This Rio Rancho restaurant serves bona fide New Mexican with hand-blended red chile and fire-roasted green chile: Green Chile Stew Omelet, Hot Tamale Bowl, and Fajitas are just a few of the spicy dishes.

HUMBLE COFFEE COMPANY $

4200 Lomas Blvd NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 289-9909

bakerad.com/humble

Humble prides itself on keeping it simple. Here you’ll find the most classic coffee drinks (ones that aren’t overly sweet) in an attempt to highlight the coffee bean itself. They use single-origin beans so customers can taste the difference between other beans. Both locations are perfect for sipping delicious coffee and gathering with friends.

HURRICANE’S CAFE $

4330 Lomas Blvd NE (505) 255-4248

With Route 66 serving as the city’s heart, it’s always good to hop over to a good ol’ fashioned diner. Pick out a classic dish, such as pancakes or omelets from the lengthy breakfast menu, or chow down on a burger, enchilada, or chicken fried steak. Of course, you can take a stab at the hearty Disaster Burrito, but you’d better make plenty of room if that’s on your agenda.

IHATOV BREAD AND COFFEE $ 3400 Central Ave SE (505) 539-5445

Bread and coffee are the foundation of this diverse bakery. IHATOV is whipping up approximately 20 types of bread inspired by different locations. Must-try items include the buttermilk biscuit and the croissants.

ISLETA GRILL

4047 NM State Highway 47 (505) 869-2046

FB: Isleta Grill

A popular breakfast-and-lunch counter on the Isleta Pueblo serving up tortilla burgers, Indian tacos and Frito pies, along with an assortment of made-to-order sandwiches (BLT, Club, etc.). The grab-and-go morning menu includes breakfast burritos and quesadillas in two sizes.

I SCREAM ICE CREAM

$ 2000 Carlisle Blvd NE (505) 268-0139

The cozy dessert shop is filled with toys, gadgets, board games, and—oh yeah—34 flavors of ice cream and 28 different toppings. Each scoop comes with a free mix-in, and there are fresh mini doughnuts available on weekends.

IL LOCALETTO ROSSI $$

106 Buena Vista Dr SE (505) 355-5953

IG: @LocalettoRossi

Loosely translated as ‘little red house,’ Il Localetto Rossi is a bit of a hidden gem, located just across from UNM in what used to be Thai House. Standout items on the menu include lasagna, finished with homemade alfredo sauce and roasted marinara, along with gnocchi cacio e pepe— that’s from-scratch potato dumplings with black pepper, fresh cheese, and truffle oil for non-Italian speakers. Mamma mia!

RESTAURANTS

BITES

IL VICINO $$

3403 Central Ave NE plus 2 other metro locations (505) 266-7855

ilvicino.com

Using wood ovens to bake its thin-crust pizzas, Il Vicino (which means “The Neighbor”) also offers hearty calzones and award-winning brews from its own brewery.

INDIAN PUEBLO KITCHEN $$$

2401 12th St NW (505) 724-3510

indianpueblo.org

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is the perfect backdrop for the Native American-inspired cuisine prepared in the café, serving traditional and innovative dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Reservations are recommended.

INDIGO CROW CAFÉ $$$

4515 Corrales Rd (505) 585-3061

indigocrowcafe.net

This café is cozy, thanks to the fact that it’s housed in an old adobe building. When it’s cold, patrons warm up by the indoor fireplace; when it’s warm, they enjoy meals such as lobster ravioli, tarragon chicken salad, and New Mexico chicken fried steak under the stars on the outdoor patio. Reservations are recommended.

IRONWOOD KITCHEN $$

5740 Night Whisper Rd NW, Ste. 250 (505) 890-4488

ironwoodkitchen.com

This family operation’s goal: to serve meals made with whole foods at affordable prices. Try the green chile cheeseburger, with freshly-ground chuck, topped with fresh vegetables and roasted green chile.

THE IVY TEAROOM

8830 4th St NW (505) 388-8691

theivytearoom.com

Offering 20 varieties of tea and a monthly menu that highlights the season, the Ivy Tearoom has something for everyone. With ten suites, three cottages and a large parlor, there is an opportunity for an immersive tea experience. Bookings are recommended for large groups and special occasions.

JAPANESE KITCHEN

6521 America’s Parkway (505) 884-8937

japanesekitchen.com

Entertainment is the main course at this teppanyaki grill restaurant. The cooks, who are at your table, can be caught tossing shrimp into their pockets and creating to-die-for dishes from the classic teriyaki chicken, to seafood or steak, and everything in between.

JAVA

JOE’S $$

906 Park Ave SW (505) 765-1514

downtownjavajoes.com

You’ll find all walks of life at this relaxing Downtown joint, enjoying freshly made sandwiches, breakfast burritos, green chile chicken melts, coffee drinks and more.

JC’S NEW YORK

PIZZA DEPARTMENT

215 Central Ave NW, Ste. B (505) 766-6973

jcnypd.com

New York-style pizza, pasta, salads, and fully-loaded pasta and calzone dishes, all in a laid-back lounge. During lunch hour, the line goes out the door.

JIMMY’S CAFÉ ON JEFFERSON $

8900 Holly Ave NE, Ste. B (505) 856-1413

jinjabistro.com

Evoking a vintage ambiance, Jinja serves inspired and mouthwatering pan-Asian cuisine, such as Kung Pow Chicken (a Thai version of the Chinese favorite) and HomeStyle Chicken Udon Wok Bowl.

JINJA BAR AND BISTRO $$

7007 Jefferson St NE (505) 341-2546

jimmyscafeonjefferson.com

The menu here lists more than 100 items, most of them mouthwatering comfort foods: sandwiches, burgers, New Mexican dishes, handmade pizzas, and breakfast served all day long.

JINJA BAR & BISTRO WESTSIDE $$

5400 Sevilla Ave NW (505) 792-8776

Whether you’re looking for a good place to gather some friends for tasty drinks and appetizers or a laid-back place to bring the family, Jinja has the atmosphere for you. You won’t find one specific menu theme at Jinja, with its blend of Chinese and Vietnamese which makes it easy for anyone to find something they like. Staples like potstickers, Kung Pao chicken, and wings with different sauces are all served up

JOE’S PASTA HOUSE $$

3201 Southern Blvd SE (505) 892-3333

joespastahouse.com

A neighborhood Italian-American joint with an incredible dose of warmth and personality, Joe’s offers a terrific lunch buffet and an expansive dinner menu to please every palate in la mia famiglia: steaks, pasta, and some of the best cannelloni and tiramisu anywhere.

JUNIPER STEAKHOUSE $$$

54 Jemez Canyon Dam Rd (505) 771-7145 santaanastar.com

Inside the Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel, Juniper Steakhouse offers a fine dining experience in an entertaining atmosphere. With popular options like the prime rib and filet mignon, diners can also opt for a seafood entree. The food is enticing; they also have a full bar with an extensive wine list and handcrafted seasonal cocktails.

KABAB HOUSE:

AUTHENTIC PERSIAN CUISINE $ 8104 Wyoming Blvd NE, Ste. A (505) 312-8949

Authentic, made-to-order Persian food is constantly sizzling on the grill here. The koobideh kabab is made with minced ground beef or ground chicken, onion, and house spices. Each dish is a healthy size and comes with soup, salad, and rice. Top everything off with a glass of delicious banana milk, or majoun, which is banana milk with almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and honey.

KAKTUS BREWING CO. $

471 S Hill Rd, Bernalillo (505) 818-7285 kaktusbrewery.com

Tucked away from it all, Kaktus specializes in Europeanstyle pints, and a menu featuring pizzas and apps uniquely topped with game meats like elk, boar, bison, and duck. Special events on weekends abound.

KAP’S COFFEE SHOP & DINER $ 5801 Central Ave NE (505) 232-9658 kapscoffeeshopanddiner.com

Serving the Duke City and hungry travelers since 1968, Kap’s is the place to go for a great meal. Enjoy a hearty plate of chicken fried steak or chicken fried chicken with an egg on top or some golden brown, griddle-cooked flapjacks.

INCREDI-BOWL FLAVOR

Creating La Finca’s delicious selection of bowls is usually a collaborative process between co-owners Mekala Kennedy and Nathan Sauceda-Halliday.

Mekala is the creative mind behind the menu, putting together the primary components of the core bowls. “She just has one of those minds that can put together a dish really quick,” Nathan says.

They’ll then taste test the concept together, and then Nathan will tweak the bowl with some key finishing touches.

“That balance around it to really create this perfect flavor, this umami, that’s where we bounce back and forth,” he says.

It was no different for the Gone Fishin’ Bowl, which blends sashimi quality salmon with coconut rice, mixed greens, local mushrooms, cucumbers, pickled onions, sauteed corn, sesame ponzu sauce, green onions and everything seasoning. It’s ideal for someone on the go, and has become a favorite of runners, Jackson-Wink MMA athletes and students who frequent the shop.

“This one is going to be a lighter, fresher option,” Mekala says. “So it’s great for summer and spring.” —TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

La Finca Bowls

300 Broadway Blvd NE, Ste G (505) 308-8392

lafincabowls.square.site

KATHY’S CARRY OUT $

823 Isleta Blvd SW (505) 873-3472

FB: Kathy’s Carry Out

A half-century of success in the heart of the city’s South Valley that’s renowned for $2 tacos on Wednesdays (yes, Wednesdays), stuffed sopaipillas, smothered burritos and burgers. Take-home pints also available for beans, rice, carne adovada, etc. Indoor and outdoor seating, plus a drive-thru.

KATRINAH’S EAST MOUNTAIN GRILL $$

150 State Rd, 344 A (505) 508-0601

kawaiibobacafeabq.com

This contemporary diner specializes in homemade dishes, such as gyros, hand-cut steaks and burgers, and the bestselling Southern Salad (with fried green beans, bacon, cheddar cheese, tomato, and fried or grilled chicken or steak).

KAWAII BOBA-CAFÉ $

3200 La Orilla Rd NW, Ste. E (505) 281-9111

eastmountaingrill.com

Boba tea is just the beginning of the menu at this westside cafe. While the expansive tea menu allows for plenty of customizations, what really sets this cafe apart is their food menu featuring ramen, kimchi, and other Asian staples. Located conveniently next to Flix Brewhouse, this spot is a magnet for Albuquerque’s anime fans and cosplayers.

KIMO’S HAWAIIAN BBQ $

3239 Girard Blvd NE (505) 582-2797

kimosabq.com

Hawaii comes home. What began as a food truck is now a brick-and-mortar location also. Try fresh-from-the-isles Kalua Pork and Huli Huli Chicken plates served with sides like steamed cabbage, rice, and macaroni salad.

K’LYNN’S SOUTHERN & CAJUN FUSION $$

4300 Ridgecrest Dr SE, Ste. O, Rio Rancho (505) 453-3068

Kathrine Johnson-Bey brings Cajun cuisine from the bayou to the desert in this Rio Rancho fusion restaurant. From fried oysters to hand-breaded crawfish tails, alligator po boys to collard greens, this unique eatery is a can’t-miss.

KOSMOS RESTAURANT $$

1715 5th St NW (505) 369-1772

kosmosabq.com

Part art gallery, part restaurant, Kosmos is a feast for the senses. The inventive staff brings together high-grade dinner style burgers with dishes sparked by the flavors of the Near East.

LA MEXICANA TORTILLA COMPANY

304 Coal Ave SW (505) 242-2558

Family owned and operated since 1932–that’s nearly a century, believe it or not–La Mexicana Tortilla Company makes fresh, hand-made corn and flour tortillas daily for both the restaurant itself and distributes their tortillas to nearly sixty other restaurants across the state. Of course, La Mexicana also offers New Mexican classics, ranging from green chile cheeseburgers to stuffed sopaipillas, available dine-in or carry-out.

LA QUICHE PARISIENNE BISTRO

5850 Eubank Blvd NE, Ste. 17 (505) 242-2808

laquicheparisiennebistro.com

Long considered an authentic French staple of downtown ABQ, La Quiche has comfortably settled into the Heights and the baked goods will comfort your lazy weekend brunch cravings with true Parisian cuisine from the mainland.

LA REFORMA

8900 San Mateo Blvd NE, Ste. I (505) 717-1361

lareformabrewery.com

On the taco front, La Reforma is virtually unimpeachable, offering options like braised pork shoulder carnitas, tempura-battered white fish pescado, and rotisseriebroiled al pastor for carnivores, along with tempurabattered avocado (aguacate) for those looking for something plant-based.

LA SALITA

1950 Juan Tabo Blvd NE (505) 299-9968

lasalita.com

The name may mean “little room,” but this New Mexican restaurant always has a full house. The chile rellenos, chile con queso, sopaipillas, and shredded beef burrito (a Wednesday special) have earned loyal customers for 37 years.

LA GUELAGUETZA

MEXICAN RESTAURANT

$ 816 Old Coors Dr SW (505) 916-0095

la-guelaguetza-mexican-restaurantllc. business.site

If you’re looking for something especially authentic, La Guelaguetza is the place for you. This restaurant will provide you with no frills and traditional Mexican food. Options range from Birria, to mole, to cocktail shrimp and everything in between. Located on Old Coors La Guelaguetza gives a homestyle feel to all the favorites.

GONE FISHIN’ BOWL, $16

BITES

LAGUNA BURGER $

2400 12th St NW plus 3 other metro locations (505) 352-8282

thelagunaburger.com

Every half-pound burger is made fresh upon ordering, topped with Hatch green chile, and slipped on a buttertoasted bun made specifically for Laguna Burger by Sara Lee. Also on the menu: freshly-cut fries, foot-long chile cheese dogs, and zingy breakfast burritos.

LAVENDER COCINITA

6847 4th St NW, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque (505) 717-9814

lavendercocinita.com

Lavender Cocinita is the answer to old school New Mexican cuisine in Los Ranchos, serving up classic favorites like green chile cheeseburgers and even more innovative items like gyros in a small but comfortable space. Ingredients are also sourced locally as much as possible on a menu that is fittingly as diverse as New Mexico itself.

LAZY LIZARD GRILL

12480 North Hwy 14, Sandia Park (505) 281-9122

lazylizardgrill.com

From the King Cobra Pizza and made-from-scratch Jalapeño Poppers to their impressive selection of microbrews, the Lazy Lizard Grill has customers always coming back for more—and has the food and atmosphere to back it up.

LE CHANTILLY FINE PASTRIES $

8216 Menaul Blvd. NE (505) 293-7057

lechantillybakery.com

This French-style bakery features breakfast pastries, muffins, strudel, cookies, and tarts—not to mention delicious quiche, croissants, sandwiches and cakes. Try homemade soups such as creamy chicken and artichoke,

then satisfy your sweet tooth with a tower of chocolate decadence.

LE TROQUET $$

228 Gold Ave SW (505) 508-1166

abqfrenchrestaurant.com

The Parisian bistro, open for lunch or dinner, offers classically simple French dishes made by Chef Jean Pierre Gozard. From Boeuf Bourguignon to quiche and delectable desserts, expect a tres bien atmosphere with a comprehensive wine list.

LEVEL 5 AT HOTEL CHACO $$$

2000 Bellamah Ave NW (505) 318-3998

hotelchaco.com

The food here needs be good, because first and foremost, it competes with the view. Like the name implies, Level 5 sits on the 5th floor of Hotel Chaco and offers a near-360 degree view of the city.

THE LIBRARY BAR & GRILL $$

312 Central Ave SW (505) 242-2992

library-abq.com

Featuring more than a great party, the Library offers drink specials and half-priced appetizers during happy hour, as well as salads, hamburgers, sandwiches, wraps, and specialty items.

LANTERN RIDGE FARM $$$

12540 N Highway 14, Sandia Park (505) 395-7774

lanternridgemarket.com

Lantern Ridge Farm has it all - a tasty breakfast menu, amazing lunches, gourmet dinners, beautiful scenery, and a market. Whether you’re looking for classic huevos rancheros, filet mignon, or dried pasta, you’ll find it here.

LIMONATA

CAFÉ $$

3222 Silver Ave SE (505) 266-0607

limonatacafe.com

Channel your inner Italian at this street food-inspired café, where the breakfast and lunch menus feature perfect pastries, craveable cappuccino and trattoria-inspired lunches. The chef makes every dish from scratch and insists that everything about the restaurant, from the menu to the atmosphere, be done just as it would in Italy.

LINDO MEXICO $$

7209 Central Ave NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 266-2999

lindomexicogrillandseafood.com

This once smaller operation has since been in business for 20 years. With extreme passion to express the heritage of certain dishes through authentic tastes, owners are proud to have an atmosphere that values family and traditions. Some popular items include mole, tacos, guacamole and their chile rojo. All made fresh in house.

LINDY’S

DINER

500 Central Ave SW, #3114 (505) 242-2582

lindysdinerabq.com

Lindy’s is a neighborhood joint, through and through. The sort of place where, even if they don’t know your name, you’ll feel like they do anyway. The owners recommend the Ultimate Burger for that classic American diner experience.

LILY AND LIAM BISTRO

1751 Rio Rancho Blvd SE, Ste. 101, Rio Rancho (505) 340-3309

lilyandliambistro.com

The NM Dutch Baby (loaded with green chile, of course) is a Lily and Liam staple that has regulars coming back time and again. As a family-run business, it makes perfect sense that your whole family will love this homegrown spot.

LITTLE BEAR COFFEE

2632 Pennsylvania St NE (505) 917-8902

littlebearcoffeeco.com Plus 1 other metro location

LOS OLIVOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT

7900 Zuni Rd SE (505) 503-7879

Located near Uptown, Little Bear is not just serving up quality brew, but also providing an outpost for the neighborhood and coffee community.

THE LOCAL BREWHOUSE

300 Unser Blvd SE, Rio Rancho (505) 994-2007

Even situated in the large metro area, The Local Brewhouse still has that small town, neighborhood charm. Their menu features brewpub classics and 32 local, regional, domestic, and international beers and ciders on tap, more than a dozen of which are brewed in house.

LOS COMPADRES RESTAURANT

2437 Central Ave NW (505) 452-8091

compadresabq.com

Family recipes like the No. 16 Taco Plate, tacos with carne y papas (beef and potatoes) and the restaurant’s Menudo, have kept locals coming back for more than 15 years.

LOS CUATES

8700 Menual Blvd NE plus 2 other metro locations (505) 237-2800 loscuatesrestaurants.com

Virtually everything on the menu at Los Olivos is Hernandez family recipe. Focused on traditional Mexican flavors, diners can enjoy authentic tacos, tortas, burritos, and soups, as well as different salsa for every dish.

LOS POOKIES MEXICAN RESTAURANT

5626 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 588-2911

Los Pookies serves up both authentic and inventive Mexican family recipes from the heart. Known primarily for their birria, Los Pookies has ultimately generated plenty of buzz from their popular birria ramen and birria pizza (there’s even birria egg rolls on the menu). Also available on the menu are Mexican classics like molcajete, enchiladas, and tacos.

LOYOLA’S FAMILY RESTAURANT

4500 Central Ave SE (505) 268-6478

loyolasfamilyrestaurant.com

Popular since it opened over 25 years ago, Los Cuates serves its own ancho-chile salsa and tons of delicious New Mexican dishes in humongous portions.

You’ll find both American and New Mexican goodies here, from fried chicken, roast beef and sandwiches to tasty local favorites such as burritos and posole.

LOS RANCHOS BAKERY $

6920 4th St NW (505) 859-4727

FB: @LosRanchosBakery

Specializing in sourdough loaves, Los Ranchos Bakery starts everything from scratch, also providing custom cakes, cinnamon rolls, pies, and scones, a cult favorite. Coffee is also a part of the menu, and all syrups are made in-house. Everything is ultimately small batch, so it’s best to get while the getting (or rather, baking) is good.

LUIGI’S RISTORANTE AND PIZZERIA $$

6225 4th St NW (505) 343-0466

luigisitalianfood.com

Enjoy more than 250 made-from-scratch Italian dishes, including pizza, chicken Florentine, spaghetti and meatballs, and green chile chicken lasagna.

M’TUCCI’S

6001 Winter Haven Rd NW plus 3 other metro locations (505) 503-7327

mtuccis.com

The menu at the Westside’s authentic Italian staple features refined comfort food classics, from meatball marinara to pot roast. Other menu items are crafted from choice Berkshire pigs that the eatery imports from northern Iowa and southern Minnesota farms. In fact, a unique pork dish is incorporated into a featured dinner special every night. Wash down your pasta, pizza, or salad with a carefully crafted cocktail from the bar.

MAC’S STEAK IN THE ROUGH

4515 Menaul Blvd NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 888-3611

macsnm.com

Taquitos, onion rings, guacamole salad, and an original “steak in the rough”—slivers of beef served with French fries, coleslaw, a roll, catsup, and a fresh green scallion… these are just a few of the reasons Mac’s has been in business for so many years.

BITES

MANZANO GRILLE -

THE CANYON CLUB AT FOUR HILLS $$

911 Four Hills Rd SE (505) 299-9555

canyonclubgolf.com

This newly remodeled property was rejuvenated thanks to its own club members, and now boasts modern décor, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Members can enjoy creative dishes like Pork Alexander, New Mexico Eggs Benedict with green chile Hollandaise sauce, or the Turkey Lurkey, including green chile and Pepper Jack cheese in the dining room or al fresco on its large, shaded patio overlooking the mountain vistas. Dining-only memberships available.

MARIO’S PIZZA $$

2401 San Pedro Dr NE plus 3 other metro locations (505) 883-4414

mariospizzaabq.com

Gourmet pizzas, big bowls of pasta, custom calzones and New York-style sandwiches are the norm at this tasty Italian eatery.

MARISCOS ALTAMAR $$

1517 Coors Blvd NW plus 1 other metro location (505) 831-1496

mariscosaltamarabq.com

With live music on the weekends, colorful murals, and authentic Mexican seafood dishes such as tostada de ceviche with shrimp, fish, and snow crab, dining at Mariscos Altamar is well worth the trip.

MARY & TITO’S CAFÉ $

2711 4th St NW (505) 344-6266

maryandtitos.com

From their famous carne adovada to their authentic New Mexican chips and salsa, Mary & Tito’s Café makes sure

guests leave full and happy. This homey café also became the only Albuquerque restaurant to win a James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award in 2010.

MATA G VEGETARIAN KITCHEN

116 Amherst Dr SE (505) 266-6374

mata-g.com

An authentic vegetarian restaurant with a wide variety of vegetarian breakfasts, soups, salads, sandwiches, and hot specials.

MATI PERUVIAN CUISINE

303 San Pedro Dr NE (505) 516-9618

Facebook: Mati Peruvian Cuisine

Mati Peruvian Cuisine is arguably ABQ’s touchstone for Peruvian food—thanks to a diverse menu that aims to introduce restaurant goers to this complex South American cuisine. Popular dishes include four types of Peruvian ceviche and the Aji de Gallina, a mildly spiced chicken with yellow chile pepper and potatoes—along with the Loma Saltado, or marinated strips of sirloin served with red onions and tomatoes.

MARIGOLD CAFE

161 Lang Ave NE, Ste. C (505) 433-4427

marigoldabq.com

This cozy cafe is serving up a much-loved fusion of Indian and American cuisine. The marigold cafe is a local family-owned business that uses only the highest quality ingredients and spices.

MAZAYA CAFÉ

120 Harvard Dr SE (505) 582-2447

mazayacafe.com

Mazaya Café is dedicated to adding an authentic Mediterranean dining experience to the medley of options in the Nob Hill area–without breaking the bank for its

diners. If you are looking to fill up, fresh-grilled kebabs, a half-dozen wraps, shawarma, and three kinds of fried or steamed dumpling plates headline the restaurant’s entrée menu.

MESA PROVISIONS $$

3120 Central Ave SE (505) 494-5264

mesaprovisions.com

With an emphasis on seasonally and locally influenced ingredients, you can always expect to find something fresh on the menu at Mesa Provisions. And although they have a wide variety of culinary offerings, year-round staples such as the half-smoked chicken or the green chile cheddar biscuit will have you coming back for more.

MERAKI COFFEE + MARKET $$

5900 Eubank Blvd NE (505) 291-1116

drinkmerakiabq.com

Meraki in Greek is the word that describes the attention and love put into something you are preparing for others. With all real ingredients (no fake butter, sugar substitutes, etc.) it is clear the passion runs through each item that is made at Meraki. Everything is made early in the morning and most ingredients are sold in-store exclusively. Whether you’re looking for a classic cappuccino or smoked salmon toast with homemade tomato jam, you are sure to find that every dish is extremely high quality and delicious.

MICHAEL THOMAS

COFFEE

ROASTERS

$ (505) 504-7078

202 Bryn Mawr Dr SE michaelthomascoffee.com

Michael Thomas’ fresh-roasted coffees can be purchased in bulk or by the cup. Favorites include the Banda Bear Blend and the Duke’s Runners’ Blend. If you prefer to let them make your cup of Joe, try an espresso-based drink such as a Double Espresso, a Macchiato, or a Cubano.

MISSION WINE & DINE

3423 Central Ave NE (505) 263-0731

missionwinerynm.com

This Nob Hill restaurant concept pairs its own sustainable wines with unique, locally-inspired dishes—ranging from popular classics like the Green Chile Smash Burger to higher-end creations like Lobster Roll Sliders. Everything can be expertly paired with a glass of vino (or two), although diners are encouraged to experiment and delve deeper into New Mexico’s rich culinary history through an eclectic menu.

MICK’S CHILE FIX $

3351 Candelaria Rd NE, Ste. A (505) 881-2233

mickschilefix.com

One of the city’s true spots for getting something hot: try The Shocker (an eight-pound breakfast burrito), huevos rancheros, or the Frito pie, all with homemade red or green chile.

MILLY’S

2100 Candelaria Rd NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 884-0707

millysrestaurants.com

If you’re not sure what to eat, have a little of everything with an American-New Mexican–Greek menu. This breakfast and lunch spot melds salads and sandwiches with traditional New Mexican and Greek entrees.

MONROE’S

RESTAURANT

6051 Osuna Rd NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 881-4224

monroeschile.com

More than 50 years after opening its doors south of Old Town, Monroe’s continues to serve reliable New Mexican favorites to a local fan base, and service around here is a team effort, so no glass goes unfilled.

MONTE CARLO STEAKHOUSE $$$

3916 Central Ave SW (505) 836-9886

The iconic steakhouse meets liquor store has been featured on the Food Network and boasts some of the best steaks in the city. Since 1971, locals always come back for hand-cut steaks, house-made Greek salad dressing, freshly cut fries, and a mean green chile cheeseburger.

MR. TOKYO $$

11200 Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 292-4728

Soak up the cool Zen-like atmosphere while enjoying six versions of fried rice, sushi, sashimi, tempura, hibachi, grilled udon, soups, and teriyaki spiced with fiery Thai chili peppers.

MUSTANG

CAFÉ $

8601 Lomas Blvd NE (505) 275-4477

Perfect for anyone shopping at the Rich Ford car dealership—or anyone at all—is this auto-themed restaurant, which serves up homemade breakfast burritos, papitas, enchiladas, rellenos, tamales, and the Dennis Snyder Favorite: a 16-oz. sirloin patty with cheese and chile.

NAAN &

DOSA

6501 Wyoming Blvd NE (505) 797-4243

naananddosa.com

Many Indian restaurants only serve either Northern or Southern Indian food. Not Naan and Dosa. Named for the traditional breads from both regions of the country, take your pick of the leavened flatbreads (naan) or eight different types of rolled dosas. Also try their lunch buffet Tuesdays through Saturdays, featuring a sampling of their menu.

NAGOMI RESTAURANT

2400 Juan Tabo Blvd NE (505) 298-3081

nagomirestaurantabq.com

NAKA SUSHI

1035 Juan Tabo Blvd NE (505) 200-9152

nakasushiabq.com

The Nagomi menu is virtually overrun with Japanese culinary classics. Nagomi is also one of the few places in Albuquerque where you can go to indulge in shabu-shabu, a Japanese-style hot pot.

A little bit of Thai, a little bit of Korean, and a little bit of Japanese, but entirely delicious. Naka Sushi fuses multiple Asian flavors to make fresh sushi, bento boxes, and other Asian dishes, all in a location with a vibrant, appealing ambiance.

NAMASTE

1580 Deborah Rd SE, Rio Rancho plus 1 other metro location (505) 896-3126

namastenm.net

Offering authentic Nepalese and Indian dishes—including chicken tikka masala and lamb curry—Namaste also serves

traditional food with a New Mexico twist, such as the green chile chicken curry.

NAPOLI COFFEE $ 3035 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 884-5454

napolicoffee.com

A diversified menu of caffeinated companions means something for everyone at Napoli Coffee. Currently located on Menaul, Napoli aims to please and cater to guest requests, so the possibilities and drink combinations are seemingly endless. In addition to coffee, they also offer a variety of freshly made sandwiches, wraps, and breakfast burritos.

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NARUTO $

2110 Central Ave SE (505) 369-1039 narutonoodle.com

Who knew Ramen noodles could be so creative, so diverse, and so darn good. Naruto is reinventing the Ramen noodle with specialized dishes that can’t be found anywhere else in the city.

NEW MEXICO BEEF JERKY COMPANY $

1425 4th St NW (505) 242-6121

newmexicobeefjerkycompany.com

Beef jerky? Check. Chicharrones? You better believe it. Tacos, burgers, and burritos - who knew that the New Mexico Beef Jerky Company had so much awesome food to offer? You don’t stay in business for 45 years without good reason, so be sure to swing by this classic joint to get your New Mexican food fix.

NEXUS BREWERY $$

4730 Pan American Fwy NE, Ste. D plus 1 other metro location (505) 242-4100

nexusbrewery.com

If the made-to-order fried chicken and waffles and mac and cheese has you drooling, reach for one of Nexus’ brewed in-house beers.

NEXUS BLUE SMOKEHOUSE $$

1511 Broadway Blvd SE (505) 445-1545

smokehouse.nexusbrewery.com

Tender and mouthwatering meat, Nexus uses the blue smoke method. With favorites like burnt ends and pulled pork sandwiches, tangy sides, and perfectly paired brews, Nexus Blue Smokehouse achieves top of the line status.

NM SANGWICHES $

4400 Masthead St NE, Ste. 160 (505) 835-5138

nmsoulfoodco.co

The former Rio Rancho favorite has moved to North ABQ with their menu of classic sandwiches, served both hot (grilled cheese, pulled pork, meatball) and cold (chicken salad, BLT), plus salads. The breakfast menu includes bowls, biscuits & gravy, muffins and bagels.

NOODLE WORKS $$

5901 Wyoming Blvd NE, Ste. S (505) 990-0055

noodleworksnm.com

Every noodle at Noodle Works hand stretched, hand spun, and hand sliced in house fresh for every meal. With unique dishes and signature takes on popular favorites, almost everything on the menu can be modified or elaborated with noodles.

OAK TREE CAFE

4545 Alameda Blvd NE (505) 830-2233

cafeoaktree.com

Owner Robert Carson is a constant presence at this homestyle joint that consistently serves up delicious burgers, sandwiches, and craft salads. With local beer on tap, this isn’t your typical cafe—and as a family-owned establishment for generations, it’s perhaps best kept that way.

OHANA HUT

5740 Night Whisper Rd NW (505) 508-4439

ohanahut.com

Family owned and operated Ohana Hut means “Family Hut.” It specializes in Hawaiian, Japanese, and Korean flavors to create an Asian fusion menu with a New Mexican twist.

OLD TOWN PIZZA PARLOR

108 Rio Grande Blvd NW (505) 999-1949

oldtownpizzaabq.com

This comfy, funky, family-owned restaurant serves tasty pies, huge calzones, and portions of pasta that won’t ever leave you hungry.

OLO DESSERT STUDIO

3339 Central Ave NE, Ste. C-3 (505) 750-4656

olodessertstudio.com

Nothing is as sweet as a guilt-free treat. In the same building as Staples in Nob Hill, Olo features a Candylandesque interior, complete with 10 flavor choices and a saladbar-sized toppings bar.

O’HARE’S GRILLE & PUB $$

4100 Southern Blvd SE, Rio Rancho (505) 896-0123

oharesgrillepub.com

With a menu that is centered around the idea that variety is the key to success, O’Hare’s offers pub fare in a familyfriendly atmosphere. Try the Corned Beef and Cabbage special, O’Hare’s Double Decker Reuben, or the staple Fish and Chips, for a truly Irish experience.

ONI

600 Central Ave SW, Ste. #100 (505) 503-6722

oniabq.com

Warm, umami scents fill the air at Oni, which has an abundance of ramen and other Japanese options. A house favorite is the Shoyu Ramen, which features cherry wood smoked pork belly, seasonal vegetables, and a pork bone broth that’s cooked in-house.

O’NIELL’S PUB

3301 Juan Tabo Blvd NE (505) 293-1122

oniells.com

O’Niell’s boasts the same neighborhood feeling, many of the same staffers, and virtually the same menu (including the “weird sandwich,” the “burger in paradise,” and homemade fish and chips). Added: an outdoor patio and more beer choices.

O RAMEN $

2114 Central Ave SE (505) 508-1897

Yes, the Duke City has the real thing. O Ramen’s Tonkotsu (pork bone broth) spends 18 hours on the stovetop before it blesses your bowl; expect plenty of options for vegetarians and Japanese curry lovers, to boot.

ORCHID THAI CUISINE

4300 Central Ave SE (505) 265-4047

orchidabq.com

Orchid Thai has been serving hungry Albuquerqueans traditional dishes like Pad Thai at its Nob Hill location for more than a decade. But this award-winning eatery goes beyond the traditional with unique dishes like deep-fried sesame duck, green tea curry, and Szechwan eggplant, all made from scratch.

THE OWL CAFÉ

800 Eubank Blvd NE (505) 291-4900

owlcafealbuquerque.com

World-famous green chile cheeseburgers, milkshakes, fajitas, quesadillas, meatloaf, burritos, fries… the list of great drool-worthy dishes goes on and on.

PACIFIC PARADISE TROPICAL GRILL AND SUSHI BAR $$

3000 San Pedro Dr NE (505) 881-0999

pacific-paradise-restaurant-abq.com

Faux palms and tiki huts frame a menu filled with more than 100 options: salads, soups, stir-fry, seafood, fried rice, noodles, sushi, and dessert menu. Try the Seafood Rice Pizza or Rock ‘n’ Roll Sushi.

PADILLA’S

MEXICAN KITCHEN $ 1510 Girard Blvd NE (505) 262-0115

It might not get any more New Mexican than it does at Padilla’s—from huevos rancheros and tamales to chile rellenos and egg-topped blue corn enchiladas. You may have to shake your head after a taste of the chile just to remind yourself you’re not in your grandmother’s kitchen. A sopaipilla dripping with honey will seal the deal for your traditional meal.

PAISANO’S

ITALIAN RESTAURANT $$

1935 Eubank Blvd NE (505) 298-7541

paisanosabq.com

Family recipes have kept Paisano’s going for more than 35 years, but the hand-rolled pasta, hand-stuffed ravioli, homemade sausage and marinara haven’t hurt business, either. It’s also the only place in town to get wheat-free pizza and pasta.

THE PALETA BAR $

2325 San Pedro Dr NE plus 12 other metro locations (505) 884-0049

thepaletabar.com

A hidden Albuquerque gem, The Paleta Bar has taken a tried-and-true, frozen Mexican dessert to new heights. Since 2017, this paleta wonderland has been slinging refreshing Mexican popsicles in endless combinations of flavors.

PAPA FELIPE’S MEXICAN

RESTAURANT

9800 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 292-8877

papafelipes.com

Papa Felipe’s exceeds expectations by offering traditional New Mexican cuisine (enchiladas, stuffed sopaipillas, tacos)

as well as simple twists on favorite dishes (green chile carne adovada, Tampico Tacos, Green Tamale Pie).

PAPA NACHOS

7648 Louisiana Blvd NE (505) 821-4900

papanachosfood.com

Great homemade Mexican food based on tried-and-true family recipes is the specialty here: burritos, fish tacos, and the namesake nachos will all make your panza happy.

PARS CUISINE

4320 The 25 Way NE, Ste. 100 (505) 345-5156

parscuisine.us

For more than 20 years, Pars has served Persian and Mediterranean menu items in a unique atmosphere. Choose to sit on the floor under a large tent, and enjoy the

talents of belly dancers, and enjoy tasty kebabs, gyros and more.

PELICAN’S RESTAURANT $$$

9800 Montgomery Blvd NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 298-7678

pelicansabq.com

For 30 years, customers have fallen for Pelican’s—hook, line and sinker. Favorite entrées include Alaskan king crab, Australian lobster tail, and their delicious prime rib.

PEREA’S NEW MEXICAN RESTAURANT $ 1140 Juan Tabo Blvd NE (505) 293-0157

Even after multiple relocations over the course of it’s 40plus year history in Albuquerque, Perea’s keeps their loyal

BITES

customers and newcomings coming back with their hearty New Mexican comfort foods.

PEREA’S TIJUANA BAR $$

4590 Corrales Rd (505) 898-2442

Open for lunch only, the family-owned and -operated business specializes in real, home-cooked New Mexican food that’s consistently earned kudos from customers who can’t say “no” to the Frito pie, carne adovada, and green chile cheeseburgers.

PERICO’S $

10401 Golf Course Rd NW plus 3 other metro locations (505) 792-5255

pericosmexicanrestaurant.com

Serving delicious New Mexican food at affordable prices made Perico’s instantly popular, and the “home of the ½ lb burrito” is now an Albuquerque institution with three locations, catering services, and 22 different burritos.

PHO LINH $$

9100 Central Ave SE (505) 266-3368

pholinhabq.com

Authentic Vietnamese cuisine is the name of the game at this restaurant. Look for pad thai, special noodles (with grilled barbecue shrimp), spring rolls, curry, and papaya salad.

PIATANZI $$

1403 Girard Blvd NE (505) 792-1700

piatanzi.com

A neighborhood Italian eatery with artisan flair, Piatanzi serves up big bites on smallish plates that please families and adventurous foodies alike, in a venue that scores big points.

PIZZA 9 $$

5241 Ouray Ave. NW, Ste. A plus 3 other metro locations (505) 831-6463 pizzanine.com

Chicago-style pizza at 10 locations around the city, along with the option of gluten-free crust—that’s what Pizza 9 brings to the, er, table. Don’t forget the wings, salads, breadsticks and calzones to complement any meal.

PIZZERIA

LUCA

8850 Holly Ave NE (505) 797-8086 pizzerialuca.com

With imported Italian flour, cheese, and pepperoni, Pizzeria Luca offers authentic Italian cuisine. The restaurant has a subway-inspired interior and features delicious and affordable lunch specials.

PLANTY SWEET

2506 Washington St NE (505) 433-7111 plantysweet.weebly.com

Planty Sweet is the city’s first 100% vegan and gluten-free bakery and dessert shop, and the quality of the products available is hard to deny. Not only do their artisanal baked goods taste fantastic, they are impeccably presented, each crafted to please the eye as much as the taste buds.

POKI POKI CEVICHERIA $$

3422 Central Ave NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 503-1077 pokipokinm.com

Think deconstructed sushi if you’ve never had the traditionally Hawaiian poké. Completely customizable bowls with Latin and Asian fusion are the specialty here. Seven types of fish, 12 sauces, and 22 toppings make for endless combinations atop rice, chips, or a salad.

POLLITO CON PAPAS $$

6105 Gibson Blvd SE (505) 765-5486

pollitoconpapas.com

Get ready for a punch of Peruvian cuisine. The menu is dotted with combinations of chicken, potatoes, and cilantro rice. The chicken is brined in vinegar and cumin for

about 10 hours, then fired on a spit. The traditional drink, chicha, makes the perfect complement to any dish. The southeast part of town just inched a bit closer to South America.

PONDEROSA BREWING CO. $

1761 Bellamah Ave NW (505) 639-5941

ponderosabrewing.net

A sister brew pub to Pints Brewing in Portland, Oregon, Ponderosa features a wide selection of American and German standard beers, with a classic menu of burgers, salads, and innovative appetizers.

PRAIRIE STAR RESTAURANT $$

288 Prairie Star Rd (505) 867-3327

mynewmexicogolf.com

Taking a drive past Bernalillo is a pleasure when you know the visit will include amazing made-from-scratch dishes such as herb-grilled ribeye with chipotle cheddar gratin and New Mexico bison-raised tenderloin. Reservations are recommended.

QUARTER CELTIC BREWPUB $$

1100 San Mateo Blvd NE, #50 plus 1 other metro location quartercelticbrewpub.com

Irish brews like the Crimson Lass and Rye’t Side of Dublin are paired nicely with Celtic pub fare with a New Mexico twist. Must-tries include the classic fish and chips, ruben, shepherd’s pie, and poutine with green chile.

RAMONA’S MEXICAN CAFE $$

7600 Jefferson St NE, Ste. 29 (505) 295-3945

For home-cooked food regional with local roots, look no further than Ramona’s Mexican Cafe. A hybrid of Mexican and New Mexican cuisine with the likes of tacos, enchiladas, burritos and quesadillas on the menu. The restaurant’s menu primarily features recipes from the owner’s mother, including Chile Colorado and the Norteño Plate.

RANGE CAFÉ $$

4400 Wyoming Blvd NE plus 5 other metro locations (505) 293-2633 rangecafe.com

Locals flock to the Range Café when they’re in search of good, made-from-scratch comfort food, including meatloaf sandwiches, huevos rancheros, enchiladas, ice cream, and the gooey Life by Chocolate dessert.

RED ROCK DELI $

2414 San Mateo Pl NE (505) 332-9656

So authentic that the menu is derived from a family cookbook written entirely in Polish, Red Rock Deli boasts Polish and Chicago-style deli delights, especially their handmade pierogies with ingredients sourced from Chicago.

RELISH GOURMET SANDWICHES $$

8019 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 299-0001

relishsandwichesabq.com

It’s no wonder this sandwich shop has been voted “best” by publications throughout Albuquerque—it serves only the best Boar’s Head meats and all of their dishes are accompanied by homemade sides or soups. Try the Cubano. You won’t be disappointed.

RESTORATION PIZZA $

5161 Lang Ave NE, Ste. A (505) 582-2720 restorationpizza.com

Here, good food and positive works—delivered simultaneously—is in the very nature of the business. The idea is to provide patrons with top-notch pies and first-rate beers while giving traditionally underemployed individuals work opportunities they would otherwise miss.

RESTAURANT FORTY NINE FORTY $$$

4940 Corrales Rd, Corrales (505) 554-3866

fanciecorrales.com

What began as a taco stand eventually evolved into a more high-end, fine dining experience, now known as Restaurant Forty Nine Forty. With a dry-aged meats program, plus Sunday Brunch and plenty of special dinners on the calendar, Restaurant Forty Nine Forty offers a plethora of plates, such as roasted sea bass, on a rotating, seasonal menu.

REVEL BURGER $$

4720 Alexander Blvd. NE (505) 303-4700

revelburger.com

Located inside Revel Entertainment, Revel burger’s delicious menu of Angus burgers and chicken sandwiches are cut, trimmed, and prepared in house. Try one of their American classics or challenge yourself to the Jawbreaker: a five-patty, pound and a half burger.

RICHARD’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT $$

3301 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 881-1039

Mexican favorites—such as carne adovada, relleño, tacos, and green chile enchiladas—cooked in the healthiest, most nutritious, yummiest way possible. Open for breakfast and lunch.

RICHIE B’S PIZZA $$

7200 Montgomery Blvd NE, Ste. A-2

Plus 1 other metro location (505) 312-8579

richiebsabq.com

New York-style pizza has come home to roost in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights. Whether by the slice or by the pie—some of which measure 25 inches in diameter—you’ll need every bit of your appetite when you visit Richie B’s. Not in the mood for pizza? Wrap your hands around a turkey, cheesesteak, or Italian sandwich, topped with its signature Viper sauce, or tempt your sweet tooth with traditional cannoli or New York-style cheesecake.

RIO BRAVO BREWING COMPANY $ 1912 2nd St NW (505) 900-3909

riobravobrewing.com

The pub and grill is bright and airy with high ceilings and a modern industrial style, mixed with the cozy rustic feel of a neighborhood bar, with 32 taps, including their award winning La Luz Lager.

ROMA BAKERY & DELI $ 501 Roma Ave NW (505) 843-9418

romabakeryanddeli.com

You’ll find more than fresh-baked cookies and pastries at this bakery—feast your eyes (and taste buds) on grilled sandwiches and eight fresh deli salads and soups.

ROSE GARDEN

6541 Paradise Blvd NW, Ste. E plus 1 other metro location (505) 897-8880 rosegardenabq.com

Over 100 menu items and great customer service ensures locals always return. Rose Garden never disappoints with a wide range of appetizers, soups and entrees. Owner, Mieng Lu, says the Kung Pao chicken, orange chicken and beef lo mein are just a few of his favorites.

RUSTIC BUBBLE TEA CAFE $ 840 Juan Tabo Blvd NE, Ste. B (505) 508-1813

Rustic Bubble Tea Cafe has all of the fundamentals of a bubble shop down, of course - the hint is in the namebut what sets the independent Albuquerque startup apart is the Vietnamese-inspired menu that accompanies its decadent beverages.

RUTILIO’S FAMILY RESTAURANT $ 455 N Main St, Belen (505) 864-0093

Belen Mayor Rudy Jaramillo’s carne adovada is what put Rutilos on the map. This hangout serves their perfect pork with rice and beans, stuffed inside burritos and sopaipillas,

and layered inside enchiladas and quesadillas. Add Rutilios breakfast burritos and classic New Mexican combos, and guests are sure to find something worth campaigning for.

SADIE’S OF NEW MEXICO $$

6230 4th St. NW (505) 296-6940

sadiesofnewmexico.com

A staple in New Mexican cuisine, Sadie’s features enchiladas, carne adovada ribs, tacos, burritos, and of course, world-famous chips and salsa. Reservations are recommended.

SAGGIO’S $$

107 Cornell Dr SE plus one other metro location (505) 255-5454

unmsaggios.com

This university joint is known for its pizza, particularly the pepperoni and green chile-topped pie, but the pasta, sandwiches, and salads shouldn’t be slept on!

SAHARA MIDDLE EASTERN EATERY $

2622 Central Ave SE (505) 255-5400

saharamiddleeasterneatery.com

Delectable Middle Eastern plates served up Manhattan-deli style. The chicken shawarma plate, complete with greens, pita, hummus, and award-winning tabbouleh, is always a good bet. Complete with beer and wine, and belly dancing on weekends, this is a fave of students, locals, and out-oftowners alike.

SAIGON RESTAURANT

6001 San Mateo Blvd NE, Ste.D4 plus 1 other metro location (505) 884-0706

saigonrestaurantnm.com

Vicky Truong’s secret to 12 years of success has been consistency. Truong maintains an extensive menu that

caters to every type of eater. From summer dishes such as noodle bowls to winter mainstays like beef noodle soup, Truong will make sure you find your favorites.

SAKURA SUSHI & GRILL $$

6241 Riverside Plaza NW (505) 890-2838

abqsakurasushingrill.com

Favorites at Sakura are the Stone Pot Bibimbap (which is cooked at the table in a stone pot), the Tiger Roll, the Short Rib, the Baked Lobster Roll, the Sushi Tacos, and the impressive list of sake imported from Japan.

SALATHAI $

3619 Copper Ave NE (505) 265-9330

Made-from-scratch, fresh, ingredients and keeping it simple are owner Pitak Pitakkan’s rules to cook by. Pitakkan cooks every menu item himself so don’t go to Salathai in a hurry. Pitakkan’s grandmother taught him to make curry and his curries are a longtime customer favorite.

SAMURAI GRILL AND SUSHI BAR $$$

9500 Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 275-6601

abqsamurai.com

What’s your pleasure, sushi or teppan? Here, you can have either expertly crafted right in front of you. It’s also where you can get fresh sushi favorites such as the California roll, the dragon roll, and a veggies-and-sushi “Viagra salad” special.

SANTIAGO’S NEW MEXICAN GRILL

1911 Eubank Blvd NE (505) 292-8226

It’s in the sauce—Papa Jim’s Taco Sauce, at least—which comes with items such as burritos, tacos, and salsa. This Santiago Scramble—a pile of scrambled eggs, cheese, corn tortillas, chorizo, and hash browns—is great morning fuel. The tamale and enchilada take-and-bake casseroles

will please any partygoer. And take a jar of that taco sauce home—after all, you can.

SAVOY BAR & GRILL $$$

10601 Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 294-9463

savoyabq.com

Resembling a California wine-country bistro, Savoy Bar & Grill is one of Albuquerque’s premier fine-dining establishments. Specializing in food and wine pairing, Savoy’s menu is a toast to the art of balance of food and wine.

SATELLITE COFFEE

2300 Central Ave,

Plus 4 other metro locations (505) 254-3800

satellitecoffee.com

Satellite Coffee perhaps harkens back to the classic cafes of yesteryear, as the coffee here is roasted fresh in small batches daily, available alongside refreshing smoothies and plen-tea of tea options for enthusiasts. But make no mistake: Satellite is 100% local and serves all-day breakfast and lunch bites like carne adovada burritos and sandwiches such as the turkey pepper jack. At the end of the day, it’s coffee done well and done right.

SCARPA’S BRICK OVEN PIZZA $$ 5500 Academy Rd NE (505) 821-1885

scarpaspizza.com

That brick oven is cornerstone to this neighborhood favorite, producing pizzas such as the shrimp pesto, the Greek, and the chipotle chicken. But Scarpas also knows pasta, including red chile cream pasta and pasta sorento with oak-roasted chicken.

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A TOASTY AFFAIR

On its own, French Toast is pretty decadent fare. Through some experimentation, co-owner George Griego took the breakfast staple to another level in that regard.

“We’re really big-time foodies, and we cook a lot at home,” Griego says. “I made my wife some toast and poured bananas with caramel sauce—with the melted butter and brown sugar on it—and we said, ‘Wow, if we open a place, we’re gonna serve this.’ That’s how it happened.”

It starts with four large slices of extra thick Texas toast, which are properly battered and grilled. A fresh banana is then sauteed with butter and brown sugar before being poured over the toast and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Real maple syrup completes the experience. Occasionally diners will get a side of bacon or eggs to go with it, but the dish itself is hearty enough to stand alone as the first meal of the day.

“You’ve got to have a sweet tooth to like that,” Griego says. —TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

Central Grill and Coffee House

2056 Central Ave SW (505) 554-1424

centralgrillandcoffeehouse.com

SEARED $$

119 San Pasquale Ave SW (505) 999-8414

searedabq.com

During the day, the space is Cheese & Coffee, but at night, it gets a makeover and becomes Seared, a fine dining establishment serving up steak, pork loin, and Atlantic Salmon among other things.

SEASONS ROTISSERIE AND GRILL $$$ 2031 Mountain Rd NW (505) 766-5100

seasonsabq.com

As the name suggests, Seasons varies its menu in accordance with what’s going on throughout the year, using the finest, freshest ingredients. Depending on what time of year you venture in, you’ll find butternut squash ravioli, grilled Atlantic salmon, and bleu cheese-crusted beef filet. Reservations are recommended.

SERGIO’S BAKERY & CAFE $

2740 Wyoming Blvd NE (505) 554-2602

Fresh, made-from-scratch cookies, donuts, breads, pastries, cakes, and cannolis are on the mouthwatering menu at this Italian bakery.

SHARK REEF CAFÉ $$

2601 Central Ave NW (505) 848-7182

To conclude your tour of the Albuquerque Aquarium, grab a seat at this full-service restaurant, where the dining room features a view of the oceanic reef exhibit. Catering to visitors, families, and daytime dates, the menu offers simple, fun options. Call ahead for special events, like themed dinners and holiday celebrations.

SHOGUN JAPANESE RESTAURANT $$

3310 Central Ave SE (505) 265-9166

shogunabq.com

When your order of sushi comes around the bend on its floating wooden boat, you couldn’t be happier, whether you’ve ordered the “Super Crunch” (shrimp tempura roll), or the “TNT Roll” (fish, zucchini, and onion, baked with spicy mayo and smothered on a California roll).

THE SHOP BREAKFAST AND LUNCH $$

2933 Monte Vista Blvd NE (505) 433-2795

theshopabq.com

The Shop Breakfast and Lunch serves up breakfast and lunch (as the name implies) but with a focus on local sourcing and seasonal favorites. The dishes at The Shop deftly combine Creole and Latin American influences with a dose of New Mexican comfort. The flavors really pop.

SLAPFISH $$

2100 Lousiana Blvd NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 916-0320

slapfishrestaurant.com

Have you ever had a fish so fresh that it jumped up and tail slapped you in the face? Well, that’s the joke behind the very popular eater, Slapfish. This fast casual gem has gained a great reputation for efficiency, service, flavor combos, and the freshness of their seafood.

SIXTY SIX ACRES $$

2400 12th St NW (505) 243-2230

sixtysixacres.com

A modern take on a classic bar and grill, Sixty-Six Acres has something for everyone. With unique appetizers, salads, and bowls, plus craft cocktails, you’re sure to find something to satisfy. Located in the Avanyu Plaza, you can enjoy your meal with a beautiful view of the Sandias.

SLATE STREET BILLIARDS BAR & GRILLE $

2003 Southern Blvd SE, #139, Rio Rancho (505) 994-0363

slatestreetbilliards.com

Come for the pool, stay for the nachos. And the burgers. And the wings. Rio Rancho’s favorite pool hall also has great Happy Hour pricing and plenty of special events.

SLATE STREET CAFE $$

515 Slate Ave NW (505) 243-2210

slatestreetcafe.com

Slate Street Cafe is a sleek, contemporary eatery that combines big city ambiance with inspired, modern cuisine. From the smoked salmon frittata to build-your-own bruschetta to mouthwatering Ahi tuna, their culinary flair will tantalize and delight from breakfast through dinner.

SLICE AND DICE PIZZERIA $

5720 McMahon Blvd NE. Ste. B plus 1 other metro locations (505) 261-2058

sliceanddicepizzeria.com

With both a sweeping library of board games and full menu of hot pies and subs, Slice and Dice is a venue for everyone from seasoned players to wide-eyed beginners (or people just hungry for some pizza). They provide a space where you can gather with a few friends and take in the twin delights of pizza and board games.

SOBREMESA $$

3421 Coors Blvd NW (505) 444-5555

sobremesanm.com

This Spanish-inspired restaurant brings people together with a cozy atmosphere, craft beer, and a vast selection of fresh and locally sourced foods.

PHOTO BY DON JAMES/ATM

BANANAS FRENCH TOAST, $10.95

SOO BAK SEOUL BOWL

11 Hermosa Dr SE (505) 268-0017

soobakfoods.com

Serving up a style of food known as “koi fusion”, Soo Bak offers a wide variety of delicious entrees including eight different varieties of kimchi. Try the Soy Crunch Kimchi, which comes with pickled chayote squash, onions, some jalapenos, and fish sauce, apple juice, soy sauce, and vinegar.

SQUEEZED JUICE BAR $

7900 San Pedro Dr NE, Ste. A-12 plus 2 other metro locations (505) 821-1437

squeezedjuicebars.com

Incredibly innovative, modern mixed juices, smoothies, and other healthy delights for people on the move and looking for exercise recovery. Three to five pounds of fruit are squeezed into every drink, and it’s all extract, no fillers, and sure to brighten your day.

ST. JAMES TEA ROOM $$$

320 Osuna Rd NE, Ste. D (505) 242-3752

stjamestearoom.com

Albuquerque’s long-standing, go-to teahouse, this enveloping, intricately detailed, and authentically British tearoom provides old-fashioned conversation and honest service.

STARR BROS. BREWING

5700 San Antonio Dr NE, Ste. B1 (505) 492-2752

starrbrothersbrewing.com

With dishes ranging from American favorites to Southern fare, Starr Bros. Brewing is more than an award-winning brewery. It has turned heads with Poutine Burqueno: a New Mexican take on the Canadian greasy-spoon classic. The house burger, with high-quality beef and homemade green chile aioli, is a customer favorite.

STEEL BENDER BREWYARD $$

8305 2nd St NW (505) 433-3537

steelbenderbrewyard.com

The 275-seat brewery has an industrial vibe with cozy undertones. But the Los Ranchos brewery stands apart from competitors based on its wide selection of housemade beers and its gourmet menu.

STICKY RICE $

7600 Jefferson St NE, #5 (505) 797-1288

Likely the only authentic Laotian sticky rice to be found anywhere in ABQ, this menu offers moist, slow roasted chicken and a few frills at prices you can’t beat with a chopstick. The family meal is a steal.

STONE FACE TAVERN

8201 San Pedro Dr NE (505) 822-8855

Whether as a sports bar, live music venue, upscale grill, or just as a place that offers a little fun in the sand, Stone Face Tavern has something for everyone. Inside these doors, guarded by stone gargoyles, you’ll find large, shareable appetizers and entrees, plenty of beets on tap, and both outdoor and indoor volleyball courts.

STORMING

CRAB

5001 San Mateo Blvd NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 407-2032

albuquerque.stormingcrab.us

Specializing in large, customizable seafood boils, rich in Cajun and Atlantic coast flavor, Storming Crab’s selection of dinner combos encourages diners to build their own. Black and green mussels, shrimp, crawfish, white clams, and crab legs can be ordered by the pound.

STRIPES BURRITO CO

2204 Menaul Blvd NE plus 6 other metro locations (505) 881-5151

stripesco.com

surely hit the spot. What’s the hardest choice you’ll have to make? Red or green!

SUNNYSIDE UP

BREAKFAST & LUNCH CAFE $$

6909 Menaul Blvd NE, Ste. A (505) 888-3447

sunnysideupabq.com

Located right by Uptown, patrons can find everything from eggs (prepared in various ways) to waffles to cocktails and more served up from breakfast through lunch. Specific menu items include Strawberry Banana Waffle, Bacon Avocado Scramble and Arizona Turkey.

SUSHIBUCKS

2106 Central Ave SE, Ste. A (505) 243-8089

Stripes is serving up classic burritos all day long. From bacon to carne adovada, the flavor-packed favorite will

This Asian-inspired restaurant with New Mexican flair provides customers with fast service and quality food. Sushibucks offers over 30 sushi rolls, including baked and no-rice offerings. Diners can also order udon, bulgogi, and bibimbap for those not feeling sushi.

SUSHI KING

9421 Coors Blvd NW (505) 890-6200

sushikingabq.com

As one of the originators of sushi in Albuquerque, it’s no wonder Sushi King is beloved by so many. By merging tastes of Japan and America with rolls like the New Mexico Roll and the Lady in Red, you really can’t go wrong.

SUSHI XUAN $$

417 Tramway Blvd NE, #3 (505) 200-2477

sushixuanasiangrill.com

You’ll find more than just tasty sushi here. Diners dig into Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai dishes too. Sushi Xuan has multiple shipments of fresh fish during the week, and only uses Japanese Kokoro rice, and organic veggies whenever possible.

SUSHIYA

2906 Juan Tabo Blvd NE (505) 275-4777

sushiyanm.com

This family-owned and operated restaurant strives to serve up sushi the way you’d find it on the southern California coast. A clean and comfortable atmosphere pairs well with friendly service and some of the thickest cuts of salmon in the city.

TAAJ PALACE $

1435 Eubank Blvd NE (505) 296-0109

taajpalacenm.com

Taaj Palace is a multifaceted field of flavor and texture, built around the fiery core of the tandoor oven, that serves up a variety of delicious curries, including the widely popular chicken makhani (butter chicken), where tandoori chicken is presented swimming in a creamy tomato sauce.

TACOS EL MUCHACHO ALEGRE

3107 Eubank Blvd NE, Ste 16 (505) 221-2112

IG: @tacoselmuchachoalegre505

Family recipes are the source of many of the authentic Mexican dishes at Tacos El Muchacho Alegre—like, for example, the popular Carne Asada taco, which comes loaded with all the classic fixings. Everything here is homemade, from the corn tortillas to all the salsas and sauces, although owners will claim that the secret ingredient is really simple: love.

TACO SAL $

9621 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 298-2210

This family-owned and operated restaurant offers tasty, traditional New Mexican (burritos, chile rellenos, enchiladas, tacos, huevos rancheros, and more) with its own chunky salsa, made with real green chile.

TACO SHEL $

7001 San Antonio Dr NE, Ste. G (505) 828-0260

tacoshel.com

Be sure to bring cash when you come to this New Mexican staple. You’ll be glad you did, because whether you prefer tamales, enchiladas, sopapillas, or any other New Mexican classic, you can be sure that it will have been made fresh, in-house with affordable prices at Taco Shel.

TAJ MAHAL CUISINE OF INDIA $ 1430 Carlisle Blvd NE (505) 255-1994

tajmahalabq.com

Taj Mahal is filled with all of your Indian favorites, from fresh naan (try the garlic version) to tasty saag paneer. The line goes out the door for the popular lunch buffet.

TAKO TEN $

1250 Candelaria Rd NE, Ste. B (505) 508-3518

Chef and owner Dominic Valenzuela takes a creative spin on tacos, or takos if you will, by curating a unique menu, which includes a Vegan Sweet Potato Tako. Try the salsa bar!

TAMASHI

6400 Holly Ave NE, Ste. G

Plus 1 other metro location (505) 717-2457

tamashiabq.com

Award winning sushi at reasonable prices, unique appetizers, and hand picked alcohol are just some of the reasons to eat at Tamashi. Did we mention they also have killer ramen? With so much variety, you’re sure to become a regular.

TAP N

TACO

$ 1120 Pat D’Arco Hwy (505) 800-5966

tapntaco.com

This spot specializes in Mexican street tacos, quesadillas, papa asada, nachos, and fries, with protein options for everyone ranging from asada to vegetarian. If you’re a fan of salsa bars, Tap N Taco has one with just about everything you need to elevate your food. Not only are the taco options pleasing to the palate but there’s an aesthetic appeal too.

TASTE OF INDIA

1605 Juan Tabo Blvd NE (505) 294-6342

tasteofindiaabq.com

Family recipes modified for American tastes; Taste of India typically dials back the spice a bit. But it’s no misnomer to think of Taste of India as just what the name advertises: a taste of regional flavors, conveyed by people who grew up with them

TASTY NOODLES AND DUMPLINGS

$$ 2325 San Pedro Dr NE, Ste. 1E (505) 219-3988

tastynoodlesanddumplings.com

This Uptown spot known for their hand-pulled noodles and made-to-order dumplings and Bao (soup dumplings) also features more “traditional” Chinese fare and an adventurous Chef’s Special menu on request.

TASTY POT

8050 Academy Rd NE, #101 (505) 717-2190

The popular chain Tasty Pot offers ten signature hot pot options, in addition to twelve flavors of soup bases–such as beef, lamb, and tomato–allowing seemingly endless customization and flavor combinations. Various proteins from lobster to beef are also available to put into your hot pot to make it your way. Of course, it wouldn’t be New Mexico without a little (or a lot) of chile–and the Tasty Pot in Albuquerque keeps it local by offering a special green chile hot pot.

TEN 3

30 Tramway Rd NE (505) 764-8363

ten3tram.com

Whether you’re looking for fine or casual dining, TEN 3 is an experience. With a take on modern American and

BITES

Mediterranean cuisine, choose from a menu of delicious appetizers, salads, and entrees while dining 10,300 feet above sea level. TEN 3 is a treat for your eyes and taste buds as you sit at the top of Sandia Peak.

TEOFILO’S RESTAURANTE $$

144 Main St NW, Los Lunas (505) 865-5511

teofilos.com

This restaurant’s generations-old made-from-scratch recipes will draw you to Los Lunas, along with the warm chips, chile rellenos, crème cake enchiladas, and more, all handmade from scratch.

TERIYAKI MADNESS $$

11032 Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 508-0430

teriyakimadness.com

For those looking for a break from the old guard of fast casual Asian cuisine, Teriyaki Madness offers fresh, simple teriyaki bowls. The secret is in their house made sauce, officially known as MAD sauce.

THAI BORAN $$

3236 La Orilla Rd NW, Ste. A (505) 492-2244

thaiborannm.com

Steeped in spicy tradition, Thai Boran has quickly gained traction as one of the top Thai restaurants Albuquerque has to offer. Thai Boran, which means “Old Thai”, features

53 items on its menu, including five soups, six curries, and five unique dishes off the “Chef’s Collection” section.

THAI CUISINE II $

4201 Central Ave NE (505) 232-3200

thaicuisinenm.com

House in perhaps the most curious A-frame along Route 66, this is the second-coming of a much-beloved Westside Thai staple, and judging by the fandom, it’s simply better. Be wary of the heat in these dishes, and if you’re vegan/ vegetarian, be very, very thankful.

THAI KITCHEN

10707 Corrales Rd (505) 890-0059

thaikitchenabq.com

Art Xaiyasiha is one of two siblings who crafted one of the Duke City’s first great Thai restaurants, Siam Cafe. Thai Kitchen is his very own venture, featuring his takes on authentic dishes that taste “just like they do back home”.

THAI HOUSE $$

2000 Carlisle Blvd NE (505) 247-9205 thaihouserestaurantabq.com

With an impressive stay in ABQ (Thai House is approaching its 40-year anniversary), this South Asian restaurant has a secret weapon in its native Thai chef who brings her vast knowledge of Thai cuisine to the metro.

THAI SPICE $$

7441 Paseo Del Norte NE (505) 503-1521

thaispiceabq.com

An extensive menu features authentic Thai favorites like Pad Thai or Thai fried rice. Lunch special includes an egg roll, entrée, and coconut milk tapioca pudding punctuated with an origami rose–topped straw.

THAI VEGAN $$

5505 Osuna Rd. NE plus 1 other metro location (505) 884-4610

thaivegannm.com

Utilizing local organic produce, you’ll get some of the healthiest food around, all without sacrificing taste. This non-vegan favorite has hearty offerings and a soy chicken that satisfies even the pickiest of meat eaters.

THEOBROMA CHOCOLATIER

12611 Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 293-6545

theobromachocolatier.com

More than 20 years of experience goes into every morsel of European–inspired chocolate and sweet treat at this 505 sweet-tooth savior. Streamlined and polished, Theobroma has the look of a franchise, but everything is hand-crafted and produced on-site.

THE WHOLE ENCHILADA

$$ 10701 Corrales Rd, #25 (505) 897-5933

The Whole Enchilada is dishing up authentic Mexican food and great customer service. By incorporating different cheeses like queso fresco, and guajillo chiles instead of the red or green used here in New Mexico, the flavors shine to give a true Mexican Influence to each dish. The Whole Enchiladas fare extends beyond the restaurant moniker with options such as bone marrow tacos, steaks, and seared fish filets.

THUNDER ROAD STEAKHOUSE AND CANTINA AT

ROUTE

66 CASINO HOTEL

$$ 14500 Central Ave SW, Laguna Pueblo (505) 352-7888

rt66casino.com

Nestled inside this busy casino, you’ll find dishes that are a confluence of cultures at Thunder Road: made-fromscratch salsas, fresh tortillas, Pastel de Tres Leches Cake, Yucatan Tacos, Smoked Baby Back Pork Ribs, and much more.

TIA B’S LA WAFFLERIA $

3710 Campus Blvd NE (505) 492-2007

lawaffleriaabq.com

You’ve never experienced waffles of this magnitude. A residential home-turned-restaurant, anticipate artisan flare (lavender whipped cream, goat cheese, and caramel apple toppings) and plenty of goods for vegans and celiacs.

TIA JUANITA’S PRONTO! $

2200 Sunport Loop SE (505) 842-4280

fresquezcompanies.com

TOMASITA’S $$

4949 Pan American Fwy NE (505) 344-1204

tomasitas.com

Known widely for its Northern New Mexican food and margaritas, Tomasita’s prides itself on authenticity and locally sourced ingredients. The food and friendly service will not disappoint.

TURTLE MOUNTAIN NORTH $$

7835 Enchanted Hills Blvd NE, Rio Rancho plus 1 other metro location (505) 404-0414

The newest location of a beloved original, Turtle Mountain North features double the beer taps and double the kitchen size. Keeping classic brewery finds on the menu, they have expanded to include harder-to-execute menu items such as glazed salmon steaks, and Jagerschnitzel. New menu items paired with a longer wine and beer list takes Turtle Mountain to an elevated level.

TURQUOISE DESERT TAPROOM $

4405 Jager Way NE E, Rio Rancho (505) 835-4701

turqouisetap.com

Turquoise Desert Taproom is a serious step-up from your typical sports bar food. They’re a from-scratch kitchen, and their pretzels and hamburger buns are made in-house, making it both an upscale restaurant and a more casual sports bar. With all of the fan favorites, like wings, nachos, and fish and chips, Sunday football games are also sure to be screened on one of their nine flatscreen TVs during the season. It’s seriously the best of both worlds.

TRAIL RIDER PIZZA $$

12165 NM-14, Ste. B2, Cedar Crest (505) 281-6068

trailriderpizza.com

The fact that this spot is a 98% from scratch kitchen should be reason enough to stop by, and with 14 types of specialty pizza, there’s bound to be something for everyone.

TRIANA $$

111 Carlisle Blvd NE (505) 503-6202

triananobhill.com

Named after the historic district in Seville, Spain, Trianas brings traditional tapas to Nob Hill. Their seasonal menus ensure only the freshest ingredients go into their beautiful, eye-catching small plates, making every bite a flavorful experience.

TULLY’S ITALIAN DELI AND MEATS $$

1425 San Mateo Blvd NE, Ste. A (505) 255-5370

tullysdeli.com

A family-owned and operated spot through and through, this Duke City staple has been the one-stop shop for all things authentically Italian for over half a century. Come in for lunch for their mouthwatering signature subs, stock up

on imported Italian cheeses and pasta at the market, and try fresh, scratch-made cannolis and other pastries at the bakery.

TWO CRANES BISTRO + BREW

901 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Ste. A (505) 295-3970

twocranesnm.com

Comfort food with a high-end twist is all the rage at this spot, where you’ll find enticing dishes like Chorizo Rellenos wrapped like egg rolls and grilled salmon with a Michelin Star-level presentation.

TWO FOOLS TAVERN

3211 Central Ave NE (505) 265-7447

2foolstavern.com

Dubliner or not, there’s soul-warming Irish fare to be found at this authentic Irish eatery. Two Fools Tavern is known to have good food, drink and conversation. Its atmosphere earns an A plus for feeling just like a traditional Irish pub, and its food most definitely does not fall short. If Irish classics like Scottish Eggs and Guinness Beef Boxty don’t do it for you, the 300 brands of whiskey will certainly make you feel like you’re right in Dublin.

URBAN 360 PIZZA

2119 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 717-2384

urban360pizza.com

Urban 360 Pizza is a one-stop-shop for traditional pizzas like your classic Margherita or pepperoni, unconventional options like orange chicken or gyros pizza, burgers, Asian food and more. This place has something for everyone no matter what you’re craving. With new menu items added all the time, there’s plenty of reason to come back again and again.

BITES

URBAN HOTDOG COMPANY

10250 Cottonwood Park NW, Ste. 400 H plus 1 other metro location (505) 898-5671

urbanhotdogcompany.com

With about 20 choices–and even a vegetarian option–this restaurant has become a dog-lover’s go-to. Look for Chicago and NYC classics, plus adventurous temptations like the Crafty Dog (topped with mac ‘n’ cheese and bacon).

UPSCALE RIO $$

1520 Deborah Rd SE, Rio Rancho (505) 835-5902

upscaleburgers.com

Made-from-scratch burgers and sides with only the highest quality ingredients. Burgers here are divided into two categories: “upscale” and “classic.” Unique offerings include the chipotle tortilla burger and the smokehouse BBQ burger, while more traditional favorites range from green chile cheeseburgers to bacon mushroom Swiss burgers. To go with the name, Upscale Burgers and Shakes has seven shake options ranging from vanilla to berry to brownie.

UPTOWN SPORTS BAR $

6601 Uptown Blvd NE (505) 884-4714

uptown-sportsbar.com

A huge sports venue with wall-to-wall televisions and all the extras—solid American fare alongside a wide selection of local and national beers.

VEGOS

4003 Carlisle Blvd NE (505) 554-1041

vegosabq.com

New Mexican staples made for vegans and vegetarians without skipping out on any of the flavor. Vegos aims to bring traditional flavors and textures found in New Mexican food while keeping it entirely plant based. However, don’t

get discouraged if youre all about meat, Vegos makes it a priority to try and tailor food to everyone’s liking no matter the diet.

VERNON’S SPEAKEASY

6855 4th St NW (505) 341-0831

vernonsspeakeasymenu.com

This unmarked restaurant requires a secret password to gain entrance. Once inside, you’ll discover a world of perfect steaks and gourmet seafood, paired with an unbeatable loungey atmosphere. Reservations are recommended.

VIC’S DAILY CAFÉ $

3600 Osuna Rd NE (505) 341-9710

vicsdailycafe.com

With a full range of breakfast items, New Mexican favorites, and comfort food, this is a one-stop shop for tasty options like breakfast burritos, meatloaf, and coconut cream pie.

VICK’S VITTLES COUNTRY KITCHEN

8810 Central Ave SE (505) 298-5143

vicksvittles.com

Rustle up your posse and head to Vick’s for heaping helpings of Texas-New Mexico fusion and breakfast served all day—except Wednesdays, when Vick’s is closed. Country comfort meets southwestern flair in an environment that welcomes suits and cowboys alike. Prepare to be stuffed.

VIET TASTE

5721 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 888-0101

pwbportal.us/viet-taste-abq

With more than 100 menu options—noodle and rice dishes, eight varieties of Pho, coconut shakes, and many more—this restaurant is true to its name, offering a real taste of Vietnamese cuisine.

VIET PHO

4208 Menaul Blvd NE (505) 717-2359

This Vietnamese-based cuisine restaurant offers a homey feel and Southeast Asian comfort food. Try the popular Beef Pho Soup or go for a lighter dish like the Shrimp Spring Rolls.

VIET RICE

1340 Rio Rancho Blvd SE, Rio Rancho (505) 892-7423 ordervietrice.com

This family owned and operated restaurant brings storied Vietnamese cuisine to the City of Vision. Their most popular dish is rice noodles with meatballs or brisket, but the dish is heavily customizable, from the kind of noodle to the proteins, including vegetarian options.

VILLAGE PIZZA

3200 La Orilla Rd NW, E-2 plus 1 other metro location (505) 219-3766 villagepizzanm.com

Family owned and operated, Village Pizza offers salads, nachos, calzones, pasta, and of course, signature pizzas, along with an all-you-can-eat buffet.

VINAIGRETTE $$

1720 Central Ave SW (505) 842-5507

vinaigretteonline.com

Getting in touch with your “green” side has never been as hip as it is at Albuquerque’s newest go-to salad bistro. Vinaigrette offers a menu full of unique salads made with fresh produce from owner Erin Wade’s farm in Nambè. Items like The Nutty Pear-Fessor and the Asian Chopped Salad don’t sacrifice deliciousness just because they’re healthy. Expect one of 17 vinaigrette dressings to be perfectly paired with your salad.

VINTAGE 423 $$

8000 Paseo Del Norte Blvd NE (505) 821-1918

vintage-423.com

Decorated with plush booths, black and white photos of vintage cars, a glass wine cellar wall, and an outdoor patio with couches and fireplaces, Vintage 423 is a go-to location for good eats and happy hour—all year long.

VOODOO GIRL PIZZA $$

1401 2nd St NW (505) 243-6095

voodoogirlpizzapints.com

Handcrafted, authentic Italian brick oven pizzas aren’t the only thing Voodoo Girl Pizza serves up. This snazzy joint offers a full slate of appetizers too—nachos, potato skins, fried zucchini, the list goes on. And if you’re big on brews, Voodoo Girl has more than 30 different beers on tap.

WECK’S $$

4500 Osuna Rd NE, #100 plus 9 other metro locations (505) 344-1472

wecksinc.com

For nearly 20 years, Weck’s has served up huge, tasty portions of breakfast and lunch. Examples: The Original comes with one pound of potatoes mixed with eggs, cheese, and chile; the “Scratch Made” Buttermilk Pancakes are more than seven inches wide.

WESTERN VIEW $$

6411 Central Ave NW (505) 836-2200

With a cozy diner feel and a long history, Western View is turning out plates of diner classics and New Mexican staples—finely seasoned with a sprinkling of Greek options—for diners hungry for both hearty home cooked meals and classic countertop service.

WHIPTAIL $$

355 Pat D’Arco Hwy, Rio Rancho (505) 859-7410

whiptaileatery.com

While diners can enjoy a multitude of traditional shareable bites– like fries, salads, and sandwiches, Whiptail has many comfort zone-breaking dishes such as charred broccolini and lizard eggs. In addition to various unique foods, Whiptail has over 20 hand-crafted cocktails and a rotating tap of local beers.

WHOLE HOG CAFE $

9880 Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 323-1688

wholehogcafenm.com

Get award-winning Memphis-style barbecue in a familyfriendly atmosphere. Can’t-miss items include the pulled pork, potato salad, and the homemade banana pudding.

YASMINE’S CAFÉ $

1600 Central Ave SE (505) 242-1980

Yasmine’s is one of the few places in Albuquerque with shawarma—pitas filled with marinated chicken or beef that’s been pressed, stacked and cooked slowly on a rotisserie. Also try lamb and beef shish kababs, baba ghanoush, fatah, and four varieties of baklava.

YUMMY NOODLE HOUSE $$

6001 Winter Haven Rd NW, Ste. E (505) 595-3296

yummynoodlehouse.com

This dive is exactly what it sounds like: a yummy noodle house. With 12 noodle dishes to choose from, the question isn’t “Which one should I get?” but instead it’s “What order should I get these in?”

THE YELLER SUB $

7200 Montgomery Blvd NE (505) 888-9784

yellersub.com

Cheyanne Bywater, new business operator, leads a happy team of sandwich professionals who genuinely love what they do. This 45-year-old sandwich institution has spent the last four decades perfecting everything on the menu. If you need proof - start with the customer favorite - the Steak & Grilled Onions Sub. The bread is baked fresh daily, and the potato chips, waffle fries, and onion rings are all made from scratch the old-fashioned way. The perfection shows.

ZENDO COFFEE $ 413 2nd St SW (505) 926-1636

zendocoffee.com

Opening its doors in 2013 on 2nd Street, Zendo Coffee’s creativity plays a huge part in the beloved menu. The variety of different items on the menu caters to just about anyone and provides a sense of comfort.

The Call of the Wild

Mexican gray wolves are native to parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico—but these stunning members of the canine family have long been endangered due to human impact. All too often misunderstood, these wolves are slowly making a comeback in the wild—largely in part due to decades of awe-inspiring conservation efforts by the ABQ BioPark and its national partners. (p. 200)

PHOTOS BY ABQ BIOPARK

LOOKGOOD FEELGOOD

TIPS TO BE A BETTER YOU

A TIP FROM

KATRINA MCCARTY

SunCare Spray Tan & Skincare Salon

Receptionist (505)261-7361 suncareabq.com

Q: What are the different spray tan options for first-timers, how long do they last, and what’s the typical cost?

A: Spray tans are an amazing alternative to UV tanning that can still give you that bronzed, sun-kissed look. The shades of spray that we offer at SunCare can provide you with a rich tan that also enhances your natural glow—and it only takes 4 minutes! Plus, our professional spray tans are super affordable, typically ranging from $35 to $45 per session. It’s a quick way to achieve the perfect tan for any occasion— with our goal being for you to leave feeling confident and radiant!

A TIP FROM

SOPHIA VALDEZ Tanning Wishes

Owner/Spray Tan Artist 505-331-0556 tanningwishes.com

Q: What are the different spray tan options for first-timers, how long do they last, and what’s the typical cost?

A: Spray tans are not a one-sizefits-all, which is why I like to take the time to tailor every spray tan to each individual client, taking into consideration their skin tone, skin texture, and desired outcome. The process is quick— and each session only takes about 10 minutes—from start to finish. Typically, a client’s spray tan will last 5 to 14 days, although the duration depends on a lot of factors. Pricing starts at $50, plus tax— with group discounted rates also available at Tanning Wishes.

LOCALSTUFF WELOVE

Your touchstone for ABQ’s cool, fun & eclectic retail goodies that will help you live life a bit

PICTURE PERFECT

If your wall looks a little boring, bland, and bare, spice it up New Mexico-style with one of these high-quality, handcrafted prints made by Explora’s own web/social media coordinator and resident artist, Erin Ruiz. Frame it or leave it as is—no matter the style, it’s sure to bring a lot of flare to any space.

Local wall prints, $10.00 each

Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum 1701 Mountain Rd NW (505) 600-6072 explora.us

AN ENCHANTED TALE

The pages of a book have the power to transport readers to magical destinations—and this special story takes young readers on a journey throughout the enchanted land of New Mexico, delving into its past, present, and future— all while teaching the fundamentals of the ABCs.

‘E is for Enchantment: A New Mexico Alphabet’ by Helen Foster James, $21.99

Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum 1701 Mountain Rd NW (505) 600-6072

Tired of boring breakfast? Flapjacks falling flat? Santa Fe Culinaria’s Blue Corn Piñon Pancake mix is the perfect addition to your morning meal rotation. Make it a syrupy staple at home, or gift it to your out-of-town friends to give them a taste of New Mexican flavor.

Blue Corn Piñon Pancake Mix, $8.95

Albuquerque Museum 2000 Mountain Rd NW 505-243-7255 albuquerquemuseumfoundation.org

STUFFWELOVE

JUST ADD WATER!

Any artist knows that magic happens when you put paint to the page – or, in this case, when you lift it off the paper. With this portable booklet of watercolors, all you need is water, a brush, and your imagination to create art

Viviva Colorsheets, $30

Albuquerque Museum 2000 Mountain Rd NW

albuquerquemuseumfoundation.org

SHOP TALK

3211 Silver Ave SE

(505) 750-3437

peopleplanetrefill.com

It’s no secret that plastic is a problem for people and the planet.

According to recent studies, only about 9% of plastic—and that’s worldwide—is recycled. The rest of the 91% ends up in landfills, and research shows that microplastics are seeping into our oceans and soils—and even into our bodies. In the face of incomprehensible waste, what can consumers do?

Carolyn Wayland, owner and founder of People & Planet Refill, believes that change is possible—and starting small makes a huge difference. “A lot of people doing just a little bit makes a bigger difference than people who are trying to do it perfectly,” she says. People & Planet Refill recently celebrated three years of business—although Wayland has been

working to help find solutions to environmental and social concerns for over a decade. In 2014, she received a double bachelor’s degree in Conservation and Resource Studies and Forestry and Natural Resources with an emphasis on Sustainable Urban Development and Design from UC Berkeley.

“Waste has always been something that I’ve been super passionate about,” says Wayland. “Even since I was young, I would always be picking up trash with my mom and learning to use less. So, it’s kind of like the business is a confluence of a lot of things in my life all coming together.”

Refill container stores aren’t anything new—but they are increasingly becoming popular due to consumer concerns about how buying habits affect people and

the planet. For Wayland, the seed of the idea for her own ‘refillery’ was planted in 2016. “I did a New Year’s resolution of no new plastic for the year. And it just really opened my eyes of how impossible that is,” she says. “It’s literally everywhere— and it’s just permeated every single part of our lives, from your milk jug to your chewing gum.”

According to Wayland, plastic production first began in earnest in the 1950s— and it hasn’t let up since. The problem with plastic, however, is that it is notoriously difficult to recycle.

“That’s in large part because of cross-contamination,” she explains. “People still don’t really know what can be recycled, and then it gets thrown away if the wrong [item] is in it. It’s highly inefficient.

PHOTOS BY DON JAMES/ATM

Plastics that do get recycled can only be recycled into lower-grade plastics.”

Refill stores are one rung on the chain of environmental change. These shops encourage consumers to feel empowered to shift their buying patterns by re-using existing containers—most of which are plastic. Instead of buying a new plastic bottle every time something runs out, customers can refill their existing vessel with one of the bulk household items at People & Planet Refill. Available items are things like suntan lotion, shampoo, vinegar, dish soap, floor cleaner, and laundry soap— just to name a few. Everything is priced by the ounce and charged depending on its weight, and customers can fill their containers as much or as little as they like.

“What’s more important to me is the right to reduce, reuse, and repair,” says Wayland. “There are a lot of steps before you recycle. So I encourage people to start a little bit at a time so that you’re not overwhelmed.”

In addition to bulk products, Wayland also stocks items with plastic-free packaging—and she tries to source as locally as possible, especially from smaller companies who champion environmental and social missions.

“There’s a range here because I want this to be as accessible as possible,” says Wayland. “There are certainly things in here that are more expensive than what you’re going to pick up off the shelf at Smith’s. But if you’re comparing apples to apples, in terms of ingredients and company values, it’s pretty comparable.”

More than anything, however, People & Planet Refill is a retail space that provides concerned consumers with a tangible way to get more environmentally involved. “We sell things. That’s what we do. But I’ve always viewed it as more of a way to build community,” explains Wayland.

Admittedly, it might be hard to break certain habits as consumers—and a shift in perspective is perhaps required in order to start reusing and refilling—but a little step goes a long way.

“For people who are thinking about maybe making that step, it’s easier than you think,” says Wayland. “You just have to take that first step. You just have to walk through the threshold of the door—and then it’ll all click.”—AUSTIN SEIDEL

OTHER REFILL PLACES IN THE ABQ METRO AREA:

FUNKY REFILLERY 12501 Candelaria Rd NE Suite E (505) 508-0736 IG: @fillinfunky

FILLIN’

PAWS BUTTON

GROWING THE PACK

IKEEPING TABS ON ABQ’S FURRY FRIENDS

STARTING IN AUGUST, THE ABQ BIOPARK WILL EMBARK ON A NEW CHAPTER IN MEXICAN GRAY WOLF CONSERVATION WITH A STATE-OF-THE-ART, BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACILITY.

n an artificial world full of parking lots, highways, grocery stores, shopping malls, and wireless Internet, there still exists another, wilder world, full of creatures that remain largely free of human influence. This side-by-side world includes a full cast of characters—including the remarkable Mexican gray wolf, native to parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. Without the sustained efforts of conservation programs, this wild world would very likely disappear—and altogether cease to exist.

For decades now, the ABQ BioPark has worked alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in addition to other partners such as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, to restore Mexican gray wolves to their natural habitat. This August, the BioPark’s wolf facilities are set to expand—an exciting addition that allows for a greater reach of these vital conservation efforts.

Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) are a distinct subspecies of gray wolves, generally weighing anywhere from 50 to 80 pounds, making them the

smallest—and rarest—of the gray wolf type. Once existing in the thousands, they have been critically endangered since the 1970s, almost exclusively due to human activity.

“Wolves were hunted to the brink of extinction all throughout the 19th and 20th century, especially in the Southwest,” explains Brandon Gibson, the Director of ABQ BioPark. “And by the late 70s, the wolves were critically endangered and nearly extinct in the wild. The BioPark really started conservation efforts in the early 80s to help protect the species and

help ensure the species survival.”

Since the start of the program, the BioPark has served as a pivotal breeding and veterinary center. Expert teams have successfully cared for injured wild wolves and have bred over 80 wolf pups in captivity—an astonishing amount, especially considering how important Mexican gray wolves are to the environment. These canines are a keystone species and thus help foster biodiversity; in other words, remove the wolf—and all other organisms are adversely affected.

“We also do a lot of genetic testing to make sure that there’s diversity within those wolf populations,” says Gibson. “There are several teams that help provide care directly to the wolves, and that would be our veterinarian team. We have a mammal team that specializes in carnivores. And then there’s a support system that

prepares their diets; maintenance teams that make sure that their habitats are in good condition; a horticulture team that makes sure that it’s properly vegetated. Our construction and design team makes sure that we’re building them the best habitats possible. So it takes a very large support team to care for all of the animals here, and the wolves are no exception.”

Before the wolves that were born in captivity are deemed fit to be released, however, the packs are moved into a second location, separate from their breeding center. This second step serves as a midway point between captivity and the wild, allowing conservationists to limit human interaction and increase the wolves’ chances of survival. Finally, the USFWS reintroduces and then monitors the wolves in a designated ‘Blue Range,’ which encompasses parts of western New Mexico and eastern Arizona. If a wolf becomes injured, it will be transported to a regional hub for care—BioPark included.

This brand-new five-acre facility is designed to serve as this middle point and will not be accessible to the public (although wolves undergoing the first step of the program can still be viewed at the permanent Mexican gray wolf exhibit).

“We can set it up where there’s five separate one-acre pens, or it could be open circular where, if we only have a pack of wolves we’re caring for, they can have access to all five acres,” says Gibson.

Observation towers will be carefully built into the facility’s design, as they will help limit human interaction while still allowing zookeepers and veterinarians to care for and keep an eye on the wolves.

“If there’re several wolves that we’re fostering or that are injured or that are part of a breeding pair, there could be a lot of different programs going on at the same time,” Gibson explains. “I think it’s going to really be based on a combination of factors, like how healthy are the wolves in the wild. Hopefully, they’re safe and doing well, but if there’s any injury, we’re going to probably be one of the big regional hubs that they can come to.”

After 40 years of extraordinary efforts, there are now over 300 Mexican gray wolves in the wild—and that number is only set to grow, expand, and thrive—all thanks to teams like those at the ABQ BioPark. —AUSTIN SEIDEL

ABQ’SAMAZINGPETS

Calcifer the Cat

Affectionately referred to as ‘Calcie’ or ‘Wet Head’ due to his affinity for water faucets, Calcifer is Tyler Schultz’s resident feline and in-house moth hunter. Although shy around new faces, with a little bit of time, Calcifer soon opens up and becomes his playful little self, delighting in rubber bands and paracord toys, made exclusively for him by his owner. Sometimes a troublemaker, this impish feline especially likes to chase unsuspecting humans down the hallway, often hiding in the shadows before he descends upon his prey. One of his favorite activities includes opening the doors of kitchen cabinets and burrowing inside—and he will never turn down the chance to go outside, where he enjoys stalking through the yard and rolling in the dirt (after he receives a thorough brushing).

Although recently diagnosed with feline diabetes, Calcifer still thrives as the house cat king that he was meant to be—all thanks to the selfless, unwavering dedication of his caretaker.

Bentley the Dog

True to his breed, Bentley is an 8-year-old Miniature Schnauzer, extremely loyal and full of life and personality. Even though he barks at most everyone he meets, don’t let his tone fool you: that’s just how he says hello. “He sounds upset, but his body language says otherwise,” explains owner Kristy Johnson. “He’s never met a person he doesn’t like.”

Originally bred as a show dog but deemed ‘unfit’ due to the overly gray coloring of his coat, Bentley lives a life of luxury as a loveable lap dog—and he’s the perfect size according to Kristy.

Largely suspicious of delivery people, this spunky pup spends many hours in the backyard chasing lizards and cats (although he has yet to catch any feline intruders). The local sparrows also like to tease him, although at the end of the day, they remain friends and enjoy chasing each other long after the sun sets.

Mocha the Ball Python

Mocha requires a little bit different care—at least when compared to your typical cats and dogs. Once a week, caretaker Tori feeds her ball python a strict diet of rats, which are kept in the freezer and thawed when it’s mealtime—much to the chagrin of her mother.

Despite Mocha’s slithery appearances, she is actually quite the docile creature; in fact, ball pythons are considered the ‘puppy dogs’ of the snake world. At a year and a half yearsold, Mocha is native to western and central Africa—but owner Tori adopted her from a local Petco—and the two have been inseparable ever since. With aspirations of becoming a zookeeper, Tori sometimes brings Mocha to school for show-and-tells—although the python’s preferred location is indoors, in her state-of-the-art enclosure, complete with two heating lamps and plenty of hiding spaces.

Is your pet ATM’s next Pet of the Month? Send a photo and short story about why you think your pet belongs in these pages to petofthemonth@abqthemag.com.

PASSENGERWINDOW

AT AN AMERICAN CROSSROADS

Decades after its completion, one steel sculpture on Yale and Central still retains the storied history of its controversies.

Cruise down Central, and drivers and passengers alike will notice a myriad of signs, from neon motel logos to billboards, that try to grab attention—a vestige of bygone Route 66 days. Stop near the lawns of UNM, however, right across the street from the McDonald’s, and those on the road will stumble upon something entirely different. ‘Cultural Crossroads of the Americas’ by Bob Haozous might be shaped like a billboard, but do a double take, and viewers will find a lot more to discover and uncover about this public piece—including its controversies.

Born in Los Angeles, Haozous is a Chiricahua Apache sculptor currently based out of Santa Fe. His father, Allan Houser, was a highly celebrated painter and sculptor—and both Housers have helped challenge, define, and reshape Native American art from the 20th into the 21st century.

Contracted in 1994 by three commissioners—UNM, the city of Albuquerque, and the state of New Mexico—Bob

Haozous completed ‘Cultural Crossroads of the Americas’ in 1996. Years after its initial installation, however, it started to generate quite a bit of controversy—causing Haozous to make changes against his original artistic vision.

As such, the piece looks a little different today than it did during the mid-90s. The 1996 version notably included razor wire, or more colloquially referred to as ‘barbed’ wire, which was placed atop its rectangular billboard shape. With the razor wire stemming as the source of the dispute, Haozous’ commissioners compelled him to remove it completely after an individual associated with UNM campus complained and garnered the support of the university and then the state.

“As we see in Albuquerque and throughout New Mexico and the Southwest, razor wire is a part of our contemporary vocabulary,” says Haozous. “And it didn’t go with the idea of creating something beautiful for the public to admire. It was more like something to give the public a stimulus to be thinking and creating

on their own.”

‘Cultural Crossroads of the Americas’ is a diptych of sorts—an artwork composed of two panels—with the panel on the left depicting priests blessing travelers on their way to the United States and then the right depicting today’s reality: commercialization at all costs.

“It seems kind of negative, but it’s really just an observation or an opinion. But, when somebody is invested in the emotional side of America—the prettiness, all the beauty we’re supposed to be—they are offended by anybody pointing towards the shadows of America. And that’s what I’ve done,” says Haozous.

The role of the artist in the 21st century is precarious, to say the least—although the tension between artists and their patrons arguably predates today’s climate. But for Haozous, this is simply part of the calling. “As a storyteller for my people and for all people,” he says, “I’m required to tell the truth.” —AUSTIN

SEIDEL

PHOTO BY DON JAMES/ATM

ADVERTISING REGISTRY

YOURBESTSHOT

MORNING DIP IN THE RIO GRANDE

by Dan Delph

One Saturday morning, Dan Delph just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

“I usually don’t work Saturdays,” he says, “but I was on my way to work, going down Coors, and I noticed that four or five balloons were headed toward the river before I turned the corner onto Montaño. So I drove down— there was very little traffic. I got out and took a bunch of shots. And this was one of the better shots.”

Delph, who is a data analyst at Power

Ford, captured this splash and dash moment on his Google Pixel 9 smartphone. Photography isn’t necessarily his forte, but he is certainly an enthusiast when it comes to Albuquerque.

“I think the thing that stands out the most is that people in Albuquerque are kind,” says Delph. “I just find the people here to be grateful for what they have. And then I’ve never lived in a place with such diversity. I’m still not used to spicy peppers, but I love the interest in all the different cuisines.

Originally from New Orleans, Delph in his wife arrived in ABQ by way of Dallas-Ft. Worth, and they have called the Duke City home now for roughly five years—with the International Balloon Fiesta understandably being one of their favorite features of the city.

“I think Albuquerque is a best kept secret,” he says. “I mean, it’s extraordinary, the diversity of things to do, particularly the outdoors.”

—AUSTIN SEIDEL Enter ATM’s photo contest and see your photo featured in YOUR BEST SHOT!

Submissions should include one high-resolution digital file sent by email. All photos sent to ATM will be property of the magazine and will not be mailed back to sender. All entries should include your name and phone number. Please include a bio and a brief description of how the photo was taken. Email entries to: editor@abqthemag.com

AFew THINGS

YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT /// ALBUQUERQUE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Law enforcement is often atop the list of public heroes that get very few flowers for doing its job properly—but an abundance of criticism when it doesn’t. Albuquerque Police Department is no exception, having its share of public scrutiny over the years, mostly involving officer interactions with citizens that many felt were unjust. One of those encounters, with a homeless man named James Boyd in 2014, resulted in two APD officers being charged with his murder (the case ended in a mistrial), which in part led to a federal oversight mandate from the U.S. Department of Justice. For the past decade, through this consent decree, APD has worked to change its culture through outreach, training, and enhanced accountability. This past May, a federal judge acknowledged APD’s full compliance—and lifted the oversight. With the department back in control and ready to move forward, we worked with APD to outline a few truisms about recent improvements, and the current state of our men and women in blue. —LL

1. APD has committed over $100 million toward state-of-the-art technology to fight crime, including automated license plate readers that quickly identify stolen vehicles or wanted persons.

2. It also includes gunshot detection technology that pinpoints shooting locations in real time, and an extensive rollout of dash and body cameras.

3. Among departments nationwide, APD was an early adopter of sharing body camera footage of officer interactions, offering residents an unfiltered, first-hand view of policing on the streets.

4. The department recently acquired a new helicopter to dramatically improve rapid response and aerial oversight across the city.

5. The addition of the helicopter has been a game-changer for APD’s Air Support Unit, which works closely with field officers to provide critical aerial assistance.

6. The helicopter is instrumental in tracking and apprehending auto theft offenders and pursuing violent individuals, providing real-time intelligence that dramatically enhances officer safety and operational success.

7. APD has also expanded its use of drones, which can be deployed to scenes within seconds to allow for immediate assessment of potentially dangerous situations, and to begin collecting photo evidence helpful to prosecution.

8. Each APD patrol vehicle is equipped as a “Cop’s Mobile Office,” essentially functioning as a mobile Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC), with instant access to data, video feeds, and criminal databases.

9. The officer recruitment model has been strengthened with four cadet classes each year, ensuring a steady influx of new APD officers.

10. The Police Service Aid (PSA) Program is a vital pipeline for future officers, as many PSAs transition directly into the cadet academy, having gained invaluable experience in non-enforcement roles.

11. After a lengthy period of federal oversight under the Department of Justice, APD has achieved a milestone by exiting the DOJ process, reflecting years of dedicated reform efforts focused on improving use-of-force policies, enhancing officer training, and fostering community trust through transparency and accountability.

12. Successfully navigating and concluding this oversight demonstrates APD’s commitment to constitutional policing and signals a new chapter where the department can build stronger partnerships with Albuquerque residents based on mutual respect.

13. APD’s investigative units have shown remarkable effectiveness, particularly in achieving high clearance rates in homicide cases. This success is a testament to the department’s dedication to bringing justice to victims and maintaining public safety.

14. Beyond homicides, APD has recorded significant declines across all major crime categories, including property crimes and violent offenses.

15. APD has significantly ramped up its community policing efforts, including neighborhood meetings, youth outreach programs, and partnerships with local organizations aimed at addressing community concerns collaboratively.