I know this is not typical for this blog, but I wanted to make a quick post about a few of the things I did, other than work, while in Albuquerque.
In This Trip
1: Wife almost didn’t make it to day 1 of new job: GSP-??-ABQ
2: Wife almost didn’t make it to day 1 of new job: ABQ Airport Review
3: Wife almost didn’t make it to day 1 of new job: Marriott Albuquerque Review
4 :Wife almost didn’t make it to day 1 of new job: Albuquerque Activities
4.1: The Sites
4.2: Old Town Albuquerque
4.3: The Food
4.4: Final Thoughts
5: Wife almost didn’t make it to day 1 of new job: ABQ-ATL-GSP Delta Review
The Sites
If you’re a fan of a certain TV show set in Albuquerque then you should recognize the next few pictures!
I drove around with a few of my new coworkers (all vaccinated…) one day at lunchtime and they showed me a few of the Breaking Bad filming locations! Above is Walter White’s carwash.
Here is Walter White’s house! The owners had to put up a fence because apparently people were trespassing, and some were even throwing pizza onto the roof! I know this place is famous but, come on, it’s still someone’s home so be respectful if you drive by, please!
Jesse Pinkman’s (Aunt’s) house. This was in a really nice neighborhood near Old Town where I went to eat dinner one evening.
The garage at the Pinkman house, please disregard the dirty car window that this photo was shot out of.
Old Town Albuquerque
Here is the main square in Old Town Albuquerque. It is a cute little area with a bunch of shops (kinda touristy) and a few restaurants. It was pretty dead on this weekday evening, but I could see that it might be busier on weekends.
Before going to dinner I went into one of these shops and picked up some local art and jewelry to bring home as souvenirs and gifts.
The architecture in Old Town Albuquerque is beautiful and quintessentially New Mexico.
Having spent a lot of time in Santa Fe previously (I lived out there for a summer in college), I would have to say I like Santa Fe better, especially since there are more restaurants but I did think Old Town ABQ was also very nice, and would definitely recommend making a stop down there if you’re in Albuquerque.
I ate dinner at the Church St. Cafe. It had great reviews and served traditional New Mexican cuisine.
Here’s where I was seated! They had a lot of space inside, but with The ‘Rona and my typical preference I asked to be seated outside. No regrets!
The Food
This selection of photos from my various meals out in New Mexico will be chronologically out of order, mainly because of the continuity between the last photo in The Sites and this first photo in The Food.
This was my meal in Old Town ABQ at the Church St. Cafe. I got a combination plate of a house-made tamale, a cheese enchilada, and a cheese chile relleno all covered in red and green chile (typically nicknamed “Christmas chile”) with a side of quelites (spinach) and frijoles (pinto beans). Also some chips and salsa to start, and added on an agave margarita. This was the best meal I had all week and I was totally stuffed!
The meal also included a sopaipilla, which is a sweet fried dough/pastry. It is typically served with honey and is a light and fluffy treat! I also ate a savory meal on a sopaipilla for one of my lunches but unfortunately did not take a picture.
One of the first nights on my trip, I decided to drive one exit down from the hotel to the Green Jeans Farmery which is a group of restaurants in shipping containers. I got a hazy IPA called “Santa Fhazy” from Santa Fe Brewing, and then from the S-A BBQ restaurant I got a BBQ chicken taco (should have gotten 2) with salsa and chipotle sauce, and a side (large!) of green chile mac & cheese. I pretty much ate green chile (and some red chile) for every single meal I had in New Mexico. Because you have to.
After dinner I was still hungry (because I should have gotten more than 1 taco, such a mistake), so I decided to try the ice cream at the Nitro Fog Creamery. I saw some people walking around with ice cream and I knew I needed to have some. I decided to get the Spiced Dark Chocolate on a waffle cone. The ice cream is made via liquid nitrogen, and made with cinnamon and red chile powder, which is so New Mexico. It was incredible, it tasted similar to a Mexican mocha if you’ve ever had one.
This sushi was what I had after my very first day at work. “Sushi in New Mexico?!” you ask. Yes, I was skeptical too. But one of my new coworkers told me about this place, Japanese Kitchen & Steakhouse, saying it was the best sushi in town, and it was walking distance from the hotel which was convenient, so I couldn’t say no. I got a tuna roll and a roll (can’t remember the name) with some kind of white fish and green chile on top. It sounded weird but it was actually really good! Again, can’t go wrong ordering things with green chile or red chile while you’re out in New Mexico!
Final Thoughts
Missing from this collection is the several breakfast burritos I jammed into my face before heading to work each morning. It’s really unlike me to not take pictures of the food I eat, especially if it’s a specialty item!
I ate these at a few fast food places: the first one was at a Twisters, which if you’re a Breaking Bad fan is a fast food restaurant chain that was featured in the show (not the location I went to unfortunately) as Los Pollos Hermanos. I was not a fan of the Twisters breakfast burrito, which had egg, cheese, potato, and beans with Christmas chile (both red and green). I was slightly afraid I had gotten COVID because I felt like there was really no flavor to it and barely any heat!
The next day, I went to a Stripes Burrito Co which was right next to the Twisters, and this breakfast burrito, which had essentially the same ingredients, was much better! I even stopped there another time on my way back to the airport to get a chipotle chicken burrito for lunch, which was also delicious.
Overall, the food and sites in New Mexico are unique and amazing, and if you’re ever hesitant about going to visit I would say to make the trip! This was my first trip to Albuquerque, but I’ve also spent time in Santa Fe and Los Alamos and would highly recommend all three locations for a visit!