Taos and NM, the rest of the trip

Sunday night, online happy hour is done, dinner is done, Great British Bake Off is done.  So let me FINALLY give an overview of the rest of the Taos trip.  I thank you all (all two of you) for your immense patience....

On the Thursday, we flew from Burbank to Albuquerque

where Courtney and Robert met us.  I should add that we flew Southwest, not a usual experience for us.  Yes, we survived, and the convenience of going direct between Burbank and NM was greatly appreciated.  Still, it felt odd.  Ah well.  We made it there, got picked up, and headed north.  We stopped in Santa Fe to shop for provisions, and made it to Taos late in the afternoon.  A storm was rolling in,

but the eight of us were cozy inside Michael and Amy's home. 

We settled in, then the eight of us enjoyed what turned out to be a very very very boozy night. 

Fun, but yikes.  I haven't been that hungover in, well, ages.

Friday morning I got up and felt somewhat fine, making some decaf

and taking a few photos,

but Conrad and I got a short distance into a walk, and I told him I was not doing well.  We turned around, I went to bed, and it was hours later that I felt human enough.  I missed any activities that day, which - thanks to the night before - were minimal and low key.  I did make it to dinner that night, but all in all, the Friday was a wasted day.  A shame.

On the Saturday, we all went into Taos late in the morning.  Can I be honest?  Taos was not what I thought it would be.  I was expecting an affluent little community tucked into a little river valley, greener than the surroundings, cute and charming and monied.  And certainly there is money in the area.  The art in the art galleries is not going for cheap!  But aside from the little touristy town center with its adobe buildings and shops,

the town is not as pretty and as cared-for as you might expect.  We saw the historic church

and poked in a few shops and galleries, but I wasn't all that impressed.  The surrounding landscape was remarkable, the town was kind of only ok.  Sorry!

When we got back to the house on Saturday afternoon, the others were all engrossed in a football game.  I had no interest, nor did Conrad, so we

took ourselves out on a walk down to the highway and back, getting home just as sunset was coming on. 

Nice walk, some good time for the two of us.

Sunday morning I went out on a walk again, seeing a balloon in the distance,

enjoying getting some steps in.  When everyone got going, we had a nice adventure planned.  I already blogged about the Rio Grande and its gorge, but before we got there, we drove to some private land where we all went searching (successfully!) for shards of Indian pottery. 

The views of the mountain behind Taos and the surrounding were extraordinary.

That kind of wraps up Taos, and that's kind of pathetic.  It was nice to spend time with our friends and meet new people, but it was a long trip for seeing so little.  And yes, I know I am too blame for being so hungover the first full day.  Shame on me.  But Taos didn't quite impress, sorry to say, and I wish we had used our time better.  Ah well, we saw some things, dined fairly well, and did our best to enjoy what we could!    

Dining in New Mexico

When I think of New Mexico, I think of chiles.  Green Hatch chiles, New Mexico reds.  It would have been wild for me, for us, to spend a handful of days in the state and NOT have a taste of chiles.  Ah, readers, have no fear.  Eat them we did, though not in huge quantities.

So let's dive into the food we had whilst dining out during the New Mexico trip...

 

Corner Office.  Taos.  Friday night.  I wish I hadn't been so bloody on that Friday.  I spent most of the day recovering, and it was only by dinner time that I had any appetite.  I didn't drink at all that night, which was a shame given that we were at a place that had an extensive wine list and a nice little selection of cocktails.  We ordered a bunch of things to share, then a bunch more things, and I have to admit, I liked the first round more than the second.  The turnips with turnip greens in a chicken foot broth and with housemade chorizo was a successful dish. 

The grilled mortadella sandwich, however, was a bit too salty/greasy and was a curious thing to split. 

I liked the place, though our end of the table could not hear the other, and so Conrad, Courtney, and I mostly talked amongst ourselves.  Service was good, attentive.

 

Bent Street Grille.  Taos.  Saturday lunchtime.  The lunch special was green chile stew,

apparently the first of their season.  I have never had green chile stew, so I was a little surprised it was so red from tomato.  It was tasty, but it was also a lot of potato when I wished for a little more meat.

 

 

Love Apple.  Taos.  Saturday night.  Cash only, which was interesting.  We had to prepare for that one.  Interesting enough menu on paper, but the food didn't quite live up to it.  Not that the food was bad, but it wasn't as interesting set before us as it was to contemplate.  A nice little wine list, a lovely space in an old church or chapel.  Service was alright - I felt there were gaps of time when someone could have checked in with us.  Worse, the appetizers were coursed out oddly.  Conrad and I had each ordered an appetizer then a salad to share.  He got his appetizer (a cold one) and we got the salad at the same time, then my appetizer came in a second round that was most (but not all) of the hot appetizers.  Michael's quesadilla appetizer (I ordered that as well)

failed to turn up, and the waiter didn't address it beyond saying it would be right out.  Translation:  he probably forgot to submit the order.  Mistakes happen, but own them, people.  I liked the place, but I understand it has a great reputation in Taos, but I thought it was only fine.  The cornbread was nice enough,

the trout grilled on corn husk

was good but cooked a bit too hard.

  

The Stakeout.  Rancho de Taos.  Sunday night.  An event space that does Sunday dinners.  An excellent little bar, nicely stocked and with knowledgeable bartenders and owner.  I would have had everything on that menu, and I enjoyed what we did have.  Conrad wanted the burrata, of course. 

I liked the mezcal negroni! 

Plus, the patio and the views at sunset were fantastic. 

My favourite of the trip.

 

Orlando's New Mexican Cafe.  Taos.  Monday lunchtime.  Should we call this a diner?  A modest place with a menu featuring a lot of familiar Mexican fare.  Practically everything came with the question green, red, or Christmas, and while everyone else having sauce on their food opted for Christmas, I went green.  I love green chiles, so why not?  I had a combo, a chile relleno and a pork-filled tamale. 

I really enjoyed that it came with a side of posole!

 

DWTNR Cocktail Bar & Lounge.  Albuquerque.  Monday afternoon.  The dining space at a hipster hotel in downtown Albuquerque,

we thought it was supposed to have all-day breakfast and some lunch offerings.  Alas, when we got there, it was happy hour menu only.  Still, that meant a pretty good smashburger

(a trend I dislike - I want a thick patty!) and good fries.  Plus cocktails! 

The Big Bad John was a nice choice to finish the trip.

That was dining in New Mexico.  Nothing too fancy, but some good dishes and some perfectly fine ones.