It all started with an Easy Bake Oven

For a while now, we had spotted some action at what was to become Good Coffee Mexican Restaurant, on North Mesa. We drive by the location every day, and we watched as signs went up and potted plants went out on at this restaurant. Just in the time we’ve been in El Paso, this site has been home to several different restaurants so we were curious to see what would happen this time around. After an El Pasto Times article came out recently describing the history of the family-owned restaurant here in El Paso (with several other locations), we knew we had to check it out.

Today’s Saturday lunch proved to be the perfect time to see what it was all about. We arrived around 11:30am, to a parking lot and restaurant that was quite full with both a breakfast and lunch crowd. The restaurant is quite roomy and simply but attractively decorated inside. We were immediately shown to a nice table in one of the several rooms in the dining area, and there is a bar area as well.

Our server, Ana, arrived right away to take our drink order. We inquired about wine and were told that they just recently acquired their alcohol license and yes, indeed, we were able to order a glass of cabernet to enjoy with our lunch (and at a quite reasonable price, we might add). As we enjoyed our wine and the excellent salsa and chips, we perused the menu and saw breakfast offerings as well as lunch options including a variety of Mexican dishes and burgers as well as menduo weekends.

Richard went with the Steak Ranchero, which came with guacamole, refried beans, and rice as well as excellent tortillas. He said that it was really good, and a wonderful flavor combo. I had the enchiladas enmoladas, which consisted of three cheese enchiladas with a mole sauce, refried beans, and rice. The enchiladas were great, and I loved the slightly sweet and complex flavor of the mole sauce. The beans and rice were really good, as well. We both really enjoyed our meals and I will admit that I ate every last bite of mine.

Dessert time came around, and Richard was too full but (with Ana’s recommendation) I went with the tres leches cake. Oh my, it was good! This was a wonderfully most and delicious chocolate version of tres leches cake, and it was good to the last bite.

It was great to see so many people enjoying this restaurant on a Saturday morning and afternoon. There were plenty of families and couples and also some people eating both breakfast and lunch, and there also were some people in the bar area. It was a hopping place! We were very pleased by the service, the atmosphere, and the menu offerings and the price was certainly right. We were so pleased to find a casual place where we could get an excellent meal at such great value. And it’s right down the road from where we live. You can’t beat that. We will definitely be back!

Good Coffee is located on the westside at 4799 N. Mesa

We took a Memorial Day weekend trip to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, and while there we had the pleasure of dining for two nights in the Metate Room at the Far View Lodge. The Far View Lodge is the only non-camping lodging within the park, and the Metate Room is the only fine dining available as well. And fine dining it is! The dining areas are gorgeous, with views of the park. The menu includes lots of regional influences, both with the cuisine and the wine selections. We loved the local and regional emphasis!

On our first night, we really went all out. We enjoyed a bottle of red wine from a local vineyard, and Richard got the special appetizer of the evening: Wild Boar Quesadillas. He absolutely loved these! They were beautifully presented, and he said that it was a complex dish with many tastes, temperatures, and textures going on at once. For his entree, he had the evening’s Mixed Grill of wild boar sausage, elk tenderloin, and quail with green chili mashed potatoes. He said that this was a fantastic wild game combo, with the texture of the elk being perfect, the sausage was better than anything off Richard’s own grill (his own words!), and the quail was exquisite. He didn’t have much room for the taters, but I sure did with my meal. I chose the Masa Chicken Asadero (Hatch green childe and asadero cheese stuffed chicken breast crusted in tri-colored corn tortillas) with green chili mashed potatoes and smoked jalapeno cream sauce. Oh, it was good! The chicken had a nice, crunchy exterior, that smoked jalapeno cream sauce was oh-so-good, and the taters were yummy! All of this was served with some nice breads including a delicious flatbread. When dessert time rolled around, Richard was too stuffed but I, of course, was not. The dessert tray had a number of tempting options, but the lovely carrot cake was calling my name. And I was not disappointed. It was probably one of the best carrot cakes I’ve ever had (and believe you me, I’ve had a slew of ‘em). It was moist, had plenty of both cake and frosting, and was rich with pecans. And…..it was a good, hefty piece (gotta love that!).

We loved our first night’s dinner so much that we returned for a second dinner on our final night at the Lodge. And it was just as good as we remembered. Richard skipped appetizers, because he had eyed a good-looking chocolate cake on the dessert tray on our previous visit and was saving room for that. For his entree, he had the Duck with a Red Chili Sauce, which came with red chili polenta. He said that the duck was “exquisite” and some of the best duck that he has ever had. He really enjoys duck but is quite picky about it, and this obviously met his standards. Not a crumb was left of that duck! Richard also often just takes a taste of side dishes (he goes instead for the “main event” of meat), but he really enjoyed the polenta (which had a nice kick to it). I opted for a vegetarian entree, the Poblano Relleno (fresh roasted poblano pepper, Mexican cheeses, roasted corn, Dove Creek black beans, and cilantro lime cream) served with red chili polenta and carmelized onion tomato ragout. This was a very attractive meal, and it tasted as good as it looked down to the polenta. I think I left the poblano pepper stem on my plate, and that was about it! When dessert time rolled around, I just could not resist ordering that carrot cake again and it was just as delish the second time around. Oh yes! Richard had a chocolate cake. He said that this dessert tasted like a wonderful combo of chocolate cake layers and high-quality candy bars, all rolled into one. It certainly looked tasty!

We must say that service was excellent both nights. Our first night, we were served by Robby and possibly Charles (unfortunately, that bottle of wine we shared that night made us a bit inattentive!). On our second night, Robby again served us along with Josh. Everything from start to finish was great with the service, and that’s an all-too-rare thing.

We were so happy with our meals at the Metate Room. Everything about our dining experience was just great, from the atmosphere to the service to the wonderful food. We have eaten at a lot of National Park restaurants (including some other National Park fine dining establishments), and the meals we had at the Metate Room were the best National Park meals we have ever had.

The Metate Room is located inside Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez, CO

As many of you know, I grew up in NYC so street food has always been a part of my life. I feel that street food is one of the most honest expressions of a city’s culture.

It may have taken us over a year to start exploring downtown El Paso, but we were just in time to experience the beginnings of the Little Luna pizza truck downtown in Foodville.

Chef Hector and his extended family have a long history in the food and bev business. His family incorporates many different cultures which he brings to his interpretation of pizza.

The pizza you will find at Little Luna has a very thin and crispy crust that is typical of this area. Chef advertises 3 different pizzas – pepperoni, alfredo and ham, and Little Luna spicy. Being a bit of a purist, I opted for the pepperoni. I felt guilty after Chef Hector told me that initially he was a bit disappointed in that most people order the pepperoni rather than his other choices. But, my spirits were lifted after he further revealed that he feels he makes an excellent pepperoni pizza and that he now feels proud and happy that so many people like it. I, for one, was certainly more than pleased.

Chef’s pizzas are all made from scratch at the time you place your order, so be prepared to wait about 15 minutes or so. There are no heat lamps in his kitchen! Trust me, it is well worth the wait.

The crust was just perfect, with a nice lip around the circumference. The bottom was baked to perfection with a few very nice extra-well-done spots. The pepperonis were cooked to perfection and provided that wonderful taste and texture combination that pepperoni lovers demand. Don’t even get me started on the cheese – you have to have it to appreciate it.

I could ramble on and on about how much I love this pizza, but words don’t do the experience justice. Have a look at the video I shot for more of a feel of Little Luna.

So, El Paso – go downtown to Foodville and get some Little Luna pizza. You know you want to. You won’t be satisifed until you do. Just be careful, there is a high probability that you will become addicted!

Thin crust and fresh ingredients – you can’t beat it!

Little Luna can be found in Foodville, downtown at 218 Mills Ave El Paso, TX 79901

We’d been wanting to try out Pot Au Feu for quite a while. It had been recommended to me when we first moved to El Paso, and the menu certainly sounded interesting and intriguing. Now that we’re venturing more into El Paso’s downtown scene, we figured it was high time we checked it out for ourselves.

We headed downtown on a Saturday night and were happy to find a parking spot available close by. We walked in and found Pot Au Feu to be a small, inviting space with both a bar and dining area. There were several people at the bar who appeared to be “regulars”, and the bar grew more popular as the evening went on.

We were shown to a nice table by a window, and our server immediately provided menus and took our drink order. After getting our wine and debating over several great-sounding entrees, we were ready to order. Richard loves duck, so the Tea Smoked Duck (with duck breast, green tea soba noodles, rice wine vinaigrette, carrots, green onions, and radish) got his interest (though the Chimichurri Ribeye and the Steak and Frites may have to be checked out on future visits). The Yellow Coconut Curry (with fingerling potatoes, onion, haricots verts, coconut, curry, and basmati rice) caught my eye, and I opted to add chicken for an additional $4.00.

Since it was happy hour (with deals on alcohol as well as appetizers), Richard couldn’t turn down the Ginger and Sesame Wings appetizer. I didn’t try them, but they looked fantastic. Richard said they were “great”, and he scarfed those down. Our entrees arrived, and wow did they look (and taste) good! My curry was very nicely seasoned, and Richard said that his duck and noodles were both excellent. I tell you, those noodles looked so yummy that I may have to check out that entree on our next visit.

Dessert time! There were several tempting choices. Richard went with a trio of ice creams/sorbets that included mango, macadamia nut, and chocolate-peanut butter cup (oooh! Those last two really call out to me!). They looked delicious, and Richard said that they were. I had the cheesecake with root beer reduction, and it was delicious as well.

We thought the food, service, and atmosphere at Pot Au Feu were very nice. We loved the attention to detail, and we look forward to going back to try more yummy things on the eclectic menu!

Pot Au Feu is located downtown at 307 E Franklin Ave El Paso, TX 79901

Richard and I had been wanting to try out Basico Bistro+Cafe for quite a while, and we finally got the chance. We had an early Saturday night dinner there, and we had a very nice experience. We had made a reservation, and a nice table sat waiting for us, indicating it was reserved just for us.

We really liked the atmosphere. It’s a fairly small restaurant with an airy, open feel. There is a small dining area inside (with an open kitchen in the back), as well as a patio out front. We sat inside, but the doors to the outside were open and a nice breeze came in throughout our meal.

Immediately after being seated, we were greeted by our server Eunice. She was very attentive throughout our meal, and she did an excellent job. We ordered glasses of the house red wine and then checked out the menu.

The menu is not huge, but it had plenty of things that sounded good (and judging from the looks and smells of meals being served to others, we knew good things were in store). Richard can never resist a good steak frites, so he had to get that. I debated among a couple different things, but in the end I ordered the fettucini with sun dried tomato pesto, topped with grilled chicken.

As we waited for our entrees, we enjoyed our wine and some rolls. The rolls were good and tasted freshly made. I loved that they served the rolls with what appeared to be real butter.

Soon enough, out entrees arrived. Richard’s steak and fries were certainly a generous portion, and he said that the fries were excellent and the steak was perfectly cooked and seasoned. He even said that the mushroom accompaniment was good (quite a positive comment from him, as he usually leaves fungus untouched!). One difficulty was that he wasn’t provided a steak knife, but amazingly soon after he made a comment to me about this a steak knife suddenly appeared (along with some yummy aioli sauce for his fries)!

My pasta and chicken were quite good. My only complaint was that it was served lukewarm – had it been served hot, it would have been fantastic. Like the steak, it was perfectly seasoned and was quite a tasty dish.

None of the desserts really tempted Richard, but you know me….I am always tempted. I went with the tres leches cake, and I was not disappointed. This tres leches cake was truly delicious, from start to finish. I was sad when it ran out!

We were glad to finally make it to Basico Bisto+Cafe. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the service and certainly the food.

Basico is on the west side in the Coronado Tower at 6006 North Mesa St

Richard and I really like to head up to Cloudcroft, New Mexico for a weekend get-a-way. It’s not all that far from El Paso, yet it seems a world away with all the differences in altitude, terrain, and scenery. We try to get up there a couple times a year, and this past weekend we had yet another nice weekend there. We always stay at the Lodge Resort and Spa, not far from the “main drag” in Cloudcroft. It’s a lovely, historic lodge with some nice modern-day amenities that I certainly enjoy (like the spa and jacuzzi!).

When we stay at the Lodge, we have our dinners at Rebecca’s (the lodge restaurant). It’s so convenient, yet it’s also good fine, nicely presented, in a lovely atmosphere complete with a pianist playing in the background while you dine. We’ve eaten there now on several different trips, and it’s been good each time but this most recent dinner was the best yet. Oh my…..so delicious!

We dined relatively early, but the dining room was already quite full with couples of all ages as well as some families. It’s an attractive dining room, with lots of windows of the pretty mountain views outside. We had a pretty, comfortable table by the window. Right after we sat down, we were presented menus and asked about our beverage order. After requesting a glass of cabernet sauvignon for each of us, we perused the menu. There were plenty of tasty-sounding offerings, with a nice variety of steaks, chicken, fish and seafood, and vegetarian options. I love how they include a Southwestern influence in many of their sauces and seasonings.

Our server was on top of things for our entire meal. We can’t recall her name, but she was excellent as was her assistant. We never wanted for anything throughout our dinner, and everything progressed at a perfect pace. When it was time to order, our server told us about the night’s special and that was all that Richard needed to hear. And what was that special? Chicken and shrimp in a red chile sauce, with mashed potatoes and asparagus. With some input from our server, I went with the green chile papardelle pasta.

Our meals came with soup or salad. Richard opted for the soup o’ the night: chicken and rice. He obviously was in a chicken-lovin’ mood! And he did love this soup. He said that it was wonderfully seasoned. I had the salad with the house dressing (pecan basil)……very tasty! I loved the croutons on the salad, which tasted homemade. We also were served what appeared to be some French bread, which Richard said was okay.

Entree time! I was shocked that Richard didn’t order his usual steak but instead went with the chicken and shrimp special. But it ended up being a great selection for him. This dish looked fantastic, and he said that it tasted as fantastic as it looked. He said that the red chile sauce really made the dish, and the chicken and shrimp were both cooked perfectly. He ain’t much of a side dish guy so didn’t have much to say about those, but I can say that both the taters and the asparagus looked quite delish.

My pasta was divine! The green chile sauce made it a bit spicy (as in spicy hot), and the creamy sauce was seasoned just right. I would have liked it to have been served a bit more hot (as in temperature hot), but that was my only quibble with this entree and I can definitely see myself ordering it again (and again and again. I do love a good pasta dish). The pasts came with some grilled garlic bread and it was just wonderful (I think Richard was wishing he’d had some of that tasty bread, too!).

The dessert tray had some very enticing selections, though my past fave of turtle cheesecake was missing and would love to see that on that tray again (hint hint)!. So I went with another old favorite of mine….carrot cake. I was not disappointed. This was a really nice carrot cake, with the cake obviously fresh and moist and served with a rich and good cream cheese icing. To add even more fat grams (and deliciousness), the cake was served with whipped cream. Oh yum! I did enjoy that carrot cake!

We had a wonderful and very enjoyable dinner at Rebecca’s. It really was our best meal there yet, and I have no doubt we’ll be back for future meals!

Rebecca’s is located in The Lodge Resort in Cloudcroft, NM

We are always looking for new places to try out. Some recent positive reviews for Sunset Grill in Las Cruces had caught my eye, so we headed in that direction on a Saturday night to check it out.

The Sunset Grill is located at Sonoma Ranch, a very nice golfing community in Las Cruces. The restaurant itself is located right on the golf course, and there were plenty of golfers in the bar as well as still on the golf course when we arrived. We were given a choice of seating near the bar or in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the golf course. This was a no-brainer for us, and we opted for the golf course view. It was quite lovely! There were just a few other diners when we initially arrived (though the bar was very busy and lively), but as time went on more and more diners arrived in the restaurant.

Richard had a really hard time deciding what to choose for his entree. As he said, this was a menu that would appeal to golfers. While Richard is not a golfer (with the exception of occasional mini-golf), his dining preferences fit in quite well with the golf course crowd. We learned that from our many trips over the years to golf-centric Myrtle Beach! In the end, he was swayed by an evening special of prime rib and shrimp scampi. There were several things on the menu that appealed to me as well, and I went with the crispy pork loin medallions with sage roasted tomatoes and house green chile mustard. Our entrees came with a house salad as well as two side dishes (with plenty of side dish options including roasted garlic mashed potates, four cheese risotto, basmati rice, and several vegetables including asaparagus, spinach with garlic, and a vegetable mix).

After relaxing for a bit with a pinot noir from the seasonal wine list, our salads arrived. The greens and other vegetables on the plate were quite fresh and attractively presented, and the salad dressings (served on the side) were quite good as well. I had the basalmic vinaigrette and Richard had the honey mustard. Some nice French or Italian bread also accompanied our salads.

Our entrees arrived in a timely manner and were very nicely presented. My pork medallions were beautifully arranged on the plate, along with my chosen sides of four cheese risotto and spinach with garlic. It was almost too pretty to eat (almost!). The pork had a nice, crispy breading and the green chile mustard sauce was quite delicious…..with the hearty coarse mustard, this is definitely a dish that mustard lovers would enjoy. The spinach was a very nice accompaniment. The risotto was a bit salty (perhaps because of all those cheeses), but that did not stop me from eating every bite.

Richard loved his surf and turf meal. He said that the prime rib was excellent, and the shrimp scampi were excellent as well. The roasted garlic mashed potatoes looked fantastic and he said they were the perfect go-along to his meal. Like me, he also had the spinach and enjoyed that as his second side dish.

Dessert time! There were some tasty-sounding options but in the end we both went with the chocolate cake. This was a big, super-chocolatey cake that will appeal to the chocolate lovers out there. It was moist and delicious. I personally thought that some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream would have been the perfect accompaniment to it, and would have nicely balanced out the oh-so-chocolatiness (is that a word???) of this cake. But Richard thought it was just right as it was.

The prices were quite reasonable. We did not order appetizers, but our wine, entrees, and desserts came to a very reasonable total bill particularly for the quality of the foo and the attractive setting. We also had received (as part of the restaurant’s email club) a 20% off total food bill offer, which made our dinner out even more reasonable (and we noticed that a nearby table was also taking advantage of this same email offer).

Our server, Anthony, was outstanding. He was personable, knowledgable about the food and wine, and spot on throughout the meal. We hope to have him again on our next trip to the Sunset Grill.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable night out at the Sunset Grill. We loved the views, the service, and the food.

The Sunset Grill is located in Las Cruces at 1274 Golf Club Rd.

We headed out to Socorro, Texas on a Saturday night to have a meal at El Rincon de Gypsy. One of Richard’s Facebook friends, Hector Rangel, told him about this place, describing it as a great combination of “Southwestern flair mixed witha Bohemian vibe”. He was spot on with that description. When we arrived, we were offered our choice of seating by Roger (our wonderful server). We couldn’t resist the patio. The patio itself is a wonderful setting, expansive and relaxing. Roger also gave us a tour of the rest of the building and also gave us lots of information throughout the evening about the history of the place as well as the music playing in the background. It’s a great space, with lots of history and interesting decor all in the manner of “funky and Bohemian”. There is an incredible room that can be reserved for small private parties and dinners. We loved the feel of the place.

Roger informed us that they had a full bar, including several wines. We went with a Chilean pinot noir and were not disappointed. Sitting out there on that relaxing patio, drinking wine and surrounded by interesting decor and great music…..what a fantastic way to spend a Saturday night! But the menu called out our name. The menu is shrimp- and fish-heavy, and particularly those who like shrimp will be impressed with all the choices here. Richard went with the shrimp ceviche for an appetizer, and the coconut shrimp for his entree. I ordered a pasta dish that included shrimp, chicken, and bacon in a spicy, creamy sauce.

Roger brought out some good bread with herb butter, as well as a tasty amuse bouche (shrimp with a sweet sauce, possibly a strawberry sauce). He then brought our salads. The salad greens were very fresh and served with a nice, light vinaigrette. As we were eating, the owner (Gypsy herself!) came by to talk with us and tell us about the place. We saw her throughout the night around the dining room and patio. Richard’s shrimp ceviche came, and it was “incredible……it had a really big taste…..intense”. It looked delish, and it disappeared quickly!

Entree time! And we were not disappointed. Richard’s coconut shrimp was served with rice and some sauteed vegetables. He said that it tasted great and cooked perfectly. He said that the coconut flavor really came through and was served with a tasty sauce. In his opinion, it is the best coconut shrimp in the El Paso area. My pasta was excellent. Roger had told me that this is one of his favorite dishes at El Rincon de Gypsy, and I can understand why. The spicy sauce definitely gave it a kick, and it was a perfect combination of flavors. I ate up every bite!

We were really feeling relaxed and well fed at this point, but we could not resist dessert. Roger recommended the crepe, so we both ordered up one. When they arrived, we were pleased to find a crepe filled with cream and berries, topped with additional cream and berries. This is not usually my type of dessert (I’m more of the chocolate and caramel type), but oh this was so good. Richard was too full to eat all of his and I gladly finished it up.

We had such a nice time at El Rincon de Gypsy. We cannot say enough about the atmosphere…..what a neat place, unlike any other we’ve been to in the area. It was so relaxing and such an interesting use of space and decor. Our server Roger was wonderful in every way, our food was excellent, and Gypsy obviously cares about her space and her food. Roger told us that they had a sold-out special Valentine’s Day dinner, they have live entertainment on Thursday nights, and they’re planning a special Mother’s Day celebration. This is definitely a unique space and a unique place, and we look forward to many more meals there.

El Rincon de Gypsy is located at 10300 Socorro Road.

Richard and I were in the mood for some Italian food. I’d read about a place in Las Cruces that sounded good (with supposedly great desserts too….gotta love that!). So we headed up the highway for a hearty Saturday lunch at Si Italian Bistro & Bakery.

Upon arrival, we were immediately seated. A steady flow of customers arrived during the time we were there, ranging from families and couples to people appeaing to be conducting business. Our server, Dustin, took care of every need throughout the meal and was really on top of things. His recommendations were spot-on, from wine through dessert. Given that he had quite a few tables to take care of, his level of service was quite impressive.

We started with a glass of cabernet sauvignon (cheers!), and perused the lunch menu. The wine (recommended by Dustin) was delicious.

Richard had been craving pizza, and he went with the wood-fired Italian Sausage Pizza. When it arrived, it looked fantastic. The sausage was homemade, and the pizza also included red and green bell peppers as well as red onion. The crust was thin and crispy, and Richard loved it. Unlike me, he rarely finishes every last crumb on his plate but today…..not a morsel left. He said that the pizza was “crazy good! and very different from what he is used to in terms of New York-style pizza.

I’m a lasagna fiend, and at Dustin’s suggestion I went with the Lasagna Napolentana (though I’m sure the Vegetable Lasagna is great, too). My meal came with bread (just so-so, according to Richard) and a salad. Saving room for dessert (of course), I let Richard have my salad. I must say that the salad looked good and fresh, and the Italian dressing smelled wonderful. Richard said that it was an excellent salad. The lasagna was excellent as well. It was just the right portion size (for lunch, especially), and it was wonderfully seasoned with a delicious sauce. It arrived super-hot, and I enjoyed each and every bite.

Dessert time! And oh, what a great dessert time we had at Si Italian Bistro & Bakery. There is a dessert display case that I eyed on our way in, and I relied on Dustin to steer us in the right direction. There were a variety of cakes, cheesecakes, and several other desserts and in the end we both got cake. Richard had a Mandarin Orange Cake which was light and delicious. I had the Death By Chocolate (yeah!) Cake, which I topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I must say…..that Death By Chocolate Cake would have been the death of me without that ice cream, it was so rich ‘n chocolatey! It was definitely my kind of dessert, and in the end I ate it all up.

We were really impressed by Si Italian Bistro & Bakery. We enjoyed the atmosphere, the delicious food, and the great service. Dustin was very professional but also quite personable and really knew the menu inside and out. We definitely look forward to a return visit to try some other items from the menu (and the dessert case!).

Si Italian Bistro & Bakery is located in Las Cruces at 523 E. Idaho