Eats

PHOTOS BY DON JAMES/ATM

EMBERS STEAK & SEAFOOD

Fine dining is alive and well at Isleta Resort & Casino

While the location within Isleta Resort & Casino has changed, the fine dining experience offered at Embers Steak & Seafood remains largely the same as it has since its inception in 2012.

There’s a reason the quality has been maintained for the better part of a decade — even if some of the faces are different.

“I chalk it up to the chef and the front of the house staff. It starts from the top and rolls down,” says manager Elaine Blanco, who is a veteran of the Duke City restaurant scene from previous tenures at Scalo and Elaine’s. “We’re a very, very close-knit group. (Chef Richard Gomez) has been here almost a year now, and he has taken it to the next level. And we’re still moving it to the next level. It’s definitely the staff and the family that we have here.”

The restaurant was originally on the casino’s third floor and became renowned for its breathtaking rooftop views. For the past two years, however, the establishment has relocated downstairs to a space adjacent to the hotel lobby that was previously occupied by a cafe. According to Blanco, the move is only temporary — but it does have its advantages.

“Down here I think has been pretty good for us because the traffic is different,” she says. “We see everybody that walks back and forth from the casino to the hotel. We are busy. We have definite- ly brought a lot of new customers to our restaurant. It’s really been good being down here for that reason.”

That level of intrigue wouldn’t be possible without having something tantalizing to lure people inside the restaurant.

“I’ll just say one thing: We buy the best product that we can buy, and that’s where it starts,” Blanco says.

The main attraction, of course, is the steak. Embers offers several different cuts of meat, including filet mignon, boneless ribeye, marinated skirt steak and New York strip — each served with a chef’s selection vegetable and choice of baked potato, chophouse mashed potato or wild rice pilaf. Additionally, each steak is ac-

Familiar Face

While Chef Richard Gomez is relatively new to Embers, his culinary feats are well known at Isleta since he helped open Tiwa Restaurant and Lounge in 2001, where he worked for seven years.

Critical Acclaim

Not only does bartender Victor Acoya keep the drink menu fresh with a rotating list of seasonal cocktails, but he was recognized as “Bartender of the Year” in 2021 by hospitality management company Follow The Rabbit.

Specially Curated

Music is part of what makes the atmosphere at Embers special, and that’s due in part to a playlist selected by Blanco herself, filled with contemporary artists to set the mood for an ideal fine dining experience.

A Menu For Every Occasion

Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter or Christmas, Embers typically offers a special menu for all holidays in addition to its regular fare.

Gathering Space

The downstairs location doesn’t provide quite the hosting space as the upstairs, but Blanco does have one semi-private room for special parties complete with Venetian plaster and black granite walls.

Embers Steak & Seafood

11000 Broadway Blvd SE

(505) 244-8288 isleta.com/dining/fine-dining companied by either a Béarnaise sauce, red wine sauce or Maître’d butter to help complement the flavor (Every sauce at Embers is made from scratch).

“It’s all farm-fed, quality beef,” Gomez says. “When we hand cut it, we don’t freeze the steaks, we cut it daily fresh.”

While the boneless ribeye is probably the restaurant’s most popular cut, the grilled 22-ounce Cowboy Steak is a literal and visual feast.

“It’s a more expensive cut,” says Gomez of the $65 steak. “People that are looking for that really, really nice plate, they usually go for our Cowboy. It’s bone-in, it’s beautiful. When it comes out, (it has) beautiful grill marks on it. It’s cooked evenly on both sides, seasoned nicely on both sides.”

Those seeking smaller portions won’t feel left out, though, as the petite filet is a six-ounce cut of meat that has become quite popular with guests.

“What’s nice about it is the petite filet comes with three jumbo shrimp that are hand-breaded to order. It’s a southern style breading,” Gomez says. “It’s something that has a lot of flavor, something that’s not typical of your basic fried shrimp.”

Seafood is another specialty at Embers. The Chilean sea bass, served with parmesan risotto and lemon butter sauce, is a consistent crowd favorite, while the grilled Scottish salmon is praised for its tenderness. The establishment orders all its seafood from Santa Fe-based company Above Sea Level.

Diners who want a burger and fries won’t be disappointed, either. Blanco says the Steakhouse Burger — a half-pound patty complete with applewood smoked bacon, choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions and pickle — is “to die for,” and Gomez adds that the fries stand tall above the competition.

“We do homemade steak fries, and I think you could go to 90 percent of restaurants and you still have people using frozen fries,” he says. “Even if they are steak-fry cut, they are still frozen. That’s becoming a real staple of the restaurant. I haven’t seen them anywhere else in Albuquerque.”

To top off the experience, Embers offers a full drink menu and wine list complete with seasonal cocktail offerings.

“We have a fabulous bar,” Blanco says. TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD