Albuquerque - NEW MEXICO portrait

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albuquerque

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Albuquerque

destinationpubs@paceco.com Vice president, destination publishing group

Stephen Mitchem

sales/business development

Kelley Bradley Bynum Hunter Jr. Layne Straka

Advertising Services Manager

Crystal Edwards Web Coordinator

Dena Scott-Caulder PROJECT editor

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Claudia Bottoms EDITORIAL INTERN

Brianna Pellicane Photographer

J. Sinclair

Clockwise from center: Hacienda and drying chiles in Old Town, “La Jornada” sculpture outside Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, city skyline at sunset and the foothills at sunset.

74 Bright Promise You couldn’t have Lexington without horses, but could you have horses without Lexington?

by Jeannie Blancq Putney

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Early settlers and recent transplants have fallen for the region’s charms

83 Pick Your Play

Choose from active pursuits, cultural enrichment and family fun

92 New Economy Takes Off

Success stories big and small keep reshaping the Duke City

109 M uy Bueno

Finding the best New Mexican cuisine means going local

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Bright Promise Dazzled by the sunlight, stunned by the geography

and welcomed by the locals, early settlers and recent transplants alike have fallen for Albuquerque’s charms.

By Paula M. Bodah

The first thing you notice is the light. Sunsets that spill reds, pinks and oranges across the rugged Sandia Mountains.

The sparkle on wet surfaces, brilliant as diamonds, as the sun breaks through after one of the infrequent rains. Even on the most ordinary days—that is to say, the spectacularly sunny days that make SCENIC ROUTE Hiker surveys Albuquerque’s Rio Grande valley from the Sandia Mountain foothills

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up the vast majority of the year in Albuquerque—the sun bathes the city in a light that seems somehow brighter, richer than almost anywhere else in the country.

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over the plaza at the heart of Old Town. In the 10 surrounding blocks, a host of historic buildings—from early adobe houses to the Victorian buildings that came later—hold shops, restaurants and museums.

Exhibitions at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History just east of the central plaza cover four centuries of history in the Rio Grande Valley. The museum also offers guided walking tours. Or go it alone, wandering the narrow streets, creating a little history of your own.

True Turquoise Red, Green and Eaten All Over Red or green? That’s no idle question to Albuquerqueans considering which chile pepper should spice up their next meal. In 1999, the state legislature voted to make it the state’s “Official Question.” No ordinary staple, chiles are as much cultural icon as food, representing the blend of Native American and Spanish histories in these parts. From breakfast to dinner, no dish is quite complete without the smoky heat of red chile or the fresh tang of its green brother. The two are equally hot, so with no right or wrong answer to the question, those in the know say “Christmas,” and get both.

Where Town Started In 1706, Spanish explorers came across this beautiful part of the Rio Grande Valley and decided to make it their home. In the classic Old European fashion, they started with a town square watched over by a church, and then built government buildings, shops and homes around the square. Today, the 1793 San Felipe de Neri Church, Albuquerque’s oldest existing building, stands guard

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HISTORIC HEART San Felipe de Neri Church presides over Old Town.

It’s not hard to imagine that the Pueblo Indians who came to this area nearly a thousand years ago chose to settle here because the light seemed to hold the promise of a better life. The Rio Grande river coursing through the area was the more practical reason, given that the Pueblo had migrated from drought-stricken areas to the northwest. But between the plentiful water and the otherworldly light, the place must have seemed like paradise to those ancient people.

The Albuquerque area has long attracted people searching for paradise on earth. Those early natives had the territory to themselves for several hundred years until a series of Spanish explorers began arriving in the 1500s. By the early 1600s, they’d established Spanish missions, farms and ranches. A difficult period followed, during which the Spanish settlers infringed on the Indians’ land, converted them to Catholicism

and forced them into labor. A revolt in 1680 by the normally peaceful, agrarian Pueblos, united for the first time, killed many Spaniards. In 1692, Diego de Vargas led a relatively bloodless reconquer.

Leaders established the city officially in 1706 and named it for Spain’s Duke of Alburquerque (hence its nickname The Duke City; the first R was eventually dropped from the spelling). Building their city in the classic European fashion, the settlers started with a central plaza—still found in Old Town—dominated

by San Felipe de Neri Church and surrounded by houses, shops and government buildings. (The original church sat on the west side of the plaza but fell down, as adobe buildings do over the years. The church was rebuilt in 1792 on the north side, where it stands today.) Away from the plaza, farms and ranches spread along the Rio Grande. The nearby mountains

became mining sites where people dug for copper, silver, turquoise and lead.

The 1800s brought Albuquerque’s next series of booms. The first influx of Anglo settlers came in the middle of the century when New Mexico became a territory of the United States and the American army established a presence here. The arrival of the railroad in 1880 changed the city forever, leading to a new downtown spring up around the rail tracks a mile or so east of Old Town.

Today, with a population of more than 700,000 in the greater metropolitan area, Albuquerque is New Mexico’s largest city. Still, in some of the best ways, little has changed. The city’s soul was formed by the interweaving of Spanish and Native American cultures.

That unique blend of customs and traditions, rituals and languages, even food, created the colorful, richly textured character that defines

Albuquerque today. The most casual visitor can’t help but notice those cultural influences in everything from the Spanish and adobe architecture to the art to the food.

“Native culture is not a tourism thing,” says Mayor Martin J. Chávez, a native son who can trace his ancestry in Albuquerque back 300 years. “It’s part of the fabric of our community.”

Albuquerque still attracts adventurers, though of a different sort than those earliest settlers.

Today’s pioneers are more likely to be innovators and entrepreneurs.

In the mid-twentieth century, the greatest scientific minds in the nation came to nearby Los Alamos to work on the Manhattan Project, creating an environment that continues to spawn technological innovation.

National security, still a big player in the city’s economy, has been joined by companies breaking new ground in

How does a savvy buyer know how to choose from all the turquoise found here? A visit to the Turquoise Museum, just outside Old Town, is a smart first step. Joe Dan Lowry, whose family owns the museum, offers a few tips. Turquoise’s distinctive blue and green colors come from the amounts of metal—copper for blue and iron for green—that make up a gem, Lowry says. The deeper the color, whether blue or green, the higher the quality of the stone, in most cases. Those spidery lines that run through many pieces of turquoise are not flaws. The more fine and complex the spidering is, the more likely the stone is to be high quality. Still, Lowry warns, rich color and lots of spidery lines don’t guarantee quality. Much of the turquoise that’s mined is too soft to be used naturally. Those pieces are “stabilized” by a process that injects plastic to harden the stone. To be sure a stone is real,

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albuquerque DECO, RETRO Revitalized downtown Albuquerque PHOTO: DICK KENT

ask if it’s “natural,” not “genuine,” Lowry says. “And ask the vendor to put it in writing.”

Natural, high-quality turquoise can be expensive, so Lowry advises shoppers to “buy what you like.

The right reason to buy a particular piece is always your reason. The knowledge just helps you have fun.”

Celebrations The International Balloon Fiesta (see page 90) may be the city’s best known event, but throughout the year, the Duke City finds plenty to celebrate.

• ¡Globalquerque! Music, dance, culture, cuisine and crafts of the world. This year’s festival, with musicians from around the globe performing and offering workshops, takes place September 19 and 20 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

• Festival Flamenco Internacional. June brings the largest flamenco festival in North America.

Performances by world-class experts are part of the celebration of the spellbinding songs, dance and music that originated in ancient Spanish Gypsy culture.

• Mariachi Spectacular. In July, experts from around the world gather to celebrate the Mexican folk music known as mariachi. The festival includes workshops as well as performances and a Saturday night concert at Sandia Resort and Casino.

• Gathering of Nations. The largest Native American powwow in North America has taken place every April for 25 years, drawing thousands to the city to celebrate and learn about Native American culture through dancing, music, crafts and food.

For more festival details, see www.itsatrip.org. — PMB

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aviation and alternative energy.

Albuquerque is a big city these days, but it has managed to hold on to its small-town feel. Residents, whether they’re newcomers or people whose families have lived here for generations, value the city for its friendliness.

Tazbah McCullah, marketing director at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, moved here from rural New Mexico eight years ago.

“I came here because you get bigcity luxuries,” she says, citing such amenities as restaurants, shopping centers and a wide variety of art and cultural attractions. But, she adds, “You get a small-town feeling.

People here are not afraid to look into each other’s eyes and faces when they see each other. In big cities, you don’t do that.”

Ron Beauchamp, who was born and raised here and runs the jewelry business his parents founded, says Albuquerque’s connection to nature is a big part of its allure. “I spend a lot of time in the mountains,” he says.

“There’s a sense of wildness there, even though you’re so close to the city.”

And, of course, there’s the light.

“There’s such a clarity to the light, and so much grandeur at sunset and sunrise,” he says.

Beauchamp’s parents came to Albuquerque in 1947, seeking, like so many before them, a better life. “Albuquerque showed signs of something new and different,” Beauchamp says. “It offered the promise of a future.”

It seems it always has. And for those lucky enough to live here, it still does.

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¡explora!

¡Viva Albuquerque! ¡Viva la Cultura!

Ideas que puedes tocar

Journey through New Mexico’s natural history from the

Mayor Martin J. Chávez and the

Explora is a new kind of

formation of the universe to the present at the New Mexico

Cultural Services Department invite

learning place, providing real

Museum of Natural History &

you to experience the culture, arts and

experiences with real things

Science. Explore an active

imagination of our dynamic city.

that put people’s learning in

volcano, Ice Age cave, and meet

their own hands. Explora is

lots of dinosaurs! Catch a film

Visit us and discover authentic Old Town Plaza, the

a place where families can

in the giant-screen Lockheed

Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, the Anderson-

learn together through 250

Martin DynaTheater or The

Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, the

experiential exhibit activities

Planetarium. Have lunch in the M Café, and shop at the unique

505.224.8300 Para español llame al 505.224.8323 www.explora.us or www.newmexico.org

NatureWorks Discovery Store.

505.841.2800 www.NMnaturalhistory.org

OM

for people of all ages in science, technology and art.

WWW.MARBLESTREETSTUDIO.C

Ideas you can touch

New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science

famous Pueblo Deco picture palace - KiMo Theatre, and Albuquerque BioPark’s unique Zoo, Aquarium, Botanic Garden and fishing lakes at Tingley Beach.

505.768.2000 (Relay NM or 711) www.cabq.gov /crs

National Atomic Museum

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Pueblo owned and operated.

National Hispanic Cultural Center

In 1945, President Truman

Open daily all year.

Enjoy year-round art exhibits; music,

made the most difficult

Convenient Albuquerque location features:

dance and theatre; family programs;

decision of any U.S. President in history. Was he right or wrong? Nuclear power has always been a divisive issue. Learn both sides of the story.

505.245.2137 www.atomicmuseum.com

Weekly traditional tribal dances

research your family history; enroll in

Weekly Native American art demonstrations

a Spanish class; dine and shop!

NHCC is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Museum of Pueblo History & Culture

The Albuquerque Biological Park

505-246-2261 www.nhccnm.org

Sandia Peak Tramway

Year Round Family Programs Changing Exhibitions

Albuquerque Aquarium • Rio Grande Zoo

Climb aboard the world’s longest

Pueblo Gift Shop

Rio Grande Botanic Garden - Naturally Amazing!

aerial tramway transporting

Pueblo Harvest Café & Bakery

Have three times the fun at Albuquerque’s BioPark! The

you above deep canyons of the

Native American Art Markets

Aquarium offers an undersea adventure. The Zoo exhibits

and Dynamic…traditional to

Sandia Mountains 2.7 miles to

Tours to Pueblos

animals from Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas in

contemporary…by emerging to internationally known

lush naturalistic habitats. The Botanic Garden boasts a glass

artists. Let us surprise you! Bringing ARTScrawl gallery

conservatory and specialty gardens.

tours to Albuquerque since 1990.

an elevation of 10,378 feet to an 11,000 square mile panoramic view of the “Land of Enchantment.”

505.856.7325 www.sandiapeak.com

866.855.7902 www.indianpueblo.org

The BioPark is a division of Albuquerque’s Cultural Services Department.

505.768.2000 (Relay NM or 711) TTY 800.659.8331 V I S I T A L B U Q U E R Q U E AT W W W. I T S AT R I P. O R G O R C A L L 1 . 8 0 0 . 2 8 4 . 2 2 8 2

www.cabq.gov/biopark

Albuquerque Art Business Association Albuquerque’s Art is Diverse

505.244.0362 www.artscrawlabq.org

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September 5-21, 2008

BQ

CA

New Mexico State Fair Explore art, agriculture, animals, entertainment, food, carnival rides, shopping, rodeos, country music concerts, and Indian and Spanish villages.

September 12, 2008 – February 22, 2009 Meso-Americhanics (Maneuvering Mestizaje) de la Torre Brothers and Border Baroque The intricate blown glass and mixed media works of Einar and Jamex de la Torre at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

September 19-20, 2008

¡Globalquerque!

A celebration of world music and culture.

October 4-12, 2008

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® More than 700 balloons take to the skies.

LEN

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V January 13-31 2009 D A R O F E Revolutions International Theatre Festival

October 25, 2008 – March 29, 2009 Jamestown, Quebec, and Santa Fe: Three American Beginnings The story of European settlement in the new world. On exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum in conjunction with the National Museum of American History a Smithsonian Institution.

Two-weeks of cutting-edge international performances hosted by Tricklock Company.

March 6-9, 2009

Fiery Foods and BBQ Show Sample hundreds of fiery foods and barbeque products.

April 23-25, 2009

December 2008

Holiday Events Festivities include the River of Lights at the Botanic Garden, shop and strolls in Nob Hill and Old Town, plus a glowing luminaria tour.

December 20, 2008

New Mexico Bowl College football pits Mountain West Conference against Western Athletic Conference.

Visit www.itsatrip.org for details.

Gathering of Nations Pow Wow North America’s largest pow wow features over 3,000 Native American dancers.

Happening Right Now!TM

outdoor recreation activities are abundant

Rainbow Ryders Inc. offers hot air

and accessible. We offer arguably the

balloon rides in Albuquerque, NM,

most diverse golf experience from desert

every morning at sunrise.

links to mountain courses. Come enjoy

We are celebrating 25 years

our outdoor playground while you soak

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El Pinto Restaurant When you are in Albuquerque,

Available in these airport stores:

visit our world famous restaurant

Earth Spirit: Albuquerque International

and see what everyone is talking

Sunport, Denver International Airport &

about. Enjoy El Pinto, the flavor

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

of New Mexico!

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Cultural Insights

in blue skies and 310 days of sunshine.

800.284.2282 outdoors.itsatrip.org

(starting at $282.00)

Denver International Airport &

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Mariachi Spectacular Featuring the world’s most accomplished mariachi musicians.

With the Sandia Mountains in our backyard,

Mosaic Fine Arts and Crafts Gallery:

Active pursuits, cultural enrichment and sheer fun await visitors to the Albuquerque area. Here, four itineraries to suit your interests.

July 8-12, 2009

The Experience of a Lifetime,

Avila Retail - Watchcraft

Pick Your Play

Flamenco Festival Performances by some of the finest flamenco artists in the world.

Albuquerque Outdoors

as the local pros!

800.725.2477 www.rainbowryders.com

albuquerque

June 5-13, 2009

Rainbow Ryders, Inc.®

®

Portrait

505.898.1771 www.elpinto.com

888.880.0033 www.avilaretail.com

SPECIAL SHAPES- RAYMOND WATT, POW WOW- DEREK MATHEWS, LUMINARIAS & BIKE- NEWMEXICOSTOCK.COM, GOLF- JOHN JOHNSON

FIRST STEPS Native dancing at Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, a good orientation stop for visitors

s an area rich in cultures, Albuquerque is also rich in museums and centers that preserve and celebrate the legacy and contributions of the earliest residents.

Visitors will be entertained while also learning much about Native American and Hispanic culture at these two unique facilities.

• Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Anyone curious about the area’s Native American history should begin their visit at this center and its museum. Open to visitors while undergoing a renovation and expansion, this unique cooperative is owned and managed by the 19 Indian Pueblo communities of New Mexico.

Find art exhibits, a restaurant and retail space in addition to the museum, which gives a fascinating overview of the history, geography and culture of the Pueblo people.

On weekends, the circular, open-air plaza hosts traditional dancing, artist demonstrations, even bread baking in a traditional horno oven.

Most of the Pueblos, scattered around the state, open to the public for an annual feast day to honor Roman Catholic patron saints assigned to them by the Spanish missionaries. The ceremonies

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Ron Solimon, a Laguna Pueblo and president of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, in the gift shop, left. Below left: galleries at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Below: Hiking in petroglyph country.

World-class cancer care in your own back yard.

New Mexico’s largest team of cancer specialists providing an unparalleled level of care.

The University of New Mexico Cancer Center, at its primary location in Albuquerque and throughout its statewide cancer network, provides the most up-to-date diagnosis and treatment for every kind of cancer in a compassionate, culturally sensitive way. That’s why: • The New Mexico State Legislature designated The University of New Mexico Cancer Center as The Official Cancer Center of the State of New Mexico in 1971.

• The National Cancer Institute designated The University of New Mexico Cancer Center as one of the nation’s 63 premier National Cancer Institute Centers in 2005.

• U.S. News & World Report named The University of New Mexico Cancer Center as one of America’s best cancer hospitals in 2006.

Outstanding Patient Care

The UNM Cancer Center has built the largest team of cancer specialists in New Mexico, with over 75 board-certified oncology specialists in medical, radiation, surgical, gynecological, and pediatric oncology. These physicians, hailing from such prestigious institutions as M.D. Anderson, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Memorial SloanKettering, and Stanford University, provide a breadth and depth of cancer care that is unequaled in New Mexico. Working tirelessly alongside a dedicated staff of nurses, pharmacists, and patient support teams, these physicians provided care to over 7,500 cancer patients in over 85,000 clinic visits in 2007.

Cutting-edge Research

Every day in Albuquerque, the UNM Cancer Center’s team of 120 research scientists, supported by over $50 million annually in federal and private funds, work hand in hand with New Mexico’s national laboratories to discover the causes and develop cures for cancer. Our research teams have discovered a new receptor for estrogen leading to the development of new ways to diagnose and treat women’s and prostate cancers, are using sophisticated tools from the human genome project to develop new treatments for leukemia and melanoma, and are identifying the genetic and environmental determinants of the cancers that disproportionately affect New Mexicans.

State-of-the-Art Technology

Instead of diagnosing prostate cancer with painful biopsies, doctors at the UNM Cancer Center have developed a new non-invasive diagnostic technique using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. Working with the State’s national laboratories, scientists are identifying new isotopes for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The UNM Cancer Center is one of the few Centers in the Southwest to provide TomoTherapy radiation treatment, a revolutionary new means of delivering radiation therapy precisely to tumor tissues with fewer side effects.

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usually feature traditional dances, singing and drumming, interspersed with non-public ceremonies in the kivas, or sacred spaces. The IPCC maintains a calendar of those feast days for interested visitors. The center also offers bus tours to two nearby Pueblos: Acoma or “Sky City,” named for its location high on a mesa, and Zuni, the first Pueblo to encounter Spanish explorers in the 1540s.

• National Hispanic Cultural Center. Celebrate all things Hispanic here, from visual and performing arts to history and culture. On the center’s 31 acres along the Rio Grande, visitors can find an art museum with 11,000 square feet of exhibit space, three theaters, an acclaimed restaurant, a library and a genealogy center, among other things. The center, the largest of its kind in the country, hosts events all year, from plays and musical performances to health fairs and conventions.

“We see this as a civic cultural space, as opposed to an art center with a capital A,” says executive director Eduardo Diaz. “It important to us that we serve the community.—PMB

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Nature’s Playground

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s one local puts it, on any given morning here you can wake up and decide if you’d rather spend the day hiking, climbing, whitewater rafting, skiing, golfing, biking, hang-gliding or any number of other activities. Few cities offer such a range of natural features and a cooperative climate—dry air, lots of sun and winter snow cover in the mountains.

Here, some fun ways to play: • Hike among the petroglyphs.

Like a little history with your outdoors activity? Petroglyph National Monument, just 10 miles northwest of downtown, preserves tens of thousands of the pictures that ancient Pueblans pecked into the dark rocks of the desert canyon walls.

Begin at the visitor center and choose from four geographic zones. At Boca Negra Canyon, find easy viewing of

petroglyphs on the dark boulders on the hillsides along three short trails with interpretive signage. Rinconada Canyon offers the longest (two and a half miles round trip) and most secluded trail and some of the best petroglyphs. Or drive to the trailhead of the Volcanoes Day Use Area.

Follow the trail of about three miles around three small hills, ancient volcanic cones from which steam sometimes still escapes. The land, sacred to Pueblo peoples, delights with sightings of cactus flowers and small wildlife and the spectacular vista of the Sandias in the distance.

• Ride on a reservation. An authentic Southwestern experience awaits guests at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa on the grounds of the Santa Ana Pueblo. Here, at the base of the Sandia Mountains and along the banks of the Rio Grande,

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guides lead rookie and skilled horseback riders on trails through grounds that are sacred to the Tamayame. Passing under stunning mesas and rock formations and within inches of ancient petroglyph etchings in the rocks, your horse—picking its way over small tumbleweeds and across creek beds—transports you back a few centuries to a slower, quieter time when the land earned great reverence.

A five-day Dude Ranch package, complete with retreats to Tamaya’s spa, will make you an old hand in a week.

• Lift off in a hot-air balloon. In a city famous for its autumn balloon festival, riding aloft in a basket over the Rio Grande, desert mesas, even Old Town and the university area seems appropriate. Pilots from the firm Rainbow Ryders launch rides daily at sunrise on the west side of town. The early hour may make you desperate for caffeine, but hold off on your morning cup—there’s no facilities in a hot-air balloon, and you’ll find that the magic of sunrise, mountain views and other brightly colored balloons sailing nearby all serve to wake you up just fine. Touch down after an hour or so in flight, help pack the balloon up and ride back to the launch site for a ritual champagne breakfast and flight certificate.—LW

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THE BEST PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE.

NEW MEXICO, EARTH. Home of Billy the Kid, the Old West spirit and rich Native American and Spanish cultures, New Mexico just may be the best place on the planet. Or any planet. Call for a free brochure. 800-733-6396 ext. 3503.

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newmexicoearth.org

Abundant Arts

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he city has a growing reputation for its dynamic, progressive arts scene. “We have an extraordinarily diverse art scene,” says Regina Held, director of Matrix Fine Art and the New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery. “You can see everything here

from traditional Southwestern to Pop Art to beautifully crafted jewelry and pottery. The art in Albuquerque is fresh, exciting, and new.”

Performing artists offer an equally vibrant scene, from modern dance to classical ballet, symphony concerts to poetry slams.

Don’t miss: • 516 Arts calls its two-story urban space a “hybrid venue somewhere between a gallery and a museum.”

Find some of the city’s most progressive art here showcasing local, national and international artists.

• The KiMo Theatre, built in 1927 as a vaudeville theater and movie house, is one of the best examples of Pueblo Deco architecture in the United States. Saved from the wrecking ball in the 1970s, the KiMo (the name is a blend of two Indian words that translates loosely to “king of its kind”) lives on as a 650-seat venue for plays, film festivals, and musical performance.

• The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History presents works in

Shows at the renovated KiMo help enliven downtown Albuquerque.

all media by regional artists, both contemporary and historical. Among its treasures: many pieces from the early 20th-century Taos Society of Artists and Santa Fe’s Cinco Pintores as well as the mid-century Transcendental Painting Group. The museum’s grounds also host evening concerts on weekends.

• The city’s Public Art Program resulted from a 1978 ordinance that sets aside 1 percent of construction funds for public art. Find murals, sculptures and paintings in unlikely places all over the city, especially downtown, in Old Town, and the University and Nob Hill neighborhoods.

• In 1932, a group of teachers, students, housewives, and businesspeople got together to give the first performance of the Albuquerque Civic Symphony. Today, the respected New Mexico Symphony Orchestra is the state’s largest yearround performing arts organization,

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offering classical and pops performances at the University of New Mexico’s Popejoy Hall and the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Watch for a three-month Beethoven Festival beginning in January 2009.

• The Albuquerque Arts Business Association presents ArtsCrawl on the first and third Fridays of each month. The self-guided tours highlight a different selection of the city’s finest galleries each time.

The galleries stay open into the evening, and featured artists often join the celebration. Pick up maps at museums, galleries and visitors centers around the city. —PMB

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Bring the Kids

t’s not just the range of attractions that makes Albuquerque a great place to play with the family. It’s also that so many of the activities are free or low-cost, from hiking in the parks to catching a night of minorleague baseball under the stars.

Don’t-miss favorites: • Sandia Peak Tramway. Start your

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trip with some perspective. Climb aboard the world’s longest continuous cable aerial tramway to climb 4,000 feet up the rugged west face of Sandia Peak the easy way. The views are stunning, both on the 15-minute rides up and down and at the peak, home to a visitor center (open May through November) and the High Finance restaurant. For the more ambitious, trails, ski slopes and bike paths take you down other slopes.

• BioPark. Familes can make a day out of it at this city-owned complex that includes an aquarium, botanic garden, Rio Grande Zoo, and Tingley Beach, a collection of fishing ponds.

Park the car once and ride the Rio Line train between venues. Check ahead on feeding times for the most action at the zoo and aquarium. If you’re at the aquarium around 2 p.m., take an air-conditioned seat in front of the room-sized viewing window to watch staff dive in the shark tank for maintenance work.

• Isotopes. A night out at Isotopes Park (locals call it “the Lab”) is good, clean fun. Literally—the home of the Triple-A afffliate of the Florida Marlins is one of the cleanest ballparks around and features a stunning view of the mountains out

i s t o c k ph o t o / R i c har d G u n i o n

Catching a game at Isotopes Park and riding the tramway up Sandia Peak.

past center field. Come root for the team (named for the city’s role in nuclear development at Sandia Labs), horse around with Orbit the mascot and cheer on the fan-friendly antics between innings.

• ¡Explora! This museum/learning center bills itself as part science center, part children’s museum, part grandma’s attic and grandpa’s garage, part laboratory and “part neighborhood full of interesting people and part of many people’s lives,” says Ellen Welker, external relations manager. Adults may be seen elbowing out the kids to operate equipment and manipulate the materials in the hands-on environment. “Families often comment that this is one of the best places they’ve been to in the country and ask when we can build an Explora in their town,” Welker notes.—LW

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Splendor in the Sky

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hey’ve seen the phenomenon for more than 35 years: tens of thousands of people flocking to their city for a week to watch hundreds of hot-air balloons lift off each morning.

Yet locals still talk with awe about the annual International Balloon Fiesta, the world’s largest such event, planned this year from October 4–12.

Get up before dawn, they tell you, head out to the launch fields, buy a cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito, and prepare to be dazzled as whooshes of gas inflate a rainbow of balloons that then rise silently as sunrise lights the sky.

To learn more about the balloons, year round, head over to the Albuqeurque International Balloon Museum and the Balloon Discovery Center, both within Balloon Fiesta Park. The unique museum is designed like a balloon about to inflate and offers exhibits on the history, physics and fun of the sport. The center offers interactive exhibits and a theater area.

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e c l i p s e a v iation p h oto

New Economy Takes Off Innovative companies Advent Solar at Mesa del Sol, a planned mixed-use community.

Top: an Eclipse 500 light jet; Albuquerque Studios film production facility

in emerging fields such as renewable energy increasingly call the Albuquerque region their home.

m e s a d e l s o l p h oto

By Paula M. Bodah

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B i l l T on d r ea u p h oto

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usiness is booming in Albuquerque. In 2007, for the third year running, Forbes magazine named the city among its top 10 “Best Places for Business and Careers” in the United States, citing its relatively low cost of living and its business-friendly incentives to companies to locate here, bringing in good, well-paying jobs. In the past few years, large national companies such as TempurPedic have opened facilities in and around the city. Innovative companies in emerging fields such as renewable energy have chosen Albuquerque as the place to get started. And companies run by generations of one family have continued to thrive.

Below are a few of the Duke City’s success stories.

eventually be more than 35,000 homes in a variety of styles and price ranges. It’s not just a commercial district, either, though some of the most innovative new businesses in the city are based here, including Advent Solar, a manufacturer of solar cells and modules, and Albuquerque Studios. In 2010, Mesa del Sol expects to bring 4,000 new jobs, thanks to plans by Fidelity and Schott AG, a German glass company, to build facilities here.

Mesa del Sol is a complete package for living, working and playing, boasting schools, shops, restaurants and open space in the form of parks, playing fields and trails. Beyond all that, the community is designed to be highly eco-friendly. It controls light pollution, uses alternative energy sources and recycles aggressively.

Mesa Del Sol

Sacred Power Corporation

Planned communities, those models of the New Urbanism architectural movement started in the 1980s, are common enough around the country. But Mesa del Sol is truly one of a kind. Covering 20 square miles within Albuquerque’s city limits, the complex, developed

by Forest City Covington, is likely the largest and most comprehensive planned community in the nation.

It’s not just a residential neighborhood, although next year will bring the first of what will

It should come as no surprise that one of the companies at the forefront of solar-power technology in Albuquerque would be Native American–owned. “Native Americans like to think of ourselves as the original stewards of the land and the environment,” says Sacred Power Corporation president and CEO David Melton, a recognized member of the Pueblo of Laguna. “It’s reflected in our religious ceremonies and our culture, and at Sacred Power,

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we try to express the same beliefs that are in our creed.”

That means, he says, “using the strengths of the father to protect the gifts of the mother. The sun is the father and the earth is the mother, so we try to capture the sun’s strength to protect our earth.”

Sacred Power does most of its work in photovoltaic and solar thermal power. With a recent $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the company will install hybrid solar photovoltaic systems in Northern Arizona Navajo homes, bringing clean, renewable energy to homes too remote to be on utility companies’ grids. “Our solar power system is a good answer for their needs,” Melton says.

This year, for the second time, the company was named to Technology Venture corporation’s annual list of the 40 fastest-growing New Mexico technology companies.

heart of his city

Chris Martinez’s parents founded Albuquerque Tortilla Factory

Bueno Foods; Albuquerque Tortilla Company

Among the 23 percent of New Mexico businesses that are Hispanicowned, Bueno Foods ranks as one of the most venerable. Sixty-two years ago, brothers from a longtime New Mexico family started the company as a neighborhood grocery store that also served carry-out dishes inspired by their mother’s cooking.

Within a few years, seizing on the

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new popularity of frozen foods, the visionary siblings got the idea of freezing roasted green chile—an autumn staple in New Mexican households—to be enjoyed year round. Today, Bueno Foods is still owned by the Baca family, and is one of the largest producers of New Mexican and Mexican foods in the Southwest.

The Albuquerque Tortilla Company may not have as old of a heritage, but in its 21-year history, the family-owned company has grown from eight employees in a 1,300-square-foot building to a staff of 325 turning out 4 million flour and corn tortillas every week in a 189,000-square-foot factory.

“Every expansion we do, we feel is going to be our last,” says company vice president Chris Martinez, whose parents started the business. “Within 12 months, we need more space.”

The company’s products, which include a new line of frozen prepared

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New Mexican foods (many free of preservatives, additives and fillers), are sent all over the West Coast and Southwest and as far east as New York.

Albuquerque Studios

“Wait a minute,” you think. “I could swear I just saw Christian Bale walk by.” The Duke City is fast becoming a sort of Hollywood of the Southwest, courtesy of Albuquerque Studios, a full-service film production company headquartered at Mesa del Sol. Among the company’s current projects is the fourth Terminator movie, Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, starring Bale.

Albuquerque Studios brings more than star power and glamour to the city. It also brings good jobs, many of which are filled by New Mexicans.

The studio holds some 360,000 square feet of stages, production support space and office space. Nick Smerigan, chief operating officer, says

about 1,100 people currently work there. He estimates that 65 percent of them are locals making a “better than average wage.”

The studio works closely with the University of New Mexico film school to train people who want to work in the film industry. “It’s very important to us that the crew base be local,” Smerigan says. “We want kids to understand that if they get trained, they can make a good wage and build their lives right here at home. It’s very important to us that the community benefit from the industry.”

He tells the story of a man who was living in his car last year when he signed on as a laborer at the studio.

“In his first year, he made a little over $60,000—he has an apartment and a cell phone now. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, and that’s the way it’s working.”

Eclipse Aviation

R&D in the Desert

N

ew Mexico claims a long, proud history at the forefront of America’s national security. Albuquerque’s Sandia National Laboratories has played a key role in that history. Sandia, a laboratory operated by Lockheed Martin for the Department of Energy, started in 1945 as an arm of Los Alamos National Laboratory, where physicists designed the nation’s first nuclear weaponry. By 1949, the Albuquerque outpost, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, had grown large enough to be designated a standalone lab; it was named for the nearby mountains. Today, the lab employs almost 8,500 and has an annual budget of $2.4 million.

As America matured, so did Sandia, growing more diverse. Since the early

Ran d y Monto y a p h oto

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CATCHING RAYS Sandia researcher with device to measure solar energy

1970s, its scientists have been working on anti-terrorism technologies and training. In response to the energy crisis of that decade, Sandia began research on solar and wind technology and other alternative energies. In 2001, when Washington, D.C., was in the throes of an anthrax scare, the lab developed a decontamination foam to neutralize the bacteria. And in 2004, Sandia introduced the Sandia Gauntlet, a protective armor for U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

Sandia also breeds new companies.

Its nonprofit Technology Ventures Corporation has helped start more than 90 businesses in the past 15 years. Spin-offs include: Emcore, a company with 750 employees working on solar photovoltaic power and fiber-optic technologies; Ktech, an employee-owned technical services

and products firm recently named one of New Mexico’s fastest-growing high tech companies; TEAM Technologies, a developer of state-of-the-art mechanical and electronic products for commercial and government applications; and Applied Technology Associates, a leading supplier of precision inertial sensors, optical inertial reference units and controls for aerospace and satellite systems.

Sandia’s impact on its community reaches beyond science and technology.

Senior manager Mike DeWitte says the company places a high value on being a good community partner, noting that the lab is the largest corporate donor to United Way of Central New Mexico. At last count, in 2006, Sandia employees logged more than 120,000 community volunteer hours a year. — PMB

There’s nothing quite so convenient

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T

he University of New is big,” says Jeremy LaFaver, projects Media Program takes advantage of the specialist in the university’s office city’s growing film industry, training Mexico and Central New of the president, especially in the students in all aspects of digital media. A Mexico Community city’s strongest industries, aviation planned film and digital media building College work closely with Albuquerque’s businesses and energy. “We’re responding to at Mesa del Sol will make it easy to to shape curricula that ensure students Albuquerque’s emerging needs and partner with nearby Albuquerque graduate with the skills they need to get industries.”

Studios and Sony Imageworks.

SFT445_DeltaSky(M4si)_adj.qxp:SFT445_DeltaSky 6/25/08 3:31 PM Page 1 great jobs. “Workforce development The university’s new Film and Digital At the university’s Anderson School of Management, an annual Technology Business Plan Competition encourages students to compete for seed money to launch local high-tech businesses. The T O P I C | R E L A X AT I O N | T I M E A N D S PA C E T O R E C O N N E C T 2006 winner, Satyrne Biotechnologies, is working on promising new methods for healing broken jawbones.

The Science and Technology Corporation, a nonprofit entity within the university, creates commercial opportunities for intellectual property developed on campus. After 12 years, the corporation has helped form 32 start-up companies.

Central New Mexico Community T O P L A N A R E L A X I N G T R I P O F Y O U R O W N , V I S I T S A N TA F E . O R G T O D A Y. College, the city’s second-largest institution of higher learning, places an emphasis squarely on career development, says Samantha Bousliman, chief communications officer, tailoring programs to the needs of specific industries. Eclipse Aviation relies on the college to train its jet technicians. The need for technicians in the local film industry is so great that the college can barely keep up.

Students seeking a liberal arts experience can look up the road to the College of Santa Fe and to the Santa Fe branch of St. John’s College. Both schools offer flexible programs. St. John’s faculty rely on the classic great books of Western culture. The College of Santa Fe emphasizes educating the “whole student” and paying attention to ethical values with a core curriculum including interdisciplinary, team-taught courses in the humanities, creative expression, social and natural sciences. It offers evening and weekend classes at its Albuquerque campus.—PMB

Vern Raburn turned his passion for piloting into a huge success with Eclipse.

as a private airplane when you want to get somewhere fast. And when you want to get there really fast, nothing can beat the super-light, super-small jets designed and manufactured at Albuquerque’s Eclipse Aviation.

Founded in 1998 by Vern Raburn, an amateur pilot who was ready to leave his career with tech companies like Microsoft and Lotus, the company released its first jet, the Eclipse 500, in 2002. Eclipse’s light jets can fly at twice the speed of typical

piston prop planes and can reach altitudes of up to 41,000 feet. Demand for the small jets was instant. When the company started taking orders in 2000, 150 people put down deposits of $155,000 toward the plane, which costs $2.15 million. If you’re in the market for your own “SUV with wings,” as the Eclipse 500 has been called, you’ll need some patience. The company’s almost 2,000 employees are working to fill some 2,600 orders, and the waiting list stretches to 2010.

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albuquerque

New Mexico Museum of Art, top; vendors’ wares (below) in downtown Santa Fe.

Get Out of Town Albuquerque makes

a great home base for

excursions north and south

By Megan Kamerick

T

BuyErs ANd sEllErs of diAMoNds ANd EstAtE JEwElry

he charming town of Santa Fe is an hour away from Albuquerque via Interstate 25. For a far more scenic drive, take New Mexico State Road 14, also called the Turquoise Trail, with interesting stops such as Tinkertown Museum in Sandia Park and the Old Coal Mine Museum in Madrid.

In Cerrillos, dusty streets evoke its bygone days as one of the most important centers of turquoise mining in the Southwest.

Santa Fe itself draws artists and art lovers. The town may be best known as the home of Georgia O’Keeffe. At the museum named for the painter, catch “Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel

Adams: Natural Affinities,” which runs through the first week of September and brings together almost 100 works by the two artists.

Galleries line Canyon Road and cluster near the historic downtown plaza, which hosts free concerts in the summer. Nearby, along the wall of the Governor’s Palace, Native American artisans sell jewelry.

Museums abound in the city. For Native American arts and crafts, visit the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. Summer brings Indian Market, Spanish Market, the International Folk Art Market and Art Santa Fe. At the Santa Fe Opera, about six miles north of the plaza, ticket holders tailgate in style before

strolling into the open-air theater in everything from tuxedos to cowboy boots.

Since the turn of the century, the pretty village of Taos at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains has drawn artists and writers such as

7017 Menual NE, Albuquerque, NM • 505-881-8939 • www.bcjewelers.com august 2008

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ncantado, an Auberge Resort, opens this month in Tesque, 10 minutes from Santa Fe’s historic plaza.

The resort offers 65 adobe-style casitas with a contemporary interpretation of traditional Santa Fe design, including kiva-style fireplaces indoors and private terraces offering stunning views of the Jemez Mountains and Rio Grande river valley.

In the main lodge, Terra, under the direction of Executive Chef Charles Dale, will serve modern rustic fare, using organic seasonal produce to reinterpret regional cuisine. Building on the area’s renown as a center for the arts and spirituality, the spa will offer a variety of healing treatments indigenous to the region. www.Encantadoresort.com

www.csf.edu/abq

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D.H. Lawrence, buried north of town. Visit the Millicent Rogers Museum to see almost 1,000 pieces of Native American jewelry, along with textiles, pottery, baskets and other crafts.

Several museums touch on the history of the Taos Society of Artists, including the Harwood Museum of Art and the Blumenschein Home and Museum, both near the plaza. The Fechin House showcases the colorful paintings and extraordinary wood carvings of Russian artist Nicolai Fechin. Like Santa Fe, Taos has dozens of galleries with art from traditional to contemporary, from local and national artists and craftspeople.

In winter, the Taos Ski Valley lures visitors to its challenging slopes.

Taos Pueblo, a United Nations World Heritage site, is among the oldest continually inhabited places in the country. The entire pueblo, or village, is made of adobe; some of the structures are multi-storied.

About 10 miles west of town, get your thrills by walking the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, the country’s second highest expansion bridge, with a 650-foot drop to the river.

An hour or so south of Albuquerque, the town of Socorro traces its roots to the earliest Spanish expeditions. The historic plaza and the nearby Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, a birder’s paradise with cranes and snow geese in winter, are worth the stop.

The Camino Real International Heritage Center details the history of the “royal road” and its impact on the state. About 50 miles west of Socorro, find the National Radio istoc k p h oto

Luxury resort opens in Santa Fe

Taos Pueblo opens to visitors most days from early spring to late winter.

Astronomy Observatory, or Very Large Array (featured prominently in the Jodie Foster film Contact).

The rustic town of Truth or Consequences bills itself as the most affordable spa town in America. Once called Hot Springs because of natural springs in the area, the town gained new publicity when leaders renamed it after the famous game show in the 1950s. Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa is the most upscale site for mineral baths. The others are a mix of renovated retro motor courts and more modest hotels, all of which give the town a pleasantly funky feel.

In Las Cruces, visitors head for Old Mesilla, a historic village south of the city founded by Hispanic residents.

Shops sell Native American and Mexican crafts around a historic plaza and the Basilica of San Albino, where the bells are still rung by hand.

La Posta restaurant occupies the building that once served as a way station for the Butterfield Overland Mail and Wells Fargo stagecoaches.

The village began on the other side of the Rio Grande from Las Cruces. But the river changed course in 1885, putting Mesilla back on American soil. As the sun sets, head down a quiet side street past a flowing acequia and you might swear you’re still in Mexico.

FLY, STAY, SAVE. According to AAA, the most affordable destination just got a little more affordable. Stay at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency Albuquerque and enjoy luxurious accommodations, delectable dining and personalized service. Book by 12/30/08 and receive 20% off of our prevailing rate, 20% off food and beverage and earn an extra 2000 Delta Sky Miles. Feel the Hyatt TouchÂŽ. For reservations, call 800 233 1234. Visit albuquerque.hyatt.com and request offer code SKY2K.

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NOD TO TRADITION Adobe-style home in the University/ Nob Hill area

Albuquerque’s neighborhoods Offer valid through 12/30/08 at Hyatt Regency Albuquerque. Reservations are subject to availability and must be made in advance using offer code SKY2K. Offer is not valid with groups/conventions and may not be combined with other promotional offers. Offer includes 20% off the prevailing rate, 20% discount on food and beverage and 2000 Delta Sky Bonus Miles. Guest must request offer codeat time of reservation and check-in to receive bonus miles and choose miles for their stay. Guest must present a valid Delta Sky Miles membership card at check-in. One bonus per member, per room, per stay. Eligibility for miles is subject to the terms and conditions of the Delta Sky Miles program. Allow 6-8 weeks after your stay for your bonus miles to be posted to your airline account. Offer is subject to terms and conditions of the Delta Sky Miles frequent flyer program. No refunds for any unused portion of package. Promotional blackout periods may apply due to seasonal periods or special events; normal arrival/departure restrictions apply. Hyatt reserves the right to alter or withdraw this program at any time without notice. The trademarks HyattŽ, Hyatt Hotels & ResortsŽ, Hyatt RegencyŽ and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation. Š2008 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved.

vary from new subdivisions to

Homes on the Range

historic communities, mountain foothills to downtown lofts.

By Megan Kamerick

1-"/ " .&&5*/( 5)"5 (0&4 #&:0/% 5)& &91&$5&% No matter what type of meeting you’re planning, Hyatt Regency Albuquerque has everything you need to make it a valuable experience for your group. Exceptional catering. Distinctive surroundings. World-class amenities. Choose two additional options for your group when you conduct any qualifying meeting during Hyatt Extra Value Dates now through March 31, 2009.

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'PS NPSF JOGPSNBUJPO DBMM or visit albuquerque.hyatt.com and SFRVFTU PGGFS DPEF %&-5 Offer valid on Extra Value Dates for meetings held at Hyatt Regency Albuquerque by 3/31/09. Offer may not be combined with other promotional offers, and is not valid in conjunction with previously booked or held meetings. Offer valid for meetings consisting of at least 35 paid room-nights. Inclusions are subject to service charges and gratuities and are void where prohibited. Please visit hyatt.com for complete terms and conditions. Offer applies to all eligible bookings, including bookings by travel agents and other qualifying third parties at a commissionable rate. (Qualifying planners who are Hyatt Gold Passport members may be eligible for a Hyatt Meeting Dividends program bonus.) Planner must request offer code DELT2 at time of the booking. Offer subject to availability of function space and guestrooms at time of booking. Promotional blackout periods may apply due to seasonal periods or special events; normal arrival/departure restrictions apply. Hyatt reserves the right to alter or withdraw this program at any time without notice. HYATT, Hyatt Hotels & ResortsŽ and Hyatt RegencyŽ names, designs and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation. Š2008 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved.

Downtown Living

Donna Bruzzese, a therapist, has lived in downtown Albuquerque since 1977. She enjoys its sense of community, and “that community is very diverse in every way,� she says. “There are wide sidewalks, lots of trees and front porches where family and friends congregate.�

Bruzzese’s neighborhood includes Midwestern-style brick homes. It’s near Old Town, with its restaurants, shops, galleries and museums, many housed in historic adobe buildings.

Jennifer Jane lives in the eastern part of downtown at the Orpheum Art Space, where she can enjoy

the progress the city is making in the middle of a massive, 10-year revitalization plan. A Seattle transplant, Jane chose downtown for its convenience to restaurants, bars, coffee shops and the Rail Runner Express train, a north-south commuter rail line scheduled to reach north to Santa Fe by the end of 2008.

University area/ Nob Hill/Ridgecrest

Central Avenue, which runs through the university area and Nob Hill, features a lively mix of restaurants, bars, theaters, boutiques and even a food co-op. Houses in

these neighborhoods often date from the 1920s to ’50s and range in price from $250,000 to $2 million.

Sophie Martin bought a house in an area she dubs “Fringecrest,� close to Nob Hill’s amenities but with more affordable prices. “It’s close to mass transit and you can walk,� Martin says. A handful of her friends have also bought houses in the neighborhood, where neighbors keep an eye out and check in on each other, she says.

North Valley

The North Valley area hugs both sides of the meandering Rio Grande.

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albuquerque Central Avenue, one stretch of the famous Route 66, features hip spots and retro neon signage as it runs through Nob Hill.

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IN CONTEMPORARY RHYTHM

Blumenschein T H E A RT O F ERNEST L.

The Albuquerque Museum is a Division of the Cultural Services Department of the City of Albuquerque.

Martin J. ChĂĄvez, Mayor

505-243-7255 or 311 Relay NM or 711 www.cabq.gov/museum

19th and Mountain Road NW (In Old Town) • Albuquerque, New Mexico

106 Sky august 2008

Early Spanish colonists farmed here, and the valley retains its rural character. Winding streets lead past old farmhouses. Deep lots run along the river, lined with irrigation ditches that still bring water to local farms, including orchards and vineyards.

The Rio Grande Nature Center offers 270 acres of open space along the bosque, the cottonwood forest lining the river.

Bed and breakfasts such as Los Poblanos, with its organic farm, have settled in the valley with stunning views of the nountains. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and Corrales are small villages in the area known for such attractions as wineries, farmers markets and spas.

Homes here include historic adobes, modern “ranchettes� and modest casitas, with prices ranging from $450,000 to $3.4 million. “You can hear roosters, geese as they migrate, horses nearby and a huge number of birds in the morning,� says North Valley resident Lynn Trojahn. “It’s a very eclectic part of the city with a great diversity.�

Eastside

With a more classic suburban layout of larger houses on bigger lots, the Foothills and Northeast Heights areas offer a distinctively

Albuquerquean feature: hiking trails out your door and spectacular views of the Sandias. “If you’re not looking at the mountains, you are looking at the city lights,� says Bill Resnick, who lives in Albuquerque Acres. “We routinely see small wildlife including rabbits and the occasional prairie dog. We hear coyotes whooping and playing as the sun sets.�

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Westside

Jeff Zellner never imagined living across the river, but when he came back to the city five years ago, property here was plentiful and cheap.

First-time buyers flock to this area, where housing prices are generally in the $200,000 to $400,000 range.

Westside offers fabulous views of the Sandia Mountains at sunset, when they turn pink. Residents enjoy hiking and biking trails and suburban conveniences such as Cottonwood Mall.

Haley Wachdorf and her husband needed an affordable, non-fixerupper first home, so they looked to Westside. They live close to Interstate 40 now, an easy shot to downtown, the zoo and museums. “We actually do a lot more in the downtown/Old Town area than when we lived in Northeast Heights,� she says.

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The Slate Street Cafe and Wine Loft (below) joins a growing list of inventive restaurants in town. Right: berry-topped bread pudding from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center’s Pueblo Harvest Café.

Simple yet memorable, New Mexican food makes you feel right at home in the Duke City.

by Ronni Lundy

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6/25/08 11:10:34 AM

Y

ou could blissfully eat your way around the world in Albuquerque.

You could start with the French-inspired moules with truffle and parmesan frites at Brasserie la Provence in Nob Hill, move on to the dreamy cilantroinfused caldo de camarones at the quixotic Pupuseria y Restaurant Salvadoreno in the South Valley.

The main course might come from one of the dozens of great Thai or Vietnamese spots scattered through

the east side of town; or you could do Greek at Yanni’s, Tunisian at the tiny Mediterranean Café or sushi at Noda’s Japanese Cuisine, a singular homey spot worth seeking out in Rio Rancho. The perfect finish for this culinary tour would be Italian espresso and an elegant dish of roasted-banana gelato drizzled with a subtly sweet balsamic reduction and fresh strawberries at Scalo.

But for all the foreign pleasures available in the Duke City, you still find the best food in town at the many

mama y papa spots serving native New Mexican food.

The first thing you need to know about northern New Mexican cooking is that even though it’s built on the holy trinity of chile, corn and beans, it’s not the same as Tex-Mex, California-style or any of the many cuisines from south of the border. New Mexico’s is a menu eked out of a harsh land and climate; the food is deceptively simple.

Most authentic place to sample it?

Try Padilla’s Mexican Kitchen at about 6 in the evening, with patient customers standing in a line that snakes through the dining room and out the door. This unassuming diner in a neighborhood shopping strip serves some of the best carne adovada (pork rubbed in red chile powder with spices) in town. Arguably the best green-chile chicken enchilada can be had at El Patio, even better if you sit outside and sip a Mexican beer. (As you might expect from a university-area hangout, the service here is sometimes pass/fail.) El Patio accompanies its fine enchilada northern New Mexico-style with pan-fried potatoes, not rice. At

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It’s a fresh, earth-friendly mix of new homes, new jobs, big parks and big ideas.

Located on Albuquerque’s south mesa.

albuquerque

Duran’s Central Pharmacy and Duran’s Station, get the potatoes fried or steamed; virtually any dish you have with potatoes will make you sigh with pleasure. The pharmacy’s restaurant closes at 6:30 p.m., but the same fine food plus beer and wine can be found all day and later at Duran’s Station. Both locations sell the signature red and green sauce in jars.

So does Sadie’s, along with its namesake salsa. Sadie’s started small and grew gargantuan, but without sacrificing a whit of the flavor that brought the crowds in the first place. Same with El Pinto.

Found in the North Valley area, El Pinto has evolved over 45 years into a New Mexican institution. Locals consistently vote its series of shaded outdoor seating areas their favorite for patio dining. An attached factory bottles jars of the signature chiles and salsas and sends them around the world, from a recent truckload shipment to service people in Iraq to a dinner for President George W. Bush

aboard Air Force One. Barelas Coffee House attracts a mixed crowd of old locals, new urban dwellers, a leather-clad biker or two, the occasional film star and politicians. The chicharones (pork cracklings) are a specialty, generally flavorful and tender, although the occasional tough batch, while tasty, will give you something to chew over.

Can’t decide if it’s a burrito, posole (hominy cooked with green or red chile and pork), tamale or enchilada kind of day? At the National Hispanic Cultural Center’s La Fonda del Bosque, try them all and finish with natillas (light egg custard) and biscochito (official state cookie— shortbread with cinnamon and/or anise). The buffet here offers some of the most lovingly prepared food in the city. After breakfast or lunch in the wood and tile dining room, sample the museum’s offerings of regional and global Hispanic art and culture.

One last word: Sopapilla. This is a hand-sized pocket of yeasted dough

Lot of Burger

Discover the Authentic

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When hip local chef Sam Etheridge recently opened Nob Hill Bar and Grill, the menu included the $22 Dirty Burger, a Kobe beef patty topped with bacon, guacamole, onions, fois gras, fried egg, mushrooms and chiles. His was the latest in a tradition of Quirky â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Burque burgers. New Mexico is justly famous for its greenchile cheeseburger. The New Mexico chain Blakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lotaburger serves a juicy namesake that makes even diehards forget they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like fast food. Find an Egg Foo Yong Burger at Lucky Boy, a bare-bones diner on the north edge of Nob Hill.

Near downtown, the Little Red Hamburger Hut delivers the best rendition of an old Barelas neighborhood favorite, the Little Red Burger: a diner burger drenched in a red-chile sauce. Choose from three

sizes, and add fresh onion.

Among other burger spots,arguably the best comes from the Route 66 Malt Shop between Old Town and downtown (not to be confused with the retro Route 66 Diner). Inside, an old drugstore counter runs the length of the building. Their homemade root beer has won accolades from around the country. Pair one with the burger, made from local beef, served on a toasted sesame bun and topped with roasted green chile and creamy blue cheese. Muy sabroso!â&#x20AC;&#x201D; RL

deep-fried and brought steaming to your table. Bite or pinch off a corner and drizzle honey (hopefully local) into the cavity. Messy, but divine.

In addition to the traditional, local restaurateurs are creating a vibrant scene. Myra Ghattas, daughter of the owners of Duranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pharmacy, owns Slate Street CafĂŠ and Wine Loft downtown, an architecturally dramatic but comfy space with food that follows suit. Fish and chips is built around a slab of salmon dipped in a dark beer batter, paper-thin chips made to order and served warm with a lemon-basil tartar on the side. The wine loft upstairs serves some 30 varieties by the bottle, glass and half glass with a lighter menu for noshing.

Half glasses can be part of the fun at Scalo, the Nob Hill Italian ristorante that makes both local and national lists of great restaurants and wine lists. The menu offers wine suggestions for each course. Choose to dine outside upscale on the white tablecloth side of the patio, or more relaxed in the outdoor bar area. When the weather is warm, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the house-made limoncello, chilled.

The Flying Star CafĂŠ recently opened its eighth spot in nearby Bernalillo. The chain is locally owned and locally committed. Produce, meats and cheeses from the region are used in the kitchen. Proceeds from certain cookies go to local animal protection groups. The vibe is laidback but attentive, with customers ordering at the counter then waiting for the fresh and hearty food to be served at table.

The Range CafĂŠ, another local chain, is so beloved that when the original spot in Bernalillo burned down, townsfolk donated to its rebuilding. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find no more quirky, charming place around than this big room with tin ceilings and colorful regional art. Two Albuquerque locations offer a fresh, lively menu with a great riff on the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greenchile cheeseburger theme.

Where to Stay

hotel alb u q u erq u e photo

Portrait

Andaluz. A $30 million renovation will bring this downtown landmark â&#x20AC;&#x201D; listed on the National Register of Historic Places â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a rooftop lounge, Mediterranean restaurant and updated guest rooms, all keeping true to the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spanish heritage.

125 Second Street NW www.hotelandaluz.com Chocolate Turtle Bed & Breakfast.

Found in the low-key village of Corrales, this inn greets you with fresh flowers and chocolate turtles in one of four unique guestrooms. Outside, take in views of the mountains and gardens from your porch. Nearby, find working art studios, spas and historic sites along with hiking and golf.

1098 West Meadow Lark Lane, Corrales, 877-298-1800 www.chocolateturtlebb.com Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Cultural Center. A treasure with cozy guest rooms featuring kiva fireplaces, hardwood floors, carved beams and antique New Mexican decor. After a gourmet breakfast, tour the innâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organic lavender farm and indulge in treatments using farm-fresh products.

4803 Rio Grande NW, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, 505-344-9297 www.lospoblanos.com Hotel Albuquerque. A central location near historic Old Town and the museum district makes this an ideal starting point for visitors.

The 188 rooms and 20 luxury suites

Hotel Albuquerque (left), Los Poblanos (right)

offer Wi-Fi at a work desk along with a sitting area and in-room movies.

Convention center, two restaurants and the chic Q-bar are all on site.

800 Rio Grande Boulevard NW 505-843-6300, www.hotelabq.com Hyatt Regency Albuquerque. Relax in the rooftop pool or sip a cocktail in the fountain courtyard of Boloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Saloon before retreating to your spacious guest room, one of 395 with views of the mountains or city.

330 Tijeras NW, 505-842-1234 www.albuquerque.hyatt.com Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa. On the grounds of Santa Ana Pueblo, the Tamaya offers stunning vistas, luxe accommodations and horseback riding, tennis, and golf. Indulge in spa treatments with a Native American flavor and relax at the Rio Grande Lounge for the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big show: Sunset.

1300 Tuyuna Trail, Santa Ana Pueblo 505-867-1234 www.tamaya.hyatt.com Isleta Resort & Casino. This brandnew resort on the grounds of the Pueblo of Isleta offers gaming, golf, bowling, live performances, spa, fine dining, meeting facilities, and more, including a luxury hotel with suites.

11000 Broadway SE, 505-244-8246 www.isletaeagle.com â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Compiled by Megan Seldon and Brianna Pellicane

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MAGNUM OPUS Frederico Vigil’s fresco will tell the history of Hispanic people since prehistoric times.

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F

rederico Vigil’s neck hurts.

Yours would, too, if you’d been standing on a scissor lift painting the walls and ceiling of the Torréon—the 45-foot-tall stucco tower at the entrance to Albuquerque’s National Hispanic Cultural Center—for the better part of six years.

This is no ordinary paint job. Vigil, one of a handful of masters in the art of fresco worldwide, is creating a work that is monumental in both size and scope.

When he finishes (sometime in 2009, he hopes) every inch of the Torréon’s more

than 4,000 square feet of walls and ceiling will be covered with his bright, bold fresco, which tells the story of the Hispanic peoples throughout the world from prehistoric times to the present.

The scissor lift may be a modern invention, but the painting techniques Vigil uses are ancient, predating even Michaelangelo by centuries. He mixes and applies the plaster by hand, and hand grinds and blends the natural pigments that make up his larger-thanlife figures. “This process has taught me that the people who used to do frescoes, the Italians, the primitives, were very

strong and very determined,” the 61year-old Santa Fe native says.

The design is a collaboration based on more than two years of research with a small group of historians and scholars into Hispanic history through the ages.

The execution is a more solitary thing.

He gets help from local art students who grind pigments and mix plaster, but Vigil is painting every inch of the mural himself.

Vigil began learning how to paint in the fresco style in 1984. Now, six years into this project, he says, “I’m finally figuring it out.”— Paula M. Bodah

august 2008

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