SE) has been a game-changing addition to the increasingly notable neighborhood of eastern downtown Albuquerque, often dubbed EDo - this is also part of the city's Huning Highland Historic District, and it's home to several excellent restaurants, including Artichoke, Farina Pizzeria, and Grove Cafe and Market.
Opened in 2010, the hip and stylish Hotel Parq Central (806 Central Ave. The Grove also has a fine selection of teas and coffee drinks, beautiful cupcakes and fresh-baked sweets, and an impressive variety of artisan chocolates and prepared foods. Instead, for breakfast, check out the pancakes topped with fresh fruit and creme fraiche, or poached eggs with prosciutto. The menu here steers clear of regional New Mexican and Southwestern fare, which is just fine given how many places around Albuquerque specialize in this. It's all rather urbane and casually elegant, a sure sign of Albuquerque's continued growth into a bona fide foodie destination.Īlthough the Grove carries high-end foods (including wine and local beers from nearby Marble Brewery), it's reasonably priced, in part because it's partially self-serve (you order at the counter, and they bring the food out to you). It's open daily (except Monday) until mid-afternoon for breakfast, brunch on weekends, and lunch, and there's both indoor and patio seating. SE) makes arguably the best sandwiches in the city as well as exceptionally tasty and fresh breakfast fare. Also served are elegant salads, antipasti plates, calzones, and a pretty damn fabulous selection of desserts - the butterscotch budino (a light yet somehow decadent Italian pudding) is a standout, as are the fresh-made gelatos, and the ricotta pound cake with red-wine-braised pears.įarina is in EDo (as in east of downtown), along historic Route 66 in downtown Albuquerque's Huning Highlands Historic District.Ī sleekly designed, airy cafe and fine-foods market on an up-and-coming stretch of Route 66 on the eastern side of downtown Albuquerque (an area sometimes referred to as EDo), the Grove Cafe & Market (600 Central Ave. The atmospheric storefront restaurant with wood floors, exposed-brick walls, and pressed-tin ceilings, is also a wine bar, with an impressive variety by the bottle or glass. There's a long list of creative toppings, including taleggio cheese, salsiccia sausage, truffle oil, chopped imported olives, and farmhouse goat cheese with leeks. SE) has been serving some of the finest pizza in the state - think of happily irregular-shaped hand-tossed pies with blistering crusted (thanks to inferno-like brick ovens). Since it opened beside its sister restaurant, the also excellent Artichoke Cafe, cozy and convivial Farina Pizzeria (510 Central Ave.