Mondo Italiano ~ Taos, New Mexico

First visit: Aug 2021

For our first night of our latest trip to New Mexico, we decided to mix it up a bit and go for Italian. We already knew we were going to indulge in New Mexican cuisine for a few meals, and we had the Thai restaurant (Thai Spice in ABQ) circled as well. So how about the old road trip standby of Italian? Taos is a little bit more of a resort-y town, and you can expect all sorts of restaurants to cater to the tourist crowd. The owner of Mondo Italiano comes from New York, and what better place to learn the craft than the Big Apple.

Mrs. RJG and I decided to just keep it simple. A glass of wine each with spaghetti and x, where x = meatballs or sausage. Pardon the programming language. In general, these dishes are rarely cooked properly anymore. Usually the sauce is too tart, sweet, bitter, runny, thick... but not here. Perfectly cooked. The pasta was al dente and the smooth sauce had just the right amount of sweet and tart. The sausage was mild, but tasty. I don't think they make their own, but that's a tough ask. The meatballs were also very good. Not the meatballs of my youth, but no one makes them like that anymore. It's apparently a secret that went down with the Library of Alexandria. I'm older than you thought, huh? The portions are also old school, in that they aren't very large. Honestly we prefer this. For far too long, the meal sizes at restaurants have become ridiculously huge, with prices to match. The red wine can generously be called "table wine", which means in laymen terms that it has a low ABV. Like 11.5, but that's a guess on our part. All meals are also served with bread, which was excellent. We decided to pass on salads. The setting is pleasant with a large open space and plenty of natural light. There is a bar area as well. 

As for that overall cost, the meal was surprisingly affordable, especially in this day and age. And considering it's in Taos. Of course bear in mind that this is the size of meal you would have gotten prior to the 1990s. We're not in Taos enough to come back anytime soon (we like to try new places if we can), but if we are there for any kind of extended stay, certainly Mondo Italiano would be a regular visit.

9/20/21 (new entry)

Thai Spice ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Aug 2021

No road trip is going to happen without at least one visit to a Thai restaurant. That's a Mrs. RJG rule. So for this getaway, Albuquerque was chosen as the city and Thai Spice as the place. We've had good Thai food in ABQ before (Thai Cuisine II - not reviewed here), but we were looking for something a bit closer to our hotel (we stayed up north), and settled on Thai Spice based on the reviews. And those reviews were accurate. Thai Spice could be described as "bustling". A popular place, with both dine-in and to-go orders, the workers at Thai Spice were constantly on the move, and we arrived relatively early. As such, service was a bit slow, but not sure how they could have rectified that situation. The restaurant is open and spacious, and pleasant background music was provided for a serene setting despite the activity.

We started with a fried shrimp appetizer. A bit on the small size, but still very good. For dinner, I ordered my usual spicy basil chicken. They have larb salad on the menu, so I usually try for ground chicken in those situations. Add a fried egg? Yep. Thai hot? Yep. "Oh you like it Thai style don't you?" Yaay. I know I'm in the right place at that point. And it did not disappoint. I have to say, this is the most fried egg I've ever had on the basil chicken, but I'm not complaining. Everything was great. Mrs. RJG had the red curry and it came out in a huuuuge bowl. Intimidating at first, but the dish had no chance once she started devouring it. We both commented that we enjoyed the rice, perfectly cooked. No alcohol, so I indulged with my "dessert" drink of Thai Ice Coffee instead, which was excellent. Mrs. RJG stuck with water.

Easy recommendation for anyone looking for Thai food. Obviously Thai Spice is already well known to the locals. Might want to go early. And imagine, we were there on a Tuesday night. Friday must be insane.

9/19/21 (new entry)

Casa Chimayo ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

Last visit: Aug 2021

First visit: Sep 2015

We've been back to Casa Chimayo twice in the last 6 years (the other was in 2016). Sad to say, neither visit lived up to our review below. While I'm willing to state it's still very good, Mrs. RJG has been more critical. We just don't go to Santa Fe enough to warrant another visit.

---original 9/11/15 review

Food: Casa Chimayo's fare is solidly in the New Mexican camp. Perhaps a bit more upscale than the usual New Mexican breakfast/lunch hybrid house. Casa Chimayo offers complimentary chips and salsa, which isn't always a given in New Mexico. The chips were very thick and crisp, clearly homemade, and taste fantastic on their own. The salsa is a thick and smooth red, with garlic and chiles, and very satisfying. For entrees, we both settled in on the Blue Corn Enchiladas, which they proudly state were featured on Fiori's DDD. We weren't feeling diverse this evening, so we both went with the chicken and Christmas chile and it comes with whole beans and rice. WINNER! Without a doubt, Casa Chimayo holds its own against the formidable local competition. Both the green and the red were excellent, and definitely a bit spicier than the norm in Santa Fe (though not like Horseman's Haven by any stretch). I use the word "velvety" often when describing the red chile, and I struggle to find another adjective, and so once again I'll use it here. The beans and rice came out piping hot and were delicious in their own right. Oh, and they even served us a couple of their famous bizcochitos (cookies) for dessert. They were excellent too.

Drink: Nice selection of beer, wine, and margaritas. We had the latter, which were tasty, though perhaps a bit more tequila would have been nice. I regretted not trying a glass of the New Mexican Chardonnay they had on the menu.

Location: Yet another restaurant in the artsy district on North Guadalupe. And once again, parking is a challenge. There are two pay lots surrounding the restaurant, and metered parking was a breeze on this one mid-week evening. And it would have been free, if we had arrived after 6, but we went earlier per our custom. The restaurant itself is very pleasant, as if eating at someone's spacious villa. Plenty of both outdoor and indoor seating. We were surprised to see the restaurant nearly empty for the course of our dinner. Folks, if you don't feel like standing in line at one of the more established restaurants, can I recommend a quick pop over here? One other point I'd like to make. We don't usually fuss about service, bad or good. That can change with a single visit. But I have to say everyone from the bus boys to the hostess to the servers were incredibly friendly. That points more to quality management. And friendly service is not always a given in Santa Fe, where often times the staff seems more bothered than pleased to see you. So kudos go to Casa Chimayo! Oh, and one other thing. We loved the background music of Spanish guitar as well. How many restaurants fail on this front? Soothing and sophisticated is how you'll feel while dining here.

Notes: The name of the restaurant comes from the name of the small town north of Santa Fe, and halfway to Taos. This is where the family originates from. I believe the restaurant first opened in 2011.

9/10/15 (new entry); 8/5/16; 8/30/21

Rosa's Italian Ristorante ~ Visalia, California

(The Cristallo Family)

[Since 1962]

{Bar and Lounge}

Ya almost don’t need to even go in and order. You KNOW it’s gonna be epic! I did say, ‘almost’?!

Strangely, this was my second choice for premium wap-chow (ed: well... he is Rude Dante...) in a town named Visalia. How could I go wrong? (Choice #1, incidentally, was closed for a remodel the entire span of my visit).

Was here two times Aug-Sept 2021, and the second will have to be first. I came in seeking Penne di Maria, and it did not disappoint. But where are my manners. 

You have to sit at the bar in the back. Talk to the other patrons: Skip (owns the meat market that sells them steaks, bread, etc.) Tanya and Teddy (she orders for him). But I digress…

Dinner the last trip was Penne di Maria, a spicy red  sauce over penne with Italian sausage, bell peppers and (if you ask for it) extra garlic. Asked for salad with house (Italian) dressing, a couple beers and an old vine Zinfandel. The bread (gratis) was perfect for mopping up the sauce!

This after my first visit - 2 weeks prior - where they batted not an eye over my request for combo eggplant & chicken parm. Love this place!

- Rude Dante review