Regular Joe's Guide

First visit: May 2023 In an ideal scenario, we would have liked to go our favorite Perea's for Sunday breakfast, but they are now closed on that day unfortunately. We thought about finding another breakfast house in Albuquerque but neither of us were starving since we didn't run on this morning. So we opted to "eat on the road" as we headed south to Las Cruces. Socorro looks like a pretty cool little town, let's go there. Socorro is one of those classic former US highway roadside towns with motels and eateries among the usual shops that the town needs to sustain. They also possess a very nice looking university in New Mexico Tech, which no doubt keeps the place young and hopping. After cruising the main drag, the RJG has a new goal to eat dinner at the El Camino Lounge, which looks like the most awesome throwback restaurant I've seen in ages. As if 1971 was the here and now. And maybe stay at one of the retro motels while we're at it. I've circled that...

Food tent Closed: 2024 First tried: May 2023 As noted in the High and Dry Brewing entry, we ended up having an impromptu barbecue dinner. And as you've now surmised that obviously was at Doobie's Smokehouse. A first for the RJG, we tried a place that was essentially a preopening ceremony. This is not a food truck, but rather a business that is about to (soft) open. And that date has been set for this Friday, June 2 (full opening in July). That new location is set to be next to the Public House ABQ, which is at Hermosa Dr. NE and Campus Blvd. NE  Since it's just a tent, they offered a very limited menu that was made up mainly of brisket and pulled pork sandwiches along with a basket of ribs. We stayed simple and just had barbecue brisket sandwiches with a side of chips. The meat was very flavorful and mostly tender though a couple of pieces were a bit chewy. They'll likely iron out some of the kinks as they go. The key is the seasonings and flavor profile which they have...

First visit: May 2023 Our drive from Pueblo to ABQ was uneventful and we checked into the Sheraton Hotel Uptown. Nice old school "corporate hotel" that had cheaper rates than the Best Western. While I prefer historical hotels, it's not always feasible or practical. The hotel was very nice with none of the usual hiccups we typically experience today. After that we went to a few antique malls and thrift shops until it was time for a beer. The closest nearby was High and Dry. Perfect as I wanted to try something new. Albuquerque has many nicknames, but I think the best one is Albuquirky. The neighborhoods here in this part of town (near Univ of New Mexico) are all funky, and if you're a Mid Mod fan like Mrs. RJG, there's much to look at and enjoy. Plenty of parking and once inside, High and Dry offers a very friendly space. Plenty of seating inside and out to quaff your beverage of choice. We grabbed a beer and they asked if we wanted to start a tab. I said I'm n...

First visit: May 2023 It's time for the RJG's annual trip to New Mexico! Working, thrifting, and eating (not necessarily in that order) for an entire week. We started this tradition in 2013 and continued through 2016. For the next 3 years and 2021, we took shorter long weekend trips. Starting last year in 2022 we revived the concept to great success (mostly adding thrifting to the repertoire). Any good trip to New Mexico involves a stop for breakfast in Colorado's own Pueblo, arguably our finest city in the state for RJG styled cuisine. Since I'd already been to B Street earlier in the year, I thought we'd try something new. That shouldn't be too hard on a Saturday morning right? Wrong. Our first location chosen was inexplicably closed. As in we really have no idea why. Was it closed for the Memorial Day weekend? Or closed for good? Who knows. The next selection lead us to a place where we read the hastily written note on the front door "to-go only". I...

E. 17th Ave. @ Franklin St. First visit: May 2023 I continued to dig at two more shops after lunch, and now I've built up a thirst. There are a lot of breweries in this area of town, but I don't want to go to any of the major ones that I can easily get back home. Reverence Brewing - there's a completely new name to me. Let's go there. Finding parking is always a challenge in the old parts of Denver, so I finally found a quiet side street. A pleasant 7 minute walk and I arrive at my destination. The walk itself is enlightening. Many very old homes have been lovingly restored or rebuilt tastefully. And other structures are completely abandoned and destroyed. One wonders how they haven't been repossessed, but I'm sure these government matters aren't easy. The sidewalks are in terrible condition, and one has to be careful not to injure yourself. Once inside, a welcoming environment awaits. Many folks enjoyed the outdoors though the air quality was horrible on th...

First visit: May 2023 I was digging for records in the Capitol Hill area of Denver when lunchtime arrived. Where to go? I didn't want anything too heavy, just a sandwich would be wonderful. And up popped SubCulture (great name!) which was all of 2 blocks away. A quick walk over and we're in your classic inner city hip sandwich shop. To be expected, plenty of cultural references are splashed everywhere and the drink machine is loaded with stickers. They have a large menu that I took time to peruse outside before venturing in. Order at the counter, and you choose a playing card for your table number. The gimmick here is if you choose the joker your meal is free! I never win these things and picked the 7 of clubs. I think I would have paid anyway, since I'm not a regular customer, and these places can use the revenue I'm sure.  Any sandwich shop that has a Cuban on the menu is A-OK with me, and that's what I went with. Denver is the king of toasted subs (Quizno's a...

Latest visit: Jun 2025 First visit: May 2023 Founded: 2023 ---6/27/25 Back for my annual review of Chiltepin. Ordered exactly what I had last year: Two carne asada tacos and one pollo asado. And happy to report that all came out wonderful, including the two salsas. The tortillas is what makes them the best. An essential stop while down south. Now - why the delay? Well doggone it, they never put up the umbrellas! Maybe they got stolen, not sure. They have three large metal patio furniture setups. One is completely outside and useless, unless you want to bake in the sun. They moved one about halfway under the awning. That's where I sat, in the shaded portion. They moved another completely under the awning, but too close to the ordering window. They could move it further to "the right" and still be completely covered. I know it seems like I'm giving the seating arrangement a lot of attention, but their tacos are not conducive for in-the car eating, and I'm many miles...

Latest visit: Apr 2025 (Rockrimmon) First visit: May 2023 (Red Leg Brewing campus) Founded: 1983 ---4/18/25 As noted on the High Rise Pizza visit, the original plan was to go to Oliver's but it proved to be too crowded. On this dreary Friday, I arrived earlier and there was no crowd to speak of. Let's get a summary going: Location: Neighborhood strip mall setting. Inside it looks like an old fashioned deli and is very homey. Counter serve. Food: I ordered exactly the same thing as last year: The Conquering Hero. The photo doesn't do the sandwich justice, as it's piled high. My description below remains true. One of the rare sandwich places where you will feel stuffed when leaving. It's also quite expensive and they ask for the unearned tip (counter serve!) which is really annoying. Love the pickle. Drink: Their fountain drinks come from Real Sugar Soda Colorado which is a nice touch. Overall: Definitely a Rotation place but given the cost and other factors, it's...

Latest visit: May 2023 First visit: Jan 2019 It's been 4 years since I last visited Red Leg Brewing and much has changed since the pandemic. They moved to a larger newly built facility at the western edge of Garden of the Gods Road. Not only is the brewery itself big and spacious, but they also added what looks like a school campus. There are multiple permanent small buildings that serve as food options, while they have a turf area for the kids (or adults I suppose) to play on. The restaurant setup is like an outdoor version of what Bristol did with the Ivywild School, but with a much nicer environment. Immobile food trucks as it were. Ideal since food trucks are notorious for being unreliable, this ensures everyone will have options to eat while imbibing.  At first it seems they didn't build enough parking spaces, but there's plenty in the back as you wind around the road. Walk into the gated area and you can place your food order at any one of the four primary options (cu...

First visit: May 2023 (Plainview, Texas) Well, believe it or not, I've never been to a Braum's before. Part of that was a story a guy told me in church during the 80s that probably wasn't even true. I'm not going to get into the details, but it was an image that turned me off of Braum's. I really should have made an effort to go here at least once while living in NE Tarrant. But... I didn't. JL had no such history, and when I suggested an ice cream dessert, he said "what about that place we saw coming down?". Ah yes, Braum's. Sure - why not? This is a large new building, and we proceeded to head straight to the ice cream counter (separate from the food section). I had two scoops of the Cappuccino Chocolate and he had a milkshake of some sort. And a large french fry order. This guy... Anyway, it was very - very good. Creamy and tasty. Best ice cream I've had in some time (that wasn't technically gelato). I want to go back and try their hambu...

First visit: May 2023 (Llano) After the show our gameplan was to head out NW and knock out a few hours so that the next day's drive wouldn't be so bad. It's truly amazing how much Austin has grown. Just one big suburbia/exurbia that extends for miles. Places like Bee Cave that weren't even on the map when I was in college, are nothing more than extensions of Austin today. Finally the countryside opens up and we enter the Hill Country. This is the Texas I remember traveling around with Dad on his business trips in the 70s and early 80s. Still thousands of acres of untouched pristine land. Hopefully it will stay like that - there's plenty of room in the existing metro area. Dinner time was set to be around 7. Most places on a Sunday night are closed, and if they are open, they close at 6. Cooper's was the exception going till 8, and we had yet to have barbecue on this trip though it was always in the discussion. The decision was easy. I thought I recognized the na...

First visit: May 2023 (Austin - Barton Springs Rd.) Locations: 30 in Austin + 5 in San Antonio (metro areas). Final day of the show has arrived. We knew it was going to be much slower, which gave us even more options for lunch. JL wanted Sandy's again but I was interested in trying something new. At our table someone recommended P. Terry's. Oh I remember - this is the cool looking place we saw coming into Austin! You think Lucy's might have a cool look, P. Terry's beats them all. Their use of space age Googie architecture hasn't been seen since the glory days of 1960s Los Angeles. I sit in awe. If I were to start a fast food chain, this is exactly how I would do it. As it turns out, not only was P. Terry's within walking distance, but this is their very first location - opened in 2005! I wandered over (further than Sandy's but not too bad). This time we added a chocolate shake to our order. Because you know, we've been eating so healthy, we deserved it! ...

First visit: May 2023 After another day of successfully selling records, JL proclaims he wants fried chicken. OK, now is our time to go hipster. Let's try Lucy's in the local neighborhood here. The Zagat styled review states: Elevated Southern eats with a patio. What is with the patio anyway? They all say that as if that's the most important thing. Who wouldn't want to sit outside on a 100 degree humid day in Austin, Texas? Then this: Elevated Southern eats. Elevated. Jeez. We were greeted by our transgendered host/hostess/hostit. I don't even know what to call them. And they get mad if you get it wrong. Well Jethro and Bubba are here and we want fried chicken dammit! So you figure it out. I was happy because these places always have great craft beers on tap. Right? Wrong. Ugh. Really? Only one "macro craft". Goshdarndamnpoop. OK whatever. We grabbed our patio bench (inside the open space for the record) and proceeded to order. We each got a basket of chic...

First visit: May 2023 The next day promised to be more relaxed and it was. Even though the crowds were larger, they were more casual buyers. So it was less intense and I had more freedom while JL worked the tables. We had a light breakfast. By the way, we stayed at the Springhill Suites in south Austin. Not a really great hotel. One of those that uses the excuse they can't find any workers so they can't clean the room each day. Yea, right. Yet, they have no problem charging extra. That they somehow manage to do. They do the "needful" though. Clean sheets, semi-hot shower, the air conditioning works. I slept no problem. The breakfast buffet blows however. It's really bad. I was lucky to get a bagel from them. Anyway... It's lunch time, and because I have a bit more freedom, I had time to walk across the street. We had a few options, but JL was set on Sandy's. I've never been, but it looks like the ultimate RJG kind of place! They've been serving bur...

Latest visit: May 2023 First visit: Nov 2001 (Dallas) We survived our drive into Austin the night before, but we had some torrential downpours and it got a little hairy in places. But we made it. Grabbed our separate rooms and I died in the bed. Friday was our big selling day, with guys flying in all over the world buying records like the ones we brought (some well over $1,000 each). So there was no time to leave the convention hall for lunch. We had a light breakfast at the hotel and some snacks to hold us through the day. Finally it was time for dinner and JL says "I wanna a big 'ol steak". That sounds damn good! Should be an easy ask here in big 'ol Austin.  Not really. North of the river is downtown and they have all the expense account steakhouses. Not worth the money if I'm paying for it, but always happy for my company to pick up my tab. :-) Problem #2 is that Austin's famous 6th Street is not for us. List the issues: 1) We have a large immobile van; 2)...

First visit: May 2023 It was already a long day when we could see the storms brewing to the south. Right where we were going. We need to stop for dinner. It was late but we were both hungry, though the Taco Villa snack helped immensely. It was getting dark as well. We better pull over in the next town. And that was Coleman, a very typical west Texas charming village with old buildings that seemed to be barely hanging on. I've never been here myself, but I've been to plenty of small towns in Texas like this. Tucked away in an unassuming structure is Scotty's. Since JL was doing the driving I was ready for a couple of beers and a good meal. Scotty's is a very unusual place for such a small town. Their theme is heavy on Star Wars and aliens. And we were there on May The Forth Be With You day, so it was their big day as it were. The bathroom alone is funky enough just to stop and see. Well the taps weren't impressive but at least they had Real Ale, something I haven...

First visit: May 2023 It's time for the big road trip down to Austin for the Record Show! JL and I loaded up the van full of rare vinyl and began our 14 hour journey (with no stops... which we did plenty, so call it 17 hours). It's still very early in the morning and breakfast is on our mind when we arrive in Trinidad. Where to go? Pull up the trusty Google Map app and Bob & Earl's looked like a winner. Sitting on the outskirts of the western side of town, we journeyed on over. Walk in, and this cafe screams local, just what we both wanted! I went with my usual smothered burrito. Asked for it Christmas and they didn't ask me what that meant, so that's a good sign. I wisely ordered the "small" which is really "just the right amount". There wasn't much difference in color between the red and green. Neither were even close to New Mexico chiles but not Colorado green either. Nonetheless it was delicious with the bacon flavor coming through. W...