El Padrino ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Nov 2024

First visit: Apr 2019

And speaking of RJG Rotation restaurants, here's one of our last revisits for 2024. Same excellent ambiance as before as we were seated in the bar area. I went for the frozen marg and Mrs. RJG had one on the rocks. She complained to me that it wasn't that strong, and mine certainly wasn't. Doesn't make sense to skimp on the tequila, that's how you get regulars in the door! Chips were somewhat typical. They gave us two salsas, one a tomato mild and the other pretty much the same with additional chiles. Nothing too spicy unfortunately though plenty of garlic. I was in the mood for enchiladas, so I ordered the lunch special of two chicken enchiladas with rice and beans, smothered in their hot green chile. Chicken was of the dark meat variety. One major plus, like prior visits, is the dish came our smoking hot! But otherwise nothing too distinctive including a rather mild green sauce. Mrs. RJG went with the two ground beef taco plate, like below. She said it was good, but nothing great. And she needed to add Tapatio sauce for any kind of heat (she didn't like the table salsas at all). The $14 lunch combos are way too pricey for what you get.

So, as you can tell, El Padrino has fallen out of favor with the RJG and out of the rotation it goes. It's a good place, but nothing more I'm afraid. It has slipped in quality.

---4/24/23 update

I'm pretty sure I mentioned this somewhere in this blog, but there's something special about going for a Saturday Mexican lunch on a cold dreary day in Colorado. And that was, in fact, this day. Nothing has changed from our prior visits in terms of quality. Alterations this time is that I went for a draft beer (Red Leg Helo) instead of a frozen marg, and Mrs. RJG went back to boring water (I'm making progress though on corrupting her again...). They did bring out both a mild and a spicy salsa. The mild is more like a medium and the hot is more like a medium. Huh? We agree the "hot" is spicier but not by much. Both were delicious though. Perhaps this is what we received last time without realizing the difference. And we had remembered that the tacos were our favorite, so we stuck with Taco Plates this time. They serve these on a custom tin, made just for tacos (2 per order). On the plate itself were steaming piles of beans and rice. Hot temperature - yaay! Everything came out excellent to our taste and we enjoyed our return visit. Will we be back before next year? It deserves more visits, but we'll see where the priorities land.

---11/12/22 update

OK, back on home turf here. It's lunch time and I still have a hankering for our old habit of a Saturday Mexican lunch. I suggested El Padrino, and Mrs. RJG surprised me with a yes answer (see original review below). On this visit, like the others, we sat in the bar area. Rather than beer, I wanted my biannual frozen margarita and wifey had one on the rocks. Very good - tequila was present and accounted for. Chips and salsa were just as good as the last trip, though I forgot to order a spicy salsa, but the regular one has a nice kick and is very flavorful. This time I ordered the combo #1, and she had #8. The only difference is her enchilada was shredded beef and mine was ground. Both come with a ground beef taco. We each ordered the enchilada to be smothered in the spicy green. I think a wire got crossed because it wasn't very spicy on this visit. Or maybe it just wasn't hot this go round. The big hit was the taco. Mrs. RJG loved the homemade crispy fried shell, as did I. Ground beef was seasoned lightly but the salsa made up for it. No matter, the shell won her over. Rice and beans came out very hot, something we're not seeing much anymore. Yet another plus. So hooray, I think we finally won over Mrs. RJG at El Padrino. Next time we might just get tacos. See you next year if not before. 

---original 4/24/21 review

This was only our second visit to El Padrino, a place that should be our "local" Mexican restaurant. Trouble is - for reasons I cannot ascertain - Mrs. RJG doesn't like it. But I most certainly do. Walking in, you can sit in the cozy bar, or wait to be seated at a regular table. We've only done the former - a nice dark space with a large modern bar nearby. Once settled into the little booth, I was pleasantly surprised to see they have local brewery Goat Patch on tap. Not going to miss out on that! Those beers are registered in the Bier Reise (see tab above).

The chips arrived with the server, no need to ask. Nice and crispy, with two salsas - one a medium, the other a hot. Both excellent and entirely unique. Not a common recipe, which is a plus. I do believe they have cumin in them for certain, and the hot likely has chile de arbol or something hotter than jalapenos.

Good time to point out that El Padrino is everything Senor Manuel is not - that is to say, it's modernized, clean, and very comfortable for the whole family. Well, Senor Manuel is certainly comfortable, but not everyone goes for those older, dingier places. Like we do lol.

For the primary meal, I'm burying my ground beef burrito in their spicy green chile (you have the option of mild). Again, I'm lapping it up with glee - and a little sweat. Excellent rice and beans. Maybe not the best rice and beans ever, but certainly very good. Mrs. RJG seemed to be enjoying her meal as well (similar, but enchiladas with chicken). But as she'll often do - she'll tell me it's great while there, and later say "I didn't like it". Why? "I dunno". OK. That's how you stay married for almost 25 years. You say OK.

Problem with the above scenario is I wouldn't go to a place like El Padrino by myself, so it can be awhile before we give it another shot. But Mr. RJG gives El Padrino a thumbs up.

4/18/19; 4/24/21 (new entry); 11/12/22; 4/24/23; 11/30/24

RJG Rotation

I refer to the RJG Rotation often but have never really clarified what it means.

In effect it represents restaurants that I would like to return to at least once a year. As time has marched on, once a year is usually the only frequency in which I go to most of these restaurants. Much of this has to do with eating better, which means eating at home. Other factors include expense (which, as everyone knows, has gone beyond the reach of normalcy) as well as interest level. But the fire to try new places is still there! And, the purpose of the topic here, to revisit places we really enjoy.

For the inaugural entry (and I will attempt to update this annually), I will highlight what is currently in rotation, and where I plan to visit at least once in 2025. Almost all of these are in Colorado Springs just because of the logistics. There are a couple of outliers as well. I do see adding more in Denver and Pueblo soon, and I will explain why when I'm ready, but for now Denver only has a couple of places listed. This list is highly fluid, so changes happen often. I will also include the first year the restaurant (or food truck) was included. Some of these we'd been to prior but they weren't rotation restaurants. We moved to Colorado Springs in 2018, so many start there. Some followed us from DFW, so they go back even further.

(all Colorado Springs unless noted)

Schlotzsky's (1995) The oldest rotation place. Started eating there regularly in Denver and just kept going wherever we moved.

Freddy's Steakburgers (2009) Great example of the first paragraph. I went on Jan. 1, and that was my sole visit all year.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop (2011)

La Choza - Santa Fe, NM (2014) 2020 notwithstanding due to Chancellor Wuhan's dictatorship.

Del Taco (2018) They moved out of DFW only a few years prior or this would be older.

Phantom Canyon Brewing (2018)

Quijotes Mexican (2018)

Josh & Johns Ice Cream (2018)

Colorado Creamery (2018)

Walter's303 Pizzeria (2018)

Joey's Pizza (2018)

Zapata Taco Shop (2019)

The Brass Tap (2019)

Taste of Philly (2020)

Parry's Pizza (2020)

Culver's Hamburgers (2021)

Birdcall Chicken (2021)

South Jersey Subs (2021)

Sugarlump Ice Cream - Westcliffe (2021)

In-N-Out Burger (2022) - Had to wait until they opened in Colorado.

Whataburger (2022) - Had to wait until they opened in Colorado pt. 2.

Leon Gessi Pizza (2022)

Luigi's Italian (2022)

Bingo Burger (2022)

Back East Bar & Grill (2022)

Mollica's Deli (2022)

Granelli's Pizza - Castle Rock (2022)

Valentina's - Santa Fe, NM (2022)

Slice 420 Pizza (2023)

Dr. Taco (2023)

Mission BBQ (2023)

Oliver's Deli (2023)

Chiltepin Mexican (2023)

Dave's Hot Chicken (2023)

Cogstone Brewing (Pizza) (2023)

Pass Key Italian - Pueblo (2023)

Glacier Ice Cream - Castle Rock (2023)

Quincys Steakhouse - Florence (or other mountain towns) (2023)

Wayback Burgers - Woodland Park (2024)

Daddy's Chicken Shack (2024)

Tacos del Gordo (2024)

South Park Brewing (2024)

Basil & Barley (2024)

Jet's Pizza (2024) Welcome back to the Rotation! Had to wait for them to open here.

Papa's Pizza (2024)

Thai Boran - Albuquerque, NM (2024)

Blake's Lotaburger - New Mexico (2024) Lot of fits and starts with this chain, but added back.

The below fell out of the RJG Rotation in 2024

Colorado Mountain Brewing (2016-2024). They'll probably get a revisit anyway since they're so close. We started going there on our annual trips to Colorado Springs before moving here. There are better breweries here though. It's a tourist restaurant, but a good one.

Omelets Etc (2018-2024). They should be better. Never hot enough.

Dog Haus Biergarten (2022-2024). I had lost interest but they just closed our location anyway.

El Padrino Mexican (2019-2024). Slippage in quality.

Chick Fil-A (2018-2023). They weren't a rotation place in Texas. I like them, but not mandatory.

Five Guys Burgers (2007-2023). I went way too long with this chain going back to my time working in Reston, Virginia. Their prices today are more than a steakhouse. Ridiculous for a fast food restaurant.

Jersey Mike's (2005-2023). Another chain I went too long with starting back when I had an office in Las Colinas, Texas. I hold them personally accountable for the "unearned tip" idea, something they started doing back in 2016. Now their sandwiches have become a victim of shrinkflation, and their employees seem to be stoned all the time. I'll reconsider re-adding back at another time.

Trivelli's Subs (2020-2023). Asian run Philly Steak and Italian sub place. They're very good but not essential.

Senor Manuel's (2018-2023). Too much heavy food for us at this stage. Good place though. We'll be back.

Restaurants or places under consideration for annual visits

Some of these get annual visits anyway, but I don't make a concerted effort to do so.

Abby's Irish Pub; Arelita Cuban; Samich Shack; Public House; Sonora's Taco Shop; Cheba Hut; Erickberto's; L&L Hawaiian; Rosie's Diner; Front Range BBQ; East Coast Deli; Bonchon; El Chapin; Wooglin's; Rizuto's Ice Cream; Zesty Thai; Roman Villa; Western Omelette; Schnitzel Fritz; Ted's Montana; The Loop (Manitou Springs); Qdoba; Rib & Chop House; Biaggi's; First Watch Cafe; Skirted Heifer; Wade's Cafe; Parkway Tavern; Gunther Toody's; Jose Muldoon's; Old Chicago

And... just about all the local breweries lol. Not enough time for them all though. And many are closing. :-(

The list is also very long for Denver and Pueblo. I feel like next year some of these will be new for the Rotation. More to come on that.

Valentina's ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

Latest visit: Nov 2024

First visit: Apr 2022

I forgot to mention this on the Perea's update: We found a new trail in Albuquerque too. Out east in the mountains, the Embudo Trail which "funnels" (haha) into the Cibola National Forest. We run straight uphill for about 20 minutes (huff puff), take a short break, and run back down casually. A perfect workout that allows us to continue to eat like teenagers. In case you were wondering how we manage to continue to do this... I'm 60 and don't want to give any of this up. That's the task that must be done every morning, like 350 days a year task. And with that...

We cleaned up at the hotel and left Albuquerque, and hopefully we'll be back next year as usual. The plan was to have Sunday breakfast in Santa Fe at Horseman's Haven, a place we haven't been to in many years. Mrs. RJG usually puts up resistance at the last minute. Not sure why, but she insists it isn't as good as I've documented. I think it's a misplaced memory. And sure enough, while driving north on I-25, she wanted to pivot to another restaurant. In fact, she really wanted to go back to Valentina's. Twist my arm.

By the time we got here, I was ready to eat the tires off our SUV (an interesting image...), so my appetito was huge. And some of the breakfast houses in Santa Fe are tough to get into on a Sunday morning, but that's not a problem with Valentina's, which remains something of a local secret (don't worry fans, our readership is too small to have much impact). I have to admit, Mrs. RJG was right, Valentina's was the better choice. It's going into the RJG Rotation, and while that wasn't official before, we've gone for three straight years anyway, all documented below.

We started with the chips and salsa. Oh my gosh, so so good. I love their red salsa. Mrs. RJG thinks it might be a combination of Chile de Arbol and Guajillo. The chips are real corn. Learning my lesson from last year, I went back to Christmas. I'm so glad I did. The green was loaded with chiles, and was knock-you-down spicy. I always eat half the dish, flip the plate and then the other. I then tackled the smooth red. One could argue it's better than La Choza. If not, it's in the competition. Otherwise my burrito was egg, potatoes, cheese, and ham. The latter, once again, is a ham steak cut up and stuffed in there. It's brilliant. Mrs. RJG ordered the Huevos Rancheros with whole beans and Spanish rice. Hers also came with a sopaipilla. She had most of it, but I grabbed about a quarter. Very good and fluffy, and made for a nice dessert with the honey.

Best meal of the trip. Go here.

---6/2/23 update

Valentina's is a restaurant that I was very excited to revisit. Last year was our first try, and we had a great experience. We also knew that it would be a lot of food. Having eaten sensibly the night before at The Ranch House, and getting our three mile run in, we were ready to tackle the big breakfast that Valentina's offers. And I'm happy to report everything is just as it was in 2022. Incredible chips and salsa and a monster burrito smothered in red, which was blazing hot spicy as was the salsa. With a big ol' ham steak jammed in there too. Last year I mentioned the green was more typical, but Mrs. RJG persisted to try it again and this time it was better than I remembered. And honestly burying everything in the red is just too much of that one flavor. I'm going back to Christmas. Valentina's is currently one of our favorite Santa Fe restaurants. No trip can go without at least a visit here.

If you read at the bottom of the below review, neither Sunrise nor Tortilla Flats made it to the itinerary. Just too many great places to eat in Santa Fe!

---original 4/14/22 review

Despite going to a number of restaurants in Santa Fe this week, we had yet to try something new. Our Airbnb host left a sheet behind of recommend places to try. La Choza was on there for example, so we knew the recs were probably spot on. This was the only other New Mexican place on the list. 

Oh yes, this is definitely a great recommendation!

First off, Valentina's sits in a shopping center, so there's actually a place to park. In fact it's the same one that houses Pho Kim, a Vietnamese place we enjoy but haven't gone back to in some years (it's in the RJG). Walking in, you'll see a relatively large restaurant painted in bright colors with unique art. Very much an Hispanic atmosphere pervades. 

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you'll be provided with a large menu. We ordered chips and salsa to start on this particular breakfast outing. Whoa! These are some of the best homemade corn chips we've had in sometime. And the salsa is very spicy and has an incredible chile flavor. In fact the taste experience reminded us of a place in Nampa, Idaho called El Rinconcito. It's a combination of a blazing salsa against the corn taste that just explodes in your mouth. We were regulars to that restaurant when the RJG had a consulting gig at Boise State in the latter half of 1998 and early 1999. On a return visit in 2014, it wasn't the same, and I see now it's out of business. What a shame. In any case - thank you Valentina's for ensuring that flavor still exists! Both Mrs. RJG and I remembered it exactly the same without leading the witness. Well that certainly set the mood right.

Now time for the main entries. I had the breakfast burrito with eggs, ham, and potatoes, smothered in Christmas. OK, these guys are just showing off now. This is larger than the others ones we've tried, and the ham is not just diced but rather cut slices from a fully cooked ham steak! Wow. The green was good, but rather non distinctive. It's the red that gets the shout out. A very dark variety loaded with flavor. I'll be sure to smother my next ham & eggs burrito in the red only on my next visit. Mrs. RJG went with her staple of Huevos Rancheros. Her experience was similar, though she was more favorable to the green, but preferred the red as well. She liked the refried beans, only lamenting she wished they were of a hotter temperature. We always want Abuelo's hot!

All in all, a super first encounter. With Tortilla Flats making a comeback, and now Valentina's, did Sunrise just get knocked out of contention? 

4/14/22 (new entry); 6/2/23; 11/17/24

Alien Brewpub ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Nov 2024

The original plan was to have Italian food, but both Mrs. RJG and I weren't really in the mood for a pasta dish, and besides we really didn't see a place that caught our eye. Maybe next time we're town, we'll try one for lunch. Now what? After some deliberation, we decided on a brewpub that had hamburgers.

Alien Brewpub, which is Sierra Blanca / Rio Grande Brewing, is an old fashioned brewpub. It reminds me of Heavy Seas in Baltimore before they closed up (we have a writeup in the RJG somewhere), and many other places from the 90s and 00s. A little bit different than the historic Phantom Canyon (Colorado Springs) or Montana Brewing (Billings) that we've covered here. More of a mix of sports pub meets brewery, and the latter has a set list of beers that doesn't change much. More sports bar than brewery I'd submit. Near a large indoor shopping mall with familiar big box anchors. These places have been steadily going out of business in recent years, and based on the crowd on this Saturday night, one wonders how much life this particular Alien has left.

No matter, if the food is good, we would have succeeded in our quest for a quality dinner. And the good news is that the pride of the cooks won out on this night. Mrs. RJG had the UFO Burger with cheese and green chile strips ordered well done. Also came with regular French fries. She really enjoyed it (and the fries were hot). I had the Alien Burger which features a green chile tempura, now that was different. Like a piece of fish on top except it was a chile. I liked it. Also came with smoked applewood bacon. Also had the curly fries with a nice seasoning. Burgers were large and filling. Excellent all around. Probably not a place we'll be returning to, if it will even be around to go back to. But if we lived in ABQ, it would be in the RJG Rotation for as long as possible.

11/16/24 (new entry)

Flock of Moons Brewing ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Nov 2024

We're slowly but surely working our way through the Albuquerque breweries. Like with yesterday, we were busy all day, this time going to antique shops and record stores, and by the later afternoon we were both thirsty. Time for a beer! 

Flock of Moons is one of those classic right-off-the-university hangouts. Lots of hipsters, oddballs, and eccentrics. In other words, we fit right in then! At least the latter two characteristics. The decoration is pure mid-century modern with hanging globe lamps and clean lines. They also sport a full patio where you can enjoy your beer with your dog. Or the dog can enjoy a beer with you... Excellent beer BTW. All good vibes. Dude.

11/16/24 (new entry)

Perea's ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

Latest visit: Nov 2024

First visit: Aug 2016

Not much chance that the RJG's won't be going to Perea's if in Albuquerque for any length of time. We missed going last year, where the focus was primarily on Santa Fe. But not this time. And all things seem normal again. Back to the pre-pandemic days of putting your name on a list and waiting. The waitresses are back. Though they had a sign saying they are short-staffed. To be noted, it seemed every single restaurant in ABQ was hiring. So if you're unemployed, you might want to think about heading to the Southwest. We started with chips and salsa, something neither of us could remember if we'd done before. Like with La Choza, the chips were on the salty side, which is fine with us. They tasted great. The salsa was a little too much on the tomato-y side, but it did possess a nice flavor and a good kick. I went with the egg and bacon breakfast burrito smothered in Christmas. The green has a unique flavor and was spicy. The red is very close to La Choza in quality, so velvety and smooth. This is a restaurant where you want both the red and the green. Mrs. RJG had the Huevos Rancheros also with Christmas. She also enjoyed the potatoes and beans. The only thing is - once again - it wasn't hot enough temperature. Once is an anomaly, twice is a pattern. And that's problematic, since we're only here once a year. Might open the door for new competition. We'll see next year how we feel about that.

---4/10/22 update

Back for our annual review. The good news is that Perea's has full service again on the weekends, though they still have you order at the cash register during the week. This seems to make a difference on the timing of the food getting to your table. On this visit I went with the carne adovada burrito. Adovada can be a dicey proposition but in the hands of Perea's it was cooked perfectly and very tasty. On this occasion the green was hotter than the red, both very distinctive and excellent. Mrs. RJG went with the Huevos Rancheros with hash browns, also smothered in Christmas. The only thing holding it back from a gold star is the temperature could still be just a tad hotter, though it was much better than our pandemic visit. Perea's is not to be missed.

---original 9/19/21 review

I didn't realize until now that I hadn't covered Perea's in the RJG. Well it's never too late. Along with Sunrise Restaurant in Santa Fe, Perea's has become our go-to breakfast house in New Mexico. After trying a few places in ABQ, Perea's made an immediate impact and now we're hooked. It's all about the chile in New Mexico, and Perea's is all aces with both the red and green. Christmas is essential here. Usually spicy but always very tasty. You can bury that chile on just about anything and walk away happy. Mrs. RJG goes with the Chile Relleno, while I stick to the breakfast burrito - all cooked perfectly. But it's the chile that makes it special. Perea's is a little family owned place (I think it was an old Captain D's), but you can usually count on large crowds. But not overwhelming like The Pantry or La Choza in Santa Fe. It's a neighborhood joint, and one that is a must stop when traveling through, living, or staying in Albuquerque. We turned Mr. Music onto it, and he goes more than us, since he journeys through on his way to see Lady Music in California. And she too now loves Perea's. 

You have no choice. If you are in Albuquerque, you have to go to Perea's. Well... you do.

8/5/16; 4/22/17; 10/21/18; 3/25/19; 9/19/21 (new entry); 4/10/22; 11/16/24

Thai Boran ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Nov 2024

We had planned on one Thai meal for the trip but couldn't decide which one to go to. Mrs. RJG favors Thai Spice while I lean in with Thai Cuisine II. While enjoying our beer at Vision City Brewstillery, I decided to research on my iPhone what was nearby. Thai Kitchen came up first but the menu screamed American variation. Then I came across Thai Boran. Now this looks authentic Thai. Mrs. RJG agreed and off we went.

It's a relatively large space and too bright for cozy dining (they simply need to dim the overhead lamps and problem would be solved). Despite this early warning sign, we persevered. They have beer and wine, already a plus as far as the RJG is concerned. So we went with two large bottles of Asahi Dry. But oops they opened two small bottles first, so we scored an extra four ounces for free. Thank you!

Mrs. RJG ordered the red curry, and out came a large bowl that she loved. I had my usual spicy basil Thai. No need to ask for ground chicken - that's how it comes! I added a fried egg on top (of course). I ordered it hot, and that's exactly what I got. We also added some chili oil, so it definitely packed some heat. If I were home, I would go for Thai Hot, and I'm sure it would have been that much better. We both lapped up everything on the plate/bowl. Delicious. Oh the rice was perfectly cooked (and we didn't have to ask for more). Thai Boran bests any Thai restaurant we have in Colorado Springs.

We now have a consensus at the RJG household: Thai Boran is our new go-to for Thai in ABQ. And that probably will result in an annual rotation visit. Getting some new champions on this trip.

11/15/24 (new entry)

Vision City Brewstillery ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Nov 2024

After a full day of estate and garage sales, along with a pile of thrift shops, it was time for an adult beverage. The nearest one to where we last shopped was Vision City Brewstillery, so let's go there. It's a large space, with lots of big screen TV's. And on this day, that was important as many folks were gearing up to watch the Mike Tyson fight. Like most normal people, I had no idea Tyson was back in the ring. I thought he stopped fighting while I was still a road warrior consultant (i.e. a lonnngg time ago). It also answered my second question: Boxing still exists? Whatever the case, the space was alive with enthusiasm. We didn't stick around to see the fight - good thing based on the news clips I read afterward about Netflix's hiccups.

In any case, we each had one very cold beer that was delicious (mine is cataloged in the Bier Reise link above). We also tried their chips and salsa, and the latter was both excellent and spicy.

Good place to stop for "a cold one".

11/15/24 (new entry) 

Blake's Lotaburger ~ regional chain : Albuquerque, New Mexico

Last visit: Nov 2024 (Menaul @ Rhode Island)

First visit: May 1994 (Menaul @ Rhode Island)

Locations: 70 locations in New Mexico (-1); 3 in Tucson, AZ; 2 in El Paso, TX

And we celebrate the 30th year of the RJG visiting Blake's, with our first lunch in Albuquerque. Not that we always go here, and we missed out last year as well. Lately Mrs. RJG has been in the mood for New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburgers, and since that's the specialty of the house, we ordered two of them. Out came two giant double cheeseburgers, large fries and a large drink. Uh-oh, Mrs. RJG isn't going to go for this! After keeping my head down for some moments enjoying the heck out of mine, I dared looked upwards and I was watching my wife devour it with glee. Again I ask - who is this woman who joined me on this trip? I have to say, even though the burgers are large, they aren't heavy, and that's a huge plus. And they loaded ours with chile, and they were spicy on this visit. Yahoo! Fries were of a hot temperature, which also made us both happy. Even the drink was excellent, and because it was large, we had it with us for the remainder of the day. And it still had flavor until the end. Anyway, it appears Blake's may find itself into the RJG rotation, a major accomplishment for non Colorado Springs restaurants. Mrs. RJG was still talking how great it was on our drive home two days later (she noted how peppery it was in addition to the green chiles). So there you have it.

I think this may have been the first location the RJG went to, but I couldn't tell you with any kind of accuracy which ones I've been to outside of the store two years ago and the one we've been to in Santa Fe. The reason I say this is because Charley's Records is across the street, and I've been going there since 1992 (a few years before Mrs. RJG was in the picture). I'll claim it for the database, but it's not certain. It's a more typical fast food restaurant setup than the one reviewed below. Order at the counter with plenty of seating + a drive thru.

---original 4/15/22 review (Coors NW - Albuquerque)

Blake's Lotaburger is an iconic burger chain that proliferates throughout New Mexico. If you've watched Breaking Bad, then most assuredly you've seen the Union Jack emblem on cups and bags. In effect, Blake's is to New Mexico what Whataburger is to Texas and In-N-Out is to California, the only difference being that Blake's has not expanded as rapidly out of state as the others. Or at least they haven't to date. As far as regional burger chains go, Blake's stacks up well against the competition. The one aspect of Blake's that separates them is the green chile cheeseburger, which definitely puts a New Mexican stamp on it. And it is very good. I'm sure locations vary in quality. This particular one was very busy on the day we visited which resulted in kitchen confusion. But our meal came out as ordered. There is no uniform look to a Blake's. This one has a small dining area made up of barstools around the window, or you can sit out on the patio tables outside, which is what we did. No drive-thru here, but many do have that feature. If we have extended stays in New Mexico, we try for one visit, just to mix up the diet a bit.

5/1/94; 9/1/97; 9/11/06; 9/17/13; 4/15/22 (new entry); 11/15/24

La Choza ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

Latest visit: Nov 2024

First visit: Sep 2014

For the first time since we started going to New Mexico, we didn't spend a night in Santa Fe, rather focusing more on Albuquerque. I had originally wanted to spend one night after our dinner, but the hotels were double the usual price. There didn't seem to be any one reason for this, but we made the decision to eat at La Choza for dinner and then drive to ABQ afterward. To underscore that point, if I know I'm only getting one dinner in Santa Fe, then it's highly likely to be La Choza. We followed our recent ritual as noted below. After doing some thrifting in the late afternoon, we arrived at La Choza not long after 4 PM. Put our name on the list, and wait for them to open at 4:30. This time we weren't seated in the private room overlooking the street, but rather right by the bar which is an entirely different atmosphere. We dived right in for two margaritas (and ordered another two later), a basket of chips, and salsa. The chips seemed a little more salty than usual and it also seems they changed their recipe for the salsa (more chunky, more spicy). We ordered our usual blue corn chicken adovada enchiladas smothered in red with rice and beans (we have to remember to substitute posole for rice). Hard to imagine anything being better! We use the sopaipillas for dessert, though we should have had them bring that after our meal, as they were not hot by the time we got to them.

Only bummer is that they charged us $4 for extra salsa. That kind of nickel and diming is rather insulting considering the popularity of the restaurant. And the fact that the salsa is more chunky makes it go faster. That's their first demerit in 10 years of going here. All the same, La Choza remains one of only a handful of RJG annual rotation restaurants outside of Colorado Springs.

---5/30/23 update

You had to see this coming. And what's more is that we are here to celebrate Mrs. RJG's 50th birthday! It is her favorite restaurant in the country. It is, as it turns out, my favorite restaurant in the country too. Neat how that works. What isn't revealed anywhere below is that I went here for my 50th birthday too! Way back in 2014, when we first discovered La Choza, I made the decision to come back for my birthday. It was the second visit on the same trip, something we never do. Now no trip to Santa Fe is possible without a visit to La Choza. If we can't come here, we don't want to come to the city. It's that simple.

We've also learned to time our visit perfectly. Just as last year, we got here 20 minutes before opening, found easy parking, got our name on the list, and were seated promptly at 4:30. I wish they would open up the bar again like they used to. What we didn't know is that La Choza isn't as packed as every other time we'd been for the last 9 years, including last year. Perhaps the ultimate example that inflation is destroying the restaurant industry. When we left, there was nobody waiting. I've never seen that before. Still, I wouldn't want to chance it. And besides we like to eat dinner early anyway.

You can read below on what we had for dinner and drinks. I made one mistake though. Since it was Mrs. RJG's birthday I thought it would be nice to upgrade our margaritas from the usual House to a Premium choice. Not a great plan. Too boozy for us. We like the cheap stuff! lol. I finished her first one, and she ordered a House and was happy again. The other diversion this time is that they buried everything in red chile. That includes the beans, rice, and lettuce. I prefer that they leave those plain. But it's hard to complain about having too much of the greatest red sauce we've ever had. So not a demerit, but an anomaly. We think it was something we said. Something akin to "bury it in red". Haha.

Still the greatest restaurant in the country for our tastes.

--- 4/13/22 update

Back for our first visit since 2019. 2020 was closed and we tried in 2021 twice but the lines were insane due to social distancing laws. Though things are back to normal for the most part, we decided to arrive at about 4:20, 10 minutes prior to open. Oh wow, look at that, a place to park! They take names at the door, and then proceed to wait for your name to be called starting at 4:30. Planning ahead works again. We were about 6th in order, and were promptly seated at a quiet table by the window. Started right off with a couple of house margaritas, delicious as ever. Amazing how much better a margarita is when they actually put tequila in it. We proceeded to get the chips and salsa, as delicious as we remember it. The salsa packs a pretty mean punch. I went with my staple of 2 chicken adovada enchiladas, rice (substituted for the posole), whole pinto beans, and lettuce. Buried in red chile. Meal came out blazing hot and stayed that way through the duration. Perfectly cooked, perfectly spicy. Mrs. RJG had almost exactly the same thing except she stayed with the posole (instead of rice), which isn't soupy, but rather fully cooked hominy with small chunks of pork. We were completely silent as we devoured our meal, leaving nothing on the plate as we were both scraping the last vestiges of chile off the plate. Sopaipillas make the perfect dessert as we added honey to each bite. Did I mention we had a second margarita each? Absolutely no downturn in quality or service, unlike just about everywhere else. Simply the best restaurant there is.

---original 9/10/15 review

Unlike the other restaurants we've reported on so far in Santa Fe, La Choza is consistently rated as one of the top dining spots in the area, and is very well known. Is it tourist hype and group think? Not at all. In fact, the RJG is close to rating La Choza as our favorite restaurant in Santa Fe as well. We've now been 5 times in a four year period, and it gets our coveted 5 star rating!

La Choza has to be considered one of the gold standards for New Mexican cooking. We've smothered a few items in their famous chile's, and never have we left without huge smiles of happiness. In general, regarding the chile, I've stuck with the Christmas standard. Their green is slightly spicy and I would consider it good to very good in flavor. Their red chile is quite simply the best I've ever had - and one of the best food items I've ever had. It's so velvety in texture with flavors that continue to explode as time goes on. It's not particularly spicy either (though hotter than the green on average - it's seasonal). Remember my comment on the Horseman's Haven review about "It's not about the heat, it's about the flavor"? I think they can't get La Choza out of their head. And, yea, I can understand that too. Chips and salsa are an extra purchase, which we've done in the past (recall being excellent but too long ago), but eschewed this time around. All meals come with a sopaipilla (or garlic bread or a tortilla - c'mon get the sopaipilla), that they deliver steaming hot at the end of the meal. I darn near burned my face opening it up this time! Can't really recommend anything beyond this: You must order something that is buried in the red chile. I'm salivating as I write this.

For drinks they have tequila, margaritas, wine, and even craft beer on tap. Like a total dope, I ordered the frozen margarita. When will I ever learn that no one does frozen margs better than what we have in Texas? Of course, it was watered down. My fault. I knew better. Mrs. RJG, on the other hand, being the smart one in the marriage, ordered a house margarita on the rocks. I had one sip and was envious all night. Delicious, and plenty of tequila in there too!

As mentioned at the top, La Choza's reputation is well earned, is featured in every magazine imaginable, and as such, it fills up quickly. Reservations are recommended (2022 update: which they don't take anymore), or you can do what the RJG does and show up not long after opening (we always go for dinner). As well, it seems that all great New Mexican restaurants in Santa Fe come with difficult-at-first parking. The restaurant is hidden behind the Santa Fe Railyard at the mobbed intersection of St. Francis and Cerrillos. Get your trusty Google Map App out, and wind your way to the back roads. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant and through the fenced area. Like the restaurant, it fills up quick.  If you go early, easy breezy. Otherwise, it's street parking. The restaurant itself is the old headquarters of a former ranch. It has many rooms, and outside seating as well. And a bar area, which you can dine in as well. Very comfortable surroundings. La Choza first opened in 1983, and has been gathering awards ever since.

9/9/14; 9/10/15 (new entry); 8/4/16; 4/22/17; 10/21/18; 3/22/19; 4/13/22; 5/30/23; 11/14/24

Las Animas Grill ~ Trinidad, Colorado

Latest visit: Nov 2024

First visit: Mar 2021

The RJG's are back for our annual New Mexico trip! Way later than normal, or even originally planned. But we finally found a four day weekend that looked promising. We had another restaurant circled for our trip, but it was inexplicably closed. There was no explanation offered, though it didn't look permanent (we'll try it next time through). After reviewing a couple of more options, I decided that we return to Las Animas Grill, a place we went to once in the middle of the pandemic. That visit, only 3.5 years ago, was packed to the rafters with patrons. On this late morning, only a handful were here - inflation no doubt wiping out the regulars and curiosity seekers. Hopefully they can weather the storm. Despite an unenthusiastic general public, the cooks were ready to please. Mrs. RJG went for the smash burger, double meat and cheese (who was this woman I was dining with anyway?). She loved it, and reminded her of Wayback Burgers that we enjoyed in Woodland Park earlier this year. I had the regular cheeseburger with green chile strips, lettuce, and pickles. It too was excellent, and in particular the pickles, something odd to call out but there it is. I also ordered a side of chile cheese fries with red and green that we both shared. I had to ask for a spoon. Good chile, though not overly distinctive, and certainly not thick enough to cover fries. The latter, regardless, was excellent.

---original 4/5/21 review

Mrs. RJG and I were looking for a quick day trip, that allowed for some thriftin', eatin', and drinkin'. What we call TEDing. All these years living in Colorado, plus going back and forth to Texas and New Mexico, our knowledge of Trinidad is pretty much limited to getting gas on the way to and fro. Trinidad is, in fact, the very first place in Colorado I visited. I literally moved to Colorado sight unseen, having taken a new job in Colorado Springs via the phone. This was the end of November, 1993. I stopped at a local Mexican restaurant, which is now long gone. I recall little of the dining experience, only that I caught Trinidad at dusk, and it was strikingly beautiful to my eyes. When I left, it was already dark. My two cats and I completed the journey to Colorado Springs that night - everything pitch black to me. When I woke up the next morning at my new apartment, I looked out my window - and there was Pikes Peak. Can you imagine? I was 29 at the time. The only other visit was back in 1998, when the newly minted Mrs. RJG and I were to meet my parents "half way" in Amarillo. We stopped for a late breakfast, at a place that is also long gone. Every time we journey over Raton Pass, I state that we really need to spend more time there. And so we finally did it. But where to eat? Based on various online reviews, Las Animas Grill lit up large.

Las Animas Grill sits in downtown, in one of the many restored buildings. I believe this one goes back to 1901 (or maybe the 1800s?). Tall ceilings and it's a fairly spacious place with bar seating. Though they advertise craft beers, I wouldn't suggest you go here for that reason. Their tap offerings are mainstream. They do offer a bit more variety with their can selection, but still nothing you can't get elsewhere in Colorado. So we settled on water. Then we proceeded to order. Mrs. RJG was craving a cheeseburger, and so was I. Needed to be cooked well-done dictates Mrs. RJG. It's amazing to us how few restaurants actually listen to that simple request. But Las Animas cooked it to perfection and it was delicious. I added green chiles to mine, which were mild, but flavorful. We had the hand cut fries, which were also excellent. Las Animas is definitely geared more toward the gastropub side of the aisle, and feels chef driven. That comes with a cost, but we felt it was worth it. A wonderful overall experience to start our Trinidad day.

3/27/21 (new entry); 11/14/24

Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato ~ Colorado chain : Castle Rock

Latest visit: Nov 2024 (Castle Rock)

First visit: Jul 2009 (Boulder)

Here's yet another establishment serving food that has suffered hard times. Best I can tell, they are now down to three locations: Boulder (only one now), Fort Collins, and this one in Castle Rock.

So after parting ways with Old Boss at Granelli's, I walked a block over to Glacier to squeeze in its annual visit. I had a single cappuccino brownie ice cream in a waffle cone. I've been so spoiled getting overserved that I feel cheated when I get the right amount. But that's OK, I don't really need any more calories. But it sure was good! I would have gone for gelato but I wasn't enamored with the flavor selection. 

Super expensive for what you get, and one can see why all these places are going out of business. Not sure how they're going to solve this problem. It's not just the food costs, it's the labor. Minimum wage is at an unsustainable high level here in Colorado. Owners have no choice but to raise prices to cover their costs. Except young families can't afford the freight, which is your primary ice cream audience. The further we get from zero, the less people can participate in the economy. I'll say that phrase over and over. I hope to come back next year, but I have to wonder will they even be here then?

---original 4/15/23 review

After eating at the Castle Cafe, I visited one record shop and then wanted a craft beer. Mrs. RJG said she wanted "nieve", Spanish slang for ice cream (means snow - helado being more formal). Guess who won that argument especially considering our lunch didn't go over too well?

I remembered the name Glacier, but could not place it until I checked my personal database. Sure enough, we had gone one time in Boulder during our townhome years (on July 4th no less). This is only our second time back. The location sits just outside of the old downtown in a bustling new urban district known as the Riverwalk. It's only a block from Granelli's where Old Boss and I enjoyed a lunch last December (as noted here in the RJG). 

What's nice about Glacier is you can choose between gelato or ice cream, just as the name suggests. In recent years, we've both favored gelato as it's more rich and creamy. Though sometimes I want the more chewy ice cream. Mrs. RJG finally learned that a "small cup" is plenty, as she oftentimes will load up a waffle cone with 3 scoops and then feel terrible later. Ya-huh. I have no such issues enjoying a small portion as it adds up nicely while eating. I tried the Cappuccino and she had the Nutella. Both were absolutely delicious. This is some really excellent gelato, and worth more visits than every 14 years. I think we can manage that...

Though they're a chain, they don't seem to have central ownership. Best I can tell they have 2 locations in Boulder, one each in Greenwood Village (Denver suburb) and Fort Collins - and the one here.

7/4/09; 4/15/23 (new entry); 11/1/24

Granelli's Pizzeria ~ Castle Rock, Colorado

Latest visit: Nov 2024

First visit: Dec 2022

And in what appears to be now an annual ritual, Old Boss and I once again met at Granelli's near the end of the year, though earlier than the prior two. He's 8 years older than me and has been threatening retirement for years (even executing the idea before backing out). I'm now the one talking retirement, and thinking next year may be it. But as it stands, we continue to work for the same software company. I'm forever grateful I've been able to close out my career here, and who knows how long it will go? We'll see if I can get another year out of it.

In any case, demonstrating zero creativity, I ordered the 11" thin crust pizza with hot sausage. Once again it was great, though the crust wasn't as crispy as I remembered. So that's something we'll need to call out if Mrs. RJG ever joins me here. Old Boss ordered a thicker crust pizza with a veggie topping. He ate half and took the rest home. We'd probably still be there yammering as I type this out, but he had an appointment to go to. 

So I wandered over to my next post....

---12/27/23 update

We're back at Granelli's almost one year to the date. And yes, once again with Old Boss. We had much to catch up on since it's been a full year. We're both still at the same company even though he retired then unretired. I rarely get to eat pizza, so I wanted to revisit Granelli's. And despite my bold claims below, I stuck with an 11" thin crust pizza with "hot" sausage. Absolutely delicious. I need to come here on my own next time I'm crate digging in the area or bring Mrs. RJG along. I'm sure I'll try something else. Probably not...

---original 12/21/22 review

It was time to meet Old Boss again, a good friend going on 27 years now. Met him originally at the same place as Mrs. RJG and Rude Dante, though he didn't work for the same company, but rather one of the software vendors. Fortuitous meeting as he indeed hired me for my first job after marriage in 1997. And we've been close ever since. Today we work again for the same firm in our familiar roles. We cannot escape large software companies it would appear.

Old Boss suggested we try Granelli's Pizza, a Castle Rock legend going on 25+ years now. Despite being a resident of nearby Castle Pines, he'd never been. And neither had I, so it was a perfect choice. Sitting just outside the busiest part of downtown Castle Rock, Granelli's is a quaint full service restaurant with a hearty menu of pizzas and Italian specialties. They originally started on the south side of Chicago, and that's why their slogan is what it is. I was tempted to try a deep dish, but having just experienced a mediocre offering from Giordano's in Chicago, I stayed thin crust. With homemade rolled hot Italian sausage. Hey that's two pizza's in a row with that! The thin crust - square and corner cut - reminds me very much of my time working in Racine, Wisconsin (also in 1997 - while reporting to Old Boss in a consulting role - synchronicity overload!). In any case, it was delicious. Mrs. RJG would have approved. Thin crispy crust, plenty of cheese, good sauce, and great tasting sausage. Would like to try one of their Italian entrees at some point, or even a sandwich. Perhaps next year, as Castle Rock is a usual stop on my Denver crate digging runs. Looking forward to a revisit.

12/21/22 (new entry); 12/27/23; 11/1/24

Border Burger Bar ~ Manitou Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Oct 2024

First visit: Jul 2021 (Colorado Springs - closed)

At one point Border Burger Bar was a small chain with two locations in the Colorado Springs area and one in El Paso, Texas. The latter is still open with the name Phred's prepended to it. There's no common website anymore either. So we'll presume they are now independently owned and operated.

I had been wanting to revisit Border Bar for a couple of years now, but as noted above, the Academy location closed not too long after opening, another victim of the pandemic. And we never go to Manitou Springs anymore, primarily because of the parking situation. There was a time not long ago where you'd drive down, park anywhere you can, and hit the shops and restaurants. But now you have to pay everywhere in the city except the far outskirts. And I hate paying for parking, especially when it was once free. In any case, I ended up in Manitou for an estate sale that took me about two hours to go through. When finished it was lunch time. Well shoot, I'm already here, might as well go into the city and revisit a restaurant. My first choice was Manitou Brewing but they don't open until noon. That's not going to work. There's always The Loop but that's a lot of food and Mrs. RJG would be mad at me for not taking her along. Ah yes, Border Burger Bar. So after paying my three bucks using one of those mobile apps (that took a full five minutes of my precious hour to complete the transaction), I made the six minute walk over.

Step into the "rotunda" and to the left is the front door of a rather large restaurant. Bar is upfront, so I grabbed a stool and proceeded to order a Mexican lager to quench my considerable thirst. The beer list would be good for out of towners, but not overly researched otherwise. I would have liked one from nearby Manitou Brewing myself, not something I can get anywhere else. Oh well.

I did try something else from the below this time - my tavern favorite Cubano with fries. The sandwich is a thicker variety than I've been enjoying of late. More meat doesn't necessarily translate to better, though usually it does. Here the pork may have been a bit too porky. I certainly liked it, but the balance of flavors wasn't ideal. The fries were homemade and not as crispy as I prefer. But again, still very good. I customized my dipping sauce, and had the spicy aioli. Essentially a mayonnaise based concoction that was exceptionally good. Probably the best part of the meal. Service was prompt and friendly. There were only three of us at the bar, and the restaurant was empty. Sign of the times I'm afraid.

I'll definitely make an attempt to go back and try something else from the menu (which remains large), but it won't be in the rotation, so it could be some years.

---original 7/9/21 review (Colorado Springs)

Saw this restaurant recently while driving up and down Academy doing the routines. It's your classic craft burger tavern, and those were the RJG's favorite places pre-pandemic. Time to get back into some bad habits. Walk in, and you can take a booth, table, or sit at the bar to your right. I took the latter, since I was by myself. Out comes a very large burger menu, and a nice selection of Colorado craft beers to choose from (about 9). Mostly from the Springs, but a couple of others from the state. So I selected one from our very own FH Beerworks, and then chose The Coloradoan. This burger's distinctions include green chile (hear that, did ya Wienerschnitzel?), Swiss cheese, avocado, tomato, spring mix (arugula, etc...), onion slices, and lemon zest aioli. Yea, it's pretty chef-fy, but I'm all for a local burger. I passed on the avocado, as I really wanted to savor the green chile - which is mixed into the ground beef + they add a sliced Anaheim pepper. I asked for truffle fries as well. Basically fries with truffle oil and parm cheese and parsley (excellent BTW). They don't mention it, but this burger comes in a potato bun. The burger was cooked medium well, since I didn't specify. All very good, though I didn't get as much chile flavor as hoped. But given that they have 20 different options, I'll be sure to try something else next time. Overall I was most reminded of an old RJG favorite back in DFW called Jac Mac's Swill and Grill (which you can find in these very pages). Perhaps not quite as beer focused, but the menu certainly is geared similarly. Friendly counter service as well. Great place - we'll be back for sure.

Border Burger Bar is a very small regional chain. They started in El Paso, Texas (hence the name) with only one location there before branching to the Springs area, where they also have one in downtown Manitou Springs - a perfect fit for the tourist foot traffic they receive.

7/9/21 (new entry); 10/31/24