MarkeB's Profile
Joseph's Table RIP?
A little disclosure -- I went to Joseph's Table 2-3 times and, quite frankly, didn't see what the big deal was. So maybe my taste level isn't up to the sophisticated level of bloggers and a lot of critics. But for those mourning JT -- I suggest trying Graham's Grill (3 meals a day, 7 days a week, at least for now) and the Love Apple (dinner only, 5 nights a week). Both are chef-owned and use local/regional foods whenever possible. Both the food and the wine list at Graham's have improved from good-very good to very good-great, and it's a great value. Haven't been to Love Apple since January (we have a second home in Taos and have been away for awhile), but it's a very unusual ambiance. Both restaurants are very popular with locals who have some disposable income and some fine dining experience, but who don't want to blow wads of money for dinner.
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Joseph's Table
108 A. South Plaza, Taos, NM 87571
how is the food scene in taos?
Correction to above -- Donald Rumsfeld and Dennis Hopper
how is the food scene in taos?
Michael's and Doc Martin's are both over-rated in my opinion. Doc Martin's in the Taos Inn is OK for breakfast, but I had such a mediocre dinner there one time that I've not returned. Eating out on the patio for lunch is fun. Taos Diner has much better food than Michael's -- which now gets buses full of tourists occasionally. (And there aren't THAT many buses of tourists that come through Taos.) Graham's Grill, now open 7 days a week, 3 meals a day, has gotten better and better. Sushi Hattori is a very good sushi place. There is also a "Japanese roadhouse" type restaurant in the village of Arroyo Seco -- halfway between Taos and the Ski Valley -- which is very interesting. Love Apple is "Alice's Restaurant" transported to the 21st century. Like Graham's -- chef-owned. Only open 5 nights a week. Guadalajara Grill -- esp. the northside location -- is great for Mexican food, primarily seafood. It looks like a dump but it is GOOD -- light years better than Orlando's in my opinion. Old Blinking Light is a great standby, and eating outside with a dead-on view of Pueblo Mountain on Pizano's patio is not to be missed. The fact that it has the best pizza in town is an added bonus. I have so far been disappointed with Chinese. If you're considering moving to Taos -- I suggest you try it out first. There are more restaurants, grocery stores and movie screens than you would think is justified by the population, but it IS an eccentric place. I love it because it's the "anti-Dallas" (where I grew up and have lived most of my adult life), but it's NOT for everyone. Quite eccentric -- I mean do you believe one town could attract both Dennis Rumsfeld and Dennis Hopper, both of whom have had homes here for 30+ years?
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Doc Martin's Restaurant
125 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, Taos, NM 87571
Taos Diner
908 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, Taos, NM 87571
Pizanos
23 Highway 150, El Prado, NM 87529
Old Blinking Light
Mile Marker # 1, Taos, NM 87571
Santa Fe and Taos - BEST local high quality cooking
This is mainly for Taos: Our two favorites are Graham's Grill (now open for all 3 meals, 7 days a week) and Love Apple. They're both chef-owned, employ local or regional ingredients whenever possible. Love Apple is in a converted church and is only open for dinner -- 5 nights a week. (Check: schedule may change depending on seasons). Kind of an Alice's Restaurant vibe; feels very Taos, whereas Graham's has a much more mainstream feel. Graham's Grill has been good to great since it opened about 3 years ago, but chef Lesley Fay has really hit her stride this summer. Even my husband, who is not a foodie, raved about his dinner. A local oenephile has been brought in as a wine consultant, and the wine list recently won some kind of recognition from Wine Spectator. We have a home in Taos and so have tried most of the local places, and have eaten in quite a few in Santa Fe as well. Graham's Grill is the most consistently good and a great value. I go to Love Apple when I want to feel like a local who has been here longer than 4 years.
Taos - What is the best since Josrph's Table has closed?
I have not been to Lambert's under the new chef, but hands down our two favorites in Taos are Graham's Grill (now open for all 3 meals, 7 days a week) and Love Apple. They're both chef-owned, employ local or regional ingredients whenever possible. Love Apple is in a converted church and is only open for dinner -- 5 nights a week. (Check: schedule may change depending on seasons). Kind of an Alice's Restaurant vibe; feels very Taos, whereas Graham's has a much more mainstream feel. Graham's Grill has been good to great since it opened about 3 years ago, but chef Lesley Fay has really hit her stride this summer. Even my husband, who is not a foodie, raved about his dinner. A local oenephile has been brought in as a wine consultant, and the wine list recently won some kind of recognition from Wine Spectator. We have a home in Taos and so have tried most of the local places, and have eaten in quite a few in Santa Fe as well. Graham's Grill is the most consistently good and a great value -- and I thought that BEFORE Joseph's Table closed. I go to Love Apple when I want to feel like a local who has been here longer than 4 years.
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Joseph's Table
108 A. South Plaza, Taos, NM 87571
DFW BBQ?
Too late for original poster -- but in Dallas head for Peggy Sue's in Snider Plaza, near SMU, off Hillcrest, just south of Lovers Ln. Their ribs are better than Sonny Bryan's, and the chopped brisket is excellent. The Piggy Soo sandwich is pulled pork -- not often found in Texas -- and i like it better than their brisket even. Great smoked chicken salad. My husband says theirs is the best chicken fried steak he has had in Dallas -- no matter what a particular local magazine says.
Best food finds at Costco? [old]
Forgot one product tried for Christmas Eve -- the chocolatey-"Lacey" cookies. Very very good. The lady I hired to help me said she had seen them at almost every party she had served at recently -- so perhaps they're not a big secret.
Best food finds at Costco? [old]
I'd keep my Costco membership for this product alone: HoneySmoked Salmon from the Honey Smoked Fish Co. in aurora, CO. (I DON"T think this is what Rhee said was horrible -- since it doesn't come in individual servings.) Comes in 1 lb. vacuum packages -- which have an extremely long shelf life until you open them. (Helps if it's a hike to your Costco and you go infrequently.) The store nearest me used to carry several different flavors, but now just does "Original," which is a shame. There are lots of recipes on the company's website, but I most often use them to add protein to lunch salads. High-quality taste, amazingly low in sodium, esp. considering it's smoked. A friend always brings this to parties as an appetizer, with capers, egg whites etc. and boursin cheese as a spread. I was eating this up to 4 times a week until I realized this is Atlantic farm-raised salmon -- this and albacore tuna will produce mercury overload if eaten too often. But it's still a wonderful product. This next product used to be available only at Costco although now it's more prevalent: John Soules brand chicken fajita strips. Again -- I'd use them a little at a time in salads. Much better than all the other brands. Just tried Costco's large shrimp tray, found in the frozen section, for a Christmas Eve party. I was very skeptical about boiled shrimp that had been frozen, but it was very good and so much more reasonable than Whole Foods or a fish market for a large quantity. Caveat -- this takes at least 1 1/2 days to thaw in a refrigerator. Once thawed, we rinsed them. Also tried their (probably seasonal) Cranberry goat cheese log -- which was good. But it's more of a spread -- it tended to fall apart when a helper tried cutting it into slices.
