The Hotel
For a nearly four-hundred year period, the Anasazi civilization which preceded New Mexico’s Pueblo cultures achieved the pinnacle of its technological and cultural advancement at a magnificent, deep gorge called Chaco Canyon. Within the walls of Chaco Canyon, construction of multi-level buildings sprung up, some structures accommodating as many as 800 rooms. Not surprisingly, lower walls had to be made massive in order to support heavy stone walls up to five floors high. It took remarkable planning to locate doors, passageways, kivas and other architectural features. At five stories high, Pueblo Bonito was the largest structure and the inspiration for Hotel Chaco’s spectacular venue in Albuquerque’s Sawmill District.
In 2017, local developer Heritage Hotels launched Hotel Chaco on Bellamah Avenue in the Sawmill District. Formerly a 110-acre complex, the District once milled lumber, doors and shingles, at one point serving as the largest manufacturing company in the Southwest. Today there are few, if any, vestiges of the District’s historic past. Instead, the area has exploded, metamorphosing from a lusterless industrial area to a dynamic hub for hospitality and dining. Hotel Chaco is at the heart of the changes. An eighty-million dollar project, the Hotel is unlike any other in the Duke City. Architecturally it combines the flow, energy and look of the Pueblo Revival style with an upscale quality. Hotel Chaco houses museum–quality, contemporary and traditional art you’ll want to admire before heading up the elevator to Level 5.
The Restaurant
Without doubt, Hotel Chaco’s crown jewel is Level 5 which has redefined rooftop dining in Albuquerque. Though capacious indoor seating exists with a gleaming bar as the restaurant’s cynosure, weather-permitting THE best seats in the house are outdoors where seating is arranged to accomodate everything from intimate date nights to well-attended functions. It’s given a new meaning to “getting high” in Albuquerque. There’s no doubt reservations at Level 5 will be a popular draw year-round, but it could be standing room only during the International Balloon Fiesta.
Level 5 provides panoramic views of the Albuquerque skyline. To the northeast, you’ll gaze in awe and wonder at the entirety of the Sandia Mountains. Visit at the golden hour (the last hour before sunset) to best appreciate the reddish-purplish hues for which those spectacular Sandias are named. Take a gander a toward the Manzanos and you’ll see the city sprawl including the downcown cluster of skyscrapers. Directly across Bellamah you’ll see the Sawmill Market which houses 27 individual local merchants. Let your eyes wander further west and you’ll see the San Felipe De Neri Catholic Church in Old Town. Further on, you might espy Pat Hurley Park, which offers comparably inspiring views of the city.
For the first few years of its existence, Level 5’s menu didn’t live up to a hotel of its caliber. Albuquerque Journal critic Richard S. Dargan rated it 2.5 stars. Yelpers were similarly unimpressed by the Eurocentric “all over the place” menu and poor execution. In 2023, a savior arrived in the form of Chef Marc Quiñones, who led Level 5 to the Four Diamond Luxury Hotel & Resort level. Level 5 deserves nothing less. Chef Quiñones changed things up almost immediately. Being surrounded and inspired by New Mexico’s history and prehistory, he conceptualized a menu that would pay tribute to the Land of Enchantment’s hunters and gatherers. He called his concept “Contemporary New Mexican Ranch Cuisine” which celebrates New Mexico’s historical reliance on the bounty of the earth and wildlife.
Chef Quiñones was to remain at Level 5 for an year before being named director of culinary operations and executive chef for the fabulous Ex Novo Brewing Co. In July, 2024, Tijeras native and accomplished chef Sean Sinclair was appointed new executive chef of Level 5. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Portland, Oregon, the affable chef has led kitchens across the country. Under his stewardship, Albuquerque’s Farm & Table was named the best restaurant in the city by USA Today. In 2021, his restauant Bar Castañeda,was the only U.S. restaurant in the Forbes web story “10 Favorite Restaurants of 2021.” In 2022, he was one of only eleven New Mexicans designated “true” hero by New Mexico Magazine. He has twice earned Edible New Mexico Magazine’s “Local Hero: Best Chef” award. Impressive as his many accolades may be, for me what speaks most to Chef Sinclair’s character is what he did for the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico and the surrounding area.
The Chef
In 2022, the combined devastation of the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fires, the largest and most destructive wildfire in state history consumed 341,471 acres–including a large swath along my favorite byway and its villages. Portions of San Miguel, Mora and Taos counties were impacted. While the fire was devastating, the heart of the community beat with compassion. Signs expressing “We are Las Vegas Strong” were proudly displayed throughout the largest town in the region. Acts of kindness and selflessness were organized by community grassroots efforts to provide some modicum of relief to communities reeling from the uncertainty and devastation of the conflagration.
Among the many civic-minded people to step up when the need arose were Chef Sean Sinclair and his wife Katey Sinclair, then proprietors of Bar Castañeda in Las Vegas. A hand-scrawled sign spanning the doorway of the dining room at Bar Castañeda echoed the “We are Las Vegas Strong” theme. The Sinclairs and their restaurant staff served free meals–up to an estimated 1,000 per day at the height of the humanitarian effort–to first responders and evacuees. A buffet was available from 2 to 6PM seven days a week. Donations were collected to keep the buffet and food deliveries going.
Chef Sinclair was following in the tradition of Fred Harvey, a restauranteur who long preceded Chef Sinclair at Bar Castañeda. As the Santa Fe railroad moved across the west, a genteel Englishman named Fred Harvey built “Harvey Houses” every hundred miles or so alongside the railroad. Harvey is widely credited as a civilizing influence on the rough and rowdy Old West. One of Harvey’s crown jewels was La Castañeda in Las Vegas. La Castañeda opened in 1898 and like many hotels in the Harvey system, it quickly established itself as a social center. La Castañeda not only served the great food characteristic of all Harvey hotels, it had a romantic and upscale ambiance and was centered in the the railroad district, within easy walking distance of the plaza.
As executive chef at Level 5, Chef Sinclair has already placed his mark on the restaurant’s menu. That menu is wholly unlike the menu he offered at Bar Castañeda. It’s more similar (but definitely not a carbon copy) of the menu at The Inn at Little Washington, a three-star Michelin restaurant (and a restaurant on my bucket list) in Virginia. Chef Sinclair served as sous chef at that fabulous institution. We had the honor of meeting the perpetually smiling chef during our inaugural visit to Level 5 under his stewardship. He’s a surprisingly modest and genial fellow who delights in surprising and amazing restaurant guests with his creative and delicious dishes.
The Menu
No vestiges of the Contemporary New Mexican Ranch Cuisine remain though the seasonally inspired menu highlights local and regional ingredients. Among local touches is Ramon Perez Ranch Black Angus which comes from a ranch in Eastern New Mexico in a small village called Yeso. The 150,000 acre ranch raises 100% Natural Angus. Level 5 is the only restaurant in New Mexico that Ramon Perez Ranch supplies with their USDA Prime certified beef. The ranch has been in the Perez family since 1904 where they have been raising livestock ever since. The daily cut of beef is available at market price.
Level 5 is a high-end fine-dining restaurant with a menu unlike any you’ve probably experienced in New Mexico. That menu is segmented into three distinct sections: snacks, appetizers and entrees. Should you have any questions or want recommendations, trust the waitstaff to guide you. We received invaluable guidance from the charming and beautiful Luzhilda, a Chihuahua native with a smile that lights up the room. She’s a wonderful ambassador for the restaurant, knowledgeable and service-oriented.
As with many fine dining menus, you won’t find a compendium of starters. Six appetizers–ranging from wings to a valley salad–festoon the menu. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but consulting with Luzhilda ensured we ordered two of the best. Our first starter was the clothbound Cheddar fondue (Deer Creek Cheddar, poached apples, brioche, pink peppercorn honey, pumpkin seed oil). We were surprised that the basis for the fondue was Cheddar, in this instance because it lacked any of the characteristic sharpness of many Cheddars. Every element of this fondue was “supporting cast” to the melted Cheddar, but absolutely welcome. Poached apples lent tart and crisp elements along with just a bit of sweetness while the lightly toasted brioche provided an ethereal lightness.
Our inaugural visit was on the coldest day of the season with temperatures dropping into the low 20s in Albuquerque. That definitely made it a soup day, not that every day isn’t a soup day. Level 5’s sweet potato soup (sweet potato and apple purée, sweet cream, maple syrup, cayenne, pumpkin seeds, savory buñuelo) belongs on the pantheon of the Duke City’s best soups. It is soup being all it can be. As an elixir for the cold evening, it’s got all the soul-warming characteristics you could want–especially if you love cayenne (my Kim doesn’t so it was omitted from her bowl). Study the composition of this soup and you’ll probably conclude it’s a sweet soup. Actually, it’s got a diverse flavor profile with savory, sweet, piquant and even tart (courtesy of pomegranate seeds. A savory buñuelo swims in a soup lagoon, ferrying ingredients like a delicious life raft. This is a soup we’ll dream about.
For young boys growing up in rural New Mexico in the 60s, one of the rites of passage signifying our transition from childhood to young adulthood was being asked to participate in the matanza. It would be disingenuous of me to say I ever got over the gory sights and smells of slaughtering what were essentially pets we’d nurtured just for that purpose. Fortunately those memories don’t haunt me as much as my heart is warmed by the wonderful memories of time spent with family. A matanza is so much more than a rite of passage. It is a time-honored tradition, a festive occasion in which friends and family gather together to celebrate the changeover from harvest season to winter’s early arrival.
The last matanza in which I participated was in 1979, scant weeks after my dad passed away. Memories flooded back upon seeing “Matanza” on the entrees section of the menu. Level 5’s Matanza (whole confit suckling pig with apple and Chimayó red chile lacquer. Served with roasted apples, potato purée, and a chicharrón) was missing only morsillas (spiced Spanish blood sausage made of pork and rice), one of my very favorite porcine delicacies. Luzhilda told us many diners expect to be served the proverbial pig with an apple in its mouth. Instead, pork is pulled and fashioned into two triangles of crispy pork skin. Whether you drag that pork through the Chimayó red chile laquer or enjoy it sans sauce, the pork is swoon-worthy, absolutely delicious. That laquer makes a wonderful gravy for the mashed potatoes, too. Only sharing this Matanza with my dad and grandpa Max would have made the dish better.
My Kim prefaces every order she places at a restaurant by asking if her preferred item is piquant, a consequence of a medication that has robbed her of tolerance for piquant items. Thankfully Level 5’s duo of duck (seared duck breast, leg, and thigh confit tamale topped with spiced duck demi. Served with agave roasted golden beets and micro arugula.) lacked any spiciness. The seared duck breast is in rarefied company as one of the very best duck dishes we’ve ever shared. It’s perfectly seared with lots of perfectly pink flesh and sits atop a gloriously spiced (not piquant) duck demi. My Kim loved the thigh confit tamale even more. She normally poo poos tamale masa in that it often lacks any semblance of corn flavors or it’s so thick you’re challenged to find much pork. Instead of lard, Chef Sinclair forms tamale masa with duck fat. Duck fat and corn masa make for a wonderful duo of their own. Agave roasted golden beets and pomegranate seeds provide even more delicious surprises.
Because she did such a great job recommending appetizers and entrees, I asked Luzhilda to select a dessert. She opted instead to pass the buck to Chef Sinclair. Obviously a man of my own heart, the über talented chef selected the pear sticky toffee pudding (roasted pear, date sponge cake, spiced rum ice cream, sticky toffee). It’s the very best we’ve had (by far) since leaving England back in 1987. Sticky toffee pudding is a lush muffin-like mound of date sponge cake topped with a rich caramel and served with a scoop of spiced rum ice cream. It’s a high-calorie indulgence rich in flavor and deliciousness, one of our favorite desserts from the old country.
Level 5 offers a refined, stylish, contemporary atmosphere with magnificent panoramic views of the Sandia Mountains, downtown skyline and historic Old Town. Chef Sean Sinclair has created a menu worthy of Albuquerque’s best restaurant experience.
Level 5 Rooftop Restaurant at Hotel Chaco
2000 Bellamah Avenue, N.W.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 318-3998
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 19 November 2024
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$$$$$
BEST BET: Duo of Duck, Matanza, Pear Sticky Toffee Pudding, Clothbound Cheddar Fondue, Sweet Potato Soup
REVIEW #1434
I think only fast food qualifies as “cheap eats”, which it traditionally has. Unfortunately as has been lamented here before, it’s not as good as it used to be. At least I don’t think our taste buds have changed that much as we’ve gotten older. I can’t think of very many restaurants where you get change back from a twenty dollar bill after a good meal. Chinese lunch specials are all that come to mind. The issue is not really quality for your expense. We all eat where we expect to get good food whatever the cost. The issue is ultimately quantity. Unless you have an unlimited budget, your dining out dollars are finite. So I can go to Level 5 once, or I can go to five or six places in the same amount of time. It’s a tough call! I have always knocked it up a notch for special occasions. A hundred dollar tab used to be a splurge. Now we’re talking almost that much for one entrée? What can I say. It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world.
When we toiled for Intel just a decade ago, my friend Bill and I would take turns buying lunch for one another. Very rarely would the tally exceed twenty dollars–and we both ate well. The same meal today goes for at least double the price we once paid for it. I’d argue that there’s no such thing as “cheap eats.” Even at the dreaded chains (Burger King, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, etal), costs have doubled. And have you seen the size of a Big Mac? It’s roughly the size of a McDonald’s cheeseburger of old. While inflation has hit our pocketbooks, deflation has hit portion size.
We call it shrinkflation in our household…LotaBurgers are the prime example of this trend. A couple of years ago, I was literally cursing out the restaurant staff for giving me someone else’s order, for I assumed I was given Itsaburgers instead. Glad this was a takeout order and my cursing was only heard by my family members…when my sister let me know, that indeed those were the correct burgers…
We tend to just get double meat Itsaburgers now…cheaper and pretty much the same amount of food…
Aaargh! That’s been my experience at LotaBurger as well. Back when you and I were growing up and visiting the LotaBurger in Española, the burger was roughly the size of a UAP (formerly known as UFO).
Shrinkflation is hitting everyone. Duke City BBQ’s two meat platter (which includes one side) wouldn’t fill a hummingbird. Portions there used to be almost too much for any one person.
I’m sure everyone has their own idea about what “cheap eats” means but for me it’s a question of how far does a $20 bill go. Today I was in a situation where I needed something quick and I settled on Jason’s Deli. Yes it’s a chain, but kudos to them for being one of the first to eliminate processed and artificial ingredients from their food including the bane of my existence, high fructose corn syrup. I snagged a bowl of soup and two salads for a little over $20. The bowl seemed small when I took it out of the bag, however after eating it with the bread they provided I was surprisingly quite satisfied. Plus it was tasty. This isn’t a promotional post by any means! Just enjoying this discussion and thought I’d throw another data point your way.
“… is so much more than a rite of massage”
A Freudian slip? 😆
Thank you, Peter. As far as I know, only kobe beef cattle receive massages to tenderize their meat. The duck at Level 5 is so tender and unctuous, it may have been massaged.
Gil,
Love you but the prices at this place are ridiculous. They took the filet price off because it was embarrassing ($88). And I love that for $35 you get half the chicken. If I’m spending this type of coin, it’s going to be at Geronimo or Sazon. There are lots of deep pockets in ABQ (as evidenced that Ruth’s Chris somehow stays in business), but this is Albuquerque, not Santa Fe. The steady rotation of chefs also says a lot. Keep up the good work, but occasionally you could mention value. Five dollar signs indeed….
Admittedly, we experienced a bit of sticker shock. Most of our restaurant visits tend to be of the “cheap eats” variety…not that you can find many of them any more. Level 5 is a splurge, but with a chef of Sean Sinclair’s caliber you’re guaranteed a stunning meal.