“What if this is the new luxury food?”  That’s the rhetorical question Chef Marc Quiñones posed to diners at New York City’s legendary James Beard House as he introduced his revolutionary New Mexican ranch-inspired menu during a dinner service on September 28, 2024.  He elaborated the goal of his new restaurant gig at Ex Novo Brewing Company in Albuquerque is to make wonderful food approachable, something everyone can enjoy.  Having worked at high-end, fine-dining establishments for nearly two decades, Chef Quiñones is a virtuoso in the art of fine-dining.  Instead of another exorbitantly priced menu beyond the reach of many diners, he created a superb menu centered around the highest quality food at a price point for everyone–served in a high-end experience venue.

At Level 5 Rooftop Restaurant, Chef Quiñones conceptualized the idea of “Contemporary New Mexican Ranch Cuisine’ which celebrates New Mexico’s historical reliance on the bounty of the earth and its plentiful wildlife.  Chef Quiñones channeled the way New Mexicans preserved and prepared foods a century ago.  He brought that concept with him to Ex Novo.  The operative word in his  interpretation of contemporary New Mexican ranch cuisine is “contemporary.”  Home cooks in the Land of Enchantment’s historic past  had neither the ingredients nor time or talent to prepare foods of this caliber.  Generations of New Mexicans were much more reliant on such simple foods as beans and chile.

It’s only fitting that Chef Quiñones plies his formidable talents and inventiveness at a venue named Ex Novo, a term which means both “from scratch” and “something that did not exist before.”  It’s an apropos term for both his incomparable cuisine and for the impressive venue that is helping make Downtown revitalization a reality.  As a brewery, Ex Novo has had a presence in New Mexico (Corrales) for several years and even relinquished its Oregon properties to focus on the Land of Enchantment.  Seeing how New Mexicans embraced Ex Novo’s libations, owner Joel Gregory conceived of a site which could complement brewery operations with outstanding cuisine.  His search came to fruition in 2021 with the discovery of an old Firestone tire store (circa 1930s) on the corner of Central and Seventh.

After years of design and construction, Ex Novo new taproom and restaurant opened its doors in July, 2024.  The 11,500-square-foot edifice is broken into two levels.  On the first level, you’ll find  the restaurant, kitchen, taproom, indoor seating and a large patio.  A full-service bar with food service can be found upstairs in the spectacular mezzanine.  A large outdoor patio accommodates one-hundred guests and will eventually provide live music.   Chef Quiñones escorted me through future site of an adjacent  cafe and deli called Sammy’s.  Look for an all-day breakfast menu as well as some of the most sought-after sandwiches imaginable (a pastrami reuben, banh mi, Italian, etc.)

A James Beard Foundation “Best Chef – Southwest” semifinalist in 2024, Chef Quiñones was the right man to helm the culinary program, bringing his New Mexican ranch cuisine with small and large plates.  The heralded chef frequently expresses that he may have been born in New York, but New Mexico has made him the chef, man and father he is today.  Ironically Ex Novo is within easy walking distance of the school he attended during his formative years.  It’s where he first met his beautiful bride Lysa.  Chef Quiñones believes the Land of Enchantment “fosters an environment where you have the most amazing wild game, the most incredible vegetables, chiles, aromatics out of the earth.”

As a geritrically-advanced gentleman of 39, I found the vibe at Ex Novo unpretentious,  fun and yes, youthful.  We did espy a few blue-hairs, but didn’t hear anyone requesting Lawrence Welk music instead of the high-volume rock and roll. On a late Friday afternoon, the restaurant was about three-quarters full.   My Corrales compadre, the extraordinary photographer Bruce Terzes tells me parking is more accessible and the restaurant less boisterous during a late lunch early dinner on a Tuesday.  We found the staff accommodating, friendly and high-energy–a reflection of the chef for whom they work.

 THE FOOD

If you’re tired of experiencing sticker shock every time you peruse a restaurant’s menu, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how affordable Ex Novo is.  If I’ve said that before, it’s because it’s a point worth repeating.  Diners will quickly conclude there is no compromise to the integrity of the quality and the technique behind the very accessible menu.  As eloquently stated on Ex Novo’s website: “Diners can expect a menu that marries traditional Southwestern flavors with innovative techniques, resulting in dishes that are as visually stunning as they are delicious.”

Chef Quiñones has described Ex Novo’s culinary fare as “for New Mexico, it’s by New Mexico, and it honors ancestral New Mexican ingredients and our people.”  The menu offers both “small plates” and “large plates” at price points which will allow you to try a number of different items.  You owe it to yourself to sample as much as you can.  It’s all first-rate and served in a resplendent venue.  You’ll find yourself impressed and probably besotted by the experience and if you meet the larger-than-life chef, you might find yourself in awe.

When we espied sweet fennel sausage orecchiette pasta on the menu, we didn’t immediately think contemporary New Mexico ranch cuisine.  Orecchiette, after all is an Italian term which means “little ears” and orecchiette pasta comes from Puglia in Southern Italy.  Remember, the operative word is “contemporary.”  Like the rest of the world, New Mexicans have embraced Italian cuisine, the most popular cuisine in the world according to the picky eater blog.  Similar to New Mexican culinary fare, Italian food is an exemplar of comfort food.  It pleases the palate and makes you feel good.

Found on the “large plates” section of the menu and served in a cast iron pan, the sweet fennel sausage orecchiette pasta is as good as you’ll find at great Italian restaurants, maybe better.  It’s served with a garlic cheese bread.  Orecchiette pasta, a pulled pasta shape that does indeed resemble an ear, offers a hollow spot perfect for absorbing sauces such as the wonderful, cheesy sauce on this dish.  My Chicago born-and-bred bride literally expresses contempt for any sausage that isn’t redolent with fennel.  She loved the sweet fennel sausage.  Me, too.  This is heart- and soul-warming comfort food at its very best.

Culinary historians claim that deep-fried egg rolls may have been invented in New York City’s Chinatown restaurants in the 1930s NOT in China.  Sadly, egg rolls at most Chinese restaurants across the fruited plain haven’t improved much since.  If you want a truly great egg roll, visit Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro and ask for the duck confit egg rolls.  They’re swoon-worthy.  We had similarly high expectation for Ex Novo’s carne adovada egg rolls (two-hour braised pork shoulder, Tucumcari Cheddar, Hatch red chile soy) with a side of green chile lo-mein noodles.

Bruce Terzes’s impression of the carne adovada egg rolls: “very good with one caveat – while very tasty, the filling was a bit dry and not very hot for a fried egg roll.”  That wasn’t our experience though my Kim did share her usual nit: “too hot” (piquant).   If there’s one blessing resultant from my Kim’s aversion to piquancy, it’s that I don’t have to share foods I love but she can’t eat.  Despite a cavalcade of plates visiting our table, I managed to finish all four egg rolls.  Not surprisingly, the sweet-savory-piquant Hatch red chile soy ensnared the rapt attention of my taste buds.  Dragging each egg roll through that sauce was so much better than the sticky, cloying red plum sauce served with Chinese egg rolls.

Chef Quiñones shared that his favorite dish on Ex Novo’s large plates menu is the Churrasco steak and potatoes (outside skirt steak, twice-cooked potatoes, grilled tomato, caramelized corn, tomato coulis).  The term churrasco actually refers to any meat grilled over an open flame.  For the most part, that’s beef, usually a thin cut like skirt steak.  Skirt steak is  prized for its big, beefy flavor and affordability. It’s quite lean an has a lot of connective tissue with a thick grain that runs across the length of the muscle. While these attributes make it a tougher cut, it still emerges juicy and tender when marinated and not overcooked.   It’s often used to make fajitas.

Ex Novo’s churrasco steak wasn’t one of the dishes Chef Quiñones prepared at the James Beard House, but it would have been a huge hit.  It’s easy to see why.  This is one of the most flavorful skirt steak dishes I’ve ever enjoyed.  Every morsel was memorable, every bite a delight.  It was tender without being soft and mushy, prepared at a slight pink with a nice bark.  The twice-cooked potatoes were reminiscent of the potatoes I used to enjoy in France.  They’re also somewhat comparable (though just a bit larger) to the cubed papitas New Mexican restaurants serve.  The caramelized corn was terrific, too.

Our inaugural visit to Ex Novo transpired on my Kim’s birthday.  What she wanted most on her special day was charcuterie.  Ex Novo offers two versions of its Downtown Charcuterie Plate (Heidi’s organic raspberry and poblano pepper jam, Aleppo pepper and agave, cured meats and local cheeses, crispy yucca, bread and sticks, piñon brittle and whipped sweet chile tofu).  Chef Quiñones prepared the smaller version himself for my bride.  Every element in this board was exceptional.  I even allowed myself a sweet indulgence by scarfing up all the piñon brittle.

Chef Quiñones is justifiably proud of the charcuterie plate, but basks with joy at the items prepared in-house.  He raved about the whipped sweet chile tofu which won me over, too.  The pickled onions, dill pickles and tomatoes were also among his favorites.  In recent years, New Mexico has acquired a stellar reputation for its cheeses–and not exclusively those made in Tucumcari.  As a bona fide turophile, I could practically live on cheeses, particularly the stinky, veiny type.   Happy birthday, my Kim.

One commonality among many of us of Hispanic descent is being weaned on arroz con pollo.  During my years in Boston, I had several Puerto Rican friends who would invite me to their homes for plates brimming with arroz con pollo, often with chicken.  Chef Quiñones, himself of Puerto Rican lineage, added beans (cooked with bacon, onions and tomatoes) to Ex Novo’s version of arroz con pollo (all-natural crispy skin chicken thighs, basmati rice, red beans).  For the both of us, arroz con pollo is a quintessential comfort food, one that warms the heart.

During an visit to the kitchen, I was tempted to walk away with the large pot of red beans simmering on the stove.  For as much as I enjoyed every item we were served, I grew up feasting on pinto beans and still consider them a favorite, memory-triggering food.  Rice has the same effect, but to a lesser degree.  Then there’s the crispy skin chicken thighs, as moist, tender and juicy as they can be.  More than any dish we enjoyed (and we loved them all), the arroz con pollo seemed the most approachable and “down home” to me.

Not every restaurant the caliber of Ex Novo can boast of world-class desserts to top off an incomparable meal.  Sous chef Meghan Lewis ferried two “better than a birthday cake” desserts to our table.  First was a fabulous eggnogg tres leches cheesecake (eggnogg crème Anglaise, five pepper raspberry puree).  I had one forkful before visiting the kitchen to commend the staff for a tremendous early dinner.  My Kim told me it was one of the best desserts she’s ever had.  She’s the dessert person in our family so I’ll have to take her word for it.

Similarly, I had a small nibble of the giant macaron resembling a whoopie pie on steroids.  Spelling isn’t the only difference between  macarons and macaroons.  A macaron is a meringue-based sandwich cookie that requires multiple steps and painstaking precision to prepare. A macaroon is a drop cookie made with shredded coconut. A batch of macaroons is very easy to prepare.  Macarons also tend to be more expensive because they’re made with almond flour which is up to nine times as expensive as regular flour.  Ex Novo’s giant macaron has gigantic flavors to go with its prodigious size.

Note: In the spirit of full disclosure and transparency, our meal was comped, but we would gladly have paid twice the price for one of the two best meals we’ve had in 2024 (the other was prepared by Chef Quiñones at Level 5).  I rarely accept a “free meal,” and when I do it’s with the understanding that my review will include all warts and blemishes. Chef Quiñones wouldn’t have it any other way, not that he had anything to worry about…not when he delivered another flawless meal and tremendous experience.  I should add that I consider Chef Quiñones not only one of the best chefs in the Land of Enchantment, but a good friend and spiritual brother.

THE CHEFS

My affection for Chef Marc Quiñones is pretty obvious.  I consider him a good friend, an inspirational leader and a culinary genius.  Okay, add “hero” to those superlatives.  The meal he prepared for luminaries at the James Beard House exemplifies just a few of the traits that make him the award-winning chef he is.  From the very beginning to the very end of the meal, everything flowed seamlessly.  Chef Quiñones described it as “like poetry.”  Though intrinsic talent is requisite, what made the meal flow flawlessly was the chef’s preparation.  Once he had determined what he would serve, he gathered all the ingredients he would need to wow his guests.  Mind you, his culinary performance took place AFTER having run a ten-mile race at the Bronx.

The James Beard Foundation became further associated with Chef  Quiñones in 2024 when he was selected to be an advisor/mentor in the James Beard Foundation’s Legacy Network Program which “trains emerging leaders across the culinary industry and connects them with future generations of excellence.”  In his role as mentor and advisor, Chef Quiñones spends several hours a week coaching them on how to advance professional goals and seek the necessary support to do so.  It’s a role tailor-made for the personable chef.  Listen to him talk about his staff at Ex Novo and you’d think the self-effacing chef doesn’t do much.  He credits his staff for any successes he has enjoyed.  The truth is, he recruits and cultivates talent.  His proteges run many of the area’s best kitchens…and he’s got at least a couple more future executive chefs (profiled below) on his staff.

Chef Quiñones has every confidence that his protege Chef Miles Anderson has a very promising future in the culinary world.  Though he may appear (and actually is) youthful, he’s already worked at Zinc and at Campo at Los Poblanos.  He’s been with Chef Quiñones for two years and has been entrusted with increasingly challenging leadership roles.

Chef Quiñones was excited to have me meet sous chef Meghan Lewis who, despite her own youth, already has a wealth of experience in the culinary arena.  She started off washing dishes and has climbed the proverbial ladder thanks to exemplary skills and dedication.  Her experience includes a stint in Hawaii as well as at The Stanley where Stephen King was inspired to write The Shining.  She shared details of her experiences with me about The Stanley’s paranormal presences, adding that Ex Novo has a few disembodied souls mucking about, too.  Chef Lewis recently earned the Judges’ Choice for best dessert at the 2024 Duke It Out Chef Throwdown event.   Her black sugar caramelized apple eclair with whipped hibiscus cream blew the judges away.

Summary

Ex Novo’s website says it best: “This isn’t just any brewery—it’s a high-end experience, providing an unparalleled atmosphere and culinary delight.”  It’s destined to be one of Albuquerque’s most popular restaurants.  Under Chef Quiñones, it’s destined for greatness.

Ex Novo Brewing Company
701 Central Avenue,  N.W.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 633-9113
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 27 September 2024
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$$$
BEST BET:
REVIEW #1424