In the 60s and early 70s, movies and television programs would have you believe all spies were hard-drinking, fast-driving, woman-chasing playboys as good with their fists as they were with a gun. They were worldly, sophisticated and charming, but could just as easily use guile and deception to get the job done. Bob Ayers, who worked in intelligence for 30 years in the U.S. Army and Defense Intelligence Agency counters those stereotypes: “All of that stuff about James Bond, that’s Hollywood. You don’t want anyone standing out in the intelligence business. You want someone nondescript. The ideal spy is 5-foot-6 and kind of dumpy.”
That ideal—nondescript and dumpy—just wouldn’t work in the restaurant business…or would it? Restaurants, especially those which are generously bankrolled by corporate megaliths, tend to have a lot of cash, flash and panache to create the illusion of glamor and allure which brings in customers (and most of us are easily entertained). In addition to all the pristine veneer and effusive, over-the-top flamboyance money can buy, these restaurants tend to have catchy, memorable names which help in the establishment and proliferation of brand identity. They’re capacious, swanky, memorable and largely successful.
Anyone who thinks this formulaic approach is the recipe for success would be at a loss to explain a restaurant like The Shop Breakfast and Lunch. It has none of the aforementioned characteristics of superficiality that seem to draw in the crowds. Even its name is so ambiguous that unless you know The Shop is a restaurant (the Breakfast and Lunch part is subtitled), you might dismiss it as yet another kitschy university area vintage clothing shop. While not “dumpy,” its ambiance is far from ostentatious. Maybe, that’s part of its charm. Perhaps that’s why The Shop has a faithful following that eschews the artifice and ambiance of the “shiny” restaurants to eat there instead.
Like The Shop itself, its patrons aren’t pretentious. Many of them are students at the University of New Mexico (UNM) which sprawls just across Girard from the restaurant. They appreciate being able to fuel up on great food that isn’t going to break their ramen budget. You can bet the UNM voting demographic stuffed the Alibi’s ballots in 2014 when The Shop was named the Duke City’s “best new restaurant.” They’ve continued to vote for The Shop which has an “I Love Me Wall” covered with “best of” awards. They also cast their votes for chef-owner Israel “Izz” Rivera, a high school dropout with no formal culinary education, but with years of kitchen smarts from having worked with and for highly credentialed chefs.
Those of us who have only been students of life (and not a classroom) for a while also appreciate the great food…and to be honest, most of us don’t imbibe the “ambiance.” After all, a swanky milieu doesn’t improve the flavor of any food. The Shop’s furnishings are more utilitarian than they are comfortable, but you won’t be thinking about how much more comfortable you’d be in a plush, cozy chair as you’re indulging on an even cozier Kentucky Hot Brown (when it’s on the menu).
Surprises start with the most important meal of the day. The breakfast menu, served all day long (from 8AM through 3PM) offers hearty options, some of which you can’t find anywhere else in Albuquerque. The duck hash, biscuits and chorizo gravy, shrimp and grits and of course, the Kentucky Hot Brown are just a few of them. Lunch offerings are categorized into sandwiches (with your choice of house made chips or side salad), mac and cheese (three scrumptious options) and three creative salads (Kale Caesar anyone?). For several months, The Shop offered “Night Shift” menus on Friday and Saturday nights. The Shop will continue to prepare special dinners and events at Marble and La Cumbre Breweries. Note: The items described below may or may not be available at The Shop whose menu has and continues to evolve over the years.
12 March 2020: Though Chef Rivera has no formal culinary education, he’s earned a doctorate in deliciousness and several bachelor’s degrees in burgers alone Just when you think you’ve had every burger combination conceivable, he comes up with another blow-you-away burger so good you wonder how you’ve lived your life without it. His latest stroke of genius is the spectacular French onion burger (two fresh burger patties with sauteed mushrooms, Gruyere, French onion, melted triple cream brie, Dijon mayo, and pickles on The Witching Flour Bakery sesame seed bun), a special-of-the-day one warm March day. As a fanatic for French onion soup, this burger answers several prayers. Every flavor, every nuance, every salty bit of deliciousness of French onion soup is magically imparted onto a burger you have to eat with a fork. The smash burger style beef patties benefit most from the slowly caramelized sweet onions and their rich, deep flavor, but the sesame seed buns is what sops up the juices oh so well. This is a ten napkin burger affair so don’t wear white when you order one.
15 January 2020: Culinary cognoscenti declared 2019 the year of the chicken sandwich largely on the pop culture craze generated by competition between Popeye’s and Chick Fil-A. It didn’t take long before mom-and-pop restaurants were outshining their chain competitors. On 9 January 2020, Chef Rivera entered the fray with a fried chicken sandwich (homemade onion bun, black garlic/gochujang mayo, house made pickles, mixed greens in a green onion/ginger vinaigrette, and a miso/buttermilk brined fried chicken thigh) that’s already in rarefied air as one of the three best fried chicken sandwiches in town (and no, neither Popeye’s or Chick Fil-A are on that list). Within a week after introducing this prolific poultry sandwich, he had to issue an apology for running out. Lesson having been learned, he made three times as many. Don’t miss out on what may be the sandwich of the year for 2020.
5 June 2019: One of the challenges of bestowing “best” honors is that invariably there will always be another burger coming around the corner that’s even better. Another is taste memory recall. Several years may have elapsed since I last enjoyed one of the many worthy contenders for the best green chile cheeseburger in the Land of Enchantment honors. Chef Rivera had a green chile cheeseburger quest of his own, a search for the best burger he could eat when not at The Shop. Though he sampled and enjoyed several superb burgers, he decided he could prepare a better one than he found at competing restaurants. Initially he served his creation only on the Night Shift menu, but as of May, 2019, began offering it for lunch. Three weeks after my inaugural experience with The Shop’s eponymous green chile cheeseburger, I invited Captain Escalante Tuttle, Bob of the Village of Los Ranchos and Tom Molitor to experience it for themselves. Their comments below will attest to their impressions.
At the very least, the Shop Burger (two fresh ground patties, mustard, jalapeño mayo, chopped green chile, Tillamook Cheddar, caramelized onions and housemade pickles on a locally baked fresh bun) is in the top three of the very best green chile cheeseburgers I’ve ever had! KOAT anchor Royale Da made an even more definitive declaration, anointing the Shop Burger as her very favorite. This is a blow-you-away caliber burger, albeit one of the messiest (four or five napkin’s worth) burgers you’ll ever have.
Moist juices flow copiously onto your hands as you eat it, but those juices don’t just come from the hand-formed ground “smash burger style” patties. They flow freely from the caramelized onions and jalapeño mayo as well. The two fresh ground patties are rather thin, but very well-seasoned and flavorful. The buns are formidable enough not to break apart despite the moistness and volume of the thick, it-takes-two-hands-to-handle burger. It’s rare for me to ever even notice the quality of pickles adorning any burger, but The Shop’s pickles are in rarefied air–they grab and hold your rapt attention. These pickles aren’t especially tart. In fact, they’re not far-removed from the fresh cucumber stage. This is an outstanding burger, one of the very best you’ll ever have!
Mr. Murphy, he of the “everything that can go wrong…” idiom joined my friends Bob of the Village People, Tom Molitor and Captain Tuttle when we met at The Shop. Because of the burger’s popularity, The Shop had run out of its usual onion buns and had to use thick brioche bread slices instead. For me the difference was telling, but not as telling as how much the burger impressed my savvy dining companions.
15 April 2015: During the Roaring 20s, the executive chef at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky invented a sandwich to help revelers to wind down and sober up. Today that sandwich, the Kentucky Hot Brown may be more popular (at least in the Louisville area) than the Kentucky Derby. To say it should be served with an angioplasty may be an understatement. This is a caloric overachiever constructed from egg-battered pain de mie (a soft-crusted butter- and milk-rich loaf), thick cut ham, white Cheddar mornay sauce (a type of Bechamel), two eggs and bacon. Because it’s so very rich and creamy, it’s not for everyone, but everyone should try it at least once or twenty times.
15 April 2015: Several years ago, former Albuquerque mayor Martin Chavez attempted a commercially-driven re-branding of the city. Despite his efforts, the sobriquet “The Q” didn’t exactly catch on, not that anyone would believe The Shop’s QBano is named for the mayor’s folly. Obviously, the QBano is a Cuban sandwich, one of the very best in “The Q,”…er, the Duke City. The canvas for this magnificent sandwich is a toasted bolillo roll stuffed and pressed with citrus-brined roasted local pork shoulder, sliced ham, yellow mustard, roasted garlic aioli, Gruyere cheese and housemade pickles. Just perusing the ingredients will cue you in that there are many elements which make this sandwich so special. My friend Bill raved about the garlic aioli while the pork shoulder won me over. This is a sandwich that’s more delicious than the sum of its ingredients!
15 April 2015: In some cultures (Vietnamese, for example), sandwiches are a breakfast mainstay. For some reason, however, Americans seem to dismiss the notion of much more than eggs and ham on their breakfast sandwich (Cafe Bella being an exception). Perhaps acquiescing to American tastes, The Rush’s ubiquitously named Breakfast Sandwich does indeed include eggs and a type of ham (prosciutto) then it gets creative with tomato, arugula, and basil aioli. There isn’t enough prosciutto to suit the ham lover in most of us and veggie haters might not like the thick tomatoes or peppery arugula, but most will enjoy the sandwich in its entirety.
19 May 2015: In the early ’70s, a television commercial for Post Grape-Nuts cereal featured outdoorsman Eull Gibbons asking viewers “Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible.” This quote fueled the public’s imagination and made him a celebrity. Much like Grape Nuts, granola signified the back-to-nature, whole-grain tenor which grew from the American counterculture movement of the 1960s and ’70s. In fact, to the mainstream, granola was practically synonymous with a hippie lifestyle.
Like many of the hippies of the ’60s and ’70s, granola has become mainstream. Inventive restaurateurs have sown their wild oats with granola and have transformed what was once considered a sensible and healthy food concept into a popular and delicious dish. The Shop’s rendition ranks right up there with the Flying Star‘s magnificent “Morning Sundae” as perhaps the city’s best granola dish. This hearty housemade bowl of oats, nuts and dried fruits pairs oh so well with a tangy-sour yogurt punctuated with lemon and agave nectar and topped with fresh berries and local honey.
19 May 2015: In its annual food and wine issue for 2012, Albuquerque The Magazine named Torinos @ Home’ duck confit sandwich one of the yummiest sandwiches in the city. The Shop’s own duck confit sandwich is in rarefied air with Torinos sacrosanct sandwich as the city’s very best. A toasted bolillo roll is the canvas for this masterpiece–a moist, delicious creation of confit duck, caramelized onions, lemon aioli, Fontina cheese, arugula and Balsamic vinaigrette. The tangy tartness of the vinaigrette and lemon aioli complement the sweetness of the caramelized onions and the fatty richness of the duck. It’s a sandwich that will remain on your mind long after you’ve finished it.
19 May 2015: As we grow older, most of us no longer crave the indulgences of our childhood: Lucky Charms cereal, Franco-American’s SpaghettiOs (now with a Campbell’s Soup brand) and Smarties Candy, but we never lose our taste for Macaroni and Cheese. Not only is it a fun food for children of all ages, it’s the epitome of comfort food favorites, each morsel imparting warmth and deliciousness. Most of us, however, graduate well beyond the gooey, neon-bright Kraft mac and cheese out-of-a-box. We won’t settle for less than an adult mac and cheese.
Fortunately The Shop has us covered and not just with one adult macaroni and cheese offering. The daily menu showcases three different mac and cheese meals: chorizo mac, bacon mac and steakhouse mac. The latter is a beauteous bowl brimming with shaved ribeye, caramelized onions, mushrooms and a white Cheddar mornay sauce topped with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Every forkful is an adventure in great flavors blending together. It’s possible we may not have appreciated the steakhouse mac as children, but it’s a dish all adults will love.
In January, 2020, Chef Rivera faced off against Chattanooga chef Charlie Loomis for a shot at Food Network superstar Bobby Flay in the latter’s eponymous Beat Bobby Flay show. The two chefs were given the surprise ingredient of radishes by Flay and had to create their own dish featuring radishes. Chef Rivera prepared a radish salad with a pineapple-ginger pickled brine served with avocado and buttermilk dressing. Loomis served up a plate of roasted and raw radishes with creamy feta and radish top vinaigrette. The judges decreed Loomis the victor, however, Chef Rivera accorded himself very well.
While The Shop Breakfast and Lunch may be an ugly duckling compared to some of Albuquerque’s “shiny,” flashy restaurants, it’s a beautiful, graceful swan in the kitchen where some of the most creative and delicious dishes in the Nob Hill district are created.
The Shop Breakfast And Lunch
2933 Monte Vista Blvd, N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 433-2795
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 12 March 2020
1st VISIT: 15 April 2015
# OF VISITS: 7
RATING: 23
COST: $$
BEST BET: Qbano, Breakfast Sandwich, Kentucky Hot Brown, Housemade Potato Chips, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Duck Confit Sandwich, Steakhouse Mac, Granola & Yogurt, The Shop Burger with Fries, Chicken Sandwich with Fries, French Onion Burger
They have a website now: https://www.theshopabq.com/
Thank you, Margaret. I’ve added the link to the website.
Thank you, Gil, for providing us with so many exciting new places to try for lunch. My friend and I both ordered the duck hash at The Shop and we both agreed that it was one of the best meals either of us has ever had. The only difficulty with that is that it will be very hard to make myself try anything new the next time we go there.
Thank you, Margaret. I’m always grateful for your editing skills and thoughtful comments. The Shop really does have a terrific menu. It’s hard not to get hooked on any one particular entree, but doing so prevents you from discovering other favorites.
“The big curse of America,” said Jim Harrison, “is skinless, boneless chicken breasts. They’re banal and relatively flavorless. The rest of the world’s starving to get some fat to eat, and we’re trying to ban it from our diet.”
That fried chicken sandwich looks mighty fine indeed, Gil. Poultry pleasure in its most severly-heated incarnation. People here (Bay Area) tell me about a place named “Marlowe” in San Francisco where you can order your fried chicken with dark meat that’s been breaded with buttermilk biscuit mix. Gil, have you ever had a fried chicken sandwich with dark meat?
CAVEAT: OFF TOPIC
“People here (Bay Area) tell me about a place…”
Yo Tom,
Are you meaning you are in the Bar Area now, with the implication you may go into San Francisco? If so, would appreciate you sharing, if you are so inclined, your opinion of the Streets of SF as we see them via cable news, vs what you see in terms of intensity/pervasiveness.
Alas Tom, before I became “enlightened” about chain restaurants, I probably (and certainly unknowingly) had fried chicken sandwiches made from everything from pink slime to chicken feet. Most mom-and-pop restaurants use either chicken thighs (more moist and juicy) or chicken breasts, both white meat. I don’t know for sure which mom-and-pops use dark meat for their fried chicken sandwiches, but I’d certainly be open to trying them.
Mustard and green chile harmonize every bit as well as the Bee Gees only in a lower octave. So when the server informed met that The Shop Burger also features jalapeño mayonnaise, I hesitated in much the same manner as the Bee Gees would have hesitated if Tom Waits had asked to join the group.
But boy do they sing well together. The pickles sang a nice background chorus, too – spicy, definitely not your Vlasic bread-and-butter pickles. Evidently, the regular bread truck (onion bun) was hijacked on Interstate-40 just 10 miles outside of Albuquerque, so a brioche bun stepped in to fill the pilfered void. I believe The Captain called it “Texas Toast on steroids,” but to me it was more similar to the bulky french toast that my Dad would make when Mom wasn’t available: Serviceable but not Mom’s.
That said, there’s so much right going on in this burger. Especially if you like burgers with smash-burger attitude, which uses a specialized process of cooking them on a flattop grill at a high heat. The method sears the heavily-seasoned meat patties (two are mandatory) to give a huge, explosive flavor. This is not how I do green chile cheese burgers at home, but I don’t think my gas stove top can replicate a commercial high-heat treatment. It was good. Very good.
Separately, unlike The Captain, I thought the fries were way above average. Steak-cut fries were nicely seasoned, not exactly my style preference, as I do prefer the fabulous garlic/herb shoestring-style at Bosque Brewing, but still good.
I’d definitely return to The Shop and try the same burger on the regular onion bun, just as soon as the state police solve the bread caper.
I was fortunate enough to join our intrepid food blogger for lunch. I also had the pleasure of dining with the irrepressible BOTVOLR and Thomas Molitor. You know what they say, great company makes any occasion that much better. It was a pleasure dining with you fellas!
I had The Shop Burger. Apparently, they were out of the regular bun they use, so the burger came to us in what can best be described as Texas Toast on steroids. It actually worked for me! I loved the grilled onions and home-made pickles. The ground beef was the smash burger type, so it needs the two patties. Good char and still juicy. All in all, that was a tasty burger. Fries were so-so.
I also understand that chef Izz Rivera was not at the grill, so if the burger is even better when he prepares it…holy cow, it must be a phenomenal burger.
Do yourself a favor and get down there!
THE very best green chile cheeseburger I have ever had! Chef Rivera is a genius!!!
Ketchup on a hot dog and mustard on a cheeseburger are both mortal sins. Save the mustard for your favorite Cubano, wherever that may be. Hint: Not in Cuba.
Larry, I agree that Ketchup on hot dogs is a mortal sin, even gustatory self-laceration.
And you’re also right about mustard on a cheeseburger. But mustard on a green chile cheeseburger is as just and sanctified a marriage as peanut butter and jelly. I think it’s the distilled vinegar in mustard that dances so well with the piquancy of green chiles.
Speaking of green chile cheeseburgers, here’s an update on the Buckhorn Tavern. I stopped by last Wednesday on my way to Las Cruces and met the new owner Ernie, who was busy yanking up copper piping from the floorboards when I came upon him. He said he plans to keep everything “as is” and will hopefully open at the end of June. He said the famous Bobby Olguin is going fine and cleared the cancer hurdle and is enjoying his retirement.
Gil, have you had the duck confit sandwich?
I have indeed, Tom. It is an excellent sandwich–right up there with the duck confit sandwich at Torinos @ Home.
The Shop has a very interesting menu that will inspire much exploration.
I see I had a post regarding duck confit four years ago. I remain today a duck confit devotee. Gil, did I ever tell you the first time I went into Keller’s and asked for duck confit the butcher behind the counter had me repeat my request twice and then turned to his co-worker in the back and yelled, “Eddie, do we have any duck’s feet?” I am going to Santa Fe this week and will try Kaune’s, thanks.
Separately, there’s a saying among sommeliers, “You don’t drink the label.” Meaning some of the best wines come packaged in the worse labels. In fact, the kinds of wines I seek out come from small, agricultural, family-owned vineyards. It’s not uncommon for their labels to look similar to a three-year-old’s crayola creation.
I’m looking forward to trying The Shop. After all, you don’t eat the decor.
Just read the Sunday morning newspaper (1/3/16) about your blog and after finishing with the paper I immediately looked up your blog and was pleasantly surprise about the content. You have made a fan out of me.
Hi Sharon
Thank you for the kind words. I hope you find many great new restaurant recommendations on the blog.
Gil
Speaking of Duck Confit, Gil, where can I buy it packaged in a grocery store. Even Keller’s doesn’t have it frozen.
Happy Memorial Day, Thomas
You can find duck confit as well as a number of other duck products at Kaune’s Foodtown in Santa Fe. Kaune’s has been serving Santa Fe for more than a century and is a frequent stop for my very favorite James Beard award winning resident of the City Different.
Gil