James Beard Foundation (JBF) Award Nominees & Winners Archives - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

Level 5 Rooftop Restaurant at Hotel Chaco – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 06:01:49 +0000

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…

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Ex Novo Brewing Co. – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 06:01:30 +0000

“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…

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Mixtli – San Antonio, Texas

Gil Garduno — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 06:01:14 +0000

A quote attributed to Marcel Marceau, the French mime famous for his sad-faced clown, aptly describes my attempts at describing a meal at Mixtli: “Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us without words” (not that being without words has ever stopped me). Life’s events often include moments which move you deeply and stir your very soul. My inaugural dining experience at Mixtli was not so profound and cathartic as to move me to drastically change my life, but it certainly prompted a stirring awakening as I experienced what was conceivably the best restaurant meal I’ve ever had. Several of the other effusive reviews I’ve written are mere hyperbole in comparison to what I’d like to say…

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