What Howard Baratz said. Plus, I’d recommend a visit to Chimayo and Leona’s right next to the Santuario and a trek out to El Farolito in El Rito(both of which we’ll be posting review of here soon). A beautiful time to be in northern New Mexico!

Sorry, Tia Sophia is on San Francisco in Santa Fe. Many of the native vendors from under el portal in front of the Palace of Governors eat there as well as old time locals.

Another old favorite (primarily for breakfast) is the Range Cafe in Bernalillo (off I-25 between ABQ and SF — they also have a location in ABQ at the corner of Wyoming and Montgomery). The breakfasts are uniformly excellent, but I strongly recommend the Home on the Range: a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal topped with fresh fruit and cinnamon ice cream. I don’t even like oatmeal and I like this. The egg dishes are also quite good, particularly any that come with chile and/or beans.

There’s also a small local chain of bakery restaurants called Flying Star Cafe. (They used to be known as Double Rainbow, but they severed relations with the San Francisco ice cream brand of that name a few years ago. They serve Ben and Jerry’s now, an enormous improvement in quality, ice cream-wise.) They’re good for a coffee-and-baked-goods breakfast, a light lunch or a late supper. But I primarily have fond memories of the desserts, which are the best in town. I strongly urge the eclair, which is the size of a Subway sandwich, and the coconut cream pie. My wife is reminding me of the carrot cake as I type.

There are three locations: Nob Hill (Central between Tulane and…I forget the other cross street), Heights (Juan Tabo and Montgomery, across the street from Page One Books), and West Mesa (I actually don’t remember exactly where this one is…as many times as I drove on this street, I don’t think I knew it’s name. It’s in the same strip mall as Bookworks, anyway.) I personally prefer the Nob Hill location to the other two, although the Heights location is probably the nicest and certainly the prettiest. All three locations have patio seating, which can be nice in October if it hasn’t already turned cold.

I know you said "non-touristy," but trust me: El Pinto (North 4th, above Montano) is slightly too touristy, but the food is very good, and in spite of how crowded it can get, it’s the most romantic restaurant I’ve been to in Albuquerque.

I third the Frontier recommendation but would also highly recommend:

Pasqual’s in Santa Fe, which serves incredible, inventive dishes 3 meals a day but is especially amazing at breakfast time.

Rocque’s Carnitas Stand on the Plaza in Santa Fe for a messy but delicious tortilla wrapped meat sandwich.

San Marcos Cafe, on the Turquiose Trail a bit South of Santa Fe, for a great breakfast (don’t forget a hot cinnamon roll).

Bobcat Bite in Santa Fe for the world’s best Green Chili Cheeseburger.

You can get details on all of these places, and more, in the restaurant review section of this website.

quote:

Originally posted by Chef Susan

We will be spending our honeymoon in both Albuqueque and Santa Fe in late October/early November. We are both chefs but really appreciate a good bowl of green or red chili. We are looking for non-touristy but good food and are willing to drive from either of these cities to find it.Would appreciate your feedback!

The Shed on the Plaza in Santa Fe has wonderful food at reasonable prices. There is a book called "New Mexico for Dummies" that was very helpful in supplying information on the types of restaurants available in the Santa Fe area that ranked them based on price, atmosphere and the food.

quote:

Originally posted by Chef Susan

We will be spending our honeymoon in both Albuqueque and Santa Fe in late October/early November. We are both chefs but really appreciate a good bowl of green or red chili. We are looking for non-touristy but good food and are willing to drive from either of these cities to find it.Would appreciate your feedback!

Best bowl of green in New Mexico — as voted by the readers of the Weekly Alibi’s Restaurant Poll several years running — is at the Frontier in Albuquerque. The Frontier, as I’ve said many times here, is the greatest restaurant in the entire world.

It depends on what you are thinking of in terms of chili. I think of green chili stew or posole as being Northern New Mexican style. Tia Sophia on W. San Francisco serves up a good bowl of green at breakfast