Monday, April 11, 2016

Bites of Burque: Serving Fresh Food News

Order Up!

BY TY BANNERMAN

Jenny from the block

Jennifer James plans to return to Nob Hill after a decade away. According to an update on Jennifer James 101’s website, the multiple award-winning chef’s restaurant will be relocating to the 2300 block of Central NE, adjacent to the soon-to-shutter original Satellite Coffee location. The space will require significant updates to serve as a restaurant, so no opening schedule has been announced. James’ previous Nob Hill venture, Graze, occupied the spot that currently houses Nob Hill Bar & Grill and closed in 2006 after creative differences between its business partners.  

Lights, camera, food!

In other Nob Hill news, the space formerly occupied by Kurt’s Camera Corral (for 65 years!) has been purchased by Coe & Peterson. The new owners plan to convert the space into several storefronts, adding an elevator to access a roof deck. New tenant possibilities include regional chain Frost Gelato and, according to Albuquerque Business First, “one or two restaurants.”

35 North heads South

Santa Fe Dining, the company behind Chama River Brewing, The Draft Station and Santa Fe’s Blue Corn Café, will launch an Albuquerque location of their new coffee shop chain 35 North Coffee. The café will nestle in next to the existing Draft Station (1720 Central SW) and feature a ski bum-influenced roster of beverages and food. For example, their Oatmeal Latte consists of oatmeal, brown sugar, espresso and foamed milk, while their Adjust Your Latitude Coffee is made with butter, coconut oil and MCT oil. Santa Fe Dining expects to open the coffee shop sometime this summer.

Co-opted?  

An Albuquerque institution for 40 years, La Montañita Co-Op recently garnered controversy after a board decision to stock conventionally grown fruits and vegetables alongside organic ones. In an Albuquerque Journal article, the move was described as a cost-saving measure. The news was greeted by customer-owner outcry. Several critics voiced their concerns on Facebook. “Adding produce sprayed with pesticides and labeling them ‘Clean 15’ seems misleading and not in the best interest of the co-op as a standard of good, local, organic food. There are plenty of places to buy pesticide-laden foods. Please continue to stand against poisons,” wrote one commenter.

Imperial additions

Construction of Downtown’s Imperial Building at Second and Silver SW is nearly complete. The Imperial Building will be home to the highly anticipated Silver Street Market grocery store and several additional new tenants. Abbey Brewing Company, maker of Monk’s Ale, will partner with the owners of Eli’s Place (formerly Sophia’s Place) to develop a taproom and kitchen called Monk’s Corner. The restaurant will serve “neo-New Mexican food” designed to complement the beers on tap. Restaurant chain Crackin’ Crab also plans to open a location in the building. The Imperial Building is slated for completion this summer, and Monk’s Corner is expected to open in fall 2016.

Chewing the fat

At the end of March, a.k.a. National Nutrition Month, personal finance website WalletHub released a ranking of a hundred American cities on obesity, problems related to weight and overall healthy environment. While it’s not clear why a personal finance site is ranking cities according to average weight, it’s nice to know that Albuquerque came in 82nd on the list, with Memphis, Tenn., ranked as America’s Number One “fattest city.” Journalist Ty Bannerman, who loves to eat, reports on local food news for ABQ Free Press.

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