Moon New Mexico UPDATE

This restaurant in Raton is closed.

By the far the most frequent change I’m making in updating for the second edition (due spring ‘11) is adjusting opening hours–90 percent of the time, places are just open less. I’m guessing this has to do with the recession–government-run places have had budget cuts, and tourism is down, so tourist-oriented businesses have scaled back.

Moral of the story: call ahead to check hours when you’re making a special trip.

This diner in Roswell is closed.

This place in Mountainair has changed hands, and the rooms have gotten pretty sketchy. I wouldn’t recommend pre-booking here–take a room only if you can inspect it beforehand.

The cafe seems to be open regularly, though, for late breakfast and lunch every day but Tuesday.

I also noticed Alpine Alley, just north of Mountainair’s main intersection–this looks like good coffee and light food.

O Eating House, in Pojoaque, is now a fairly upscale Italian restaurant (but it has the same name). It looks good, if completely different!

The stock at Chimayo Trading Post has dwindled significantly. The owner (his partner passed away) is quite old and doesn’t seem to be restocking the place. Still, if you’ve never been, it’s worth a stop–there are still some treasures here.

In Chimayo, the separate Santo Nino de Atocha chapel has been spruced up and is open all the time now–it’s a bit more modern, but sweet. Take a peek inside, especially in the side chapel.

As I noted before, the NM history museum is now open. Signage is not quite as detailed as I’d like, but otherwise it’s a nice introduction. The exhibits in the Palace of the Governors (now accessible via the history museum) are the same, fortunately–I find these more interesting.

Walking tours run by the museum go from mid-April to mid-October (not just in summer, like the book says). They last about two hours, and the route depends on who’s leading it, but it covers a couple of miles.

Linda Durham Gallery has moved away from Canyon Road, over to 1800 2nd Street.

Collected Works books has moved to the corner of Galisteo and Water, and now has a coffeeshop inside–lovely.

Adelante Casitas is back to being called Chapelle Street Casitas. Its online booking system is buggy–better to call.

Hotel St. Francis has been redone by the Heritage Hotels & Resorts group–it looks quite chic, but the rates have of course gone up. (The same group has redone the Hotel Plaza Real as well, which is great because that used to be a wasted dump.)

Willee’s bar is shut–it’s now called Corazon and books a lot of hipper live music.

Chispa! bar closes at 11pm now.

Green Palace teahouse is shut.

Carlos’ Gosp’l Cafe is shut. The space in the Design Center now sells NYC-style pizza by the slice–it looks good!

El Tesoro in Sanbusco Center is no longer particularly Salvadoran–the menu is more standard Mex-New-Mex, but everything looks good.

The Treehouse cafe moved to 1600 Lena Street (and unfortunately didn’t bring the nursery with it!).

The Blue Heron restaurant is shut.

Joseph’s Table is shut! Sad. Sabor de Antonio, a Mexican-style seafood and steak place, is now in the space–which is funny, because this is the second time Antonio has taken over Joseph’s Table’s old space.

Dragonfly Cafe is no longer open for breakfast, except for Sunday brunch. Now it does lunch and dinner (and is closed Tues).

Guadalupe Cafe and the Sustaining Cultures bookstore is shut.

Maverick County Food Co. is shut–it’s now a Japanese place.

Apple Tree is shut.

Byzantium is substantially cheaper than it used to be.

Antonio’s has reopened next to where Guadalupe Cafe used to be, with his good Mexican menu–roast lamb, cochinita pibil.

In Penasco, Sugar Nymphs is open only Thurs.-Sun.

And, duh, the Picuris and Penasco sections are out of order–they should swap.

Paloma Blanca coffeehouse has shut–it is now an all-purpose restaurant that doesn’t look particularly notable.

Texas Reds moved across the street and east about a block.

The Hole Thing is shut.

Consetta’s, the Green Restaurant, is shut.

And sincere apologies–the area code here is 575, but I failed to update many of the businesses listed.

Cookin’ Books is shut.

Gandy Dancer B&B is shut.

Evett’s, the old ice-cream parlor, is closed. This leaves only a couple of random places to eat in town, and both were shut when I passed, so I’m not sure what to recommend…

El Bruno’s has expanded–so there’s more room. But I have heard a couple of reports of bad food recently, along with the usual raves. Still, you don’t have much choice, as it’s the only reasonably good food for miles, and the place is now very comfortable, with patio seating.

Smokin’ J’s BBQ is shut.

Boon’s Family Thai has changed to Thai Basil–not sure whether it’s particularly good.

Pancake Alley is no longer open Sundays. I do not recommend the green chile stew, but everything else still looks decent.

The Bluffs is no longer open for lunch (just dinner), and it has turned its package liquor store into a bar-lounge.

The KFC in Shiprock spruced up, and its mutton stew is just not all that great (though the people who work there are wonderful!). Word on the street is that Mannings, a burger place across the way, has better stew, as do the vendors at the flea market.

The flea market is now allegedly open every day, but I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, so I am very skeptical. I got into town after 5pm (alleged closing time), but the area didn’t look like anyone had been set up there.

Also, I mention the Navajo craft shop as being on the south edge of town–it’s actually not that far south. It’s in the strip mall at the southern traffic light–kitty-corner from the KFC.

The restaurant has changed at the St. James Hotel–it’s basically one big mid-range restaurant, instead of a separate cafe and high-end operation. Food all looks decent.

Johnson’s Cabins is shut.

The Raton Museum has moved up to 2nd Street (the main drag), just south of Park. Much more room, and very nicely laid out.

The Icehouse is shut.

Pappas’ only serves dinner now, 5-8pm.

Most restaurants shut at 8pm; your later options are Denny’s (sigh) and The Sands, both on Clayton Ave.

And to reiterate, the Budget Host Melody Lane is truly great!

Shrine of the Testaments is closed.

The Eklund hotel and restaurant was “temporarily” closed–but there was no one around to ask how long this had been going on.

There’s a new cafe just down the corner from the Luna movie theater. But in general, Clayton is really quiet on the weekends.

Kika’s Kitchen is shut.

Things have moved around a little on Bridge Street: the Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center moved across the street to #116, and Tome on the Range moved to #158.

Estella’s is open only 7am-2pm on Saturday (other days’ hours are still the same).

Blackjack’s Grill and Inn on the Santa Fe Trail are shut.

And by the way, I had an excellent meal at the El Fidel Restaurant, and was quite comfortable in the very cheap El Fidel Hotel.

In Mora, the Salman Ranch cafe is no longer open, but the shop and farm are still going strong.

Pecos Paradise Inn is shut.

La Risa hours have changed: 11am-8pm Thurs-Sat., 8am-6pm Sun.

In Tucumcari, El Toro restaurant is closed.

In Portales, the Do Drop Inn has scaled way back–it’s just a coffee bar now, with some sandwiches.

In Clovis, the Wholey Cow Deli is shut.

A couple more things, in addition to those in the earlier post:

The Bear Mountain Lodge is closed.

The Buckhorn Saloon in Pinos Altos has been shut for a while for a renovation, but is set to reopen very soon (perhaps it has already).

The town is pretty stable.

NazzBar is closed.

Kitchen Zink is no longer operating out of Blue House Cafe–but the cafe is in full swing.

Driftwood Motel is now the Caverns Motel–I can’t vouch for its quality.

The new Trinity Hotel is a great addition–good restaurant/wine bar as well–at Fox Street and Canal.

Two I just happened to notice on this trip:

Chef du Jour is shut.

Relish sandwich shop is shut.

Alas, Pie Pantry is shut.

Sunflower Cafe is closed.

Weber’s is closed.

Aaaand Le Bistro is closed.

On the other hand…there is a Starbucks in town now.

I’m out on the road now, researching for the next edition. It’s been a long time–so I’ve come across a lot of closures, I think exacerbated by the recession. Apologies to everyone who has been frustrated while using the guide–I hope this new info helps some people.

Truth or Consequences

The Red Haven motel is shut.
Stardance Sanctuary is shut.
Riverbend no longer has dorm beds.

Las Cruces/Mesilla

Meson de Mesilla, the B&B and restaurant, is closed.
The Mesilla visitors center has moved across the street, into the new town hall.

Alamogordo

Nature’s Pantry has moved to 2909 N White Sands Blvd–north side of town.
Old Montreal Cafe is closed.
Plateau Espresso is oddly marked on the map–it’s a bit farther north on Scenic Dr.

Deming

Patio Cafe is closed. (The one in Columbus is still there, fortunately.)
Deming Truck Terminal is closed.
Joe Perk is closed.
Teapot Dome is closed.
…which makes you worry you can’t get coffee in Deming! Not so–there’s a new place called @thebrew, around the corner from where Joe Perk was.

Silver City

Vicki’s Eatery has moved to Market St between Arizona and Texas.
Dos Baristas has changed to a different coffee joint. Can’t vouch for coffee quality.
Spaghetti Western has changed, and is now 1zero6, under same ownership–I ate there one night, and it was excellent. Menu all over the globe, and limited to a few choices each night. BYOB.
Silver Brewing Co. is closed.
Miko’s Tacos is closed.
The Twisted Vine is closed.
…all these closures in Silver might make you think the place is dead. Not so! There are in fact many new and tasty and interesting developments, to be mentioned in the next edition.

Capitan

The Greenhouse Cafe is shut. It’s now called Cafe Z–have to get back and check it out on a day it’s open.

Roswell

A Taste of Europe is closed.
The visitors center has moved, just a few blocks north on the same side of the street. It’s part of a larger convention center.

Portales

Desert Bloom Inn is closed.

I’m still on the road, so more news to come…

Per a reader comment, it looks like this restaurant in Chimayo will reopen in July, after the fire that had shut it for a stretch.

(Thanks, Terry!)

Major oversight–someone was kind enough to email me with this news months and months ago, but it got lost in the shuffle: Coffee T or C in Truth or Consequences is closed. So is White Coyote.

But there were a number of new businesses in town when I visited last summer for a piece in Budget Travel. (Not mentioned: great pastries, I think by the ex-White Coyote owner, and coffee at Black Cat Books.)

A little slow on this, but the restaurant Rancho de Chimayo had a fire this summer. It’s closed until at least April 2009.

Mountain Treasures (p. 157) is shut. In fact, the building it was in is completely gone–always disorienting. Also, The Hole Thing is for sale, so might not be reliable for much longer.

Chef du Jour (p. 54) has expanded, and chef Jennifer James (formerly of Graze) is now cooking here. The dinner menu (yes, there’s dinner now too) changes monthly, and is a great deal.

Ambrozia (p. 55) is closed.

The Standard Diner (p. 56) has abandoned its high-low concept—all the same menu, and most of it under $20.

The Green Light Bistro (p. 56) is closed.

The Frontier (p. 57) is no longer open 24 hours—tragedy! It’s open 21 hours: 8am to 5am.

Dragonfly Café (p. 147) does only lunch and dinner now, not breakfast—plus Sunday brunch.

Joe’s Main Street Bakery (p. 147) is shut.

Gypsy 360 (p. 147) is now the Maverick County Café—totally different menu, but very good. Open only for long lunch (11am–4pm or so).

Antonio’s (p. 148) is closed; fortunately, Rellenos Café is still open.

The pastry chef at De la Tierra (p. 148) is gone; unfortunately I can’t vouch for the pastry quality any longer.

The Burrito Wagon (p. 148) is gone. (I saw it parked in someone’s yard a few blocks away—so sad!)

LeMoyne’s Landing (p. 99) is now a French café called Clafoutis, serving breakfast and lunch till 4pm. Tasty and fresh, and good pastries.

Coyote Café (p. 99) is no longer owned by Mark Miller, and has been taken over by the same restaurateur who owns Geronimo. I enjoyed my meal there, but the menu is completely different and the cooking—while ambitious on the surface—is actually pretty standard stuff. It’s certainly the place to schmooze in Santa Fe right now.

Kasasoba (p. 100) is shut. It’s now another high-end Asian place.

Tiny’s (p. 101) is incorrectly placed on the map. It’s actually off the east side of St. Francis Dr., south of Cerrillos—Pen Rd. here is not really a street, but a big parking lot.

Dave’s Not Here (p. 102) is shut.

Blue Window Bistro (p. 107) changed hands, but it’s still good. The menu is a bit different now, though—none of the chile relleno crepes.

A big fire gutted neighboring club Golden West, in Albuquerque, so Launchpad (p. 46) is at least temporarily shut from damage as well.

The Roswell visitors center (p302) is now at 912 N. Main St., in the convention center, and the new phone number is 575/624-6860.

Taste of Europe restaurant (p301) is closed.

Thanks to a reader for letting me know about these changes, as well as the corrections in the previous post.

Rates at Fire Water Lodge (p246) do _not_ include breakfast. I’m not sure if this is something that has changed since I did the research, or just some confusion on my part. Either way–apologies!

Same goes for the location of Pacific Grill (p247)–I listed its old address, when in fact it is located at 800 N. Date St. (I guess I sensed something was wrong when I was doing the map, because I placed it on the map at 304 _North_ Pershing–closer to where I remembered it being. A lesson to always mark up maps before I leave town!)

A helpful reader reports that this restaurant in Ruidoso (p323) has changed hands, and it no longer has a liquor license–that means no beer with your pizza, alas.

Due to an editing error, Kranberry’s restaurant (p267) in Lordsburg has a spiffy little extra-recommended “moon” symbol next to it. In fact, Kranberry’s is nothing remarkable–the “moon” was meant for a great restaurant in Lordsburg that unfortunately closed just before the book was going to press. At least I can say that as of mid-December, Kranberry’s was open and perfectly serviceable.