Getting Acquainted with Albuquerque

Albuquerque we found to be a big city with a friendly feel. We went into the area already with a list of places to eat, provided to us by our friend Jen Eden, who grew up in Albuquerque. Though we couldn’t eat at them all, we did make it to a local pizza chain call Dion’s and for breakfast at a diner making everything in house called The Range. We got a  glimpse of New Mexico hospitality and a taste of their chile-spiced dishes.

The Range has a wonderfully colorful dinning room, with a faint, rich smell of coffee in the air.  We were greeted with a smile and a fresh cup of coffee for Brian and hot glass of chai for me, this was already stating off well!

Brian decided to get Huevos Rancheros- fried eggs covered with red chili sauce, cheese, and pinto beans. This was a spicy kick to start a day! Blue corn tortillas and home fries made this a full meal composed of a bunch of different textures and flavors, with an exciting over-all heat!

I enjoyed the home-made granola pancakes. A crunchy, nutty, and rich granola of oats and nuts were folded into the fluffy butted cakes. The stack was topped with vanilla yogurt, some more granola and a large variety of fresh fruit.  I left feeling good after eating this not-so-sweet breakfast, not weighed down like large stacks of plain pancakes beneath a sea of syrup would have left me feeling.

Dion’s pizza was also on our New Mexico list, it was recommended to us by their former employee, Jen. At Dion’s pizza they strive to create a atmosphere that that employees can succeed in. Mostly young adults work here as first or second jobs. Dion’s  teaches young people to be good employees and a team members, skills that will be also be helpful in future jobs.

Our order for a pizza and a salad was taken by one of the five people working the cash registers. The cashier was polite and helped guide us through a locally well-known ordering system that was new to us.

We took a look at the open pizza kitchen and watched four guys build, rotate, and box up pizza. It was quite the show!

We took a seat in a booth and waited for our name to be called. While we waited we watched one employee making rounds helping to clean tables and bring boxes to people. She had a smile on as she passed by, helping by refilling drinks.

We felt very well cared for already!

Our pepperoni and half green chili pizza was a picture of goodness! The crust had a nice chew to it yet it was hearty enough to support the toppings well. A sweet and acidic tomato sauce went nicely with the thick layer of creamy melted cheese. Thinly sliced pepperoni added a nice level of heat and the half with the green chilies really was spicy!  Brian loved that he could add green chilies to his pizza, only in New Mexico!

Jen certainly led us in the right direction. Both The Range and Dion’s had great food with a touch of local flare. We received professional service and kind hospitality that surpassed our expectations.