Golden Crown Panaderia a Winner

National Geographic Traveler Magazine writes:

Five American Desserts Worth the Trip
New Mexico: Bizcochito

Chris Morales at work. Photograph by Julien McRoberts

“Step inside the tiny Golden Crown Panadería in Albuquerque to sample a complimentary bizcochito. Fragrant, infused with anise, the flaky shortbread coated with cinnamon is the state’s official cookie as proclaimed by law in 1989. Brought to New Mexico by the early Spaniards, family recipes of bizcochitos have been handed down for generations. Associated with weddings and fiestas, the cookies were originally served with wine.”

These biscochitos are better than crack. And just as habit forming.

Butterhead Lettuce

The pastries and sandwiches here are superb. The coffee is lovingly and correctly brewed by an expert. The milkshake is probably the best in the area, and is made with one pound of ice cream. Get the coffee shake. Green chile bread? Yup. Order ahead at holiday time. Many of the vegetables are home grown, and loyal customers often supply special seeds for their favorite plants.

September 17, 2011

Garden Salad with Turkey

Jane and I were in the neighborhood and decided to stop in for a cup of Cold Brewed Iced Pumpkin Latte and a small salad (consistent with our diets). The cold-pressed latte is the very best I have run across in the entire state. The brewing process takes several days and extracts pure flavor with not even a hint of bitterness. This is a powerful, full-bodied brew with a gentle hint of pumpkin flavor and spice. Get some before all the pumpkins are gone for the season.

Our salads were made with very fresh and crisp Romaine from the indoor garden. Excellent salad with thin slices of moist and tasty turkey adorning the top. Rolls and biscochitos accompanied the salad, and they were fabulous.

Pratt Morales, the Baker

We talked with Pratt for about ten minutes. He and his son Chris own and run the bakery. It represents a lifetime of loving work for Pratt, who lives in the house just behind the parking lot fence. Chris lives a block away. Albuquerque is fortunate to have this dedicated pair providing some of the best baked goods in town. Specialty breads are a hallmark of their artistry. Order your Green Chile Turkey Bread well in advance of Thanksgiving on Christmas. They need lead time to plan the baking schedule.