The High Desert Strikes Again*

You ever find good beer in an unexpected place? A café?

We had a B&B in Cedar Crest New Mexico and the host suggested the Greenside Café for supper. Good local food and they had beer and wine. Being hungry and tired we decided to go there without the usual discussions. So, we went. First good sign: A chalkboard outside the front door with a list of local/regional beers on tap. Second good sign: in a crowded small café a table for 4 in a quiet section. Third good sign: friendly and helpful staff. Fourth good sign: the café smelled good.

Fun at La Cumbre Brewery

I asked about the “Elevated IPA”, was told it was a local (Albuquerque 10 miles down the road) brew and popular. Got a pint. My friend Ken got a pint. Yummm. Orangey and a bit cloudy, good lacing, nice mouthfeel, great front, middle and back taste of all kinds of things including but not limited to pine, a couple of different citruses, baking bread and of course hops (the IBU is 100!) .

The second pint came with the perfect meal, and with an ABV of 7.2 two was quite enough for the driver. The brewery is La Cumbre Brewing Co., and BeerAdvocate rates this brew with a well-earned 97, World Class!! I agree.

Now to the other High Desert Gem: The Greenside Café . The chef, Jay Wulf, is also the owner. He has got it exactly right. The menu is not huge, but offers something for everybody, and all of it made on site. All fresh ingredients, served on perfectly warmed plates by excellent staff. The manager was attentive, helpful and friendly. Nobody was intrusive.

Jay, Chef and Owner of Geenside Cafe

My wife and I had meatloaf, seasonal veggies and mashed potatoes. All perfect. Huge portions. One friend had a Sloppy Taco Salad with steak and there was the only problem that night. Her salad came with ground beef instead of steak, but she liked it and didn't mention it. Probably a communication issue somewhere. Her husband had a Turquoise Trail Green Chile Cheese Burger minus the cheese (his request) and that was perfectly cooked to order with plenty of green chile on the side. For dessert,  Sally and I shared a good-sized dish of homemade cinnamon vanilla ice cream while Barb and Ken shared a generous slice of cheesecake of some kind, also made in-house. Both were excellent. I would go back for the ice cream alone.

Everybody was happy and pleasantly surprised by the quality, quantity and excellent service at this local café.

When you visit Albuquerque, take a few minutes to drive out to Cedar Crest and check this “Gem in the High Desert”. I personally guarantee that you will be delighted and will want to go back.

Thanks, Jay, for doing a fabulous job. You deserve all the kudos you have already gotten, and all that are yet to come.

Images http://www.greensidecafe.net and http://lacumbrebrewing.com
*Originally published in the Southern Beer Magazine