Alrighty then.

Yeah, I said I was gonna post more frequently, but I/we haven’t experienced anything spectacularly good – or bad – of late, sigh…

…well, until we decided, (and God knows why), to embark on this road trip of sorts. Now that we’re about halfway through this little adventure, maybe I’m gonna have to spend more time traversing the highways and byways of this great nation of ours.

Holy sh*t Batman, have we had some great food! I’m talking about stuffing a fork in your gaping maw and seeing God kinda food.

And the size of whatever DMA we happen to be spending the night in doesn’t seem to matter either. Some of this grub has been lovingly – and I do mean lovingly – crafted in tiny specks, (read “Marfa, TX”), while other examples have been where you’d expect to find it, (read “Santa Fe, NM”). If there’s a common theme to how we happen to stumble on these places, it’s exactly that, we stumble upon them. No fretful scanning of eater.com, no panicky “best restaurant in [insert name of town here]” searches using Bing or Google either. We show up, we wander around, we ask the kind and gentle souls we happen to meet, and bingo, we’re almost guaranteed that particular night’s gastronomic adventure is going to be stupendous.

Almost. Yeah, well, what would a post be from me without at least the hint of a rant…

This is going to be one of those rare instances when I’ll actually revisit something I’ve written and add to it. Think of it as a “greatest hits – and misses” compilation of special spots worth seeking out, (or avoiding like the plague). …only this list is going to require you to actually expend a bit of effort to taste what I/we tasted – sure, you’ll have to fly, but you’ll also have to drive, then stop and maybe even walk a bit if you want to experience what these highly-skilled chefs are putting out. Give me a week, week and a half, then check back.

…adios amigos – at least for now!

[14 days later…]

OK, OK, I said I’d return… Here’s my list of favorite places visited on our trip:

oishii in El Paso, TX
LaVenture at Hotel Saint George in Marfa, TX
Cochineal in Marfa, TX
Los Poblanos in Albuquerque, NM
Eloisa in Santa Fe, NM
The Turquoise Room in Winslow, AZ
Tourist Home Urban Market in Flagstaff, AZ
Garland’s Indian Gardens Cafe & Market in Sedona, AZ

…a self-taught wunderkind waxing poetically about how to cook rice for sushi in El Paso.
…chef Alison Jenkins going to extraordinary lengths to procure ingredients for her dishes in Marfa.
…discrete, delicate and definitely delicious at Cochineal in Marfa.
…a 4th generation family doubling-down on field-to-fork in Albuquerque.
…chef John Rivera Sedlar transporting us, (gastronomically speaking), to Abiquiú.
…the rumble of locomotives just outside while we enjoyed chef John Sharpe’s surprising efforts in Winslow.
…totally hipster vibe, to-die-for pastries and sandwiches, a deftly-executed building and very enthusiastic staff in Flagstaff.
…lox on sourdough while taking in Oak Creek Canyon on the patio just north of Sedona – bliss!

…and my list of not so favorite places:

Texas Roadhouse in Amarillo, TX
Cucina Rustica in Sedona, AZ

WTF? …redneck heaven – packed-to-the-gills, entirely forgettable food and a bucket of peanuts to pick through in Amarillo!
Mariposa must be where all the attention is going in Sedona, ‘cuz it sure wasn’t apparent at Cucina Rustica in VOC, sigh…