The Kindness of Strangers

     The first person I spoke with after landing in Albuquerque was a very kind woman at the car rental desk.  I could tell she was eager to tell me about her home town.  And she did so after first offering me a brand new beautiful 2014 Chevy Camaro convertible for only $5 a day more than the Ford Escort I had initially rented on line.

     Among all the maps and pamphlets that she provided was one outlining the scenic Turquoise Trail and another detailing some of the best area restaurants, including special offers and discounts.  So after a long day on the trail and an afternoon at the Fiery Food Festival I was ready to look for a place to sit down and enjoy a good meal.  So I turned to the restaurant guide I had been given and looked for something that sounded authentic.  El Pinto (meaning "The Spot" in Spanish)sounded good so I loaded the address into the car's GPS and headed off into the sunset.  It wasn't long before I was turning into a lane flanked by cottonwood trees and found myself walking under the arches of an amazing restaurant.

     First built in 1962 as a 1 room restaurant with a few tables and a very small kitchen, Jack & Connie Thomas lived right next door.  Eventually they slowly expanded their operation to include an additional room and an outdoor patio.  By the time their twin sons, Jim & John assumed the reins there were enough patios and indoor gardens to seat over 1,200 at a time, giving it the distinction of being the largest single restaurant in New Mexico.

     My meal started out small, or so I thought.  I began with some of their house made salsa and chips.  But when my cheerful waitress discovered I had a brochure promising something extra she brought out an additional serving of nachos and queso con fresco.  And that was all before my entree, a taco salad with red chile sauce.

     Try as I might I was unable to finish the meal, as delicioso as it was.  I asked my server what I could take along with me.  She promptly responded, "Everything!" and soon returned with all the appropriate containers and a bag so I could enjoy it all again.  And I did.

     El Pinto is a great restaurant, but that's not all it is.  On the premises they also commercially produce their own brand of salsa and sauces under the El Pinto Foods label.  Each day they ship 2,000 cases of their product across the country.  They are also beginning to grow herbicide & pesticide free heirloom tomatoes and have plans to include a greenhouse so they can cultivate vegetables and lettuces year 'round.

     Their chile sauce isn't the only thing that is green.  The Thomas family intentionally sources non-GMO corn for their chips and tortillas as well as purchasing hormone and antibiotic free chickens for their meals.  They have eliminated the use of trans fats and only fry in fat free rice bran oil.  You will never find partially hydrogenated oils in their fine print.

     It was through the kindness of strangers that I had an incredible day and a fantastic meal.