Albuquerque Favorites: Slate Street Cafe

Have I talked about the Slate Street Cafe yet? Well pull up a chair!

Slate Street Cafe is a fabulous new(ish) restaurant behind the metro court house. It's one block north of Lomas, between 5th and 6th on... you guessed it... Slate Street. Everything I've had has been fantastic. If you haven't been yet, GO! NOW!

Breakfast
Slate Street does breakfast every day of the week, and Brunch on Saturday. The coffee is outstanding, and they also offer fresh squeezed OJ, smoothies, teas, and mimosas. My favorite breakfast/brunch option is the french toast- brioche stuffed with bananas and cooked so that it's crunchy on the outside and hot mushy goodness on the inside. A full order of their french toast or pancakes is murder-so much food- but they do have a half-order option (just ask!) Meg is devoted to their huevos rancheros, which are smothered in Duran's chile. MMMMMMMM. Their white cheddar hash browns are also great. If you're interested in something lighter, a smoothie or bowl of oatmeal would hit the spot as well.

Lunch
Lunch gets really busy, and rather slow. If you can't get there before 11:45, come after 1:00 or you'll be stuck waiting for a table. In short, this is not a fast place for weekday lunch. But if you have a little time, it's worth it.

The prices are lower than Flying Star, and I think the food is waaaaay better. I love their chopped chicken salad- crunchy veggies like carrot and celery, cooked chicken breast, and really tangy vinegary dressing. Their grilled salmon salad is also excellent. I also like the fish and chips (beer battered salmon with house made potato chips- mmm). I obviously need to spend some quality lunch hours exploring the rest of the menu.

Dinner
Slate Street recently opened for dinner. The only time I went for dinner we ordered off the appetizer menu. As usual, everything was great. The prices are higher in the evening, but the menu is different and I'm sure worth every penny. Slate Street has a good wine list, and the atmosphere is so great- casual, but very cool.

Drinks
Finally, Slate Street has a Wine Loft open above the main restaurant. The loft serves wine, beer, and (I think) regular cocktails, and the bar menu features fabulous nibbles and an abbreviated version of the dinner menu. This is a great place to hang out after work in the evening.