Shipman's favorite Albuquerque Italian restaurants

Albuquerque features a number of fine Italian restaurants, including some of my overall favorites in all categories.

• Scalo Northern Italian Grill****
• Vivace***, on the south side of Central between Girard and Carlisle. Do not be put off by the location (between two piercing parlors); the food is good and authentic, the service is excellent. Book ahead at peak hours, it's smallish and popular.
• Trattoria Trombino
• Macaroni Grill***: yes, it's the national chain, but the food isn't bad. Noisy; don't expect quiet conversation. A lively place: the staff may suddenly set the sautee station on fire (on purpose) or form a conga line, if it's getting near the end of the shift. Tends to be popular; expect a goodly wait during prime dining hours. In the Winrock Center, southeast corner of Louisiana and Indian School.
• Buca di Beppo, on the west side of Louisiana just north of I-40. Haven't tried it. Portions are said to be huge. Another national chain. All things being equal, I'd prefer to patronize the local outfits listed first above.

Gone but not forgotten

• La Piazza. Vivace's Gordon Schutte ran this high-end operation but closed in the summer of 2005. Its location, on the northeast corner of San Mateo and Lomas, is now Fremont's Fine Foods.

Last updated: 2005/08/02 23:55:22
URL: http://www.nmt.edu/~shipman/food/abq-italian.html