The Beth Lists
  • Homepage
  • 90 Notable Nights
  • Not So Happy List
  • The Texas Twenty List
  • Diverse Dining List
  • Quilt Adventure Blog
  • Happy List
  • Little Bear's Adventures
  • Mom's Picnic List
  • 18+ Dance Adventures
  • 55 Strangers
  • The Barbie Bucket List
  • 60 Celebrations
  • 57 Celebrations of the Fifties!



Diverse Dining List

Atomic Lunch in Los Alamos, NM

9/30/2015

0 Comments

 
September 2015

I made Don take a little detour on our western road trip.  We didn't exactly have a dining adventure in Los Alamos, but we picked up some lunch there.
Picture
Picture
Why Los Alamos?

I was curious.  I had just read the book, The Wives of Los Alamos.  I was curious about this community that grew on the top of a desert plateau, where wives mostly raised families and husbands secretly created the atomic bomb.  As we pulled into town, I made Don stop so I could take a photo and text it to my book club.  Then I got on TripAdvisor, and looked for a place to catch a quick lunch.

Chili Works
​

Picture
In a town that now has a population of over 17,000, you'd think we could have come up with something better.  But it was drizzling and there was some frustrating traffic and we were hungry.  So we trusted the good reviews for this hole in the wall joint and headed over for carryouts.  

Creepy?
​

Picture
Well, sort of.  But there were a lot of regulars rushing in and out.  Some looked like office workers carrying lunch for a crowd. That's usually a good sign.

Through Screen Doors
​

Picture
Picture
I like a place with screen doors.  The green one lead into the tiny ordering place. The other door opened to a small, crowded patio.  
​
Placing My Order... Quickly
​

The man at the tiny window did not look patient.  He was not in the mood for any hesitation, so I asked no questions and ordered the breakfast burrito and a beef burrito.  I had read good reviews, after all.   
Picture
Picture
I was very brave and snapped a quick picture, which does not capture the bustling activity in the crowded kitchen.  Oh well.

Burrito Picnic

Don and I headed out of town and found a lovely spot in a State Park, with a self- pay fee-box, to pay for our park usage. 
Picture
Picture
We didn't have any small bills, so we figured we'd just rush our unpaid picnic by splitting the breakfast burrito... which was lukewarm at this point.  They should have called it the green pepper burrito.  We kept digging down to see if there was egg anywhere?

Burrito #2 in a Cave

​
That evening we arrived at our Kokopelli Cave Hotel and toted our burrito in a paper bag and a couple backpacks down the rocky pathway to our cave house entrance.  ​​
Picture
Picture
We stopped earlier and bought some salad fixings and wine and thought we'd heat up that second burrito for a taste treat.  After each taking a bite we had the same reaction. "It tastes metallic!"  We were convinced the burrito was atomic and put it in the trash. 
​
Lab Tricks?
​

I'm sorry, Los Alamos.  I tried to embrace your town and support a local establishment. But I can't say we had a good food experience. Of course, we don't really believe our burritos were atomic, but I was reminded of a LAB FOOD story from over 35 years ago... 
Picture
Don was working in a chemical lab in St. Louis when we were first married. He and a few co-workers had some fun with a White Castle burger one day.  Don came home and laughed about how they put the burger in a container and purged it with a little nitrogen to make it airtight.  Their experiment was to see if any "self-respecting mold" would grow on the ultimate junk food.  

So hopefully no ex-lab worker got a job at The Chili Works! Science geeks can have a very funny sense of humor.
0 Comments

Food, Drink & Friends in Tucumcari

9/29/2015

0 Comments

 
Route 66 in New Mexico

​Earlier this month Don and I spent one night in Tucumcari on the old Mother Road. There were so many neon signs and intriguing options, it was hard to decide where to dine. 
Picture
Picture
This place with the stucco sombrero seemed like a fine choice, until I walked inside. Only one man was dining and the waitress, who was also running a flower shop seemed overwhelmed.  We moved on.

Lounge at the Pow Wow Inn
​

Picture
Our host at the Blue Swallow Motor Court recommended this restaurant & bar at a nearby 1960's motor inn.  Only on Route 66 will you find a blend of "Native American themed" motel with a "lizard themed" cocktail lounge!

The Lizard Lounge
​

Picture
Don shook hands with the fine lizard woman in the bar mural.  Yogi, our bartender said that she wasn't the Lizard Woman of the wall image.  Her Uncle Pat, who was sitting at the bar, said it was another one of his nieces.
Picture
We decided to sit right down at Yogi's bar and enjoy some of the locals, since we were already talking.  Don had a local draft and I had the "Blue Swallow" margarita, named for the iconic motel, where we were staying.  I'm not sure why it looked green.  The Lizard Effect?

Lounge Decor
​

We enjoyed some of the ambience around us. There was a whole wall of history nearby.  And a peek into the restaurant revealed some pretty curious painted walls near the booths. The artwork  made it look like people were sitting in the empty booths.  Wish I'd taken a photo.
Picture


Chatting With New Friends
​

Picture
​I had a question for Rudy, who was seated a couple stools away.  "Since you were born in Tucumcari, do you know anything about a water tower collapsing in 1951?"

​(I'm not sure where I heard about this, but I figured it was a good conversation starter)   
Rudy wasn't old enough to actually remember, but knew the history since he now lives next to the replacement tank.  Rudy said the tank exploded in '51, flooded the town and caused one death.  He looked at the picture wall with me and pointed to happier memories.  "I used to work at El Rancho Bar!"  He had fun pointing out the long gone buildings he remembered fondly.
​

Uncle Pat's Memories

​
"Uncle Pat" pointed to the photo of "Sands-Dorsey Drugs" in 1956.  ​
He said the building burned down, but he has  good memories of the wonderful malts! 

I would have asked my other bar buddy to point out his favorite building, but I didn't want to trouble him.  He had just gotten his collapsable cane (with spotlight) tucked away.  Instead, he stayed seated and told me a story about how that cane got stuck in an elevator door once and they had to get someone to come pry the doors open.  
Picture
"I was just trying to hold the elevator! Those doors close too fast!"

One More Friend

Picture
Don and I were honestly touched by the sincere pride these folks revealed when talking about their small town. They wanted us to be sure to visit the museum before we left town. "And don't forget to drive by the old theatre."  And before leaving the lounge, they made sure I had a visit with the mechanical lizard, that came to life with the push of a hidden button!
Picture
Dinner?

We had a lot of fun over 1 drink, but figured we should move on to experience one more Route 66 joint. 
It was dark and the neon was all aglow when we arrived at Del's down the street. 
Picture
Picture
The place has been around since before I was born, but the inside updates made it less iconic.   We were tired of chitchat and ready to eat.  I got a salad bar and chili. Don got the raspberry chicken with mashed potatoes.  All tasty enough, but we were no longer needing a dining adventure.  Eat and run...  back to the Blue Swallow for a good night's rest... with "100% Refrigerated Air!" 
0 Comments
    Picture
       The Dining Blog

    This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food.  Below, you can read how this started.


    On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year!  (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to  join me, on some unusual dining adventures.  I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise.  Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining.  I have continued  blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned  along the way!
    ​

    Locations and types of dining adventures,  are listed further down.

    Archives

    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    000 The Beginning!
    00 BBQ
    00 Cookbook Adventures
    00 Drive Ins
    00 Drive Ins Diners Cafes
    00 Houston Area
    00 Saloons & Taverns
    00 Tiki Time
    0 Alabama
    0 Arizona
    0 Arkansas
    0 California
    0 Colorado
    0 Florida
    0 Georgia
    0 Idaho
    0 Illinois
    0 Iowa
    0 Louisiana
    0 Michigan
    0 Mississippi
    0 Missouri
    0 Montana
    0 Nevada
    0 New Mexico
    0 New York
    0 North Carolina
    0 Oklahoma
    0 Oregon
    0 South Carolina
    0 South Dakota
    0 Tennessee
    0 Texas
    0 Utah
    0 Vermont
    0 Virginia
    0 Washington
    0 Washington D.C.
    0 Wyoming
    1 In Belize
    1 In Canada
    1 In Chile
    1 In Curacao
    1 In Guatemala
    1 In Mexico
    1 In Roatan
    1 In Thailand
    Afghani
    Argentine
    Basque
    Belgian
    Belizean
    Bengali
    Bermudian
    Bosnian
    Brazilian
    Cafes
    Canadian
    Chile
    Chinese
    Columbian
    Cornish
    Costa Rican
    Cuban
    Curacao Island
    Czech
    Danish
    Diners
    Dominican
    English
    Ethiopian
    Filipino
    French
    French Basque
    French Creole
    German
    Greek
    Guatemalan
    Honduran
    Hopi
    Houston Area
    Hungarian
    Indian
    Indonesian
    Iranian
    Iraqi
    Irish
    Italian
    Jamaican
    Japanese
    Korean
    Lebanese
    Malaysian
    Mexican
    Mongolian
    Moroccan
    Nepali
    New Hampshire
    New York
    Nigerian
    O
    Pakistani
    Palestinian
    Peruvian
    Polish
    Portuguese
    Puerto Rican
    Russian
    Salvadoran
    Scottish
    Spanish
    Swedish
    Swiss
    Taiwanese
    Thai
    Turkish
    Uruguay
    Venezuelan
    Vietnamese

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Homepage
  • 90 Notable Nights
  • Not So Happy List
  • The Texas Twenty List
  • Diverse Dining List
  • Quilt Adventure Blog
  • Happy List
  • Little Bear's Adventures
  • Mom's Picnic List
  • 18+ Dance Adventures
  • 55 Strangers
  • The Barbie Bucket List
  • 60 Celebrations
  • 57 Celebrations of the Fifties!