September 12, 2015 Greenhouse Bistro and My Basil food truck

September 12, 2015 Greenhouse Bistro and My Basil food truck

I started around 7:15 with a ride to Montano.  Then I showered and had a meeting until after 1:15 which included going to the bank to sign and notarized papers.

Then I drove to the Greenhouse Bistro in Los Lunas for another meeting at 2:00, stopping off for a minute at the Spa to make a reservation for a 4:00 massage with Alma, my favorite masseuse.  

During our, meeting We are bowls of White Bean and Kale Soup, which was filled with fresh carrots and beans and garnished with fresh alfalfa sprouts.

After my meeting and massage I drove back to Albuquerque.  When I made the final turn onto Park Ave at 10th I saw Cynthia and Suzette walking toward downtown.  I parked in front of Java Joe’s and walked with them to the street fair between 6th and 4th.  It was an environmental themed street fair coordinated with the opening of the Topographic and Sustainable art show at 516 Gallery. Here is the largest piece in the show that covered the entire front of the gallery:

Tractor Brewing was selling their products at the opening for $4.00 a can, so Suzette and I split a 12 oz. can of hard cider and Cynthia had an 8 oz. can of Syrah Rose.  I love the fact that we can get locally produced beverages in cans at an art opening.  It makes me feel like Albuquerque has really grown into a sophisticated cultural environment.  

We danced a bit to the live music being played from the moveable stage parked in the street next to 516.  We danced with and said hello to Ike Benson, our neighbor and Councilman.  I thanked him for introducing an ordinance to de-criminalize small amounts of marijuana.

Then we started walking toward 4th.  Cynthia stopped to say hello to Neal, who produces Globalquerque.  By the time we reached 4th St. we were hungry,  so we stopped to check out the menu at the food truck named My Basil because there was a small crowd of people lined up for food.  The menu looked interesting, Cynthia and I ordered Pressed Mushroom sandwiches and Suzette ordered a pork belly and cheese with caramelized onion sandwich.  The sandwiches were cooked to order and took about fifteen minutes to cook.  While we waited we talked to a young couple living La Luz and Cynthia talked to her friend Ben, who was waiting for sandwiches.  This must be part of the culture of food trucks; the random conversations that occur around and about food.  

After we were given our sandwiches wrapped in paper, we looked for a place to sit and eat them.  We started walking back toward 6th Street and when we arrived at 6th  I realized we were only one block from Boise’s Brewery.  We walked the one block to Gold and 6th.  It was not crowded so we found a table inside without difficulty.  Cynthia and Suzette ordered the wheat beer flavored with lemongrass and I ordered the Scottish Red Ale.  We sat and drank and ate our sandwiches and enjoyed both.

After dinner we walked on Gold to 7th, so Cynthia could show us the new toy store downtown in the old Albuquerque Journal building.  We then returned home and I opened a bottle of 2011 Amador County Sobon Estate Rezerve Orange Muscat ($15.00 at Total Wine) that I bought at a weaker wine tasting in the Albuquerque store; see the signature below the label.  We talked until about 9:00 and then said goodnight.

What a big day of activity!  It was like I was making up for all the activities I missed during the two weeks I was in trial in Las Cruces or confirming why I love living in Albuquerque.

Bon Appetit