This was a busy and fun work day of the type I love the best getting things done for friends in a quick efficient manner that allows lots of time to fraternize.
I awoke at 5:00 and worked on the pleading in the water case. Then at 10:00 I received a call from my new client and friend introduced to he by the Kassams telling me that he was at his Coors store and could I meet him there. He had come to my house yesterday with the signed papers and money for the settlement of his case, but his brother had signed on the wrong line so the paper had to be re-signed.
When I arrived at Tahir’s family business, the Donut Mart, at 10:30 there was a crowd and from behind the counter he said, “Go to the bank and cash the $1000.00 check and I will get the paperwork.” So I drove across the street to the Wells Fargo branch and presented the $1,000.00 check I had been carrying and trying to cash without success for about a month and it was cashed instantly and deposited into my account with immediate credit. I felt wonderful that my successful resolution of his brother’s tricky real estate problem was being rewarded. I then drove back across the street to Donut Mart and ordered a cup of hot Earl Grey tea and a toasted everything bagel. After the attendant took my order and sliced the bagel and toasted it Tahir, who was working behind the counter asked me, what flavor of cream cheese I wanted and named about five or six different types of smears. I selected “garden veggie”.
Soon he came to the table I had sat at with a plastic basket draped inside with a sheet of white butcher paper containing the bagel wrapped in aluminum foil. Very attractive and efficient. I had not yet eaten anything, so was hungry for breakfast. The warm bagel spread with tomato flavored cream cheese was delicious. In the course of representing Tahir I have discovered that the Donut Mart makes the best bagels in town and has access to the best cream cheese spreads in town. What fun! It is similar to my representation of the owners of Azuma, which I think is one of the best sushi restaurants in town and has become my favorite sushi restaurant. I love it when one can develop a relationship that includes a business relationship, friendship, and great food and this morning’s Donut Mart experience was just the first of two such experiences today. Soon Tahir’s brother, Amin, walked in was introduced to me. Then Tahir brought the paperwork he had mentioned, which included nine $5.00 gift certificates for Donut Mart. After s few more minutes an older gentleman walked in and Tahir introduced me to his father. So I felt I was becoming part of his family and part of the family business. Tahir and his brother left at 11:15 and I stayed to read an article in El Palacio by Jack Loeffler about his life as a hippie in New Mexico in the 60’s and 70’s and finish my bagel and another cup of tea.
At 11:30 I called Max, who had come down Friday evening from Santa Fe to visit his sister in Los Lunas and see me about the case in which I am representing him. He is trying to save his family home in Santa Fe from foreclosure. After finishing my bagel I drove home and worked at my desk until Max arrived around 12:45.
We decided to eat lunch before we discussed his case. I suggested Mary and Tito’s and Max agreed. He drove us there in the big Toyota Tundra crew cab truck he recently acquired. He ordered Huevos Rancheros but did not ask for a blue corn tortilla in it. I ordered a chili Rellenos plate with no rice and double beans. Mary and Tito’s exemplifies the unvarnished simplicity of everyday traditional New Mexican food. It is one of my favorite NM food restaurants because it cooks its red and green chili sauce with ground beef. The menu warns you that you must request “Meatless” chili. I enjoyed
the chili Rellenos and beans and in the old storefront restaurant that appears to be unchanged since it
opened in 1963. The James Beard Foundation has awarded Mary and Tito’s one of its American Traditional Food awards. Twenty years ago when I was given the impossible task as Dining Out Editor for the Albuquerque Monthly of selecting the best enchiladas in Albuquerque, I selected Mary and Tito’s red chili enchiladas. If you like enchiladas with red chili you should try them at Mary and Tito’s. Unfortunately, I am off carbs, so I ordered Chili Rellenos.
After lunch we returned to the house and in a matter of a few minutes I reviewed the court record of Max’s case and we wrote an email to opposing counsel accepting her offer of a full reinstatement of Max’s mortgage to settle the case. The small house that Max grew up in on Quintana St. is a couple of blocks from the Santa Fe rail yard and probably worth close to $500,000, so he is happy to reinstate the $190,000 mortgage. Max is a general contractor, so he can easily fix up the house and he has already found a real estate vacation rental agent who has assured him it will generate $50,000 per year, so it will pay off the mortgage and provide him some income even before it is debt free.
Suzette and Willy arrived as we were working around 2:30. Ironically, Suzette had ordered chili rellenos also. Willy was going to float the Rio Grande, so Suzette found his surf shoes so he would have some footwear and we all warmed him about the dangers of the river. Then I suggested we go to Marble brewery for a beer.
Max loves Marble for its comfortable atmosphere and creative beers. Suzette drank a new beer named Wave On, which was a light mango flavored IPA. I drank my favorite Oatmeal Stout, and Max tried a new beer, a Cherry Gose, which is a flavored German style beer, which means it is a very clean tasting beer made with only barley, hops and water plus cherry flavoring. Marble creates lots of seasonal beers and cherries are at the peak of their flavor now.
We found a quiet corner in a newly added area of the cool dark downstairs bar area to sit and caught up on Max and Jane’s recent activities. We had a second round and I joined Max in ordering a cherry gose and Suzette ordered another Wave on. We said goodbye to Max at 4:00 and drove home.
Ironically Suzette had taken Willy to lunch and had ordered chili Rellenos. Since neither of us was hungry we did make a menu plan.
Susan Palmer called to discuss the Sunday dinner menu with Suzette. We agreed to make guacamole and a vegetable plate, so at around 5:30 we drove to El Super, where we bought 10 small avocados, corn chips, yellow onions, cilantro, radishes, jicama, roasted peanuts, celery, papaya, and eggs.
At about 7:30 we decided to eat PPIs. We had to decide between lamb meatballs and pan roasted
chicken. We decided to heat the chicken and sautéed two different batches of previously stir fried vegetables, mainly zucchini, onion, mushrooms, and bok choy. We shelled about 1/8 cup of peanuts that in the crushed with a Chinese meat cleaver and added to the skillet full of vegetables.
Suzette drank scotch and I drank the last of a bottle of Pinot Grigio (Trader Joe’s $4.99) that was clean tasting but lacked acidity and fruitiness. Perfect for a light meal. We lived the addition of crushed peanuts to the vegetables.
Later while we were watching Death in Paradise on PBS Suzette made us a dessert of vanilla gelato covered with the wonderful fresh plum syrup she made.
I went to bed at 10:00.
Bon Appetit
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