Monte Carlo Liquors & Steak House is a solitary brick island on a large asphalt lot that sits just over 100 feet from the Central Avenue bridge that spans the Rio Grande in Albuquerque.
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The name of the business says it all: the front of the building houses a liquor store that sells basic brands of liquor and beer. At the rear, an arrow, painted maroon against an otherwise beige façade, points toward a red door protected by a small domed awning. The words “steakhouse entrance” are written above in letters large enough to be seen two blocks away.
The 56 Year Old Souvenir is often my first stop after landing in New Mexico. I have been traveling to the state regularly since the summer of 1999, when I attended the first of many writing retreats led by Natalie Goldberg, author of “Writing Down the Bones” and many other books. Its northern topography—the enormous sense of space, the way the light moves and colors change against the mountains and desert landscapes—keeps me coming back.
The 56-year-old Monte Carlo Liquors & Steak House is often my first stop after landing in New Mexico.
Albuquerque, home to the state's largest airport, is a gateway. It is also the city with the longest continuous urban stretch of Route 66, called Central Avenue and running almost 18 miles through its core. Two of my favorite restaurants in New Mexico are located along this route, both quirky and atmospheric and also rooted in their sense of place.
I return to Monte Carlo for two reasons: the honky tonk atmosphere and the green chile cheeseburger.
Beyond the red door lies the Platonic ideal of a mid-century immersion. The windowless dining room remains perpetually in darkness. Crimson faux-leather booths line the walls, which are covered with vintage beer posters and framed portraits of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe…and Guy Fieri, who visited in 2008. A collection of model cars sits behind glass in one corner. It's easy to imagine a near past when cigarette smoke hung like a low cloud.
I can't report on the fried appetizers or grilled steaks that make up much of the menu. I occasionally order a Greek appetizer (a nod to the heritage of Michael Katsaros, whose family still runs the place) that includes a block of feta sprinkled with oregano, olives, a single rolled grape leaf, slices of tomato and cucumber, and, uniquely, thick blocks of salami.
Here's why I come back to Monte Carlo: the honky tonk atmosphere and the green chile cheeseburger.
Chasing green chile cheeseburgers around New Mexico is a sport for food obsessives. Cheryl Jamison, a veteran food writer who lives in Santa Fe, took me to Monte Carlo years ago.
The staff grinds the beef tenderloin daily, a crucial step. The seeds are visible among the chopped, smoky roasted chiles and vegetables that add some heat, topped with a single square of melted American cheese instead. The heat of a dry gin martini is exactly right between bites.
Is this the best green chile cheeseburger in Albuquerque? It's impossible for me to say, but it is an excellent indicator to start a survey.
The dining room is perpetually dim and crimson leatherette booths line the walls, covered with vintage beer posters and framed portraits.
The chili cheeseburger in Monte Carlo.
Wherever you're headed from Monte Carlo, it's worth making a quick stop to admire the twin Route 66 Rio Grande markers that sit on either side of the nearby bridge. Their adobe color blends so perfectly with the landscape that you could quickly pass by them without realizing it. They were installed in the early 2000s as part of the city's public art programs. Its stepped form nods to the cloud terrace motif that appears repeatedly in Pueblo Indian art and architecture of New Mexico. It's easier at night to see its subtle Route 66 logos illuminated in red and green neon.
Red and green are the unofficial colors of the state of New Mexico, as you'll see time and time again on the plates delivered by the servers at Duran Central Pharmacy, the best destination along Central Avenue to immerse yourself in regional cuisine.
Indigenous ingredients (corn, beans, squash, game meats, berries and pine nuts, among them) and strong Spanish colonial influences (chili peppers are said to have arrived in the area as early as the late 16th century) help define New Mexican cuisine.
Modern restaurant menus, with the familiar enchiladas, tamales, and hard tacos, may resemble Tex-Mex, but never tell that to a New Mexican joint. Chili peppers delineate culinary boundaries. “Red or green?” Customers will be asked repeatedly. Meaning: Do you want your dish to be topped with a sauce made from roasted green chiles or a slow-cooked counterpart made from dried red chile pods?
The combined plate, Christmas style, at Durán's.
If you want both, like many of us, the answer is “Christmas.”
At “Duran's,” as locals call it, see and taste the distinctions of Duran's combo plate, which includes a beef or chicken taco, a pork tamale, and a rolled cheese enchilada with a side of pinto beans. The green has a more toothy texture and a fresher flavor; The red is spicier with dark, earthy undertones. Try the duo with a hearty knife-and-fork breakfast burrito stuffed with chorizo, chilaquiles, a chili bowl, or, a Wednesday and Friday special, sopaipillas (fried dough pillows) topped with cheese.
Founded in 1942, Durán originally had a soda fountain that was converted into a restaurant in the 1960s. Touches of mid-century modern kitsch, especially a star-shaped clock on the restaurant's sign, mark its place along Route 66.
Kitsch mid-century modern touches include a star-shaped clock on the restaurant's sign, marking its location along Route 66.
And yes, this building also does double duty as a thriving pharmacy. On subsequent visits, when I feel too excited to return to New Mexican dining customs, I start in Monte Carlo for a cheeseburger and martinis before a second lunch of sopaipillas, “Christmas style,” in Durán, knowing I can have ibuprofen and calcium carbonate for dessert.
Monte Carlo Liquors & Steak House is located at 3916 Central Ave. SW, Albuquerque, (505) 836-9886, liquors-monte-carlo.hub.biz
Central Duran Pharmacy: 1815 Central Ave. NW, Albuquerque, (505) 247-4141, duransrx.com
