il piatto - An Italian Delight

A friend invited me for lunch. And what a swell lunch it was. If you haven't been to il piatto lately or you've never been, chastise yourself and make a beeline to this wonderful restaurant to indulge in authentic regional Italian cuisine. I promise you'll find it fun, delicious and the best deal in town.  A three-course prix fixe lunch is just $14.95. And you can choose from their daily special menu or their regular lunch menu. Dinner is $29.50 for three courses as well.

Our waiter, Julian arrived, took our orders...

 and swept back to the

table with a basket of lovely bread.

We dabbed it in a pool of olive oil and were quite

 content waiting for our first course to arrive.

I ordered the Caesar Salad and it was creamy and crisp

and lovely with generous shavings of cheese and freshly ground pepper.

But I have to say that my friend's Grilled Calamari with

Shaved Fennel Pepper  and Onion Salad with Aoli was outrageously good.

"Intoxicatingly tender and very sexy," were her exact words.

Then came our second course. Hers, Sauteed Chicken Livers with Pancetta & Mashed Potatoes. Mine, Penne Cinque Colori Bolognese with Beef, Chicken, Pork & Hot House Tomatoes.

If you think this looks good...you should taste it!

Then came dessert - and I was so excited that I ate it before I remembered

to take a photo.  Next time!

il Piatto

95 West Marcy St. - just down from the Plaza

505.984.1091

Chef/Owner - Matt Yohalem

Manager - Andrew Rabb

MADRID, NM - ALONG THE TURQUOISE TRAIL

Madrid - pronounced MADrid, accent on the first syllable - is nestled along the Turquoise Trail - State Highway 14 - about 27 miles SW of the Santa Fe Plaza.  Once you pass all the car dealerships at the far end of

Cerrilos Road, the landscape  opens up and the drive is lovely.

 This tiny, funky town is tucked

into the oldest coal mining region in New Mexico.

 In the late 1800s wood framed cabins were dismantled in Kansas and brought to Madrid by train to house the coal miners and their families. Coal production peaked in the 1920s, and the mines closed in the 1950s.

Although categorized as a "Ghost Town", Madrid boasts about 149 residents and the main street is filled with funky and wonderful shops, galleries, eateries, and lots and lots of history.

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You can stop for some coffee at the Java Junction...or ice cream treats

at the just re-opened historic soda fountain - Jezebel's. Or you can mosey on down to the end of the street and have something a bit stronger at The Mine Shaft, a very cool, historic roadhouse. Lots of funk in this ole town.

And lots of shopping. Cowboy duds to pottery and everything in between.

My Favorite?

This unexpected shop offers beautiful textiles - Unique Tibetan rugs,

Navajo weavings and custom rugs from Oaxaca, Mexico.

SEPPANAN & DAUGHTERS FINE TEXTILES

Tel. 505.424.7470