Restaurant bites, Aug. 1, 2022
Aug. 2—Yin Yang Chinese Restaurant, 418 Cerrillos Road, reopened its lunch buffet July 18 after the buffet's prolonged pandemic-era closure. The buffet is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday. Yin Yang is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
----Neema Sadeghi is back with a new café called El Barrio, 102 E. Water St., after a run of a few years with Milad Persian Bistro on Canyon Road and then at the Solana Center. He opened El Barrio in January at the back of the El Centro Shops building, across from Sazón. The Barrio serves custom-blended coffee from Unity Sourcing & Roasting in Los Angeles and tea from New Mexico Tea Company in Albuquerque. The Barrio offers breakfast burritos, lunch burritos, paninis and salads. Churro Bar owner Gerardo Garcia sells churros at El Barrio on Thursday to Saturday.
----Plantita Vegan Bakery has added Reunity Resources into the rotation of pop-up shop locations on the first and third Saturdays. Owner Thomas Kamholz also does pop-ups on the second and fourth Saturdays at the commercial kitchen at 1704 Lena St., Suite B, where he produces his baked goods. Plantita is a made-to-order bakery, where customers pick-up orders at the Lena kitchen or have them delivered.
----The popular Poki Tako food truck has left the Wicked West Harley-Davidson parking lot where it got started in December and relocated July 19 to 1006 Marquez Place. chef Randy Tapia was not sure how permanent this location will be, so check the Poki Tako by Chef Randy Tapia Facebook page for updates.
----Marquez Deli, 513 Camino De Los Marquez, is moving to the Chomp food hall, 505 Cerrillos Road, opening Aug. 5. Owner Alex Hadidi is rebranding his operation Alex's NYC Deli. Hadidi opened Marquez Deli in 2019 and his lease expired in May. He plans to be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
----The Freezie Fresh food truck has relocated to the Artisan parking lot, 2601 Cerrillos Road.
----OpenTable included Izanami at Ten Thousand Waves as one of the "100 Best Outdoor Dining Restaurants in America for 2022."
----Anasazi Restaurant started Taco Tuesday in June each Tuesday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Inn of the Anasazi managing director Lutz Arnhold said the restaurants served tacos at lunch but not at dinner — until now. "It is extremely successful," he said.
----Churro Bar has moved from 4420 Airport Road to 6700 Cerrillos Road as of Aug. 2.
----Cake's Corner Cafe is moving from 228 Old Santa Fe Trail, where the cafe shut down May 4, and will reopen in mid-August with the shortened name Cake's Cafe at 227 Galisteo St. in the former Trattoria A Mano space. Owner Cake Crumbacher will open with breakfast and lunch, with dinner ready either for opening or some time later.
----Cuco's Kitchen opened July 21 at 2207 Cerrillos Road, two years after opening a first location in Albuquerque.
