Picturesque Perea's Tijuana Bar & Restaurant

Yesterday we were looking for a different place to enjoy a little family lunch. A friend had suggested Perea's Tijuana Bar & Restaurant which serves lunch from 11-2, Monday through Saturday. So, we decided to cross the Rio Grande on Alameda and cruise along the west bank past the horse paddocks along Corrales Road until we passed the library and came to Perea's.

Although I wouldn't rate the food quite as highly as Gil's Thrilling (and Filling) Blog does, the food was good and the portions were just right, satisfying without being overwhelming. The prices are also reasonable, but having to pay cash was a bit of a nuisance since we didn't know and hadn't funded up for the visit.

It's possible to eat outside on the patio.

But, we chose to dine just inside the door at the north end of the building.

One of my favorite authors often has her characters meet for a little family meal in a picuresque little restaurant and pub that apparently dates back to the late Middle Ages. Perea's building isn't quite that old, but at over 200 years it is about as close as you can get in the Albuquerque area.

At least we didn't have to duck to get under the log beams supporting the ceiling! The building is made of terrones, thick slabs of earth rather than the sun-dried mud bricks that are adobe. But, the look is much the same.

The menu is fairly simple, but the choices are good.

I chose the #1 Enchilada casserole, which came with beans and a corn and squash side dish. I added sour cream and onions.

Perea's seasoning is light on the salt, which is fine for me and better for people trying to control or avoid hypertension. You can add more salt to taste. The beans tasted quite good and were well seasoned without being overwhelmed by a "beany" taste.

My friend had another New Mexico specialty, the frito pie.

This usually consists of chile served on top of Fritos, but she ordered it with her favorite, the carne adovada (pork marinated in red chile). The pork was well marinated, although the chile hadn't quite penetrated to the center of a couple of the larger pieces. I tasted a sample and it had a good red chile taste that built up as you ate it. Overall the heat was about medium, tasty but not too hot. Real fire-eaters, though, might be disappointed.

Another guest ordered the #4, stacked enchiladas, which were served at his request without red or green chile.

And another choice worth sampling is the green chile cheeseburger seen here.

There is also a central dining room along the west wall between the bar and the patio.

I especially liked this picture which was displayed on the wall.

And, if you use the facilities or relax at the bar, you may get entertained by another guest on this Leyhe piano. Since they were only made from 1907 to 1912 and the company went bankrupt in 1914, it's a bit of an antique itself.

I tried a couple C chords, and John told me that despite a few dead keys, several of the visitors like to play it and produce rather enjoyable music for the other guests.

All in all, it was an enjoyable visit and we'll be back!