I'm not gonna lie, food is one of our passions. Food in unique settings is almost irresistible.
Just outside of Albuquerque is Sandia Peak. A beautiful, high desert peak that is part of the Sandia mountains with plenty of hiking trails, a tram, and an amazing restaurant, Ten3.
Ten3 sits at 10,378 on the edge of the cliff. A wall of windows showcases the city below, offering an incredible sunset dining experience.
We had fully, and foolishly, thought we could have dinner and go for a short hike along one of the many nearby trails...we were so optimistic. Of course, dressing for a fine dining experience in which ones goes tramping around in the snow and mud afterward requires Hollywood wardrobe ingenuity...or at least a disregard for one's shoes and clothes.
The restaurant has both casual and fine dining, only one accepts reservations. Fortunately, Dave had managed that minor detail earlier in the week so we were able to skip the rather enormous line waiting to take the 15 minute tram ride up the mountain because we had reservations at the restaurant.
The tram ends an amusing discourse from the operator on the local area with a windy, mess your hair up landing at the summit.
Oh, and there's snow. Not much but enough of a reminder that even without the wind, it was cold outside.
It's not often Dave and I have a full course meal experience but this evening, we couldn't resist. The appetizer was the most delicious surf and turf tartare with tuna and steak.
Followed by Dave's Elk tenderloin with a blueberry puree which made the dish pure heaven.
And my pork chop with goat cheese polenta. It may not look fancy but it's the best polenta I've ever had accompanied by an insanely thick pork chop cooked to perfection.
We learned that Pinot Blanc is a very tasty wine and paired beautifully with both our meals. The only downside of ordering a white wine here is they keep your alcohol chilled...away from your table. Upside? It forces you to enjoy the wine through the whole meal.
Dessert was Vanilla Bean Lavender Crème Brule for me and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombe for Dave. Watching the hot chocolate melt the bombe is entertaining with a delectable finale.
We weren't expecting to stay long enough to enjoy the sunset view, having arrived at 5:30 but then again we weren't expecting dinner to last for over two and a half hours.
So, with the sun setting, we were comfortably stuffed and totally relaxed, hiking was out of the question. Instead, we enjoyed the view and caught the next available tram down.
The ride to the bottom was exceptionally stunning with the city lit up below us.
Some date nights you'll remember long after they've passed.
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