Richard Dargan

2 weeks ago | abqjournal.com | Richard Dargan

In 2011, Ken Carson etched himself into local restaurant lore when he left his banking career behind for a go at the restaurant business. Inspiring Carson was the idea of bringing the flavors of New Mexico to Southern soul food. The place, dubbed Nexus Brewery and Restaurant, proved to be a hit.

1 month ago | abqjournal.com | Richard Dargan

Restaurant expansions are fraught with peril. Along with the financial burden, growth-minded restaurateurs face the challenge of maintaining the standards of the original. Anything less and the brand becomes diluted. kAm%2<6 r@4:?2 pKú=] %96 @C:8:?2= C6DE2FC2?E @? |@F?E2:? #@25 2?5 `aE9 $EC66E D@FE9 @7 x?E6CDE2E6 c_ @A6?65 :? a_`_ 2?5 BF:4<=J 62C?65 2 7@==@H:?8] uF6=65 3J 72>:=J C64:A6D 7C@> 7@F?56CD uC2?< 2?5 tG6=J? q2C6=2[ r@4:?2 3642>6 2 7:IEFC6 @? =:DED @7 E96 36DE }6H |6I:42? C6DE2FC2?ED :?

1 month ago | abqjournal.com | Richard Dargan

Last year, news that Albuquerque’s iconic Frontier Restaurant was replacing the printed menu boards that hung above the front counter with digital screens created a stir. Adding a high-tech accoutrement to a spot loved for its old-time charm was nothing less than blasphemy, many on social media claimed — akin to putting aluminum siding on the KiMo Theatre.

1 month ago | abqjournal.com | Richard Dargan

Bob Ross, the preternaturally calm, immaculately permed painting instructor, was an unlikely TV star. Over his 11 years at PBS, he made painting landscapes into a meditative pursuit. His tutorials were soothing and reassuring even for those who didn’t paint. Ross’ stock quote — “we don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents” — informs the philosophy at Happy Accidents, the five-year-old cocktail bar in Nob Hill.

2 months ago | abqjournal.com | Richard Dargan

When Sean Sinclair took over last year as executive chef at Level 5, the restaurant atop Hotel Chaco near Old Town, he had some big shoes to fill. Sinclair’s predecessor Marc Quiñones created a buzz during his brief tenure at Level 5 with his use of New Mexican flavors filtered through his Dominican and Puerto Rican roots. His efforts made him a 2024 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Southwest before he left to take over the kitchen at Ex Novo Brewing Company Downtown.