Review of the Rancher's Club of New Mexico Inside the Albuquerque Hilton

Friday is Free Fajita Night at the Albuquerque Hilton. Order a drink at the hotel bar, even a soft drink, and then step up to a steam table holding free beans, rice, enchiladas and fajitas. The price is hard to beat and word has gotten around. Three to four hundred raucous youngsters pour into the halls and hotel courtyard, while half a dozen security guards, with handcuffs hanging from their belts, patrol the festivities and check IDs.

A few feet away from this melee, in the cocktail lounge and restaurant at the Ranchers Club - a fixture at the hotel since 1985 - the scene is very different. A few couples are settled into deep, dark leather armchairs and couches. An amiable pianist plays old favorites. Over the phone, I'd been told that my requested 7:30 p.m. table was unavailable; I was able to negotiate one 15 minutes later. However, when I arrived early and checked with the host manning the reservation podium, I was told that, of course, I could have my table whenever I pleased. I elected to have a martini in the bar and went into the restaurant at 7:30. Why do they do that? The restaurant was only half full, not counting the antelope, deer, and bison heads decorating the walls. Our waiter introduced himself by name; so did the assistant waiter. I think the busser did, too. The menu is ambitious, with a dozen starters, a couple of dozen main dishes, and a dozen sauces. Three dozen wines range from $6 to S22 by the glass.

We began with an excellent red 2000 Domaine de Jacques Blanc and a pleasant Italian pinot grigio. The wines came quickly but the food took forever. We'd ordered lobster bisque and foie gras. When they finally arrived, I watched impatiently as the assistant waiter ladled my bisque, soupcon by soupcon, from a shining copper tureen. The soup was full of lobster meat and flavor, though the meat was fibrous. Bland foie gras was overpowered by a stewed rhubarb accompaniment. Waiter, assistant waiter, and busser all apologized for the slow service, but the wait continued.

An hour after we had placed our dinner order, our main courses rolled in under silver domes on a wheeled cart. We waited while our servers went through their warm-up: eye signals, deep breaths, and then - swoop! Off came the domes! Simultaneously! And what a surprise awaited us! Dinner! The porterhouse steak is a treat: flavorful strip and tender loin. Mine came rare as ordered. Unfortunately, although the steak knife and I tried valiantly, the steak was tough to cut. The waiter said it weighed 27 ounces; the menu advertised black truffles and a foie gras demi-glaze, and while not obvious, these may actually have been present. Why not a smaller, simpler portion of better meat? Braised guinea hen also came with a steak knife - a good idea, since that, too, was tough. Simply prepared vegetables like young carrots were crisp and good; more ambitious sides like a green-Chile risotto and a corn cake had both been overcooked into different kinds of gelatinous mush.

I used to be a big Rancher's Club fan. They offered half a dozen cuts of meat and fish and a choice of vegetables, all grilled over wood. The choice of three or four different woods - mesquite, apple, cherry all gave "gimmick" a good name. The beef was terrific. So was the swordfish. I remember big, gorgeous charred green chilies. I wish they'd get their groove back. Rancher's Club of New Mexico is located at 1901 University Blvd. N.E., Albuquerque (in the Albuquerque Hilton), 505-889-8071