Gelato
Is it too much to ask for gelato in the middle of the desert? No, said Brandon Gradeless, owner of Ponte Rialto Gelato Shop, located at Albuquerque Indoor Karting. Gradeless said his gelato is set apart from the competition because he uses a machine that no one else in New Mexico has.
"My business partner and I studied in Italy for the past 2 1/2 years, and being back in Albuquerque, we couldn't find a place that we were really impressed with," Gradeless said. "We want to be the competition, and we want people to try the real authentic gelato."
Another place to cool down with a cup of gelato is Ecco Gelato Café. Owner Matt Durkovich said summer is one of the best times to eat gelato because so many of the ingredients are fresh and in season.
"In the summer we get a plethora of fresh fruits and wonderful spices," Durkovich said.
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Coffee
While finding coffee is easy in Albuquerque, going to Winning Coffee Co., AKA Winnings, (between the poster shop and Cheba Hut) makes it an interesting experience. Many of the city's most eccentric personalities come here for breakfast or a late-night coffee and pastry jolt. (It closes early during the summer, though.) Winnings serves home-cooked breakfast burritos, waffles, soup and sandwiches. Every Thursday night, Steven Nery hosts the Above Average Open Mic from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. On any night of the week there may be an assortment of happenings scheduled, usually involving music or spoken word. The outdoor patio allows you to take in the local scene in all its weird glory. Also, when you spend money at Winnings, you support q-Staff Theatre, one of Albuquerque's most avant-garde stages.
Produce
The Farm Fresh Produce Co. at Stanford and Lead is the best for satisfying your nutritional needs and your sweet tooth. You can load up on locally grown fruits and veggies for way less than you'd pay at a supermarket. You'll find occasional 2-for-1 deals on strawberries, as well as all the ingredients you'd need for traditional Mexican and New Mexican meals, including tamale skins and chocolate discs for baking or beverages. They also sell basics like milk, eggs, cheese, chips and candy. Supporting your local market is a win-win for everyone, and it's cheap and healthy.
Venues
Albuquerque is packed with music, but you've got to know where to look. There are always lively house shows in the Student Ghetto with local and touring acts, as well as all-ages shows at Winnings, the Peace and Justice Center, and Warehouse 508. Generally, downtown shows are 21-and-over at Burt's, Atomic, and the Launchpad. All-ages venues come and go, so you might want to consider hosting some shows at your house if you end up living off-campus. Subterranean ABQ at Myspace.com/albuquerquediyˇlists underground, last minute and all-ages shows going on around town. CIRQ usually has live hip-hop during art openings.
Shops
Natural Sound has been a loyal provider of music to UNM students since 1972. The shop specializes in indie music, but it offers pretty much everything in between. Natural Sound has used CDs for $5.99 and they also sell used and new DVDs. Paul Hartsfield said his store sells a large selection of vinyl records because they are becoming popular again. He suspects that CDs will follow the same trend.
"In about ten years there will probably be a resurgence of interest in CDs, sort of like vinyl now, but for different reasons," Hartsfield said. "People who are downloading now are going to wake up one day and realize that they lost all their music essentially, if they didn't back it up properly."
Hookah
Relux Hookah Lounge is one of the few places in Albuquerque where you can still smoke inside. And when the smoking ban on campus begins, students will probably flock to places like Relux even more than before, said owner Mike Hickey.
"It's $10 per person to come in, and that includes your hookah smoking for all night," Hickey said. "We don't charge you for bowl reloads. All we charge you for are waters and sodas."
Relux offers a variety of flavored shisha and swanky seating areas. There is also a V.I.P. room for special occasions. It includes a 50-inch plasma TV and a pole in the middle of the room, just in case. Relux will hold special events during the summer, such as raves.
"Every two months or so we do a rave where we move all the furniture out," Hickey said. "That is pretty popular because there aren't a lot of other hookah lounges that do that."
Editor's Note: Smoking hookah is not healthy according to Student Health and Counseling's Dr. Peggy Spencer. In her Daily Lobo column "Ask Dr. Peg" she said, "A study done by the World Health Organization showed that one hookah session of a mere few hours can deliver as much smoke into your lungs as 100 cigarettes - five packs." Sharing hookah mouthpieces also shares germs, she said.
Go-Karts
Albuquerque Indoor Karting is the perfect way to make the summer more exciting, said founder Daniel Chavez. It has a 30,000-square-foot race track with go-karts that accelerate up to 30 miles per hour while screeching around a 90-degree turn.
"We offer student day on Wednesday, but on Tuesday we offer a 'You pick it' special, and you could pick the student special," Chavez said. "The student discount is half price, so for students who are members, it's $7.50 a race versus the $16 on the regular day."
The race arena also features conference rooms for parties, an arcade and a newly opened gelato shop.
Chavez said he researched race tracks for more than 10 years before he decided to build the track here.
Art
Off Center is one of Albuquerque's best-kept secrets. It's a vast one-story building jam-packed with art supplies - stamps, paint, wood, metal, collage, puppet materials, paper, canvas, shells, glue, frames - everything and a piano. And free food. Anyone can go and make art at big tables or use the sewing machine. There's a donation box if you feel so inclined. You're guaranteed to meet interesting folks, ranging from homeless to wealthy, and many of them have unusual and thoughtful ideas about the nature of art. There could be 40 people working on individual projects when you go, or you might have the place to yourself.
You can also sell your work in the Off Center gallery space. In September, Off Center put on the We Art the People Folk Art Festival in Robinson Park downtown.
