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El Paisa and the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System

One place that my husband and I love to go to get great food is El Paisa. It is located at 820 Bridge SW. They serve Mexican food such as burritos, tacos and tortas. Before El Paisa became a restaurant it started as a cart that the owner would sell burritos out of. I personally really like their chile relleno burritos and their carne asada tacos. My husband's fav is the menudo (I can't stand the stuff but he is weird like that). The food is amazing and it is authentic Mexican food. The food is very flavorful and really hits the spot when you have that craving for traditional Mexican food. They also have delicious agua frescas, my favorite is melon (cantaloupe) and my husband prefers horchata (which is a drink made with rice) . They also have sandia (watermelon) and pina (pineapple).

When you arrive at El Paisa it may be a new experience especially if you are not a frequenter of the South Valley. The building is yellow with red accents and and is very reminiscent of a restaurant that you would find in the heart of Mexico. The employees speak mostly Spanish but they do have some employees that speak English so if you don't speak Spanish you can still go and enjoy some great food. They do only accept cash so if you plan on going there keep this in mind. If you are in the mood for great Mexican food and want to try something new and different this is a place you should check out.

Another place that my husband and I really enjoy frequenting is the public library. I am a bookworm and if I purchased all the books I wanted to read I would go bankrupt. I love the fact that I can find just about any book I want at the library and I can get as many as I can read. My favorite library is the Main Library at 501 Copper Ave NW, I think it is the largest library and it is never too crowded even though it is usually busy. My husband really likes to browse the CDs and movies that they have available. I also really like to use the library's website because you can search for books before you go and place them on hold and if they have a book at a library across town they will transport the book to the library closest to you for your convenience. I also have been really enjoying the digital editions that they have available on their website which is expanding everyday. I have a Sony Reader and having access to these digital books is wonderful! If you have a love for reading or even just like to watch movies or listen to CDs and don't want to spend a fortune on them you should check out the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System. The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System doesn't only have books and media, they also have a lot of great programs that you should check out. Also if you can you should donate to Friends for the Public Library which helps keep our libraries open and running.

Thanks for reading!

ABQ City Girl

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Comment by mombat on April 30, 2010 at 11:03am: Yeah! I love the tacos at El Paisa. They have good Horchata and Agua de Melon also.
I work downtown and go to the library about once a week. The hold system is super easy and books show up pretty quick unless it is new release that has several holds ahead of you. I have tried the digital books yet, but I plan to. Glad you are enjoying these things.

Comment by Barelas Babe on April 30, 2010 at 10:39pm: I second this - El Paisa is yummy! I've tried the digital books since I travel so much - I like the idea, but I would like it even better if I could get them on my kindle instead of my laptop.I like the e-ink technology better than a backlit screen, especially after spending the whole day staring at a computer. Last time I checked, the kindle download was still not possible. But I keep asking away in hopes that one day they may have it set up that way.

Great post!

Comment by amanda judith on May 2, 2010 at 8:28pm: yay el paisa! we live just down the street from el paisa, so my partner and i just walk over. i love their agua de pina and chile relleno burritos. we also like la isla, on the same block, http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/60/650672/restaurant/South-Valley/La-Is...
and los compadres around the corner on isleta. http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/60/650723/restaurant/South-Valley/Los-C...
and of course there is the pupuseria at bridge and goff. http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/60/650961/restaurant/South-Valley/Pupus...

Comment by Braceman on May 2, 2010 at 8:59pm: Getting back to the Main Library: Their coffee shop opens on May3rd. The big two-day book sale is May 8th and 9th. Main Library Rocks!!!

Comment by neal copperman on May 2, 2010 at 11:56pm: Our next free library show will be at the Main Library too. It's French fingerstyle guitarist Claude Bourbon. Claude sounds just like Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits, which is kind of cool :)

We are waiting to see the landscape after the coffee shop opens, but suspect we'll be upstairs in the newspaper reading room again. The last show we did up there, with the guitar/ngoni duo of Walter Strauss & Mamadou Sidibe worked beautifully and was attended by 150 people! (If you haven't been up there, it is worth checking out. It's a pretty fun place to go hang out and less populated then downstairs.)

It's free, but we ask for reservations so we have a sense of how to set up the space. More info at http://www.ampconcerts.org/claudebourbon.html