Dining: Truth or Consequences
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| Buzzing at mealtimes, Italian restaurant Cafe BellaLuca has earned a rep for its crisp calamari and affordable prices. |
Southern Comforts
Any city that changes its name from Hot Springs to the title of a popular TV game show, as Truth or Consequences did in 1950, deserves a visit. With galleries, eateries, Spaceport America—and, of course, the nearby hot springs—this town of about 6,800 people 150 miles south of Albuquerque, off I-25, is really taking off.
I begin my day with some good ol’ comfort food at the Hilltop Café, a local favorite—and mine. I sit in a booth whose wear and tear gives the place an undeniable small-town charm. The waitress greets me with a smile, and the biscuits and gravy make for a down-home breakfast.
I scramble to make my 8:15 a.m. tee time at the Sierra del Rio Golf Course, across I-25 in nearby Elephant Butte. Recognized in 2007 by Golf Digest as one of the best remodeled courses, the course’s 18 holes of pristine fairways and crystal-clear water hazards make it an oasis in the southern New Mexico desert.
Back in town, I see several cars parked outside Cafe Bella Luca and simply must try this happening joint. Inside, the Italian restaurant is chic and modern, with terra-cotta–colored floors, stainless-steel furniture, and art by Delmas Howe, a nationally acclaimed local painter, but I opt to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the fresh air. I nosh on the fried-calamari appetizer—it’s perfectly crisp. The meatball hoagie with mozzarella is good, but the tiramisu is to die for!
After lunch, I stumble on Rio Bravo Fine Art, within walking distance of BellaLuca and showcasing several local artists, including Howe. The owner, Eduardo Alicea-Moreno, accompanied by his cats Smokey and Spikey and his dog Shanti, gives me a tour of the two-story warehouse-turned-art-gallery, which is the estate of late artist H. Joe Waldrum.
After exploring the rest of downtown T or C, I visit Los Arcos Steak and Lobster House for dinner. In business for more than 30 years, the restaurant is a gem of the area, serving some of the best steaks and seafood around. I have the salmon with a baked potato and the house chardonnay. Scrumptious.
To unwind before bed, I allow myself one dip at Riverbend Hot Springs and let my worries quickly drift away.
Hilltop Café, 1301 N. Date St., (575) 894-3407; Sierra del Rio Golf Course, (575)-744-4653, www.sierradelriogolf.com; Cafe BellaLuca, 303 Jones St., (575) 894-9866, www.cafebellaluca.com; Rio Bravo Fine Art, 110 N. Broadway, (575) 894-0572, www.riobravofineart.net; Los Arcos Steak and Lobster House, 1400 N. Date St., (575) 894-6200; Riverbend Hot Springs, 100 Austin St.,
(575) 894-7625, www.riverbendhotsprings.com—Brandon Call
