My most-trusted food website is Chowhound.com, although admittedly it's much better for large metropolitan areas than it is for places like New Mexico, where the whole "Southwest" is lumped together. But I pored the site for recommendations anyway, and among petty arguments between Albuquerque and Santa Fe denizens about the superiority of each respective city's dining scene, I found wholehearted endorsement of La Choza.

What I found through much of the arguing was comparisons of each city's fine dining or ethnic food scene, which didn't really apply to the budget roadtripper like myself. I wanted reasonable prices, and there's no reason to seek out Thai food in ABQ when I could be getting it better and cheaper in Queens. La Choza was recommended as solid, traditional New Mexican cuisine, which is basically what I stuck with all weekend.

The staff at Park Inn & Suites sang its praises and wished they were coming with me; it seemed I'd hit the jackpot. Located outside of downtown, only about a 10-minute drive from my hotel right off Cerrillos, La Choza is simple and family-oriented.

I got yet another "Christmas" enchilada with red and green sauces, although this waitress didn't call it that. There's a theme to this weekend...I kept getting second opinions on standard New Mexican dishes. The carne adovada (pork) was juicy and well-spiced, but as before I found the red chile had much more flavor than the green....smoky and a bit more pervasive. According to descriptions I've read, however, the green chile is the one that should have more upfront spice.

The enchilada was $10.95, which for the amount of food was quite reasonable. I also treated myself to a $5 glass of cabernet. I got my first taste of sopaipilla at La Choza, as the fluffy fried bread comes with the meal. Slathered with honey, it was delicious and actually more appealing than the standard cakes and pies on the dessert menu. I would have considered getting another one if not for the fact that like most other places in town, the restaurant closed at 9, and it started raining so hard water came dripping through the roof.

There were plenty of other options on the menu, and if it hadn't been my second enchilada in a row (my fault!) I probably would have been more impressed. Still, it was pretty tasty, service was good, and I would be happy to visit again.

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