I’ve decided to try to make it to LA by sunday night to hook up with some friends so I needed to get some miles down today – first off a quick punt down Interstate 40 to Gallup….
Gallup is a place that grew up as a railway town, and a stopping off point on the old Route 66.
It also appears to have won an award recently as the USA’s most patriotic small town…
Stirred with patriotic fervour – not least by all the tracks on the Country & Western stations that bang on about how brilliant it is to be American and how great the USA is – I went for lunch in Gallup’s main attraction – The El Rancho Hotel.
The El Rancho hotel was a big deal back in Hollywood’s golden era when the Western was the king of movies. It served as a watering hole and unit base for all the big names of the time who came out into the desert to shoot, including, of course, The Duke…
Lunch was yet another disappointing Enchilada. At the risk of infuriating New Mexicans – I’m afraid I dont get what all the fuss is about. I’ve had about 6 “New Mexican” meals now, complete with all the red and green chile trimmings – and they all pretty much tasted the same, and almost exactly like the stuff we used to bash out in the Tex Mex restaurant I ran in Brighton in the late 90s. I forget who it was who said Mexican food is 4 different kinds of sloppy stuff with melted cheese, but I’m inclined to agree. I think the more modern twist on the cuisine that you get in places like Wahaca in London is far more appealing. Sorry New Mexicans 😦
Mat Callaghan 