Adieux Cafe, Albuquerque

Taking bar food to the next level is the primary M.O. at Adieux Cafe, according to the food critic at Alibi, whose visit was replete with "spectacular" salads, sandwiches that "hit the mark," and good beer. The casual, unpretentious cafe atmosphere, which often rings out with songs from such bands as The Pixies and Tom Petty, seems to make the food shine even brighter, whether it's quartets of cheese paired with an apricot-fit chutney or sandwiches drizzled with aioli.

The star of the menu, though, might be the open-faced Cuban. It arrives layered with roasted pork loin, aged swiss, capicola, bacon, chipotle aioli, and pickle relish atop a crusty baguette. Alibi's critic called it a "bull’s-eye" and particularly liked that it came in a manageable portion, unlike the love from cheek-pinching aunt. Adieux Cafe stays open until 2 a.m. to serve this sandwich and others to late-night revelers coming from the nightclub attached to the eatery.