The CNM Chronicle is proud to announce that we are invested in the future of our publication and about to embark on a new adventure. We are officially going to become a fully digital publication and will no longer be in a bi-weekly printed format. We are hoping that this transition will allow us to provide our readers with more timely information about events and news around all CNM campuses.
This process will also allow us to invest more in the staff and workplace of The Chronicle. The elimination of having to pay for print will allow us more room in the budget to provide us with better training opportunities as well as upgrades to equipment and supplies that are used by Chronicle staff.
We want to invite all of our readers to please continue to follow us on our journey and experience the outcome with us. We thank all of you for your patience as we embark into the digital age of media and want to remind all of our readers that we have and always will accept public input and content no matter what format we are in. We encourage you all to keep reading and writing and are looking forward to hearing from you in the future.
The staff at the Chronicle would like to thank all of our readers for bearing with us while we are in the process of working out a new contract for printing our publication. Our last issue (volume 21, issue 9) was our first attempt at producing our publication in a fully digital format. It was a new experience for myself and most of the Chronicle staff but it was also very educational and entertaining to see if we were able to rise to the challenge. From the response we have received, evident by the increase of views to our Facebook and WordPress pages, it seems that we just may have pulled it off.
I would like to take the time to thank all of our readers for their participation in this somewhat unorthodox experiment. I would also like to add that if this was or is your first time checking us out online please continue to do so. Once we have our publication printed again we will continue have the full issue available on WordPress and accessible through our Facebook page. Again, the Chronicle would like thank all of our readers for their continued support.
By Daniel Johnson, Editor-n-Chief and Lynne Cash, Vice President of CNM Tourism Club | Photos by Daniel Johnson
As a small business it is important to meet the needs of all guest that visit the establishment and that means that hiring the right kind of employee is a major priority for Los Poblanos, said Los Poblanos Inn Manager Nancy Kinyanjui.
Being a small business means that when an individual is hired they may work many different jobs, she said.
“We really have focused on hiring people that want to work in this industry and are looking for a unique opportunity to learn more than one hat or job while working in hospitality, she said.
When someone is hired to work the front desk they will be trained on that job but they may also learn how to do housekeeping and some janitorial, she said.
It is important for students to enter into different internships in the fields that they are choosing to study so they can receive hands on experience in those fields, Kinyanjui said.
That kind of educational process is very important because once a student has the opportunity to work in the field they may decide that it is not what they wanted and can then move on to something that better suits them, she said.
“We have some people that work many jobs and we really push the idea that you should not be hired to just do one thing but actually be involved in many aspects of the business,” Kinyanjui said.
Students are ideal to hire because they are so full of energy and ready to approach the workforce head on, she said.
Being able to have a diverse college experience will help all students once they graduate, she said.
Anytime a student is approaching the work force there are many things that they need to remember and that can help them get hired, she said.
“The enthusiasm and energy that a student possess is amazing and is something that is greatly desired here at Los Poblanos,” Kinyanjui said.
Some of the other things that we would like to get students involved in is if they want to work hospitality then they better know how to do guest services, she said.
If someone is studying to work with people then they better know how to talk and handle many different attitudes that they may run into, she said.
“If you want to help people and make them comfortable during their stay then you better know how to greet them with something more than just a hello,” Kinyanjui said.
A student should also research the place that they are applying to so that way the potential employer can see that they are actually interested in the position and wanting to be part of the team, she said.
A resume should be concise and to the point as well as being tailored to the type of job you are applying for, she said.
There should not be anything unprofessional about the information that is provided, she said.
“If you provide a potential employer with access to your Facebook or Instagram account then you better make sure you do not have any inappropriate pictures on there that could kill your chances of getting hired,” Kinyanjui said.
Another area the students need to pay attention to would be the follow up process, she said.
“If you go in for an interview don’t just sit on your hands and wait for a response, call the place back and see where you stand after your interview,” she said.
Being able to remind them of a specific person might lead them to hire that person above someone who shows no interest, she said.
In the hospitality industry there is a high turnover ratio but Los Poblanos prides themselves on having a lower than average turnover ratio, she said.
“Los Poblanos is marketed as a unique travel experience which allows us the fortune of never really having an off season,” Kinyanjui said.
The Inn is family owned and operated by the Rembe family who are originally from Albuquerque, she said.
The long term perseveration plan for the locations historical buildings lead the owners to decide upon a long term sustainable business which lead to the creation of the current location being a beautiful historic inn and organic farm, she said.
The inn originally opened in 2000 and started with six guest rooms and now offers a total of 21 rooms that can accommodate up to 50 visiting guests, she said.
“Being a small business has allowed us to focus on the more organic and local angle of our approach to our guests,” Kinyanjui said
The menu that is offered at the onsite restaurant uses only food that is from local farms throughout the state of New Mexico, she said.
The inn offers guided tours of the farm which offers guests an opportunity to see where some of their food comes from especially since a lot of the food served at the restaurant is grown on site, she said.
“We love being able to let our guests as well as our employees know what it is to experience the more hands on approach to things if it that means digging in the dirt to pick your own potato or picking your own tomatoes because every potato and tomatoes has its own story,” Kinyanjui said.
The Advanced Salon Cosmetology 2692 class is putting on a student run fashion show on December 4, 2014 at the CNM South Valley Campus from 6pm to 8pm, Cosmetology Major Valerie Archibeque said.
The show will let fourth term students have an opportunity to use all the skills that they have acquired throughout the course of the program, she said.
“We will be able to apply and show off all the stuff we have learned while being students of the cosmetology program at CNM”, Archibeque said.
This is the first time we are doing this as a final for the actual class, she said.
Cosmetology major Natalie Rojo said the fashion show is not only the final for the class but it is also something that the department hopes will help to get the cosmetology program noticed.
“The show will allow the students the opportunity to show off what they have learned in the different areas we study in cosmetology, like hair, nails, make-up, and other aspects of fashion,” she said.
Cosmetology major Louie Mendoza said the students will have to plan out the entire show from top to bottom.
There are 11 students doing this and each student will have two models so there will be 22 total models that will walk the runway, he said.
Students also have to plan out the floor design, seating, food, the theme, and how the show will flow, he said.
“It should be a lot of fun because we will get to express who we are with the help of what we have learned,” Mendoza said.
Each student will be able to show their true potential by using their models as a blank canvass and just creating an individualized masterpiece, he said.
The Cosmetology class does not get a lot of recognition since it is held only at the south valley campus which is kind of separated from the rest of Albuquerque, Rojo said.
“We want to leave an impression because we want our program to be seen and stand out more because we have the show as a final but just like regular areas of study we also have to study for paper finals and still do our homework,” she said.
This event will allow students to look forward to something fun as a final, Mendoza said.
The preparation for the show will take a couple of hours since we have to set up the catwalk and performance space all while making up our models, he said.
“It will be better than just doing a couple of perms and calling it a day,” he said.
With the show getting closer a lot of the students are starting to get that nervous filling and becoming very anxious for the show, he said.
Part time cosmetology instructor Babette Reeves- Harmon said the fashion show will be the fourth term final project which should be a fun opportunity for the students to do something exciting while still putting themselves out there, she said.
Several years ago there was a fashion show that was done by the whole department but this time around it is just for the students in Cosmetology 2692, she said.
The students were informed that they should approach the local community for donations when it came to the clothing that the models are going to be wearing because it allows them to get out and communicate with the community which is going to be something they have to do regularly once they graduate, she said.
The students will be graded on how well they have allocated time for preparation of the show and the making up of the models hair, makeup, nails, and wardrobe, all the way to how well they clean the location after the show is over, she said.
“We are welcoming all students, staff and faculty to attend the show because we want people to come from all seven campus of CNM to support our little community that is nestled away here in the south valley,” she said.
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, otherwise known as the Clery Act, is a federal law that requires CNM to disclose information about campus crime. This law applies to crimes that occur on CNM campuses, property owned or controlled by CNM, public property (thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking areas) within or immediately adjacent to campus, and non-campus locations at which approved college activities are taking place. For more information on the rules and regulations as well as general information on the Clery Act please visit.
Forcible Sex Offense is defined as any sexual act directed against another person, forcibly or against that person’s will.
There are four types of Forcible Sex Offenses:
Forcible Rape
Forcible Sodomy
Sexual Assault With an Object
Forcible Fondling
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Counts at CNM – 3
The State of New Mexico defines the term domestic violence as domestic abuse. Domestic abuse does not include self-defense conduct. However, it does mean an incident of stalking or sexual assault whether committed by a household member or not and resulting in any of the following:
physical harm
severe emotional distress
bodily injury or assault
a threat causing imminent fear of bodily injury by any household member
criminal trespass
criminal damage to property
repeatedly driving by a residence or work place
telephone harassment
harassment
harm or threatened harm to children
DATING VIOLENCE
Counts at CNM – 4
Dating violence is a form of domestic abuse. Dating violence can be defined as an incident of stalking or sexual assault committed by a dating partner. It can also mean an incident by one dating partner against another dating partner resulting in:
physical harm;
severe emotional distress
bodily injury or assault
a threat causing imminent fear of bodily injury by any household member
criminal trespass
criminal damage to property
repeatedly driving by a residence or work place
telephone harassment
harassment
harm or threatened harm to children
STALKING
Counts at CNM – 8
Stalking consists of knowingly following or watching a specific individual with the possible threat of death, bodily harm, sexual assault, confinement or restraint of the individual.
SEXUAL ASSAULT
Counts at CNM – 1
Sexual assault has been defined to mean the crime of any criminal sexual penetration.
ROBBERY
Counts at CNM 1
Robbery is the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person by force or threat of force or violence or by putting the victim in fear.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT
Counts at CNM – 4
Aggravated assault is an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or something that could cause death or great bodily harm.
BURGLARY
Counts at CNM – 2
Burglary is the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft.
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT
Counts at CNM – 15
Motor vehicle theft is the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle.
LARCENY
Counts at CNM – 263
Larceny-Theft is the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another. Constructive possession is the condition in which a person does not have physical custody or possession, but is in a position to exercise dominion or control over a thing.
Classified as Larceny:
Thefts of bicycles or automobile accessories.
Shoplifting.
Pocket-picking.
The stealing of any property or article which is not taken by force and violence or by fraud.
DRUG ABUSE VIOLATIONS ARRESTS
Counts at CNM – 3
Arrest for the Clery Act purposes is defined as persons processed by arrest, citation or summons.
Drug Abuse Violations are the violation of laws prohibiting the production, distribution or use of certain controlled substances and the paraphernalia utilized in their preparation or use.
DRUG ABUSE VIOLATIONS REFERRALS
Counts at CNM – 8
Referrals for disciplinary action is defined as the referral of any person to any official who initiates a disciplinary action of which a record is kept and which may result in the imposition of a school related sanction.
WEAPONS POSSESSIONS REFERRALS
Counts at CNM – 1
Weapons: Carrying, Possessing, Etc., is defined as the violation of laws prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, transportation, possession, concealment, or use of firearms, cutting instruments, explosives, incendiary devices or other deadly weapons.
The fall semester of 2014 at CNM is utilizing the idea of sustainability by having a new class SUST-1134 Intro to Sustainability which is going to teach students the different ways man kind can progress forward while leaving less of a carbon footprint in the process, said Campus as a Living Lab Liaison Carson Bennett.
The sustainability class is an introduction to concepts used to make an environment more planet, profit, and people friendly which is also called the 3 Ps, he said.
“The idea is to identify a problem and figure out a way to solve it with an environmental, socially equitable, and economical solution, all while making people and the planet happy,” Bennett said.
The renovations to buildings on campus which will allow them to use less energy by providing more windows to allow for more natural lighting is an example of an economical solution, he said.
Natural light is also proven to make people work more efficiently and feel more comfortable while inside the building, which is a socially equitable solution, he said.
For the environmental solution products used are made out of recycled and environmentally safe materials and when all of this is done you have found a sustainable solution to make a building more energy efficient, he said.
“Creative problem solving is something that I really love about this class, you are able to look at the world today and see problems that you can solve with the information you will learn in this class,” Bennett said.
The class will look at examples of how problems have been solved in sustainable ways in the past as well as ways that seemed sustainable but have failed, he said.
The class will allow the students to access the same information and statistics that big businesses like CNM use to make decisions on renovations and building concepts, he said.
“The class will also discuses if it is truly possible to find a solution to problems that can last forever or at least last a really long time,” Bennett said.
Once a 3 Ps concept is reached the class will discusses if the solution can be used in other fields or if it can be utilized globally or just locally, he said.
The class will consist of hands on learning, reading, lecture, field trips, and a lot of group discussions, he said.
“Students who take this class will be at the ground floor for the new direction the school is spending a lot of time and energy to go in,” Bennett said.
The class has a required service project so students will be able to help local businesses find sustainable solutions to problems that they need assistance with, he said.
The class will count as a Liberal Arts and Sciences elective, he said.
“One really cool thing about the class is that it transfers directly to UNM as a sustainability intro class for the sustainability minor degree that can be achieved there,” Bennett said.
The class will be a part of the Campus as a Living Lab because students will study how the projects on campus relate to the 3 Ps concepts, he said.
Campus as a Living Lab is the idea of turning a campus into a learning opportunity for students, he said.
Different classes use renovations and construction projects to educate students in the areas they are studying like math, science, engineering or statistics, he said.
There were four Campus as a Living Lab projects put into place in the fall semester of 2013, he said.
The biggest one of the four was the recycle mania event, which started as a competition but then evolved into a teaching opportunity because faculty would use the event data to teach different types of learning outcomes to students in their classes, he said.
Data was used for behavioral phycology concepts and statistics in a couple of psychology classes, he said.
CNM installed solar panels at four different locations that can be used for educational purposes by classes like chemistry, physics, and a few of the applied technology classes, he said.
“I would love for students to be able to look at the world, the nation, classes or in their own families and say, hey I can use the 3 Ps to solve this problem and solve it for good,” Bennett said.
Students can go through the MyCNM website and access the financial aid page to locate the information needed to start the process of a loan, federal or state funded aid, or to qualify for work-study positions within the school, said Lee Carrillo, Senior Director of Financial Aid, Scholarships and Veteran Services.
All students need to fill out the FASFA form to qualify for financial aid, he said, but once the FASFA form is filed electronically it will be submitted and reviewed by the financial aid department.
And once reviewed a student will be informed of what they qualify for, he said.
“Almost anyone who comes into the school can qualify for loans, aid, or some form of work-study,” Carrillo said.
There are currently two different types of financial aid assistance, he said.
The first is need based he said, which allows a student that qualifies the opportunity to collect assistance from state and federal funds, as well as becoming work-study qualified.
The second is no need work-study, which means that a student that may not qualify for assistance but they could still qualify to work on campus as a student work-study, he said.
“Most no need work-studies can still receive loans as well as working for a paycheck,” he said.
Work-study allows students an opportunity to get a job at one of the seven CNM campuses, he said.
A work-study employee can work up to twenty hours a week and earn from $8.50 to $9.50 an hour, he said.
The rate of pay all depends on what the job duties are and what position a student would be in at the current job, he said.
“There are few jobs that pay $9.50 an hour but they do exist,” Carrillo said.
If a student is work-study qualified they will again need to access the MyCNM page to look for work-study jobs, he said.
Some paper work will need to be filled out in the financial aid office at main campus if a student is hired as work-study, he said.
If a student is under the age of 24, then they will need their parents tax information as well as their own, if they are over 24 and had a job in the past they will need their own tax information, he said.
“Most of the filing process can be done on-line but if a student ever has any questions they can feel free to visit us in the financial aid office with any questions they may have,” Carrillo said.
Everybody that comes to CNM has a financial advisor available to them he said and they are always willing to help students that need it as well.
At this point in the year it is essential that a student submits their paperwork as quick as possible to get qualified because as of right now it is late in the season, he said.
“If a student wants to get it going they should start now and come in to get on the right path to succeed,” Carillo, said.
For more information on what is offered to students via financial aid, go to cnm.edu/ depts/financial-aid or make an appointment with a financial aid advisor at 224-3090 .
The Universal Design Project is one of the Academic Quality Improvement Programs (AQIP) projects of CNM, which is part of the accreditation pathways with the Higher Learning Commission, said Associate Dean of CHSS, Paula Smith-Hawkins.
UNM, NMSU, and CNM all have accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission, she said.
Smith-Hawkins said the Universal Design Action Project Team was formed in the Fall of 2013 and has an international movement, which is now prominently featured in Higher Education.
“Few community colleges have been part of this conversation, CNM is a leader in this effort so go Suncats,” Smith-Hawkins said.
The program infuses the principles and benefits of continuous improvement of the culture of colleges and universities by providing different choices through which an already-accredited institution can maintain its accreditation, according to ncahlc.org.
A college needs to demonstrate how it meets the accreditation standards and expectations through the events and activities it uses to improve its performance, according to the website.
This concept has been important for architects and developers seeking to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act since the 1970’s, Smith- Hawkins said.
Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler of the University of Washington is considered the national leader for Universal Design in Higher Education, she said.
“Our Team was able to meet with her by video conference back in April of 2014 to discuss the next steps for the Universal Design Project,” Smith-Hawkins said.
The CNM team is reviewing Dr. Burgstahler’s work, which is titled Universal Design in Higher Education over the summer semester, she said.
Concepts like flexible use can prove useful in designing curriculum, just as much as they can when designing buildings, she said.
“Required reading doesn’t go away once you graduate, because we are still doing it on the daily,” Smith-Hawkins said.
The universal Design team wants to be able to introduce and apply the principles of universal design into CNM’s culture by 2015, she said.
The process, developed by a previous CNM AQIP team will involve assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation and integration, she said.
The past year was spent in the assessment or research phase, she said.
“We’ve spent a lot of time researching, reading and meeting with campus leaders with expertise,” Smith-Hawkins said.
As most Business majors know, there are a lot of processes that go into the formation of a team, but even more for a team like the Universal Design Project Team, she said.
“The process is forming, norming, storming and on to performing, so we meet regularly to accomplish the goals that we have set forth for ourselves,” Smith-Hawkins said.
Most projects that are set in motion by a team like Universal Design take three years to be completed from beginning to end, she said.
According to the higher learning commission website at ncahlc. org, the Academic Quality Improvement Programs is one of several pathways leading to confirmation of accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission for different colleges.
AQIP differs from the other pathways because it is based on principles of continuous quality improvements, along with confirming the institution’s accredited status with the Commission once every cycle, according to the website.
Many colleges have reported transforming the quality of time spent at an institution for disabled students since taking on the AQIP Pathway and CNM is one of them.
Colleges in the United States seek accreditation through two types of agencies, institutional and specialized.
National accreditation associations focus on certain types of colleges such as trade and technical institutions like CNM, or religious colleges such as seminaries and bible schools.
Regional accreditation agencies are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit degree granting colleges and universities.
Regional accreditation proves the quality of a college as a whole and evaluates things like academic offerings, governance and administration, mission, finances, and resources.
The accreditation process is based on a system of peer reviews, according to the website.
1,300 educators from different colleges serve as peer reviewers and conduct accreditation evaluations for other college.
Peer reviewers also serve on committees that make up the elements of the accreditation process, according to the website.
By Daniel Johnson, Investigative Reporter | Photos By Daniel Johnson
Students use exotic inspirations for their midterm projects.Valerie Archibeque utilizes her manicure skills during her cosmetology midterm.
Learning in an environment that actually allows a student the ability to gauge their own progress on real clients for school credit is something that is distinctive to the Cosmetology program at the South Valley CNM campus, said Cosmetology major, Valerie Archibeque.
Archibeque said students learn to do all kinds of cool stuff at the campus on 5816 Isleta Blvd. SE, such as manicures, pedicures, acrylic nails, haircuts, and hair coloring, but being able to do those things on real people is what makes the learning process easier.
“It is awesome, because coming to this class is not like coming to school at all—I get to do what I love all day, every day,” Archibeque said.
The instructors provide the students with information about the industry but there are also guest speakers who come and educate the students as well, she said.
“We invite the public to come to the salon and receive any of the treatments that are offered,” Archibeque said.
The process is first come first serve and offered to anybody that shows up, she said.
If a person has a student who they prefer they can request that student to perform the services, she said.
Some services require a test for possible allergic reactions, but if a person is cleared then they can choose from a wide variety of what they have to offer, she said.
The program has been around for a long time Archibeque said, but that not a lot of people know about the services that they provide on the campus.
“Everybody here is good at what they do and enjoy being able to interact with people, so everyone should come down and try us out at least once,” Archibeque said.
Cosmetology Instructional Technician, Yolanda Santos said all of the students deal with clients one-on-one, so they are able to build their communication skills, as well as working on the business side of their learning.
Santos said the salon is fully equipped for 17 clients for hair, and 17 clients for nails, but the amount of students doing these procedures differs depending on the time of day.
All of the equipment that is used is up to date and sanitary, she said.
Prices for services can range anywhere from free for a manicure, $5 deep conditioning, or $40 for all over hair coloring lightener and tone being the most expensive, she said.
“Even though $40 seems like a lot, it is actually the cheapest price for that service you will find anywhere in town,” Santos said.
All products used in the salon are professional grade style items, and the salon also has a fully operational facial room that students can utilize to provide client services, she said.
Customer service is another aspect that students learn, but is a skill that is mostly learned with hands on experience, she said.
Students need to learn to deal with all kinds of people because there is always a chance that they will get someone who is rude or difficult to deal with sometime in their careers, she said.
“Thankfully in the years that I have worked here, we have only had to throw out one client for being rude and mean,” Santos said.
Cosmetology Instructional Technician, Babette Harmon said students come in with an idea of wanting to create; but with the help of instructors, as well as the curriculum, students learn to visualize and determine what is needed to make these creations possible.
Learning basic skills is what allows students the ability to pass the state board test, but she said by the time they graduate the program she would like to see students be equipped with advanced skills that are better than what the state requires.
“The cosmetology program might seem short because it is separated in to just four terms, but students have to work their butts off and be dedicated to do well in these classes,” she said.
Harmon said the cosmetology students have a rigorous class schedule in that time where they attend class four days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so that students can also get used to being on their feet and working for an eight hour workday.
The first term is almost all bookwork and basic skills, and these newer students only work on mannequins and one another in the beginning, she said.
Second term students start to work on clients and by the fourth term students should have repeat clients that they have established a working relationship with over those three terms, she said.
Twice a year the beginning class opens to 16 students for a total of 32 new students a year, but when the class goes to graduation about 98 percent of those students graduate, she said.
Since the class size is so small the program can be difficult to get into sometimes, she said.
“We fill up fast every semester— it seems like as soon as registration starts, we have our classes full on the first day,” Harmon said.
Prerequisites for cosmetology are general education classes, but upon entering the first term the students study safety and sanitation extensively, she said.
“Our safety and sanitation is all based on running a clean and healthy salon,” Harmon said.
When the students start the first term; they go for five weeks of safety and sanitation, five weeks of hair cutting, five weeks of color, and so on until graduation, she said.
The mid-term for the class consists of students having to take a mannequin and make it blend with nature in all aspects of hair and makeup, she said.
“We are very proud of the students and the work that they do,” Harmon said.
For more information on the services provided by cosmetology students at 5816 Isleta Blvd. SE, call 224-5034.
By Daniel Johnson, Investigative Reporter | Photo by Daniel Johnson
Los Compadres’ traditional Mexican menudo, topped with onions, oregano and lime.
Los Compadres is a family-owned and operated authentic Mexican and New Mexican cuisine restaurant located at 2437 Central Ave NW near Old Town.
Manager Fred Gallegos said that this quiet little restaurant has been preparing some of the best authentic New Mexican and Mexican cooking for more than 20 years.
“The name Los Compadres was decided upon because it means “the buddies” in English which was meant to represent the group of friends that wanted to open the restaurant,” Gallegos said.
The menu consists of family favorites like carne adovada and menudo, which are prepared in traditional Mexican styles, he said.
Sitting down at the table during lunch to feast on a meal and to smell all the great mouthwatering aromas gives an atmosphere that elevates one’s senses and overall mood in one shot.
The entrées chosen by this reporter were carne adovada and eggs, with menudo, a carne deshebrada stuffed sopapilla, and a green chile smothered chicharron burrito.
The carne adovada is slow-cooked and simmered in a succulent red chile that provides just the right amount of heat yet packs a punch in the flavor category.
The carne deshebrada is rich and tasty, while still keeping its integrity of being a slow- cooked meat, without all the greasiness that a lot of slow cooking can cause.
The sopapillas are made from scratch and are light and fluffy while still capable of being stuffed and packed with mounds of mouthwatering marinated meat.
The chicharron burrito is definitely not a hand-held version, as it is served smothered in green chile and cheese and gives an explosion of spicy flavors that makes this reporter’s taste buds dance with joy.
The chicharrones were cooked to precision by having just the right amount of exterior crunch to go with the right amount of tenderness once bitten into that can bring out the carnivorous side in us all, but without making the jaw feel like it did all the work afterward.
Lastly, but most definitely not the least, is the award winning menudo that is prepared in a way that really does call to mind the memories of a Mexican grandmother slaving away in a kitchen for hours to make this menudo just right.
Unlike most menudo served at other restaurants where it is cooked way too greasy and the tripe is under or over-cooked with mushy hominy, Los Compadres cooks their menudo to perfection.
It is seasoned with red chile and has enough flavors to surprise but not destroy your taste buds, or have you regretting it the next day.
Los Compadres seems to pride themselves on having a well cooked and consistently scrumptious menudo that is worth writing home about via self-foodie photos and hashtags online.
Tripe by nature can be gristly and if over-cooked it tends to be a slimy and leathery mess of nastiness to eat sometimes.
But when cooked properly it can be tender and consumed in a matter of seconds, as Los Compadres cooks it every time and is definitely the standard for traditional Mexican menudo by far.
Overall this is a restaurant that has a great tasting menu no matter what you get, and also makes your wallet happy too, because even though Los Compadres is located next to the Albuquerque Aquarium and Historic Old Town where many restaurants are not cheap, they keep the prices to the standard of a family affordable establishment.
The restaurant is now owned and operated by Robert Martinez, his brother Fred Gallegos and his sister Marissa Candelaria, who are all children of the original owners Roberto and Janice, he said.
“The idea was to make sure the food that was offered was the same as what we all grow up eating at home,” Gallegos said.
People love the ability to come in and sit down to a meal that will be prepared the same way as it would if you were to walk in to a Mexican’s house who had been cooking for her family and friends for years, he said.
