Alex De Vore
An almond and classic croissant, plus delicious espresso.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching the HBO Max Show Julia (shoutout to David Hyde Pierce!), or maybe it’s because my foodservice buds and self-described foodie friends have been so adamant about it, but I’ve had French cooking on the mind lately and, by extension, have dined at new local eatery La Tour Experience (500 Sandoval St., (505) 780-5890) two weekends in a row. I’ll probably go a third, too.
It started out at an interview with a local chef who became suddenly quite serious, looked me square in the eye and announced with the conviction of Olivier that “you have to try those quiches.” From there, I took a mental detour to the place where doubt dwells: La Tour Experience sits at that dreadful intersection where Sandoval Street becomes Cerrillos Road—the one where no driver knows what to do more than half the time, and where a slew of failed restaurants once called home. Café Café, State Capital Kitchen, Lucky Goat and likely other things from time immemorial have all flared into and out of existence in this location, and while it’s silly to think a location is cursed, if ever there were an argument for it, this is the building. No matter, though, because La Tour’s chef Lynda Amrani and her family are doing something entirely more spartan but expert in there, and it is, as the French would say, magnifique.
Amrani tells SFR she has no particular training. The recipes, she says, come from her family. Amrani grew up in France and her husband Salim hails from Algeria. Together, they wound up in Los Alamos. Daughter Allison works the counter and, as Amrani says, between them, they are the workers, chefs, dishwashers, everything.
The first meal came on a lazy Sunday at brunch time, and was settled upon with my dining companion when nothing else seemed agreeable. Not that one can grow tired of breakfast burritos, but it’s important to pace oneself. With Édith Piaf playing and an array of fantastic smells wafting from the kitchen, we felt our choice was wise. I’ll admit straight away that we didn’t love the counter service or what felt like a long wait for the food, but once we received our omelettes (mine with spinach and mushroom, theirs just spinach, $13.99 and $12.99, respectively) and pastries (one classic croissant, $2.75; one almond, $4.50), the folly of our impatience became clear: This isn’t about fast food cooked as quickly as possible and scarfed like you’ve just crawled across a desert—this is expertly prepared dining and a testament to the craft. It’s worth the wait. Any wait. And it’s operated by real people who take their time to make things well. As I’ve said before, we tend to shy away from describing food as “perfect,” as it implies that which cannot be. At La Tour Experience, the food is perfect.
Not only has Amrani cracked the code to cooking the most satisfying eggy omelettes, her commitment to fresh ingredients is clear. The spinach and mushrooms in my omelette, for example, were firm and flavorful and, when eaten in tandem, delightfully tender and in brilliant counterpoint to one another. Spinach, I think, tastes best when it’s just the right amount of earthy, and mushrooms generally have their own thing going on. At La Tour, both such items tasted bright and pleasant, especially when contained within the fluffy but structurally sound eggs and mingling between gooey Swiss cheese and one of the most delicious beurre blanc sauces I’ve had anyplace. I tore my classic croissant apart to scoop anything on the plate, and small but well-considered sides of fresh greens and roasted potatoes only enhanced the dish and the experience, leaving me full but not overfed.
We took macarons to-go, as well—vanilla, raspberry and chocolate ($3 each). Each adhered well to the macaron rule of light and fluffy, but the texture paled in comparison to the flavors, which seemed to kick in several moments after each bite. Can one develop a time-delayed flavor profile? Likely no, that sounds like madness, but when it came to Amrani’s macarons, the flavors lingered in the best possible way. We also left with a relatively pricy container of green tea from a company called Louvre ($21.95). It was worth the price with its undertones of apple mingling with the more familiar green tea tastes and aromas. The only downside is that one must ration the tea so as not to use it up too quickly. We decided not to splurge on the gourmet olive oil.
Alex De Vore
Fast forward to the following week, and we simply had to return. Once again, Edith Piaf played from invisble speakers and, being a bit of a creature of habit, I ordered the spinach and mushroom omelette. It was just as good as the previous week, maybe even better, though my companion chose the spinach and artichoke chausson this time. Think of the latter dish as a French cousin of the empanada—a crisp and flaky pastry pocket absolutely stuffed with enticing goodies inside. No one needs to tell you how spinach and artichoke mesh well, but when served within a buttery conveyance, they were a triumph. This could be a good item for a dine-in experience, but I’m also picturing its placement in a picnic, perhaps wrapped in parchment or a thick cloth, then removed and served with fruit or salad or even on its own; it would probably even be good served cold. The point is, it would likely travel well. And it is beautiful. The almond croissant made another appearance as well, as did a pain au chocolat ($3.25) that practically redefined what something as simple as chocolate in pastry can be.
It’s enough to make me think I should just go back to eating ham for a weekend, just to try out some of La Tour’s other foods. As I said before, there are rotating quiche varieties (which I somehow forgot to sample despite advice from that other chef) that come in a combo with salad ($13.99), and onion soup, you’ll find a ham and cheese croissant and a camembert crudités sandwich. Expect specials, too, plus an entire case of cookies and pastries as well as a wide selection of teas and assorted other French items. Just visit, and let us pray La Tour Experience is the restaurant that finally keeps its footing in that strange liminal space downtown.
