D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
August 2010
Table Talk
Pack up the corkscrews! St. Clair Winery & Bistro is planning to move to a new, larger location not far from its current building in Mesilla. Remodeling and renovation of the former Way Out West restaurant location at 1720 Avenida de Mesilla has already started, with a projected opening date sometime in late 2010. The Bistro is owned and operated by the Lescombes family, a five-generation French wine-making family that also owns Deming-based Southwest Wines. Founder Herve Lescombes says, "Las Cruces is part of our family, and my children all graduated high school here. Now, they help me run the winery and bistro." The new location will offer a much larger seating area, an expanded patio with a view of the Mesilla Valley, and larger kitchen facilities.
In other Las Cruces dining news, Brigid's Cross, 1338 Picacho Hills Dr., is changing its name to reflect its new ownership. Doug Eddings, a well-known Major League Baseball umpire, is among the new owners of the Irish pub, which has become Ump 88 Grill. The Irish food and drink will remain, but the hours are now Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday open to 11 p.m., and Sunday to 9 p.m.
Also getting a new moniker is La Fuente, 1710 S. Espina St., which is now Chabela's and under the new ownership of Isabel Sanchez. The menu stays the same, however, except for the addition of salads and carne asada.
Another Mexican eatery, Las Trancas at 1008 S. Solano Dr., has something new: a patio, expected to open this month, which will more than double its table space.
And the Hot Rod Caf at 1300 El Paseo has shut off its engines, abruptly closing its doors last month.
In Silver City, Alex Ocheltree of ATV Mountain Cycle is whipping up recipes for his promised Billy the Kid's BBQ & Wood-Fired Pizza, a new eatery planned for the shopping center that includes Bealls. No opening date has been set yet, but lips are already smacking among those who've tasted the food.