No muss, no fuss — just good food
There is something so sunny and crisp and efficiently satisfying about Cafe Fina out at the crossroads of 84/285 and Old Pecos Highway.
What is it? Perhaps it’s the midcentury modernist architecture and the minimal, attractive interior of the former gas station, now cafe. Also, being the fidgety, impatient sort, we like cafes and bistros where we can step right up to the counter, place our order and pay our freight. No muss, no fuss.
And queuing right up to the counter in the bright, bustling Cafe Fina for lunch the other day with our dear friend The Good Doctor, we made the banal, but utilitarian, order of the Green Chile Cheeseburger ($10.50), New Mexico beef with cheese (Swiss, thanks), roasted poblano chile strips with salad or fries (please).
I say banal, but sometimes a green chile cheeseburger is much more than that and, while I have always been a HUGE fan of the Blake’s Lottaburger green chile cheeseburger (which we shall address in the near future), the Cafe Fina version of local beef, medium rare, etc. is primo. Absolutely succulent, superb and only one minor complaint — they could up their game in the french fries department. As The Good Dr. observed, how hard it would it be to hand-cut the fries? Not very.
The Good Dr. had the Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich ($11.75) with bacon, caramelized onion, asadero cheese and poblano mayo (high marks here!) on rustic white bread with fries or salad. Chicken breast tender and juicy, caramelized onions et al. perfectly harmonious, fresh mixed green salad. Thanks to the generous portion, we made off with half of the doctor’s sandwich and, minus the bread, made several superb chicken enchiladas the next day.
Efficient, friendly, excellent ingredients, great service, lovely outdoor patio sitting area. Couldn’t ask for more.
Here’s a question of economic etiquette: When dining in a counter-ordering establishment, what is the proper amount for a gratuity? In normal circumstances in the U.S., we tip 20 percent (on the gross, not the net) and work up or down from there, depending. At the counter, we have watched people tip 0 percent under the theory that since they made their order themselves and there is no middleman, no need for a tip. Yes, but what about the server who brings you your order, and the dishwasher and the busperson?
The correct answer is that one tips 10 percent in the U.S. when ordering at the counter.