Table Talk

Chef Marc Lalibert, who originally hails from Montreal, has opened his restaurant, Marc's European Grill, at 420 Avenida de Mesilla in Las Cruces, at the corner of Valley Drive, across from (sacr‚ bleu!) Domino's Pizza. The menu includes influences from French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Greek cuisines. The restaurant uses natural and organic produce, meats and ingredients and it bakes (mais oui!) from scratch. 647-1112.

After three years in business, Bountiful Baking Company at 3050 E. Lohman Ave. in Las Cruces, has closed. In its brief heyday, the eatery was loved by locals for its great sandwich menu, pizzas and fresh baked pies. Rick Carlson with the Bountiful Baking Company says the eatery closed because it was "severely mismanaged." There were numerous negative reviews, customer complaints and the like over the past few months on the ChefMoz dining guide Web site. Raves of "Best pizza around" and "Superb luncheon deal" in 2004 gave way to comments like "Lost its touch" and "horrid service" by December 2005. Company president Michael Marrot even posted a lengthy rebuttal and defense of Bountiful on the ChefMoz site this past April, with the editors noting in a postscript that Marrot has since left the company. Then came two anonymous postings in June and July — one headlined "goodbye" and representing "Favourite Sons," announcing Bountiful's imminent closing but with the promise of something new, and a final posting entitled "closed" that cited the mismanagement. Carlson said Favorite Sons, a new restaurant with a different concept, was planned but has been canned. The restaurant, with all equipment and inventory, is for sale as a package. (703) 850-9188.

Organ Mountain Cafe is now serving up a brunch buffet on Sundays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Old Organ Main Street, Organ, 373-3000.

Annette Tontodonati is in the process of buying both Metropolitan Delis in Las Cruces, the original at 1001 E. University Ave. and the one that opened just last year at 300 El Molino Blvd. that used to house the Brown Bag Deli. Tontodonati, who moved from New Jersey to Deming in 1986 and has lived in Las Cruces since 1995, says she has no major plans for change.

Pizzeria Uno — Chicago Bar and Grill at 2102 Telshor Court in Las Cruces is on the market. Built in 1999, the casual franchised eatery is offered as a turnkey operation — building, equipment, fixtures and liquor license — for $3,790,000.

DG's Deli at 1305 E. University Ave. in Las Cruces is for sale.

Finally, just last month, we reported John Fuller's plans to open Baja Grill at his Messiah's Health Shoppe location at 303 E. 13th St. in Silver City, hopefully as soon as the kitchen hood he'd purchased was installed. So it was surprising news to us when owners John and Casey Fuller held a ribbon-cutting on Messiah's eighth anniversary last month — with full Chamber of Commerce pomp and circumstance — and also announced that the eatery was being sold and changing its name on Aug. 1. Amazing how quickly plans can change, isn't it?

— Donna Clayton Lawder

 

We're always looking for news on the food scene! Email donna@desertexposure.com.