March 28th, 2011 • Posted by Los Equipales • Permalink
Coastal breezes
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Former bank instills sense of ‘Old Mexico’ and offers a haven for seafood lovers
By Cristina Olds
Los Equipales evokes coastal Mexico. You can almost hear the waves lapping the beach where the shrimpers just landed their fresh catch. This isn’t the Mexico of drug wars and border patrols. Rather, this is fine seafood dining and complex salsas served with a cold beer and lime.
The chords of tranquil acoustic guitar and the smell of salty, freshly fried tortilla chips floated through the air on a recent Friday night as my companions and I visited Los Equipales. This building (formerly a Sunwest Bank, of all things) transports diners to old Mexico, despite the incongruous drive-thru construction outside.
Inside, red dew-drop lamps shed warm light on the lavender and pink walls adorned with old photos and paintings of Latinas. Los Equipales is named for the comfortable handmade chairs from the Mexican state of Jalisco, a design that dates to the time of the Aztecs. The creaky furniture is the preferred outdoor setting of old Mexico. Click here to read the entire review at Local IQ Albuquerque's website.
