City: El Paso, TX

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (505) 589-0653

Address: 1 Ardovino Dr.

Description: Though the menu here is decidedly Italian, the ambiance and overall atmosphere at Ardovino’s Desert Crossing is much more than that. A truly hip restaurant, Ardovino’s is nestled in the foothills of Mt. Cristo Rey and has been in operation since 1949. The Mecca Lounge at Ardovino’s is a throwback to the swanky lounges of the 1950s, offering fabulous cocktails and an extensive selection of fine wines, scotch, and beer. Dinner items here are created with garden-grown herbs, and the menu entrees combine traditional Italian staples like pasta and gnocchi with unusual Southwestern-inspired ingredients to form mains like the gnocchi with Spanish chorizo. Other items are more traditional, such as the lamb rack, which features New Mexico raised lamb loin chops rubbed with rosemary and served with raisin chipotle chutney and a parmesan polenta.Every Saturday morning in the summer through fall, there is a farmers’ market with fresh local produce, and breakfast is served on the patio. Full service banquet facilities are available for private events from 10 to 350 guests. They also often have live entertainment on the patio and host special brunches and tasting events.