Off Highway 284 just north of the opera house, Gabriel's has been serving Southwest specialties for going on 20 years. The restaurant is known for its excellent fresh guacamole, made right at the table. Other dishes like steak fajitas, carnitas, and authentic Caesar salad (invented in Tijuana, as the menu reminds you) are definitely nothing to scoff at. Dark viga ceiling beams and cream-colored walls are set off by colorful paintings inside. With its flowers and fountains, the outdoor patio is one of the best places in the 505 area code to watch the sun set over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Gabriel's is often busy with diners heading to the opera or coming back from Taos, but the service is always attentive and friendly. It's not a gourmet destination—there are better in town—but the food is reasonably priced and the portions are large. (Save room for a fluffy post-meal sopapilla.)