by Heather Hunter
big city tastes in a down-home, friendly atmosphere
A NOB HILL HOT SPOT that has garnered plenty of awards and accolades since opening in 2022, Central Bodega is the alchemy of owners Seth and Jessica Beecher. This dynamic couple spun their real estate savvy and culinary pasts into creating their dream dining experience in Albuquerque.
Seth Beecher started cooking when he was 13, owned a restaurant during his 20s and provided the culinary vision for Central Bodega. Jessica also worked in the hospitality industry throughout high school and college and said their “concept allows people to walk inside and feel transported to a different place. With the feeling of being in a big city.”
Like all big cities, Central Bodega offers a wide array of cuisines to tease customers’ palates with dishes from Spain, Italy, France, America and, most recently, Greece. After spending 17 years at Yanni’s, formerly the Duke City’s go-to Greek restaurant, executive chef Izzy Beltran joined Central Bodega late last year and added a dash of Greek influence to the menu.
“Our culinary approach for Central Bodega was Mediterranean and European countries—pulling styles and flavors which aren’t offered in Albuquerque. We love serving various foods from different countries in one spot,” Jessica Beecher says.
Diners come from all over town and across the country to enjoy the exceptional craft cocktails and lively bar scene at Central Bodega, and they stay for the global cuisine. While the menu has plenty of options—small bites, salads and soups, mussels and clams, and main dishes—they also offer a hearty and healthy brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays that attracts a big crowd.
Driven by seasonality, expect the menu to change often to keep the experience fresh. But staple menu items that are popular, like the chowder, steak frites, mussels and the whipped feta, will always remain on the menu.
The festive bar scene and the bar menus are intoxicating—in the best way. The signature cocktails are the main attraction, and they offer a generous list of classic cocktails, bubbles, New Mexican and global wines, beer, and sake. “We wanted to open people’s minds about sake because it’s not just to be paired with sushi.” They also want to avail their guests a chance to try an exceptional glass of wine without having to buy the bottle. They do this through a preservation technology called Coravin—a wine device that uses a needle to extract wine without removing the cork.
This is the Central Bodega approach—classic with a creative twist along with plenty of surprises to expand our collective minds and tastebuds.
