During the day, this local's haven between the river and the Roundhouse serves quick lunches of big salads, hearty sandwiches and a damn fine green chile stew. But as the light outside dims, so do the lights in the dining room. The wait staff gets a little more serious, the linen tablecloths a little crisper. The hostess begins to seat folks wearing sports jackets and dresses in the rambling adobe dining rooms. People who at noon were scarfing away at chiles rellenos carve into the Pink's signature steak with decorum. The dinner menu is short, but chock-full of what is basically comfort food times 10. You can't go wrong with the lamb chops, slathered in butter and topped with mint jelly, Spaghetti Pink Adobe or the baked pork chops. Steak Dunigan, a New York strip steak slathered with sautéed mushrooms and roasted green chile, is the addictive house specialty. Yes, flesh is best when it comes to the Pink, but the varied menu is a delight from top to bottom (especially the lobster meat salad, which doesn't skimp on the chunks of lobster tail and is glazed in a citrus dressing). So skip your casual lunch and splurge. And don't forget the Perfect Apple Pie for dessert.

406 Old Santa Fe Trail, 983-7712, www.thepinkadobe.com. Lunch Monday-Friday; dinner nightly. $$-$$$