At an Italian restaurant in which he once worked, one of Chef Daniel Little’s primary tasks was to construct charcuterie boards, a recognition of his artistic nature and deftness. He would much preferred to be doing the cooking. The Central New Mexico (CNM) Community College trained chef is doing all the cooking he wants to do now. After more than twelve years of working for some of Albuquerque’s premier chefs at such enchanting eateries as M’Tucci’s Bar Roma, Savoy and Level 5, Chef Little is now calling the shots as the chef-owner of Chez Axel, one of Albuquerque’s most venerable French restaurants.
During our 2025 visit to Chez Axel after an absence of fourteen years, Chef Daniel was both host and server while a fellow CNM alum did the cooking. Chef Daniel is a genial guy with a great sense of humor and guest orientation that makes everyone feel welcome. Moreover, he’s absolutely committed to his craft and not just the cooking part of owning a restaurant. He’s also pursuing a degree in Business with an emphasis in Marketing so that he can take advantage of social media’s broad reach. One of the challenges he faces is that Chez Axel is recessed from Montgomery and is partially obfuscated by a Chinese eatery. The shopping center which has served as home to Chez Axel has seen far better days. It’s timeworn and often neglected or forgotten when diners contemplate their next meal.
Chef Daniel related that Chez Axel has been around since 1996–making it 29 years old, a few years older than he is. He’s only the fifth owner of the venerable restaurant which has surpassed so many of its contemporaries in terms of longevity. In days of yore, Chez Axel was conspicuous by a facade of the Eiffel Tower on the roof. Chef Daniel told us he had to take the Eiffel Tower replica down because it became a safety hazard. Being buffeted by New Mexico’s ferocious winds for decades had damaged the Tower and threatened the integrity of the roof. What panache and flair Chez Axel may lack from the outside, it makes up for it once you step in. Just beyond the restaurant’s entrance you’ll espy a grand piano. On Friday and Saturday nights, a talented piano player tickles the ivories with a medley of tunes sure to aid in digestion.
Chez Axel is a charming old-world restaurant replete with refinement and grace. White tablecloths adorn each table. Framed images of the Eiffel Tower hang on the wall. My Kim was capitavated by shelves in which vintage tea serving vessels were displayed. Those vessels are decorative, attractive and interesting. Fittingly, Chef Daniel offers a petit French tea service (Tuesday through Friday from 11AM to 1:30PM) which can be yours if you schedule it a day in advance for a minimum of two guests. The tea service includes two savory items (soup, cucumber, egg salad, jambon/cheese, chicken, apple/brie, radish/butter; scone with jam and a dessert (chocolate or strawberry mousse) along with a pot of Earl Gray tea.
While my bride contemplated the tea service (preferably with someone other than her tea-hating husband who would delight in dumping all tea everywhere into the Boston Harbor), I studied the lunch menu at length. It’s not a compendium, but offers a nice selection of French favorites. Lunch includes such choices as soups, salads, tartines, croque monsieur and croque madam, quiches, crepes, omelets, fromage/fruit plate and a bread plate. The dinner menu offers such seafood options as saffron red snapper and scallops. You can also find such traditional specialties as boeuf bourguignon and cassoulet (which Chef Daniel told us sells like wildfire in winter, but isn’t quite as popular during the summer).
23 May 2025: Some of my most treasured memories of having been stationed in England are of crossing the Strait of Dover into Calais and Boulogne where we would purchase elongated baguettes of French bread to go along with fetid fromage. Others also returned with as much wine as they could carry. French bread and particularly French butter are a weakness for me. French butter is made with a higher concentration of butterfat which gives French butter a creamier texture and richer flavor. Spread it lavishly onto a baguette, layer on some French cheese and you’ve got a meal fit for a king.
Chez Axel offers a bread and butter plate for two dollars. Gone are the days when (like salsa and chips) bread and butter were complimentary at French restaurants. At two dollars per order at Chez Axel, it’s still a bargain. To the detriment of other items we might get too full to enjoy, my Kim and I still love bread and butter either as a preface to or with our meal. Because Chez Axel is implementing a new POS (that’sd point of sale not the term you’re thinking of), Chef Daniel graciously didn’t charge us for the bread. Somehow that made it even more tasty.
23 May 2025: Recalling that Chef Daniel once crafted artistic charcuterie boards at a restaurant at which he once worked, we decided to see if his talents still warrant praise. It may not be called “charcuterie board,” but the fromage/fruit plate at Chez Axel is better than many charcuterie boards we’ve had. Turophiles will delight in the three cheeses of varying textures (from soft to hard) and flavor profiles (from mild to sharp). All too often charuterie boards don’t vary their cheeses in this manner. Also on the plate were fresh strawberries, blackberries and apple slices. On the center of the plate was a ramekin of mixed nuts.
23 May 2025: The French have long been renowned for preparing perhaps the most delicious soups in the world. Traditional French soups are typically served as a first course. There are no creamy soups in the French repertoire and, it could be argued, no stews either. The most famous of all French soups is onion soup (soupe à l’oignon), the “French being redundant,” Soups in France are generally made with broth or stock. Your taste buds will first discern delicate notes followed quicky by robust flavors which make an indelible impression on your taste buds. Texture is vital, too: you want the liquid to be silky smooth and intensely flavored. That’s precisely what you’ll find should you order the French onion soup at Chez Axel. Chef Daniel believes it’s the best French onion soup in Albuquerque and I’m inclined to agree. Chez Axel’s French onion soup is amazing–brimming with thick, stringy cheese bubbling on top; perfectly caramelized onions; croutons softened by a rich, delicious beef broth; and the herbaceous hint of parsley, basil and bay leaf.
23 May 2025: While my Kim rarely deviates from French onion soup, my very favorite soup is butternut squash soup. Regular readers have long suffered through my declaration of love for butternut squash anything. It pains me to go an entire fall season without enjoying something made with butternut squash. On a brisk day (or any day ending in the letter “Y”) there’s nothing more soothing than the cozy wafting of sage, rosemary and butternut squash as they visit your grateful nostrils. Chez Axel’s version is silky smooth and luxurious. If you’ve ever lamented the pumpkin pie flavor of some butternut squash soups, you’ll appreciate the savory notes emanting from this delicious elixir.
23 May 2025: The delightful website Pardon My French expresses perfectly why crepes are so wonderful: “One of the things that makes crêpes so special is their incredible versatility. They can be enjoyed at any time of day—whether for breakfast, a quick lunch, the beloved French “goûter” (afternoon snack), or even a cozy dinner. Crêpes are a beloved staple of French cuisine, adored for their delicate texture and versatility. Whether filled with sweet or savory ingredients, enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner, these thin pancakes are a must-have recipe in your French cooking repertoire.”
I know people who have never had a savory crêpe. Even for me, it’s a challenge to venture far from the addictive flavors of crêpes filled with nutella and bananas. Chez Axel offers three savory crêpes all served with a petit vinaigrette salad: salmon (tarragon sauce and fromage), spinach (béchamel sauc and fromage) and mushroom (béchamel sauce and onions). Solely because I love tarragon sauces, I’m a shill for any crepe topped with tarragon and its subtly herbaceous flavors with a subtle reminiscent of anise. The more tarragon sauce, the better. Alas, Chez Axel is a bit more parsimonious in its use of the precious tarragon sauce. Still, this is an excellent crepe, a true showcase for the fresh salmon.
23 May 2025: At face value, a croque monsieur is nothing more than a warm ham and cheese sandwich. Savvy sandwich savants recognize it as a perfectly harmonious and delightfully decadent sandwich. Besides that, it’s got a wonderful “origin” story. Fittingly, the origin of the croque monsieur is rather humble. Bistro owner Michel Lunarca popularised the dish in the early 1900s as a simple snack for busy Parisiens. Its literal translation is “mister crunch’” for the sound the the sandwich makes when bitten into. Who doesn’t like a little onomatopoeia with their meal?
Made with baked or boiled ham, Gruyère cheese, a soft sandwich bread, and béchamel sauce, the croque monsieur is either fried or oven baked after preparation. The sandwich offers the ideal blend of textures: the crispy bread complimenting the gooey melted cheese and béchamel sauce. Chez Axel’s version of a croque monsieur is just a bit different in that ripe red tomatoes cover the ham and are then topped with the melted cheese and béchamel. The tomatoes are genius, offering a bit of acidity and sweetness. A relatively small amount of sauce is used which means you can pick up and eat the sandwich without making a mess.
If it’s been a while since your last visit to Chez Axel, you’re overdue for a visit. Chef Daniel has some surprises in store for you.
Chez Axel Restaurant
6209 Montgomery, N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
505-881-8104
LATEST VISIT: 23 May 2025
1st VISIT: 28 October 2011
# OF VISITS: 3
RATING: 23
COST: $$
BEST BET: Beef Bourguignon, Mushroom and Spinach Quiche, French Onion Soup, Cassoulet, Croque Monsieur, Salmon Crepe, Fromage/Fruit Plate, Bread Plate
PREVIOUS REVIEW:
Another Land of Enchantment.” That’s how the menu at Chez Axel describes the Provence region in France. No one who’s ever traveled through the region and luxuriated in a café crème at a sidewalk café on a leisurely Sunday morning would ever dispute that the region is as enchanting as any in the world. It truly is a soiree for the senses, especially for those who believe food is art and that it can restore not only the body, but the heart and soul.
For freshness of ingredients, there is no region in France more renowned than the Provence region in southern France. The cuisine raised in this verdant, sun-drenched region has earned the nickname “la cuisine du soleil” or “the cuisine of the sun” a tribute to freshness and quality. The produce in Provence perfumes the Mediterranean air where it competes with the wafting bouquet of lavender, oleander and olives. Is it any wonder French cafés associate their freshest cuisine with this food-lover’s paradise?
High aspirations have been meeting consistently good execution at Chez Axel since it launched in 1996. Owner-chef Stefan Springer is not the founding owner, but he’s raised the bar so much that in 2010, he was named Chef of the Year by the New Mexico Restaurant Association. This award is accorded to an outstanding chef in recognition of excellent cuisine and excellent service. Chef Springer was cited not only for his culinary skills, but for his civic-mindedness. An organization he founded to keep at-risk students in school provides clothing, school supplies and other necessities. Albuquerque can use more chefs like this.
We can use more French restaurants like Chez Axel. Interestingly, the restaurant’s exterior edifice does not have a Provencal theme. Instead, its most conspicuous feature has long been a replica of the Eiffel Tower on the roof. At night the Tower is illuminated, a beacon to lead hungry diners to a terrific menu of excellent cuisine in a colorful and romantic ambiance. Each table is draped with white linen table cloths and red napkins folded into wine glasses. Bottles of wine are displayed on floor level racks and on shelves above eye-level. Service is personable and attentive.
The menu showcases French cuisine at an affordable price point, especially for lunch when you can have a two-item lunch combination meal for under ten dollars. That combination features you choice of two items from a list of soups, salads, quiches and crepes. You can also opt for entrees the type of which Julia Child herself might have featured had she operated a restaurant–Chicken Provencal, Beef Bourguignon, Cassoulet, Shrimp Provencal and Trout Almondine.
The dinner menu shines even more brightly with an appetizer menu which includes Snails a l’Aixoise and frog legs as well as salads and soups. A pageful of meat offerings is even more luminescent. All meats come from the Adkins Ranch whose animals are “naturally raised” and are guaranteed high in protein, vitamins and minerals and low in fat and cholesterol. All seafood (sole, trout, salmon, shrimp and scallops) come from Whole Food Market. The desserts are made on the premises and are guaranteed absolutely delicious.
A basket of thinly sliced French bread and herbed butter arrives at your table shortly after you’ve placed your order. The exterior is crusty while the insides are soft. It’s a bit of a challenge to spread the cold butter, but once you do, it’s a bigger challenge not to eat two or more baskets full of the staff of life. You’ll want to save a slice or two to dredge up the soup or an entree in which a magnificent entree with rich, delicious broth is showcased.
Culinary history is rife with examples of “rags to riches” foods–items writers often refer to as “peasant foods” by virtue of their humble, economically borne origins which rise to the level of sought after gourmet favorites. One such food is French onion soup which is, at its essence, simply onions, a scrap of old bread, grated cheese and veal stock. Chez Axel’s French onion soup is amazing–a brown-and-tan crock brimming with thick, stringy cheese bubbling on top; perfectly caramelized onions; croutons softened by a rich, delicious beef broth; and the herbaceous hint of parsley, basil and bay leaf. This is one of the most fragrant and delicious French onion soups in Albuquerque.
Julia Child once said, “When beef stew is in the oven, all’s right with the world, and Beef Bouruignon is the best beef stew known to man.” She loved this stew so much that in her first episode of The French Chef in 1963, that’s what she prepared. Because of the time and care required to prepare it correctly, Julia’s recipe for this hearty stew may have been filed away in a recipe book, but it wasn’t endeavored often save for by the most intrepid of cooks. It wasn’t until after the movie Julie and Julia that the home cook began to attempt it.
Chez Axel’s rendition of Beef Bourguignon has that deep, rich flavor made possible only when it is carefully prepared in a slow and loving manner and with excellent ingredients and good wine. It’s a version which might even be better the next day when the flavors have melded even more fully. It’s a deep, rich flavor combining slowly braised, fork-tender beef with a very good wine and fresh, perfectly prepared carrots. The entree is served with two sides, chef’s discretion. Count your blessings if it’s the peppery snap pea pods and the buttery long-grained rice.
In the process of making cooking a national pastime (back in the days before most women entered the workforce), Julia Child introduced the American television audience to quiche in the early 1960s. Two decades later, an American author named Bruce Feirstein wrote a best-selling book called Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche which lampooned masculine stereotypes. Men who were all too conscious of fashion and who followed all the trends were referred to as “quiche eaters.”
My friend Señor Plata is one man confident enough in his masculinity to admit his love for quiche, especially if it’s nearly as good as the mushroom and spinach quiche at Chez Axel. The base for this quiche is a light, delicate and flaky crust that would be the envy of any blue-ribbon award-winning pie. Atop that fabulous crust is more than an inch of fluffy eggs topped with mushrooms and spinach under a blanket of molten Gruyere cheese. All quiche should be this good.
Julia Child wrote in The French Chef Cookbook that cassoulet can be prepared in one day, but “two or even three days of leisurely on-and-off cooking makes it easier.” In his Les Halles Cookbook, celebrity travel host Anthony Bourdain was more definitive, calling for three days of preparation time. One thing is for certain–if you want to prepare a cassoulet dish, you should have the patience of a saint. Kate Hopkins, who writes as The Accidental Hedonist, puts it best: “you have to want to make this dish, as it is an all day affair. A person doesn’t casually make a cassoulet. This dish is best made with an obsessive desire.”
Said to date back to the Hundred Years’ War during the 14th century, history and legend tell of a communal dish so hearty, it revitalized war-weary soldiers who promptly dispatched the invading forces. As with French onion soup, cassoulet is an archetypal peasant dish–an earthy, rich, slow-cooked casserole of beans, meat and herbs meant to be shared. Chef Springer’s version is made with pork, lamb, bacon, tomato, garlic, herbs and white beans. It is absolutely the perfect dish for a blustery winter day when its comforting qualities embrace you in a soul-warming embrace. The pork, lamb and bacon penetrate deeply to flavor the broth with fat, flavor and utter deliciousness.
Even as the captivating voice of Edith Piaf resonates over the restaurant’s sound system with Les Trois Cloches, Chez Axel seems woefully out-of-place in the timeworn shopping center that houses an international menagerie of restaurants in Ho Ho Chinese, Viet Q and Wings N Things. It frankly would be a better fit for the countryside in Provence. Duke City gourmets are thankful it’s here and not there.
Chez Axel Restaurant
6209 Montgomery, N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
505-881-8104
Web Site
LATEST VISIT: 25 November 2011
1st VISIT: 28 October 2011
# OF VISITS: 2
RATING: 23
COST: $$
BEST BET: Beef Bourguignon, Mushroom and Spinach Quiche, French Onion Soup, Cassoulet
Love the serenading, sparkly-eyed, Ms. Dawn! Best server in town!
Thank you for reviewing Chez Axel. It reminded me to try it again. Back in ’04 and ’05 we used to go all the time but when Stefan Springer took it over he kept the old menu and seemingly made minor modifications to the recipes. As an example he appeared to kick up the orange zest in the Beef Bourguignon a l’orange to a level we didn’t care for. We had not been there in 5-years so based on you review we returned last night-I wish that it had been much sooner. I had the onion soup and the Beef Bourguignon a l’orange which were much changed and wonderful. The Child Bride opted for the Veal Cordon Bleu and was equally happy.
I tried Chez Axel’s Beef Bourguignon a l’orange last night and was not at all impressed. There was no Orange zest or flavor present (only the Orange Carrots). There were no mushrooms or onions. There were a lot of what tasted to be chopped canned supermarket black olives, which I did not feel went well with the dish. Also the beef was very chewy and tough. The chef visited our table, and I asked about the dish. I was told that it was cooked for 5 hours, and that the olives were intentionally added Calamata olives (though no olives are listed on the menu description), and that the nonexistent mushrooms were actually in the pot and perhaps I was just unlucky to get none on my plate. The bread, salads service and atmosphere were great, as was my spouses entree of pork pinet. So we will likely return.
Still it was disconcerting to get a poorly made entree, and a questionable story from the Chef.
Is it just me or are a lotta places of late saying variants of “Nice to see ya back!”? I’m suspect when I’ve never been before so I was a bit leery after only one visit when Dawn noted that. Alas, I’m thinking she caught my look of surprise as she casually noted the table where she served me Two weekends ago! Eh! she gets the Bob Hope Theme Award*!!!
This venture, I tried the Carrot Soup somewhat expecting it to be akin to a thickish tomato soup. Whoa, never had a soup with such an ‘aerated feel’ to it! The flavor is subtle and nothing like a carrot cake.
Ah ha…..never had (blush) Cassoulet before. If ya think of “stews” as peasant-like food and ya wonder if you’ll be getting your money’s worth, this is chock full of tender chunks of lamb pork loin so much so you might ‘complain’ you can’t find the broth and beans…LOL. Hmmm, what provided a little ‘kick’/tang…sausage?
Bottom line: am actually thinking of going out to hustle a “date” so as to experience the added enjoyment of the understated romantic ambiance of this niche along with its great service and preparation of its Yum-Yums!
PS: ‘pairing’ a soup appetizer with Cassoulet is not one’s best move….LOL. Glad to see more places bringing back Rose (from the ’60s?)
* http://tinyurl.com/7pqb3db
Wifey and I too love this place. Last time we were there I had the Lamb, she had the Trout Amadine. I was blown away by the flavor of her fish and sorry I didn’t order it- not that the lamb was bad, i’d never had that dish before…. yum. The side of snails was great as was the bananna thingy we had for desert. As previously mentioned, everything from the bread to the desert is top notch. Nice bottle of wine with some great food and sharing good times with your honey in a great atmosphere mm mm mm, doesn’t get much better. Go Stevie!
Yo Senor P!
Oooeee, I forgot to make note that Axel’s is one of the rare, fine dining settings which honors the Albuquerque Journal’s Press Pass garnering Y’all 20% off!!! How can one NOT dine there even if you don’t use the PP each time!?
RE Concerns of increasing one’s belt size: Tip ‘O the Day: I’ve heard that one can allay such concerns by eating an item standing; eating in dimlit lit restaurants cuts calories by a quarter; instead of wine, brownbag a bottle of prune juice; unlike using odd numbers as in doing ikebana, always use even ones, e.g. 2 not 1 chocolate truffles, 4 not 3 oreos, etc.; and, just as a matter of principle, IMHO, don’t get gravy or salad dressing “on the side”.
Pardon me now while I go munch the left-over half (from last night while watching TV) of a cannoli which are getting hard to find. Keep up the good work La Dolce Vida Bakery on Lomas http://tinyurl.com/4x8zywx !
“Chow!”
I see Sr. Bob made it to the review station before I did. Good job Sr. Bob. I joined Sensei last Friday for lunch at this excellent restaurant in a desert of a parking lot not believing there could be an excellent French restaurant not too far from a Bagelry once in my neighborhood.
As Sensei said, I am not afraid to say Quiche is a power food with lots of balanced food items that fits a little closer to making my belt a bit bigger but I have to say it was delicious! This is my first French restaurant here and it was delightful–very romantic and I found the need to bring Senorena Plata here one of the days when we have a celebration. The lunch, at a very reasonable price came with the bread you see pictured above, then I ordered some awesome French onion soup with a ton of cheese on that small piece of bread; it was one of the thickest soups i have had and I was well pleased.
I normally don’t go for the cooked carrots but they had a special herb in it that was very good. I so much wanted dessert but i was too full. We had a couple baskets of bread and we had some hot coffee with our meal which was very good. We were the 1st to be there and as lunch time proceeded more and more people arrived. I still am so surprised I see such an elegant restaurant sitting in this parking lot and am glad to hear from Sr. Bob that its highly crowed in the evenings and thus has a following…
Axellent!!! (Sorry, couldn’t resist!) How embarrassing living here so many years and I hadn’t been. Saving the best things for last? Oooee that’s spooky to say, but it is the weekend of the Great Harvest Festival (shh Halloween).
Went as a last minute thing so got there about 5:30; several ‘unreserveds’ also followed in so by 6:45 I’d recommend reservations per its just right sized for intimacy setting. There was some recorded mellow jazz and a chanteuse before the live piano accompaniment arrived at that time as well.
Had the Veal Cordon Blue. Some nice clear, herbed concoction that I can’t specify, but was embedded in this creation to delight my palate…you know, the kind ya keep wanting more of, but has a luscious richness where ya know you have to stop? Fortunately, the serving size was made for me and, as such, a semi-sated ending. The ‘cubettes’ of red spuds and baby carrots were an axellent compliment to the entree.
Due to some miscommunication on my part, the French Onion soup did not preceed the veal and I chose to have it after…Alas! it made for a delicious dessert and I think I might adopt this as a habit to forestall an often slightly stuffy feeling getting into an entree.
Possible clarification….the quiche is a luncheon item.
Bottom line: check out the menu http://www.chezaxelrestaurant.com/. Some might say at those prices they have to be selling stuff out the back alley door to stay open…. LOL. Nope…I checked. Bon ‘Bon Appetit’