ON A QUIET STRETCH of Corrales Road shaded by cottonwoods, Forty Nine Forty feels unexpectedly cosmopolitan. Inside the low-lit dining room, where slate-gray walls display chic modern art, Tuesday and Wednesday nights have become a celebration of creativity, seasonality, and value.
After joining the Corrales restaurant in 2025, longtime Albuquerque chef Jonathan Perno introduced the two-night, four-course prix-fixe tasting menu as both a thank-you to regulars and a way to reimagine midweek dining. For $50, guests receive an amuse-bouche followed by four courses rooted in Perno’s thoughtful, ingredient-first cooking. “We wanted to appreciate the locals and give them a full meal at a fair price,” Perno says. “It’s approachable, but it still reflects how we cook.”
What sets the tasting menu apart is its constant reinvention. Perno builds each week’s dishes from what is already in-house, factoring in seasonal availability. The result is a dynamic lineup with more than 50 dishes rotating through since the concept began.
Forty Nine Forty’s pappardelle and shepherd’s pie.
Photograph by Tira Howard.
On a chilly Tuesday in February, the meal began with an amuse-bouche of sliced watermelon radish topped with preserved lemon and cracked black pepper, designed to awaken the palate while giving the kitchen a moment to pace the experience. Diners then chose from three first-course options, including a white sweet potato fondant with onion mostarda and thyme. The second course followed with a vibrant salad of Treviso and frisée, with honey-lemon dressing, toasted pistachio, and 18-month raw-milk goat cheese, one of several selections developed collaboratively with Perno’s tight-knit kitchen team.
On this night, the standout was pork belly paired with a custard made from clarified braising liquids. Perno carefully saves and refines those liquids—a technique that reflects his commitment to minimizing waste while maximizing flavor. Earthy mushrooms and preserved vegetables rounded out the dish—final touches, Perno says, which often come together just before service. Dessert closed the meal with a mixed berry crisp with cream.
For diners, no two weeks are alike. For Perno, that unpredictability provides freedom. “I feel like all pistons are firing,” he says. “I’m truly developing food.”
