Restaurant review archive

Revolution Bakery — Viva las vegans

A groovy little place like Revolution Bakery is just what Santa Fe needed. Everything that comes out of the ovens at this tiny bakery and café is completely free of gluten and made using as many organic ingredients as possible. Many items are vegan. But no one here has a stuffy, holier-than-thou attitude. The only thing anyone’s trying to prove is that truly tasty baked goods can be made without gluten. Recommended: tempeh salads, vegan sandwiches (with a little salt), citrus salad, brownies, and cinnamon rolls.

Nile Café on the Trail — Trail mix

What began and continues as a food truck now has a modest second home. Gigi Griffo’s Nile Café on the Trail is a tiny, two-room dining spot that might remind you of grandma’s house if it weren’t for the contemporary art. Renditions of Greek, Egyptian, and other Mediterranean dishes are freshly made (Griffo even stacks her own gyro meat), modestly spiced, and wonderfully satisfying. Think of it as eastern Mediterranean comfort food: tabbouleh, falafel, dolmas, and the like are all simply prepared and refreshingly lively. Breakfast items, like couscous with nuts, may remind you of lunch. Though there’s only a trio of dinner entrees (lunch is served until closing), they’re all worth trying. Homemade desserts and unusual beverages — sparkling pomegranate juice with molasses, for instance — make for special treats. Service? As good as that at home. Recommended: gyros, “kofta” burgers, vegetarian moussaka, baked chicken, roast leg of lamb, baklava, and Egyptian doughnuts.

Café Pasqual’s — Saintly succor

When chef-owner Katharine Kagel opened Café Pasqual’s in 1979, she transplanted a little of her native Bay Area to Santa Fe, including a dedication to organic farm produce in the vein of her Berkeley soul sister Alice Waters. Along with her able kitchen and dining-room staff, Kagel serves a fresh, eclectic menu borrowing primarily from Asian, Latin American, and New Mexico traditions and offering a selection of dishes you are unlikely to find elsewhere. Some offerings are pricey, but many surprise with their generosity. Go during off-peak hours if you don’t like to wait; dinner reservations will help get you past that crowd at the door. Recommended: Amy’s Hippie Dippie Green Drink, Yucatán chicken salad, Vietnamese scallop salad, haddock with saffron-ginger sauce, cochinita pibil, Italian chocolate budino, and blackberry cobbler.

Terra — Terra incognito

Four Seasons Resorts and Hotels assumed management of Encantado Resort in June, and Four Seasons chef Andrew Cooper transferred from Hawaii in September to Terra, the restaurant at the newly named Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe. While Cooper admittedly hasn’t had much time to prove himself, the previous high standards that, under chef Charles Dale, garnered Terra a AAA Four Diamond rating have flagged. Some wine selections are frankly disappointing. Both setting and service provide reasons to visit, though. Recommended: house biscuits and lavash, green salad, scallops with risotto, halibut with polenta, and chocolate cake with lime sorbet.

The Old House & Agave Lounge — The Old House & Agave Lounge

What’s old is new again at the Eldorado Hotel’s Old House and Agave Lounge, which benefited from a stylish remodel last year. The bar has moody lighting, trance-y lounge music and smooth jazz, and sleek contemporary tables and bar stools, while the formal dining room still sports slightly cheesy Santa Fe-style décor. Service is professional but not snooty; it’s friendly without being lackadaisical or folksy. Whichever menu you order from, dishes are — a few missteps aside — generous and flavorful. Recommended: nachos, sliders, Black Angus cheeseburger, soft-shell crab appetizer, chicken Catalan, and aged rib-eye.

Luminaria Restaurant and Patio — Breadbasket bingo

Luminaria Restaurant and Patio is an oasis of calm and comfort. Executive chef Brett Sparman dresses up familiar favorites such as roasted chicken, beef tenderloin, and blackened salmon with unexpected preparation twists and intriguing accompanying dishes. High-quality locally sourced ingredients are favored, and the chef is conscious of texture, be it in creamy grits or in heirloom tomatoes matched with goat cheese, crisp shaved onion, and raw chile. Only an occasional miss — mushrooms in red chile — mars excellent taste and technique. And Luminaria may have the best breadbasket in town. There are specialty mixed drinks — Pearfection martini and the Ristra with muddled red pepper and cilantro — and an extensive selection of red and white wines categorized by “body.” Desserts? Whimsical and seriously seductive. Recommended: green chile corn bisque, boneless beef short ribs, seafood paella, roast chicken, and Nutterfinger chocolate cake.

La Posada de Santa Fe Resort and Spa — Rooms with a ‘Boo!’

The spaces at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort and Spa feel appropriate for the ghost of a well-to-do lady — in this case, Julia Staab — to wander. Fuego has a modern Southwestern ambience. The Staab House Lounge feels like a fancy Old West saloon. The Patio Restaurant has an easy, airy, breezy flow. The patio itself is one of the best, most idyllic outdoor spaces in town. The food at Fuego is well considered and, in some cases, well prepared; in the casual spaces, the food fares better. The ambience can range from spookily quiet to raucously boisterous. Regardless, service is typically attentive and quick. Recommended: cucumber Collins and melon mojito cocktails, polenta fries, Kobe-style burger, barbacoa “beggar’s purse,” and Mexican chocolate mousse.

The Plaza Café — The return of a classic

Overlooking the Plaza from the spot it has occupied for nearly a century, the cherished Plaza Café, which closed two years ago after a fire and reopened this summer, feels like something out of The Andy Griffith Show. It’s the classic diner on the town square, with red vinyl booths; speedy, efficient service; and good, old-fashioned food. Recommended: Huevos rancheros, bowl of green chile, blue corn pancakes with bacon, and cashew mole enchiladas.

Babaluu’s Cocina Cubana — I love yuca

Amaury Torres’ Babaluu’s Cocina Cubana is a remote outpost of Caribbean influence, serving fine Cuban-inspired dishes with nouvelle flair. Lunches show the most island influence, and weekend evenings, sometimes with live music, offer a lively party atmosphere. Roast pork and seafood rule the menu with fried yuca, plantains, and black-bean soups all done exceptionally well. Service is efficient though seemingly chaotic when busy, relaxed and friendly when not. Recommended: Cuban panini, sautéed clams, crab empanadas, breaded halibut Parmesan, shrimp ajillo, yuca frita, green-chile sopa, and guava galette.

Tanti Luce 221 Restaurant and Bar — And then there was Luce

Perhaps unable to bring the mountains to Manhattan, Rick Smith, new Santa Fe restaurant owner and New Mexico native with a few New York roots, has decided to bring Manhattan to the mountains. A nuanced version of the cocktail, that is, and a slew of other sassy drinks and serious snacks served in perhaps the most charming bar in town. Chef Tom Kerpon expertly prepares his own take on southern European and American favorites so that whether you opt for the luminous newly redesigned main dining room, the terraces, or the bar, you will eat — and drink — very well at Tanti Luce 221 Restaurant and Bar. The wine list offers range, value, and many options by the glass. The Luce cocktail just might help you see the light. Recommended: Southwest oysters Rockefeller, braised pork belly, meatballs in arrabbiata sauce, duck confit, “Tuscan” halibut, braised short ribs, “chocolate madness” cake, and cheesecake with mango sorbet.

Piccolino Italian Restaurant — An OK day in the neighborhood

Piccolino Italian Restaurant is a neighborhood restaurant without a neighborhood. Find your favorites among the classic red-sauce dishes, and stick with them. Most dishes are decent, if not exceptional, and considering the price, you’ll get you dollar’s worth. But vegetables, in their selection and their treatment, tend to be a problem. Surprisingly, the veal is not. The desserts are homemade, not fancy. The service may not be as embracing as at your real neighborhood restaurant, but it is courteous and attentive — until it’s time to leave. Recommended: calamari fritti, Lasagna Boloco, veal Florentine, combo pizza, and flan.

La Cocina de Doña Clara — A taste of Zacatecas

Try La Cocina de Doña Clara in either location, downtown or southside, for Zacatecan-style Mexican food. A family-run business with an extensive menu, it features various filling choices for tacos and gorditas. The menu includes unexpected items, such as Caesar salad with a choice of chicken, shrimp, or nopalitos (paddle cactus) and huge hamburgers with fries. Recommended: gorditas, tacos, and shrimp cocktail.

Vinaigrette — Lettuce inn

Vinaigrette is Erin Wade’s aptly named restaurant where salads are the headliner, not just the warm-up act. Soups, salad additions, sandwiches, and desserts, however, can steal the show and are sometimes even necessary to satisfy an especially hungry diner. Much of the produce served in season is grown on Wade’s organic farm in Nambé, and even the ice creams and a seasonal house- flavored soda are made on the spot, so freshness is virtually guaranteed. Surprisingly, it’s the occasional salad or its dressing that can be a letdown. Recommended: watermelon gazpacho, grilled artichokes, garden salad with romesco dressing, duck confit and scallop additions, Reuben sandwich, Cuban torta, flourless chocolate cake, peach pie with vanilla ice cream.

Five Star Burgers — Fry me a river

With locations in Albuquerque, Taos, Colorado, and Missouri, Five Star Burgers is the newest burger option to hit downtown Santa Fe. Owner Bob Guntram pairs a bright cafeteria-meets-sports-bar design scheme with natural, hormone-free Harris Ranch beef, specially baked brioche buns, Colorado bison, and other meaty goodies for a gourmet burger experience that sometimes falls short because of slow, inattentive service or poorly executed pre-frozen sides. Recommended: Taos burgers, bison burgers, and hand-mixed shakes.

Dara Thai — Packing heat

Dara Thai’s long menu, with its variations on variations, hosts most of the familiar Thai dishes and a few unusual offering like Evil Jungle Princess, a creamy curry with an unrevealed secret spice that just might be mustard. Soups are excellent, the appetizers so-so. Curries are all fine, and you can order them on a fairly consistent heat scale of one through five. Dishes, apart from heat, could use more of what makes Thai food so enjoyable: fresh garnishes and spicy contrasts. Service is perfunctory and surprisingly efficient given that it’s often in the hands of a single man. Recommended: tom kha gai, tom yum gai, Tropical Heat Wave curry, and panang.

Yummy Café — Turn left at the smiling cat

The art-covered walls at Yummy Café distinguish it from other local Chinese restaurants. Its menu does not. What’s served — Hunan and Szechuan entrees, meats in kung pao and garlic sauces, noodle dishes, and fried rice — are prepared carefully but without flair or invention. Request the cook take the spiciness up a notch; otherwise you may be disappointed by the lack of heat. Lunch specials are the best deals. Recommended: shrimp with mayonnaise, broccoli and tofu in garlic sauce, paper-wrapped chicken, and egg drop corn soup.

Legal Tender — Love me Tender

Four days a week, Legal Tender, located off U.S. 285 South in the tiny village of Lamy, serves a variety of tasty snacks, salads, sandwiches, and meaty “specialties” such as steak and lamb. On weekends, brunch dishes are available. The building dates to around 1881, and Victorian details fill the dining rooms. History buffs will get a kick out of the railroad memorabilia. (All net proceeds from restaurant sales benefit the Lamy Railroad & History Museum.) If the Santa Fe Southern sightseeing train arrives, service might slow down, but the ambience is laid-back and homey, and almost everyone on staff is a volunteer, so it’s hard to fault them. Recommended: chicken wings, green chile stew, Cubano sandwich, DIY burger, and mac & cheese.

Café Castro — Green means go for the chile

For home-style Northern New Mexican food, Café Castro fills the bill. The eatery breaks the cliché of Cerrillos Road chain restaurants with generous servings, fair prices, and a cordial down-home ambience. Owners Julia and Carlos Castro make authentic New Mexican food from her mother’s recipes, and they have some of the best chile in town. The café is unpretentious and ideal for those who like their New Mexican food straight up. Recommended: enchiladas, beans, rice, and carne adovada with a cold beer or wine margarita.

Pyramid Café — Selfless acts of gyro-ism

Hummus outlets are a dime a dozen in Santa Fe’s restaurant scene, but if you scratch beneath the chickpea surface, you may just discover an oasis of flavor. Pyramid Café, which also has a presence in Los Alamos, serves up Greek and North African staples with the occasional Mediterranean special, and the hummus is good to boot. A strip-mall facade belies a colorful interior and menu, although service suffers from that waiting-for-the- check-too-long frustration that plagues many local restaurants these days. Recommended: Mediterranean garlic- butter shrimp, lamb/beef gyro plate, Tunisian brik à l’oeuf, and baklava.

Tabla de Los Santos and Secreto Bar and Loggia — Secret admirer

The Hotel St. Francis’ Secreto Bar and Loggia and Tabla de Los Santos restaurant bring tradition and invention to their carefully prepared drinks and dishes. Secreto features an array of fresh-ingredient libations and vintage cocktails. Tabla de Los Santos serves finely turned-out variations on New Mexico classics. The Old World atmosphere and the attractive patio make these places excellent choices for out-of-town guests or, once they’ve left, an excellent place for locals to seek comfort. Go at happy hour when the cocktails and appetizers are a straight $7. Recommended: Spicy Secreto cocktail, smoked-sage margarita, pequeños, red-cabbage salad, Anna and Miguel’s chile relleno, and the chocolate-almond torte.

Tortilla Flats — Top of the papas

Far from the Plaza and the downtown food scene, Tortilla Flats is unpretentious, serving generous portions of New Mexican food, sandwiches, and hamburgers at fair prices. A margarita menu, children’s and seniors’ menus, and breakfast until 5 p.m. are perks. The food can be inconsistent, and while Tortilla Flats doesn’t have the best red and green chile around, it does offer a well- rounded menu with something for everyone. Recommended: El Papa Nachos, quesadillas, Southwest chicken sandwich with sweet-potato fries, red-chile enchilada, and chocolate cake

La Casa Sena — Fairy-tale feast

The house at Sena Plaza has been hosting Santa Fe residents and travelers since the 1860s, with Gerald Peters’ restaurant La Casa Sena keeping the tradition very much alive for almost 20 years. Part of the credit goes to executive chef Patrick Gharrity, at the helm since 2005, for serving luscious combinations that delight and surprise both carnivores and vegetarians. The most beautiful patio in town, coupled with one of the most romantic dining rooms around, not to mention a wine list that’s a sightseeing trip all by itself, may have something to do with it. Recommended: gazpacho, granita, Flap-Jack Griddle, poblano relleno, foie gras, Maytag blue cheese and iceberg lettuce salad, mussels and scallops, braised lamb, and chocolate-chile soup.

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen —

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen has been serving classic regional cuisine since 1952. The menu offers plenty for carnivores and vegetarians alike, and nearly everything on the menu is (or can be) smothered in chile. There’s a kooky, well-worn ambience to the rambling dining rooms, and although service usually runs like well-oiled machinery, consistency can be an issue. A separate eight-page menu is dedicated to margaritas, which are made with 100 percent agave tequila and range in price from $6.50 to $50. Recommended: green chile stew, blue corn enchiladas, huevos rancheros, Fiesta tamale platter, and Yes Deer and First Kiss margaritas.

Andiamo! — Te amo, Andiamo!

Cozy, with the feel of a friendly neighborhood place, Andiamo! takes pride in serving freshly prepared food made from quality ingredients. With its Italian-inspired pastas, small pizzas, and protein-with- veggie dishes, the restaurant walks a fine line, managing to be a festive choice yet still down-to-earth. While the quality and attention to preparation are on a par with some of Santa Fe’s best-known restaurants, the prices are far more affordable. Recommended: polenta, duck legs, beef tenderloin steak, and tiramisu.

Yin Yang Chinese Restaurant — Mein man

Yin Yang Chinese Restaurant claims Hunan and Peking influences, but its comprehensive menu includes an array of Chinese dishes served in America for decades. The cooking is competent if not cutting edge; there is no Asian fusion here. True to the restaurant’s name, plates sometimes contrast meats and sauces. Spicier preparations are uniformly best. Unless you’re going for quantity, skip the buffet at lunch and order off the menu. Recommended: onion pancakes, chop suey, crispy orange scallops, beef and shrimp Szechuan style, and spicy crispy whole fish.

1234Next