Restaurant Review: La Casa Sena

Fairy-tale feast

By: Susan Meadows
Published online: Friday, July 13, 2012
Appeared in: Pasateimpo

In 1983 local mogul Gerald Peters opened La Casa Sena, where you can still enjoy the prettiest patio and one of the most elegant and historic dining rooms in Santa Fe. Located in the 1860s Territorial-style hacienda of Don Juan Sena, the place has a long tradition of hospitality. Executive chef Patrick Gharrity, hired as pastry chef in 1999 and wearing the top toque since 2005, aims for a sustainable, often locally sourced cuisine that’s a delicious riff on Southwestern, Mexican, and new American ideas.

There’s no place better for Sunday brunch (now with a revamped menu and outdoor bar) than under the grand old cottonwood tree in the midst of the blooming garden of Sena Plaza. Our brunch felt like a fairy tale, where even the frog turned out to be a prince. First our server flubbed our order, so the first courses came with the mains. But the day’s special, a cup of watermelon and tomato gazpacho, made with bright-tasting ingredients blended into perfect harmony, was just what I wanted after a spicy chile poblano relleno — fresh and cool. And a house-made granita played light dessert with intense watermelon and mild Chimayó chile-flavored ice. Other starters might not have worked out so well, but our server took notice of the slip-up and deducted the items from the check. The perfect handling of this mistake, the setting, and the delicious food made for a happy ending.

For those who love pancakes, waffles, and French toast, there’s the Flap-Jack Griddle comprising all three: an impeccably crisp-tender waffle, a berry pancake, and, best yet, French toast served with a pile of berries and sweet butter. The chile poblano relleno bursts with quinoa, squash, and crimini mushrooms under melted asadero cheese, all on a complex sauce where red chile and tropical fruit had been blended into bliss for the chile lover. Even a confirmed carnivore would have no regrets. Gharrity is one of those rare chefs who doesn’t let the meat eaters have all the fun.

Alas, as at many busy restaurants, the cappuccino was a disappointment — too much milk in espresso that lacked depth and richness. Next time I’ll just order a glass of wine. La Casa Sena has won Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence for many years running. And rather than just a few overoxidized bottles of mediocre quality, wines by the glass (two pages’ worth) are part of the adventure here. There are recommended well-chosen pairings for each of the dinner mains, eliminating the need to compromise on a bottle that doesn’t really complement everyone’s order.

At dinner, service was impeccable, both professional and open to friendly discussion about the food and wine — my favorite subject. A gift for the undecided, the hungry, and the curious is the occasional tasting menu, where two or four courses from the menu can come as starters. An iceberg and Maytag blue cheese salad boasted a perfect green heritage tomato and golden beets. The generous foie gras, seared and caramelized American style and drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar, was ornamented with dried cherry, steamed bread, and a poached quail’s egg for an orgy of luxurious flavor. A Ferrari-Carano chardonnay was pure California in character, though not over-oaked. The excellent Pacific Northwest mussels and Baja scallops with kaffir lime leaves, coconut, and ginger surprised with the subtle bitterness of the lime leaves and the bright note of scallions, a combination that built to irresistibility so that not a drop of broth went wasted. Their perfect companion resides in a pale Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence rosé with a hint of grapefruit and characteristic mineral backbone.

A heady aroma rose from the pan-roasted quail, with its deep poulard jus and smoky yet bright baby bok choy, though the quail wanted a bit more succulence. The austere blaufrÄnkisch red was a natural pairing. The knockout punch came from a long-braised lamb shoulder with huitlacoche (Mexican corn fungus) lamb jus — earthy big flavor amply matched by the Glen Carlou meritage from South Africa. The chocolate-chile soup went down effortlessly, even after all this, while a pine nut tart wanted only a darker dark-chocolate sauce. Hospitality like this will hopefully survive into yet another century.