Restaurant Review: Luminaria Restaurant and Patio

Breadbasket bingo

By: Bill Kohlhaase
Published online: Friday, November 02, 2012
Appeared in: Pasateimpo

You can enter Luminaria Restaurant and Patio by walking down the long, shop-lined corridor from the attached Inn and Spa at Loretto and do some window browsing along the way. But the better path is up the three stone steps at the corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and Water Street to the walk that curls past street vendors and a stand of modern metal whirligig sculptures next to the stately Loretto Chapel. This short stroll can be transporting. On our first visit, the whirligigs were turning lazily in the changing wind. A mariachi band stood in a semicircle in front of the chapel entrance, waiting for a wedding party to emerge. Rain, too, was imminent, and it was hard to tell which would arrive first. We passed the restaurant’s covered patio, protective curtains tied back, revealing a table surrounded by elegant diners. There’s a wide entrance into the restaurant, and once inside we felt again what we’d felt outside: the sense of being once-removed from the nearby streets, of landing in something of a romantic oasis. Gray walls and gray banquettes hosting stylish salmon-colored throw pillows contrast with rattan seats and a white- washed ceiling. Divided windows give a view to the patio, and wall insets hold spot-lit art. A kiva fireplace warms the room from the far corner.

Executive chef Brett Sparman’s menu suits this style- crossed ambiance well. The dishes rely on traditional favorites paired with unexpected flavors. Sparman, who took over the kitchen this past summer, offers such stalwarts as grilled tenderloin; a nicely roasted chicken with its crack- ling, aromatic skin; and the classic seafood paella. He infuses subtle, flavorful touches to these dishes and then surrounds them with contrasting and innovative accompaniment; a roasted-red-pepper ranchero sauce and grilled onions and poblanos with the tenderloin; and a sweet corn ragout and a “gastric” sauce made with agave instead of sugar with the chicken. Blackened salmon, now a cliché, came with a hint of seared reserve — not so black that the seasoning lost its bite — especially balanced against a lemony green-onion risotto and thin, snappy threads of deep-fried leeks.

Boneless beef short ribs were dusky-flavored and terribly tender despite their leanness. And those cheese grits, again with poblano, made me realize that heaven must be suitably texture-conscious to qualify as paradise. The paella was a sum of its parts; chewy tiger prawns, flakey halibut, firm, flavorful scallops, smoked chicken scenting the broth, and dense, tangy chorizo giving the dish character. All ingredients were first class. Heirloom tomatoes were ripe and only slightly acidic despite their pale color, well- matched with sharp shaved onion and Anaheim chile; a mild, creamy chèvre served as backdrop to the raw flavors. Green-chile corn bisque with bits of peanut and a seared scallop plopped in the middle was again a wonderful blend of flavor and texture.

The innovative spark was missing from a forced marriage of sautéed mushrooms and red-chile sauce, a dish I tried to like but couldn’t. The grilled romaine salad didn’t come together either, the limp leaf left behind by its blue-corn croutons, salty Cotija cheese, and lemon Caesar. Polenta fries were bland, even with the delicious tomato compote. But that breadbasket! Blue-corn muffins, pumpkin biscotti, spongy sourdough — this is the kind of baking that calls for a second round.

Lunch at Luminaria is a breezy experience under the trees or beneath the covered patio. I enjoyed watching a hummingbird work some stunning trumpet flowers that twined up a post before the arrival of an exhilarating guacamole, thick with just a hint of heat and cilantro, but served with a basket of broken chips. Thank goodness that breadbasket made an appearance The tortilla soup, its thick broth actually tasting of tortilla, was chunky with chicken, beans, and avocado and dotted with springy, not soggy, corn. Slices of grilled flatiron steak, slightly smoky, on a bed of greens took on the heady flavor of chipotle vinaigrette. Pulled pork tacos were fine but not exemplary. Likewise a black bean, cheese, and green-chile quesadilla — savory but nothing special.

Pastry chef Andrea Clover’s desserts are standout, serious sweets with a bit of whimsy. Nutterfinger chocolate cake, enlivened with a mix of peanut-butter mousse and peanut- butter cream, brings sophistication to a candy-cup combination of chocolate and peanuts. There’s a hint of lavender swimming in the sweet lemon headiness of the panna-cotta brulé. A banana tartlet was perfect. The service here is prompt, mostly professionally reserved but not always well informed. On one of our three visits we waited to order while a server shared her life with an adjacent table. It made for some great eavesdropping. But we were hungry! Want a few bargains? If you sign up for the Legacy Club you will get a 20-percent discount on your meals, and sign-up is free. There is also a three-course $29 cena pronto menu served every night before 6:30 p.m. And that includes the Nutterfinger.