A shocker... I wish them only the best and like you hope they are open again soon.

I also hope they have figured out a way to get that very well seasoned griddle out of there before the June 9th closing.

One has to wonder who among Santa Fe's many lawyers advised them years ago so that this could happen.

Had dinner (finally) at Bouche and it is very, very good.

It is truly bistro fare but done impeccably. We were interested in the Roasted Chicken for Two ($48) as we wanted to replicate a meal from room service at the Hotel de Crillon in Paris. It was had after a long nonstop flight from Los Angeles and was a good way to begin a long stay in a favorite city.

Note that Bouche is doing very well with every table taken from opening (at 5 p.m.). Tables turned near 8 p.m.

Check was $239 before gratuity; that entree for two, two appetizers plus a $135 bottle of Burgundy.

The original restaurant (years ago) at the location was called Rociada, named for a far northern New Mexico ranch (400+ acres) owned by a backer of the restaurant. It was a French restaurant. They became Trattoria Nostrani when they bought the partner out.

And, finally Eric in no longer involved with Vivre except to provide his expertise to the wine list. Nellie continues as chef. Eric's restaurant is the adjacent Shibumi; a cash only noodle house.

Newest in the "high end" category is Bouche. Expensive and slightly more so than everyone else.

Chef was previosly the Executive Chef at Terra; the restaurant at Rancho Encantado. Place is small and reservations need to be made well in advance.

There's a post from November 2012 now on page two here announcing the restaurant with a reply (believe by finlero) that was positive.

http://www.bouchebistro.com/menu/

There are several films shooting in and around Santa Fe. In case you want a little glamour with good food, seems the place to go is Geronimo.

Just a minor point about Nostrani / Vivre. Eric's involvement is now limited to overseeing the wine list at Vivre. Otherwise he is totally involved only with the adjacent noodle shop; Shibumi.

Don't know exactly what brought this about but I know it on good authority.

For breakfast I like Tecolote but my favorite is Harry's Roadhouse south of town on the same road but a few miles closer in than Bobcat Bite.

http://www.harrysroadhousesantafe.com/

http://bobcatbite.com/

Tuneup Cafe also serves an excellent breakfast as does Chocolate Maven Bakery on San Mateo.

The Bobcat is a MUST if you've not been for their Green Chile Cheeseburger. (10 ounces of perfection, no french fries and cash only.

I specifically dislike Tomasitas; Tia Sophia is good; Santa Fe's politicians hold court there every morning for breakfast.

Another New Mexican place I like is Castro's on Cerrillos Road across from Jackalope. For excellent Mexican (not New Mexican) Los Potrillos also on Cerrillos.

+1

Haven't been yet and based on a print review was a bit apprehensive.

I'll be there soon, too

Drove by Trattoria Nostrani earlier and signage says it will be known as Vivre.

Maybe Eric and Nellie will be feeling nostalgic and rename the place Rociada.

It was an excellent French restaurant named that when they first opened; believe they had an investor who owned a 400 acre ranch near that town in San Miguel county.

Generally I agree with DebitNM and finlero here... I'll add one thing though, Kaune's Market is the only butcher that has Prime grade beef if that is important to you.

They'll cut anything you want; a New York strip 1, 2, 3 inches thick bone-in, bone-out. No problema. Prime beef starts at $23 per pound and can approach $29.

Only because I saw a Halibut entree at a well known Santa Fe restaurant last Sunday for $38.50, I'm tempted to say that beef at those prices might be a bargain.

First off, I've never had food from either though I have thought about it given the smoky scent. That said, I've heard good things about Roque's and nothing about the other cart.

Just a "heads up" re Shibumi Ramenya... it's cash only for some reason.

Completely agree.

I've been there several times and been very pleased with everything ordered; an excellent addition to the Nob Hill area.

And, tequila lovers, the list is huge !

Just o.k. now; used to be better.

Desert Rat, note my post re the Plaza Cafe was written in December of 2009; before the fire that caused them to close. (Your note is from 2011.)

Plaza remains closed. Work is being done and the owners swear they will be open sometime in the spring, insurance carriers willing.

So, who has the "best" baguette ? Just my opinion and, as always as the saying goes, your mileage may vary... my vote goes to the baguette from Clafouti.

Texture is a bit more interesting and I detected a bit more flavor. The baguette from Cafe Vingt Cinq is very, very good; just seems a bit simpler.

I've had both - in the interests of science of course - often side by side at home with soups and, overall, I'd be happy with either but would (privately) smile to myself if I saw a Clafouti baguette on the table.

Fwiw, the baguette from Sage Bakehouse, too, is excellent; just different... heavier and denser. Even the baguettes from the local Whole Foods are good but just cannot compare to either those from Cafe Vingt Cinq or Clafouti.

Happy Eating to all this Thanksgiving !

-----
Clafoutis
402 N Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Cafe Vingt Cinq
8380 Cerrillos, Santa Fe, NM 87507

Yup ! It's as good as everyone says.

Portions are generous and all of the baked goods are terrific. I'll have to get back in to Clafouti for a baguette before I'll say which I believe is best but that that is served at Cafe Vingt Cinq is really good.

Place was nearly full yesterday at lunch and there were many more people throughout the Mall causing me to think that perhaps this little gem of a place was helping the usually deserted Mall out some.

A definite stop for me when on that side of town.

-----
Clafoutis
402 N Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Cafe Vingt Cinq
8380 Cerrillos, Santa Fe, NM 87507

A further update from this morning's Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper re the cafe inside the New Mexico History Museum...

The café in the New Mexico History Museum has reopened.

A Santa Fe catering company, Someone's in the Kitchen, has begun serving light breakfasts and lunches at Cowden Café on the second floor of the downtown museum.

The eatery closed April 1 when its previous operators, the owners of the Plaza Restaurant, decided to focus on repairing their fire-damaged restaurant.

A news release said a request for proposals resulted in a contract for Someone's in the Kitchen through October, giving caterer Richard Derwostyp "an opportunity to see how well his current operation adjusts to the space."

The café, which has free wireless, is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with lunches from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and drinks, cookies and pastries until 4:30 p.m. Diners don't need to pay museum admission.

Walked by there last evening with you and your question in mind.

Absolutely no evidence of work going on inside. The space was rented out to a film crew for a week or so about a month ago.

There have been rumors around town that the place would not reopen. I asked the owners who are ever-present at the southside location and they were adamant that the Plaza location would reopen.

Note, too that they have opened a Cafe inside the New Mexico History Museum just north of the Plaza. It IS accessible from the outside without Museum admission from Washington Street. The Museum hours, however, are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. so I think breakfast is less likely.

I second finlero's comments below on all counts.

First off, up front, I generally want green, not red. Heat doesn't bother me, in fact the hotter the better but I really don't like the harshness/bitterness you and others below refer to.

So here's a tale... a friend in Albuquerque, Armando, now 70, born and raised in Hatch is very fussy about his chiles. He makes his own sauce from chiles that he roasts that were grown on family land in Hatch. He talks chiles routinely with people he grew up with who are now involved with the programs at New Mexico State University that study historic chiles while studying and developing new New Mexico chiles.

He's my go-to guy when I have a question and he always has an answer. I asked him after last year's harvest (as he gifted me with some home made sauce) why some reds were so bitter.

He cited two things.

First, the use of less fresh, powdered chile. Second (and here was the surprise to me), he said that some people pick over the chiles before roasting, even de-stemming them. Others he said, simply dump the bags (usually about 30 pounds) of picked chiles into a roaster ALONG WITH ALL MANNER OF DEBRIS FROM THE FIELDS, INCLUDING DIRT.

Again let me reiterate, I cannot vouch for this but I also couldn't question it either, never having picked or roasted a chile. It would seem to me that larger, commercial sauce producers would have some washing step prior to roasting but who knows.

Finally just fwiw, the red I like best in ABQ is at Mary and Tito's. Most of the time though, I still ask for green.

Your correct, most of what I've said in the past has been about the top restaurants. It's mostly because often the question being asked has to do with someone celebrating something or wanting a life-altering dining experience. Just trying to be helpful to visitors; The first time I visited, I knew I would live here one day and I'm glad that I do.

When you do live here, many more of the away-from-home meals are NOT high end dining. So I've been to Atrisco several times at the urging of or dragged by serious "foodie" friends (cookbook authors Bill and Cheryl Jamison lobbied hard on behalf of Atrisco's Green Chile Chesseburger as Best-In-The-State for New Mexico magazine). I like the food a lot; a few times service was iffy.

I like both The Shed and La Choza. The Shed is typically filled with people who are visiting while La Choza is where the locals go. I've not had a bad meal at either nor poor service.

I like Castro's on Cerrillos road a lot for New Mexican. At the moment it is probably my favorite New Mexican..

For Mexican, I like Los Petrillos, also on Cerrillos Road, a bit closer to town. About every ten days I must have their Shrimp Tacos (hold the potatoes, bring me extra rice). I don't usually want tacos but these are addictive for me. Their menu offers a wide range of common-people items; many which I've never seen elsewhere.

I'm not a fan of Los Amigos; it's better than Tomasita's though, just not much better.

And finally, I've never heard of Companario but will try it soon.

Love this thread and what you've made it.

I can vouch for Restaurant Martin; up there with the best in the "high end dining" category.

That said, Max's is my current favorite of all. Probably the most innovative cooking in Santa Fe this minute. Note that is quite small, Tables are close and reservations are a must.

As to Epazote, I haven't been though I have heard both good and not-so-good comments. Owner also owns Burt's Burger Bowl, btw. Over the years he has made it a point to not serve New Mexican food but to serve sophisticated Mexican food, usually featuring food from Mexico City particularly.

I posted a lengthy (very positive) note in April; it's now on page 2 here.

I've enjoyed this chef's excellent food for more than 20 years when he had a highly acclaimed restaurant in Southern California. He is a Santa Fe native, come home. In California he was partnered with another New Mexico native who is still a big deal in California, Jonn Sedlar.

I cannot recommend Tabla de Los Santos highly enough.

Never seen the Los Dogos truck open; think it is just parked there. I'm in the nearby movie theatre often so I'm always hoping... really want a Tuscon-type Sonoran Hot Dog.

"Tomasita's is hands down, the beacon for New Mexican food in Santa Fe."

Huh ? Whew ! Sorry. IMO not even a contender.

Last evening, being alone but with a book, I decided to try a "newish" restaurant in Santa Fe within the recently refurbished Hotel St. Francis. The hotel is located diagonally across the street from the well known and well regarded Cafe Pasqual.

The restaurant is called Tabla de Los Santos and I had an excellent meal.

The Executive Chef is Estevan Garcia, a New Mexico native who established himself 20 + years ago when partnered with another chef, John Sedlar in a Manhattan Beach restaurant called St. Estephe. Back then, I ate and entertained often at St Estephe.

While Mark Miller was defining southwestern cuisine at Coyote Cafe here in Santa Fe, Garcia and Sedlar were doing their part in California. All three in there own way brought Southwest food and flavors to serious eaters throughout the west and raised expectations way beyond the then prevalent Mexican restaurants featuring "combination plates".

Time has past, St. Estephe closed; Sedlar remains in southern California with two highly acclaimed restaurants and Garcia is running the show here at the Hotel St. Francis.

Tabla de Los Santos being in a hotel is, of course, competing with the top tier restaurants so often asked about on ChowHound by people who will be visiting and who are seeking a defining experience. (Geronimo, Coyote Cafe, Ristra, Nostrani Ristorante, Bistro 315, Casa Sena, etc.).

I did not order extravagantly or adventurously... I just wanted a competent, good meal... and a few glasses of wine.

I had a plate of three different crostini first, then a salad and a grilled pork chop entree that was -simply - great. I believe the crostini were $9, the salad $8 or $9 and the pork chop $29. These prices, while not inexpensive, are slightly below the typical prices at the restaurants mentioned above.

Below is a link to the Hotel St. Francis website from which one can look over the menus.

I will certainly return to try several of the more traditional, and authentic - if fancy - New Mexican dishes Garcia has put on these menus. I'm told that the new owners of the hotel specifically sought out Garcia to do something atypical of the usual hotel menus. They wanted something more authentically New Mexican.

Passover and the approaching Easter Holidays had the town very busy last night. Tabla de Los Santos was a table or two shy of being full and the adjacent bar and lounge where food can also be ordered was jammed.

http://www.hotelstfrancis.com/santa-f...

A note on the interesting wine list... there are NO American wines on the list but for four made here in New Mexico. That will surprise many and probably frustrate some, too. Every wine is from either Spain, Argentina or Chile... and Italy.

The wines are all good and reasonably well known. Know that wine in New Mexico must be handled by a distributor in order to be served. Restaurants cannot go outside of the distributor system to secures wines they wish to serve just as I as a consumer cannot pay a corkage fee and bring my own bottle into a restaurant to enjoy with someone else's food.

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Cafe Pasqual's
121 Don Gaspar Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Follow the link... it's a restaurant but one might call certain menu items an event too.

http://nmgastronome.com/blog/?p=148

I'm a big fan of Budai, too but I think that the Dim Sum at Ming Dynasty on Eubank is the best there is in Albuquerque.

Weekends only and it is very crowded.

Here is a link - http://mingdynastyabq.com/

-----
Ming Dynasty
1551 Eubank Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112

Budai
6300 San Mateo Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109

Somehow the above posted without the balance of the comment -

The two restaurants are the O'Keeffe Cafe next door to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and Pranzo which is an Italian restaurant in the Railyard District.

Food at both is very good if not quite up to the high standards of, say, Geronimo and others in that top tier. On Sundays both places offer their entire bottled wine list at 50% off.