lpsfnm's Profile
Santa Fe Anniversary Dinner Recommendation
We live in Santa Fe and eat out a lot. Do not go to Casa Sena. The patio is beautiful, but the food would be a disappointment. We ate once at Nostrani and found the food very good, but very over priced. Read the comments on the web and you will not go there unless you like snooty service and don't use a personal deodorant, much less perfume/cologne. We also ate at Terra a couple of weeks ago for the first time and felt like we were in the Hyatt Hill Country Resort (outside of San Antonio) rather than something special in Santa Fe.
I think your best bets for a special evening, based on your comments, are at Restaurant Martin (inside), Santa Cafe (on the patio or inside), or 315 (on the patio or inside). If value for your dollar is not a consideration, then add Geronimo and Coyote Cafe. In this same category, we have never had a really great meal experience at the Compound, but they do have a following.
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Restaurant Martin
526 Galisteo, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Santa Fe solo traveler - dining out, takeout, groceries
I think that as a general rule, you should feel comfortable dining alone in most Santa Fe restaurants, other than the high-end places. However, several high-end places have bar service that should work just fine for you (Santa Cafe and Ristra, to name a couple). Many good cafes have counter service (Plaza Cafe, Tia Sofia, The Pantry, Harry's Roadhouse, Bobcat Bite - again, to name a few) with many single diners. Counter Culture is another favorite of mine for a solo meal. I'm not giving you an exhaustive list here - there are many others.
Bumblebee's Baja Tacos is my favorite for takeout and it's southwestern. Good value, too.
For grocery stores, we have Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, La Monanita (can't get a tilde to print over that first "n") and a new Sunflower Market. I don't like Albertson's. Kaune's has the best roasted chicken in town (to my taste), for take-out.
Hope this helps. I'm sure you'll hear more from others.
Family New Mexican In Santa Fe
The Pantry on Cerrillos fits your request perfectly, for breakfast or lunch. I'm not a fan of La Choza at all. Too grungy. I would much rather eat at The Shed, but it doesn't have the family restaurant feel that you're looking for.
Pre opera dinner in Santa Fe
This is a link to today's Pasatiempo, http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Pasatiempo, but I don't know if you can see each page. My wife told me that Ristra had an ad for a $25 prix fixe. If you can't pick up a copy of today's New Mexican and physically look at Pasatiempo, I don't have another suggestion. If you don't know this, you can make reservations at a number of the good restaurants here at www.opentable.com.
I concur with your judgment on El Nido. Their green chile cheeseburger is among the best in town, but most people I know give it double thiumbs down for anything else.
I hope you and your folks have a great meal, where ever it is!
Pre opera dinner in Santa Fe
Bistro 315 would have been a great choice, but it is closed for remodeling. I think the Compound is too expensive for your stated budget. Ristra could be a great choice, but I would recommend the O'Keeffe Cafe. They got a new chef last year and the food finally matches the excellent wine list; and the patio is outstanding. Since your parents are in their 90's, they would have an easier time hearing on the patio here, as well.
I will disagree with the recommendation of Casa Sena. The patio is probably the best in town, but the food is erratic and expensive. Some of the other recommendations, such as Pasqual's and Andiamo, have great food, but the noise level could be a problem for your folks.
A final suggestion would be to look at the Pasatiempo supplement to the Friday issue of The New Mexican and look at all of the great prix fixe bargains that are being offered by many of the good restaurants now. You can get an excellent three course dinner for around $25, so with a glass of wine and tip, you could be at $40 per person.
Fine Dining in Santa Fe, Grad Student Style
The best suggestion I can make is to check out the prix fixe dinners that many nice restaurants are offering. My wife and I are going to 315 tonight, which is one of our favorite restaurants. They have a three course dinner for $18 @ person. I don't know how you can beat that. You should pick up a copy of Pasatiempo, which comes with the Friday issue of the New Mexican. It is full of ads for prix fixe dinners, though most are more in the $25 @ person range.
New Mexico Cheap Eats Comfort Food
Go to The Pantry in Santa Fe. I don't know why you would go to Burt's Burger Bowl. Harry's and Bobcat Bite are vastly better.
Rounding out our meals in Santa Fe...
If you are wanting "great food," replace your reservation at The Compound with Geronimo. I have eaten at The Compound numerous times (twice in the last few months) and have never felt blown away by the experience. Geronimo, on the other hand, never ceases to please and amaze. If you want to try something very different and very good for your third dinner, try Mauka. Alternatively, El Farol has really stepped up in the last year or so and the food now equals the truly unique, funky Santa Fe experience there. One other not so obvious place for dinner is O'Keefe Cafe (new chef and excellent food) and if you are a fan of Oaxacan mole dishes, La Taqueria is deadly good; but I think Coyote/Geronimo/Santa Cafe are the three top choices in town.
Go to Cafe Pasqual for your Monday breakfast. The menu covers everything from the basics to the unusual, with a slant toward Central American dishes. Tecolote is just too grungy for me and I would suggest the breakfast burrito at Tia Sofia's; the huevos rancheros at the Plaza Cafe; or one of the New Mexican plates at The Pantry.
Late night in Santa Fe?
The silence here is telling. I agree with DebitNM. You might drive up and down Cerrillos Road and see if anything is open that late, but I'll bet it's only chain food. I love living here, but late night dining isn't happening at any of the best restaurants.
Best Green Chile Cheeseburger
Dave's Not Here closed in January, sadly. I thought Dave's and Bobcat Bite were the clear top two in town. I have been disappointed in my attempts to find a close-in replacement for Dave's. Horseman's Haven is a fer piece from my side of town, but maybe I need to try it. Harry's has a good one, too.
Santa Fe chow/foodie (but non-restaurant) recs
I think Four and Twenty Blackbirds closed about a year ago. Cloud Cliff closed earlier this year, as well. And Senor Murphy and Chocolate Maven seem to get the best chocolate ratings, year after year.
New BBQ joint in Santa Fe
Thanks for this tip, txtr. I lived In Texas most of my life, where BBQ is a religion, before moving to Santa Fe, and the BBQ options in SF are Whole Hog and nothing else, in my opinion. (Went to Josh's once because of the good press it was getting with my wife and another Texas ex-pat and it was thumbs down all around.) I will get myself up to Pojoaque this weekend!
Tulip's in Santa Fe
Thanks for that great report. I have always felt that it was much too expensive and have been surprised that it has lasted all these years. My wife was thinking about giving it another try, but now she's not.
We drove by there tonight on our way home around 8:30 and there were only two cars parked in front - and this is Saturday night of Indian Market weekend!
Santa Fe - Geronimo's or Coyote Cafe & dining itinerary
I have eaten breakfast many, many times over the years at Guadalupe Cafe, but on my last couple of visits, the food just wasn't as good as before. I would suggest the Plaza Restaurant or The Pantry as better choices. You can go to both, since I noticed you don't have plan for Wednesday breakfast.
I took a group of around 15 employees to the Casa Sena Cantina for dinner a few years ago and while it is a fun experience with the singing waiters, everyone agreed that the food was just okay. You should go to BOTH Geronimo and Coyote Cafe and skip the Cantina, if you're wanting to hit a home run.
Tulip's in Santa Fe
Has anyone eaten at Tulip's lately? If so, how was it? I saw on the door today that entrees are all $35-40. Worth it?
Aquasanta - SF.......Would you recommend?
I would not recommend Aqua Santa. I have eaten there several times and feel that it has gone from really good when it first opened (and had no liquor license, so you could take your own really good wine value to enjoy with your meal) to an okay place with a very limited menu - normally only four entrees to choose from. It is VERY hot inside during the summer months and I have seen people with reservations walk out because of th heat inside. My advice would be to try 315 or Ristra. You probably aren't going to get any kind of a steal on wine, but the food is excellent and the atmosphere is more relaxed than that at some of the bigger names in town.
If only one dinner in Santa Fe...
I'm not sure I would agree that the food is "terrible', but it's pretty mediocre and should definitely not be considered for a "one meal in Santa Fe" occasion - or maybe for any other eating occassion. But why is it always packed to the gills? Deadly margaritas, most would say.
If only one dinner in Santa Fe...
You seem to have eaten at most of the obvious high end places and if you didn't think Geronimo was great, I don't know what to suggest. For the high end, maybe you are the beat me/whip me/thrill me type who would like Tratoria Nostrani, not that I would suggest it. I agree with you that Bumble Bee is excellent and fun, for a "go any time" place and Cafe Pasqual provides a unique experience, as posted. But if the big guys aren't knocking your socks off, go have a green chile burger at Bocat Bite. Now that is a Santa Fe experience you will never forget.
Health food/vegetarian in Santa Fe
Salt of the Earth nailed it, although I would suggest getting a new wife as a more fun alternative.
A couple of Santa Fe questions
I will yield to iwannaeat on Downtown Subscription: "their service, coffee, food, and ambiance have been so laughable that I always ask myself why I keep returning." But you do keep returning, right? It's a deep Santa Fe experience and much better than some hotel coffee shop. I agree that Cafloutis is a good choice - just make sure it's still open. It's in the former LeMoine's Landing location that went out of business the year (2007) after being rated the Best in Santa Fe in it category (Cajun food???) the year before. Parking is very limited, but, yes, iwanntaeat, Downtown Subscription has the same affliction. I still say that DS will give you the most memorable SF coffee house experience, as opposed to having coffee in a cafe or restaurant.
The "New" Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe
New ownership has vaulted Coyote Cafe back to the top level, in my opinion and that of many others. Start with the foamy Margarita. Whatever you order to eat will be blissful after that. Yes, it's expensive, but no more so than Santa Cafe, Geronimo, etc.
Santa Fe Margaritas made w/ FRESH lime juice
I think I'm right on this: All of Maria's Margs are made with lemon juice. I'm not sure whether Coyote uses lemon or lime juice, but their foamy Marg is just about the best thing ever. If you don't like that, I can't help you.
Delicious Dives in Santa Fe?
You asked for delicious "dives" servng Mexican and Southwestern style food. I think that a lot of the places that have been mentioned aren't in the "dive" category, such as Tomasita's, but I guess that's a matter of personal definition.
I love the green chile cheeseburger at Bobcat Bite (definitely a dive to me) and was so sad to have lunch at Tune-up Cafe, the successor to Dave's Not Here, and have their "Dave Was Here" offering. It was no where near as good as Dave's and this place doesn't qualify as Mexican or Southwestern anyway (they feature pupusas), so you should take it off your list.
Dive or not, you should go to Tia Sofia's. The food is excellent and inexpensive. I think their green chile stew is the best in town and I'll say the same about their breakfast burrito.
A couple of Santa Fe questions
No one appears to have mentioned Downtown Subscription for coffee. It's at the corner of Garcia and Acequia Madre, just off of Canyon Road. Coffee is excellent and you'll see all sorts of local folks here with their dogs, enjoying their coffee on the portal or in the courtyard, or else inside where they have a zillion interesting magazines for sale. But if you're wanting a pastry with your coffee, you'll need to get there by mid-morning, when they begin to sell out.
I agree that Ecco on Marcy is an excellent choice, as well.
2 nights in Santa Fe - Where to dine?
You would have done better to go to Geronimo and Santa Cafe, the first two evenings, IMO. Geronimo has not suffered one bit from the loss of its executive chef to Coyote (but Coyote has REALLY benefitted) and we just love Santa Cafe, year after year, even though I would say that Geronimo and Coyote Cafe hold an edge now in terms of the food.
Hugo's (aka Mole Heaven)
My wife and I have eaten at Hugo's many, many times and it is always excellent. When we sold our business last year and could have gone to any restaurant in Houston to celebrate, we went to Hugo's. It's the food you get at a really good restaurant in Mexico - has nothing to do with Tex-Mex. My only knock is that it can be VERY loud at night. Unless you don't care to hear what others at your table are saying, ask for a table behind the reception desk - and make a reservation. A quick review of the other posts didn't acknowledge that they have great margaritas, as well as some excellent mescal drinks. Can you spell Oaxaca at its best?
Iron Chef NM
I heard yesterday that Rios has moved or is moving from the Anasazi to Geronimo. Can anyone confirm that? I have to say that I have not been impressed with my four or five meals at Anasazi since Rios arrived. I certainly never tasted anything that even approached the food at Geronimo, but then that was before Eric Destefano left Geronimo earlier this year for Coyote Cafe. Makes me wonder what is in store for Geronimo, if Rios truly is going there.
Gardunos - Rio Rancho, NM
This constitutes piling on at this point, but the only time my wife and I ate at a Garduno's was at the ABQ airport about a year ago and it was barely mediocre. I can't think of any Northern New Mexican or Mexican food that I have had in ABQ or Santa Fe that was not far superior. No reason to give it a second chance.
Decent Food Near Houston Medical Complex
I live about five minutes from the Texas Medical Center and it is about a five minute cab ride to either the Rice Village shopping center or to Montrose Blvd. Both of these areas have a number of very good restaurants. In the Village, try Benji's. The food is excellent and they have a good wine list. Other good spots are Patu (Thai food), Istanbul Grill (really good Turkish fare), Ruggle's, and Miss Saigon Cafe. I'm sure I've overlooked some, but the Village area is full of restaurants. If the weather is nice, you can get there from the Medical Center by walking about a mile or so down University Blvd., which is covered by beautiful oak trees and runs along the Rice University campus.
On Montrose, try Brasserie Max and Julia's. If you love French bistro/brasserie food, you will love this place, which is less than a year old. The wine list is all French, but the waiters are knowledgeable. Almost next door to Max and Julia's is Thai Sticks, which serves excellent Thai food, Get the green curry, if you like curry.
