Features

Santa Fe’s Top 25 Restaurants

As a ten-year resident of Santa Fe—and someone who daily eats, thinks, writes, and teaches about food—the sheer number of dining options here makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. This town of only 70,000 people has more than 200 restaurants, and the variety is seemingly endless. Not only is downtown chock full of culinary delights, from a five-star indulgence to fab ethnic food, but Cerrillos Road, known more for strip malls than gourmet meals, features a handful of eateries well worth the drive.

Choosing the best 25 restaurants was a challenge, so rather than create one long list, I offer my top five in each of five categories—Cheap Eats, Special-Occasion Splurges, Santa Fe Fare, Nontraditional Dining, and, last but not least, Decadent Dessert Indulgences— to satisfy a host of culinary cravings. ¡Buen provecho!—John Vollertsen

Cheap Eats

1) The Red Enchilada, 1310 Osage, 505-820-6552

This tidy, brightly painted café brings together the best of two Latin cultures: Mexican and El Salvadoran. Chile sauces—a deeply intense red or a sprightly green—adorn the more Mexican goodies, but don’t miss the fat-griddled Masa Cakes stuffed with melting cheese in the Pupusas, an El Salvadoran specialty. Recommended: the Combination Plate ($6.95) and the Pupusas ($1.60).

2) Saigon Café, 501 W Cordova, 505-988-4951

Tucked into the corner of a small shopping plaza, this authentic Vietnamese restaurant offers quality ingredients at terrific prices. Try #32, the Chow Fun Combo, for a unique blend of bean sprouts, rice noodles, chicken, shrimp, pork, and fresh greens tossed in a light but garlicky dressing: a bargain at $8.95. Also recommended: #1, Vietnamese Rolls ($3.50); #41, Catfish in Hot & Sour Soup ($10.95); and #6, Fried Shrimp appetizer ($7.50).

3) Dave’s Not Here, 1115 Hickox, 505-983-7060

I’ve never met Dave, but even when he’s not there, this cozy café just the other side of St. Francis has big, fat burgers in 4.5-ounce ($6.50) and 9-ounce ($7.50) sizes, and plump house-made chile rellenos ($8.50)—all the best in town, and served up in a friendly mom-and-pop atmosphere. If you have room for dessert, take your pick of the three or four on tempting display. Also recommended: the Combination Plate ($8.75) and the crunchy fried Chimichangas ($7.50).

4) Callies Cajun Takeout, somewhere along Old Las Vegas Highway, 505-438-7012

There’s definitely no dress code when you pull up to Callies’ long blue trailer, parked somewhere along Old Las Vegas Highway. The location changes daily, but keep driving so you can savor appropriately muddy and earthy gumbo, jambalaya, crab, crawfish bisque, and other Cajun standards. This roadside eatery has been satisfying Santa Fe’s Nawlins fetish for six years, its flavors transporting you to the mouth of the Mississippi. Also recommended: take-home versions of most dishes in pints ($7.99) and quarts ($15.99).

5) Cleopatra Café, Design Center, 418 Cerrillos, 505-820-7381

The fresh flavors of the Mediterranean can be celebrated here for little investment, but the culinary payoff is great. Start with the King Tut Plate ($7.35), a one-stop sampling of all the best appetizers this cuisine offers: crunchy falafel, tart dolmas, creamy hummus, and baba ghanoush. The Luxor Lamb Kebob—two skewers of tender grilled spiced lamb—is a steal for $10.95. Also recommended: Gyros ($4.66), Tabbouleh ($3.95), Egyptian Moussaka ($4.95).

Special-Occasion Splurges

Santa Fe is full of good food, so whenever a special event comes along that warrants splashing out on some elegant gourmet meal, let it be prepared by one of the city’s many celebrity chefs. Add terrific service, a pleasing atmosphere, and a fabulously expensive bottle of wine, and a meal becomes magic. Go ahead, live a little!

1) Geronimo, 724 Canyon, 505-982-1500

If I had to choose my favorite restaurant, this would be it. Chef Eric DiStefano’s seasonally changing menu showcases his clever use of fresh, fabulous, and contemporary ingredients that never seem gimmicky. The handsome dining rooms and the most food-knowledgeable servers in town make Geronimo a must-visit, and the restaurant’s beautiful cookbook, Geronimo: Fine Dining in Santa Fe, will allow you to savor the dining memories at home. Recommended: Anything with lobster, crab, elk, or beef. Lunch $9–$26, Dinner $11–$48.

2) 315, 315 Old Santa Fe Trail, 505-986-9190

Chef-proprietor Louis Moskow is as comfortable in the dining room talking wine as he is in the kitchen cooking great French cuisine. His spirited selection takes home Wine Spectator awards yearly, so let the savvy staff make recommendations while you enjoy the authentic French Bistro menu in glowing candlelight. Recommended: Any 315 version of pâté, the Steak Frites with Béarnaise, and the Profiteroles. Lunch $4–$14, Dinner $5–$28.

3) The Compound, 653 Canyon, 505-982-4353

With a fabulous historic setting and acclaim fueled by chef-owner Mark Kiffin’s recently earned kudos—he won the James Beard Award for Best Southwestern Chef—the Compound stands spoon to fork with the well-known Geronimo, just up the road. Kiffin likes to play with popular ingredients and new techniques—such as made-to-order soups—and does wondrous things with foie gras (one night it might be paired with sweetbreads, and another, transformed into hollandaise). Recommended: Any of the made-to-order-soups, any foie gras incarnation, and the Liquid Chocolate Cake. Lunch $8–$20, Dinner $12–$39.

4) The Old House, Eldorado Hotel, 309 W San Francisco, 505-438-8041

One of the hardest-working chefs in town is the Eldorado Hotel’s Martin Rios. He’s responsible for all of the menus in the hotel (including catering and in-room dining), although his talent shines most brightly in the newly redecorated Old House. The room has been given an architecturally neater look, with crisp white linen, Elias Rivera paintings, and the soft glow of candlelight. Ingredients and sauces are stacked, swirled, and layered on the plates with five-star aplomb, and the large, luxurious servings make for easy food sharing. Forget your notions of hotel food—this is world-class dining. Recommended: Roasted Red and Yellow Beet Salad, Roasted Niman Ranch Pork Tenderloin, and Dessert Bento Box. Lunch $7–$14, Dinner $8–$34.

5) Trattoria Nostrani, 304 Johnson, 505-983-3800

The handsome, territorial-style setting of this Northern Italian eatery is in quiet contrast to the big flavors and personalities of chef team Eric Stapleman and Nelli Maltezos. The tin ceiling is reminiscent of lower Manhattan (and 19th-century Santa Fe), as is Stapleman’s chutzpah in creating an amazing wine list of interesting French and Italian pours and a menu that knows when to let perfect ingredients shine. Chef Maltezos pairs ripe heirloom tomatoes with soft Buratta Mozzarella barely kissed with basil and extra-virgin olive oil, and dishes up a risotto so laden with sweet crab you’ll swoon. Recommended: Halibut with Zucchini and Shellfish Sauce and a classic tiramisu. Dinner $10–$40.

Santa Fe Fare

Whether you choose red or green, realize that chiles are in the nightshade family; the many varieties used in our local dishes may give them a subliminal addictive quality. Plus, chiles, corn, and beans are the holy trinity of the coming together of the indigenous peoples of Mexico and New Mexico. Enjoy this delicious marriage, consummated right there on your plate.

1) Cafe Pasqual’s, 121 Don Gaspar, 505-983-9340

If I had to eat one meal every day for the rest of my life, it would be Cafe Pasqual’s Chicken Mole Enchiladas. This jewel box of a restaurant has just celebrated its 25th anniversary, and proprietress Katharine Kagel keeps wowing us year in and year out, three meals a day, with her “equatorial” cooking—her clever way of celebrating foods from literally around the world, from regions that touch the equator (think Central America and Asia). Every ingredient that can be organic is. Recommended: Lean, luscious Corned Beef Hash for breakfast, and anything Thai-flavored or with lamb at dinner. Breakfast or Lunch, $5.95–$15.95; Dinner $8–$30.

2) Señor Lucky’s at the Palace, 142 Palace, 505-982-9891

In the heart of downtown, the newly transformed Palace Restaurant pairs Geronimo chef Eric DiStefano’s talents for cooking with owner Cliff Skoglund’s flair for design and concept. Here, Mexican cantina meets cowboy saloon in a menu that should please everyone’s taste buds, with dishes ranging from Guacamole and Chips to Spaghetti and Meatballs. Country music and a big-screen TV in the bar tell you to relax, bring the kids, and sample what might be the next big chain eatery. Recommended: fat fingers of fried calamari, the Sweet and Hot Grilled Quail, and the smoky, decadent Spicy Tomato Queso Dip with Fire-grilled Pepper Bread. Lunch or Dinner, $5–$20.

3) Pachanga Cantina & Restaurant, 416 Agua Fria, 505-988-5991

Consummate host-chef-proprietor Fernando Olea has transformed this historic adobe restaurant into a Tex-Mex cantina with a Southern BBQ touch. Baby steps were taken in late summer when a simple menu touted plates of enchiladas and quesadillas. More impressive is the zippy Chile con Queso, heady Xochimilo, a full-flavor fungus called huitlacoche that’s turned into a rich black dip and spread on corn tortillas, and various seasoned and grilled meats. Barbecue is Sundays only. Also recommended: Carne Tampiqueño with grilled jalapeños and Lamb Barbacoa. Lunch or Dinner, $2.45–$14.95.

4) Guadalajara Grill, 3877 Cerrillos, 505-424-3544

When it comes to eating ethnic foods, it’s a good sign when a restaurant is filled with people whose nationality matches the origin of the cuisine you seek. At Guadalajara Grill the salsas are fiery, the guacamole cooling, and the Shrimp Enchiladas the creamiest, richest marriage of shrimp and tortillas I have ever tasted. And the tables of Mexican families sitting alongside you are a pleasure. Recommended: Fried Pork Carnitas, Shrimp Vera Cruz, and Chile Rellenos. Lunch or Dinner, $1.85–$14.95.

5) Mucho Gusto, 839 Paseo de Peralta, 505-955-8402

Cozy, neat, and adorned with impassioned prints by local artist Elias Rivera, this terrific addition to the downtown dining scene boasts classic Mexican dishes simply prepared, with tasty results. Spicy Chile de Arbol and Cilantro Tomatillo Salsas alert the taste buds that you might be in Mexico. Enchiladas, flautas, tacos, and chalupas all combine seasoned meats, vegetables, and chile with authentic results. Recommended: Smoky Lamb Tacos en Barbacoa and dense, rich Mexican flan. Lunch or Dinner, $2.95–$16.95.

Nontraditional Dining

Variety is the spice of life, and in Santa Fe, the selections are almost endless. And any time, from a pre- or post-Opera splurge to a quick nosh on the Plaza during Indian or Spanish Market, offers the perfect excuse to explore.

1) The Sophisticated Bar at Ristra, 548 Agua Fria, 505-982-8608

Local residents have already embraced the big-city feel of the bar at Ristra, one of Santa Fe’s best spots to dine. I love it because the vaulted ceilings and dramatic lighting in the bar make me feel as if I’m somewhere else: New York, Chicago, or San Francisco. The generous martinis and bar menu offer the perfect pre- or post-theater kicker, or even a relaxed start to dinner in a quieter Ristra dining room. French Chef Xavier Grenet has fun playing with indigenous Northern New Mexican ingredients, and the young, caring staff keeps the scene buzzing with great food and drink. Recommended: Startlingly fresh Ahi Tuna Tartare, fragrant Steamed Mussels, and any chocolate dessert. Dinner $6–$30.

2) Tapas and Flamenco at El Mesón, 213 Washington, 505-983-6756

The tradition of Spanish tapas as an eat-as-much-as-you-want grazing alternative to traditional dining is even better when paired with impassioned flamenco music and dance. These small bites of food make for great sharing, and chef-owner David Huertas takes them to a new culinary height with his take on such classics as Garlicky Shrimp Gambas Al Ajillo and Fried Oysters with a kicky Romesco Sauce. While there is a separate dining room, opt for the bar setting—the excitement emanating from the small stage is as exciting as the flavors wafting from the kitchen. Call for flamenco nights; they vary. Also recommended: Spicy grilled Lamb Pinchos Morunos and any flavor of the creamiest cheesecake you’ll ever taste. Tapas $3–$10.

3) Nightclub Food at Swig, 135 W Palace, 505-955-0400

This swank hangout feels more like Miami or L.A., with nary a Kokopelli in sight. The food, designed by Geronimo chef Eric DiStefano, is Asian Fusion, and perfect for a late-night snack or a creative combo meal of small bites at the bar. Cocktails are big, so be prepared to dance a bit to work off the effects. Recommended: the Tempura Futa Maki Roll and the mini Ice Cream Cones displayed on a tiny carousel. Asian Tapas $7–$18.

4) Private Cooking Class with Emily Swantner, 505-466-1074

Cooking instructor and bon vivant Emily Swantner has lived all over the world, and she loves to share her passion for food with lucky students who hire her for a private cooking class. As comfortable teaching the nuances of Thai food as of Mediterranean or Italian goodies, Swantner will impart her food knowledge in a dinner-party setting in your home. Menu descriptions and contact information are available at www.epicureanodyssey.com.

5) Takeout from Bumble Bee’s Baja Grill, 301 Jefferson, 505-820-2862 and 3777 Cerrillos, 505-988-3278

With a 20-minute drive, you can leave the desert behind and enjoy an Alpine setting in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. But your first stop should be one of the two locations of Bumble Bee’s Baja Grill. Let them pack you a picnic, including chips and guacamole sold by the ounce, Mexican-inspired salads, and their famous Chile Marinated and Rotisserie Grilled chickens (already cut up and perfect for roadside consumption). In early November, you might just catch the last few golden aspens. By Thanksgiving, you can enjoy a soft new snow. Bumble Bee’s is chips above your average takeout or eat-in, and the quality of the ingredients makes the flavors sparkle. Also recommended: Fish and Shrimp Tacos and a truly authentic Caesar Salad. Lunch or Dinner, $4.50–$14.90.

Decadent Dessert Indulgences

1) Ecco Gelato Bar and Café, 105 E Marcy, 505-986-9778

After a rich dinner downtown, save yourself for dessert and a stroll across the Plaza to Ecco, where rich and creamy authentic homemade gelato is de rigueur. There are 16 gelatos and four sorbets to choose from, and sampling is enthusiastically encouraged by owner and gelato maker Matt Durkovich. Local celeb Shirley MacLaine has been spotted here sampling frozen wonders delicious enough to satisfy a bunch of lifetimes. Sandwiches and strong espresso round out the menu. Recommended: the Strawberry Habanero, which packs a kick, and the unique Straciatella, layered with waves of chocolate sheets. Gelato $2–3.50.

2) Mu Du Noodles, 1494 Cerrillos, 505-983-1411

Mu Jing Lau applies a lovely light touch to her wonderful pan-Asian dinner menu as well as to her refreshing desserts. I can never pass up the Orange Blossom Custard, a cool and orangey panna cotta–ish wonder that melts on the tongue. Also recommended: the unusual house-made ice creams and sorbets, such as the fabulous Strawberry Thai Chile, which starts out sweet but packs a spicy punch three seconds later. Desserts $3.50–$8.

3) Railyard Restaurant and Saloon, 530 S Guadalupe, 505-989-3300

The cooking credentials of 315’s chef-owner, Louis Moskow, make this the most exciting restaurant opening in years. With décor that tips its hat to wrought-iron latticework and classic 1950s retro fixtures, this cavernous warehouse setting is as cozy and comfy as a first-class coach on the Orient Express. Finish up the classic American steakhouse menu with luscious desserts, such as chocolate pecan and lemon meringue pies and an assortment of ice cream sundaes. A standout is the seasonal fruit crisp, cleverly served in its own cast-iron skillet and topped with vanilla ice cream. Desserts $5.

4) Anasazi Restaurant at the Inn of the Anasazi, 113 Washington, 505-988-3236

Pastry chef Michelle Coghlan’s {<sp.?} light touch on her dessert menu makes for the perfect finish to any meal in this smart hotel dining room. The sweet flavors we love are scattered throughout the listings, including a Warm Almond Cake with Apricot Marmalade and Almond Sherbet, and a Citrus Chocolate Bread Pudding with Rum Ice Cream. Chocolate gets a turn in a moussey Chocolate Marquis Cake enriched with Franjelico Ice Cream. Also recommended: the Sweet Cherry Turnover and a Traditional Vanilla Crème Brûlée. Desserts $7–$10.

5) Cafe Pasqual’s, 121 Don Gaspar, 505-983-9340

This is the one restaurant that’s so good it wins in two categories. The desserts here are designed to be decadent, with the unbridled use of a European butter called plugrá. If you’re with two or more people, go for the Dessert Plate, which might include a Chocolate Pot du Crème, Fudgey Chocolate Cake, Buttery Thumb Print Cookie, Chocolate Bark, and Wild Blueberry Cobbler. Heck, order it even if you’re alone! Watch for Katharine Kagel’s second cookbook, More Spirited Recipes from Cafe Pasqual’s, to be released early next year. Also recommended: Della’s Chocolate Fudge Walnut Cookie, which is chocolate heaven. Desserts $8–$14.

Food writer and cooking instructor John Vollertsen is as happy enjoying a plate of enchiladas as he is savoring a filet mignon bordelaise. Although his 30 years in the hospitality industry have taken him to New York and Sydney, he’s called Santa Fe home for more than a decade.