Eating in Santa Fe

Scripting News: 7/18/2004

Looks like Dave Winer is in Santa Fe, NM. I lived there for about 2 years and 2 years in Albuquerque (you know, where Bugs Bunny was supposed to turn left at?). There are lots of good places to eat at in Santa Fe. My Favorties included the Bobcat Bite, it is the place to get a Green Chile cheeseburger at (or just a Green Chile burger if you don’t want the cheese). Best burger in the Southwest. Mark that.

Marias, which Dave mentions in his post, has the best collection of sipping tequilla in town as well as the best margaritas. They are legendary around Santa Fe.

The 2nd street brew pub is a great place for microbrews, a friend of mind who is a beer snob says they have the best microbrew in New Mexico, hands down. You’ll never find it though. You go S on Cerrilos, left on 2nd Street, on the right just before the RR tracks. Good luck. It’s a great place to kick back after work with a porter.

Santacafe has the best chocolatte cheesecake I’ve ever had. It’s a little pricey for lunch and dinner but for dessert and coffee it can’t be beat.

The restaurant at the La Fonda hotel is great. Order the guacamole and they make it by hand at your table. The restaurant itself it gorgeous. Draped in stained glass and sunlight. The bell tower bar is a good place to hang out after work.

I can’t recommend the Shed for anyone but NM natives, the green chile there is just too hot for people that aren’t used to it. If you’re not used to it, stick to the chile in the restaurants on or near the Plaza. If you get the real stuff, and you’re not used to it, you’ll be sorry. Tia Sophias is another great place any time of the day, but I’d go there first thing in the morning for their breakfast burritos. These aren’t your east coast/west coasts breakfast burritos. Bring your appetite and your hot mouth. They are “not responsible for too hot chile”. (It’s printed on their menu). The nephew of the owner of Tia Sophias is Alex Marol, one of the best young new blues guitar players in the area. If you get a chance to catch him performing in the area, I’d highly recommend it. He’s usually at El Farrol on Wednesdays and the Cowgirl Hall of Fame on Tuesdays.

There are lots of great places on Canyon road, El Farol comes to mind. There are just too many places in Santa Fe alone to eat. Backwater Bistro, Upper Crust pizza, Il Vincino, even the chains like Gardunos and Blue Corn cafe are great, the Cinema cafe, the Compound (if you have to ask how expensive it is, you can’t afford it), the Chocolatte Maven bakery. I haven’t even thought about up I-25 towards Taos, ther are hundreds of small and large places along the way. That’s the one things I miss about living in Santa Fe, access to some of the best southwest food in the entire southwest. When I think of southwestern food, I don’t think Texas or Arizona or Nevada, only New Mexican food really captures the flavor of the southwest for me.

P.S. I mentoned earlier that Bugs Bunny always forgot to make that left at Albuquerque. Do you know where he was trying to get to? I do. Santa Fe to visit Chuck Jones. Chuck Jones lived near Santa Fe for most of his life, he loved New Mexico and it’s showed in his Road Runner cartoons. Bugs lived in California. Well if you are going to Albuquerque from California, you most likely are taking I-40 east. From I-40 going east, you have to make a left to get onto I-25. So bugs was always missing the left to go north to Santa Fe. If you go down to water street, right next to the Coyote Cafe you can visit the Chuck Jones gallery and pay homage to the man that gave us Bugs, Daffy Duck, the grinch and more. :)

Comments (3)

  1. I doubt if she is still there but in 1996 I think it was I traveled to Albuquerque to visit my Grandma and Grandad when they were still living there. My Mom, Dad and I went up to Santa Fe. She had looked up something at the local library and there was this lady selling ‘carnitas’ at a little mobile shack thing in the downtown area of Santa Fe. She had directions basically down to the street name and we found her.

    Those were the most amazing things I’d ever tasted. Haven’t had them since. Basically it looked kinda like a pre-made fajita but man they were awesome things. Just the right kind of spicy too, the make your head sweat and fill your nose with armoa/taste/goodness but not burn the shit out of your mouth kind of thing.

    Every time I’ve been in the ABQ NM area I have attempted to sneak away to Santa Fe but it never worked out. Don’t konw if she’s still around.

    Monday, July 19, 2004 at 17:46:14 #
  2. Staci K. wrote:

    Great list. After a recent eating tour of Santa Fe, I vote for The Shed courtyard and a margarita in the late afternoon, totally agree with the guacamole at La Fonda (also the blue corn pancakes at breakfast), suggest Zia Diner for a group that wants lots of choices (all good as far as I can tell), Cafe Pasqual’s for breakfast (green chile and eggs w/turkey bacon or whole-wheat pancakes are my usual picks; don’t be afraid of the line) and Senor Murphy’s (also at La Fonda) for chile peanut brittle and caramel corn among other treats.

    Monday, July 19, 2004 at 23:22:40 #
  3. Don’t leave out The Pink Adobe. Pricey but excellent. The best green chile smothered New Yourk strip in the world.

    Monday, August 16, 2004 at 09:54:12 #