Dining in Santa Fe, New Mexico was superb

On my last road trip with Len, we dined at some old familiar places and a few new ones.

Our first evening in town, we had an exceptional dinner at the Coyote Cafe.  This restaurant has been around for 38 years and is always consistent.  Everything about the evening was great. 

 

The hostess accommodated my request to a nicer table (a round booth in the center of the restaurant), the servers were pleasant, informative and willing to work with any dietary needs that we might have. 

We were first served savory corn bread with flavored butters: Cilantro lime, Red pepper flake and Honey roasted garlic.  Liked the last one the best.

Len had the Chilean Sea Bass: Blood Orange arbol chilie glaze, roasted squash, Tamarind black garlic buttered rice and cilantro pesto. 

I ordered the Seared Diver Scallops: Mascarpone Aborio Risotto, mushrooms and leeks, Calabrian Chilie and a Passion Fruit sauce. I want to replicate this some night.  Not only were both entrees outstanding, they were very ample.

On the way out, Len complimented the manager on his staff, our meal, etc..  He was so touched that he gave us a jar of their Coyote Cafe Salsa as a huge thank you for our kind words. Oh, the scoop of Turkish Coffee ice cream at the end was perfect.

The next night we had another exceptional dinner at Geronimo on Canyon Road.   Note, they have valet parking which makes it so much easier in Santa Fe.

 

We sat in the cozy bar room at a 4 top, next to each other.  Our server was delightful, named Nancy. She told us her mother was a huge fan of Nancy Drew growing up, hence her name.

Pan Seared Foie Gras: banana cake, Mission fig-orange relish and duck Demi.  Decadent.

 

Complimentary Amushe-Bouche, a cup of Porchini Bisque. I can hardly wait to replicate it at home.  

 

New Mexico Four Corners Grilled Rack of Lamb: fresh pea puree, Parmesan-yellow corn polenta, roasted leeks and Merlot lamb reduction.  Ample servings, left overs will be part of a picnic lunch when back on the road.

  

Orange Cardamon Creme Brûlée: Feuilletine tuile, Bourbon-Maple coulis and mango sorbet.

 

 

I was so impressed with the hand-painted wall under the bar counter. It’s not tile. My brain was racing… how can I design something like this and implement it at my home. Not the same colors, maybe somewhere outside…. Very cool.

A new restaurant that we will definitely put on our list is Joseph's Culinary Pub.

 

Chef Joseph Wrede is a Food & Wine Best New Chef, the winner of several AAA Four Diamond Awards, several DiRoNA Awards and has received both Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast distinctions.

 A funky, eclectic interior and it seemed to be full of locals verses tourist.

 The window next to our table had a painted lacy curtain on it.  Very clever. 

We were served freshly made potato chips and olives in a garlic marinade. 

We shared a crispy tamale filled with chicken and green chile plated on top of tomatillo salsa.  I loved the idea of taking the tamale out of the corn husk and frying it to make the exposed masa crispy. 

 

Len had one of the specials that evening;  Pan Seared Herb Crusted Halibut with rice, English pea puree, broccolini and lemon caper beurre blanc sauce.  Delicious.

I ordered the Duck Confit Pad Thai Style;  Hoisin glazed duck, egg, rice noodles, peanuts, cilantro and charred cabbage.  Great intense flavors.  I would definitely order this again.

FYI, Joseph's is only open for dinner Wednesday thru Sunday.  It is minutes from the center of town and they have their own parking lot!

 

We also had lunch at The Shed, a block from the main plaza.  Even though it is very touristy, its worth a visit for lunch.  The margaritas were pretty good, but not like mine!

The pulled pork sliders were very tasty.  Even though it was an appetizer, it was very filling.  It did give me an idea to do sliders when I roast my next goat leg served with a variety of salsas and toppings.

We did have one bomb...  Tried another new place for lunch, Dr. Field Good Kitchen, that Len had seen on Guy Fieri's TV series, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  We ordered the bad ass BLT burger that was featured on one episode.  Did not like it at all.  No need to go back.  You never know, unless you try it!

The month of May was a great time to go, not over run with tourists and the weather was great.  I do recommend reservations at the most of the restaurants.