DINING AND CUISINE
The food:
When ordering most any traditional New Mexican dish…it will come with chile. You have three options: red, green or “Christmas” (both). Use precaution when eating the chile — before you order, ask if the chile is mild, medium or hot.
Huevos Rancheros with red and green a.k.a.”Christmas” chile
Chile
Chile: Every fall as the aspens turn, the air becomes crisp, and the smell of roasting chilies fills the air, the townspeople are stocking up on roasted hatch green chilies for the winter months. Chile is a staple ingredient of New Mexican cuisine and it is used in mostly all traditional meals. Typically, the term “chile” both refers to the chili pepper and the sauce made from red or green chilies.
Green Chile: This sauce has chopped roasted green chilies, onions, sometimes tomato, chicken broth, oil or fat and sometimes chopped tomatoes; however, recipes may vary. Flour is used as a thickening agent. Also chilies range from mild to hot, so depending on the chilies used, the sauce will vary in spice but generally mild has a kick to it.
Red Chile: This sauce has a smoother, thinner texture than green chile, meaning there are no diced red chilies in the sauce. It is made from ground red chilies; sometimes tomato paste/sauce is added to enrich its flavor — again, spice may vary.
Whats on the menu?
Huevos Rancheros (Personal Favorite)
Corn tortillas topped with red, green or Christmas chile, jack and cheddar cheese, a fried egg and garnished with lettuce and tomato. A classic and my personal favorite dish.
Breakfast Burrito *Very Popular
Distinct from the better known bean and cheese burrito, a traditional Santa Fe breakfast burrito is a favorite among the locals. It’s made up of a flour tortilla wrapped around scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, cheese, chile sauce (red, green or Christmas) and optional bacon or chorizo if you are a meat eater. It can be eaten hand-held for an on-the-go meal, or in house. If its on-the-go, getting a burrito smothered with chile isn’t the best option; however, if you have the time to sit and dine, I highly recommend ordering a smothered burrito, meaning the chile is poured over the burrito and topped with cheese.
Frito Pie
Sometimes eaten directly out of a Frito lays bag, a Frito pie is red chile-soaked Frito lays topped with cheese, pinto beans and onions, garnished with shredded iceberg lettuce and diced tomatoes.
Posole
A traditional Mexican stew made with green chiles, meat and hominy (maize kernels).
Navajo Taco
A Navajo Taco, sometimes called a fry bread or Indian taco is similar to a tostada. It’s topped with beans, cheese, salsa, meat and garnish; however, it is on a fluffy fry bread instead of a taco shell.
Churro
Popular in several countries, and sometimes called a Spanish doughnut, a churro is a long and narrow doughnut coated with cinnamon and sugar.
Agua Fresca
Watermelon Juice.
Horchata
Sweet milk made from rice, cinnamon and sugar.
Chile Cheese fries
French fries topped with cheddar and jack cheese and smothered with green chile.
Cowboy Bowl
A bowl of black or pinto beans, cheese, onions, potatoes, tomatoes and chile, topped with a dollop of sour cream and a flour tortilla on the side.
Fried Ice Cream
A scoop of batter-coated ice cream, flash fried so the ice cream is surrounded by a warm crispy casing while the ice cream remains cold.
Chilaquiles
Crispy fried tortillas smothered with red chile sauce, fried eggs and topped with a blend of jack and sharp cheddar cheese.
Chile Rellenos
Green chiles filled cheese and/or meat, coated in a cornmeal batter and deep fried.
Enchilada
Rolled or flat corn tortillas, filled or layered with cheese, meat, onions and, per usual, red or green chile sauce.
Sopaipilla
Pillow-shaped puffy pockets of deep fried bread. Typically served alongside many southwestern meals, they can be savory when paired with chile cheese and or meat, or sweetened with honey.
Tamale
Masa (corn meal) stuffed with red or green chile, shredded meat (pork, chicken or carnitas), cheese and/or corn, wrapped in a corn shuck and steamed.
Empanada
Fried or baked pastries filled with a sweet meat or fruit filling.
Chalupas
Fried corn tortillas with shredded chicken or beans, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole and salsa.
Carne Adovada
Chile-marinated pork steak, then roasted or pan fried, served with Spanish rice and refried beans.
Garnishes
Pico De Gallo- Diced tomatoes, onions, chile peppers, cilantro and lime juice
Guacamole- avocado, diced tomatoes, onion, cilantro and lime juice
Mole (marinade)- Chocolate/chile sauce
Roasted Salsas
Sour Cream
Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download
Seeing that food is such a major attraction in Santa Fe, I want to share some of my favorite restaurants and eateries — keep in mind the following list of restaurants are my favorite spots, and I am no food critic, but I trust you will like them too.
Local Cuisine
Tuneup Cafe http://www. tuneupsantafe.com: One of my personal favorites and also serves some of the best chile in town. Love the huevos rancheros and the pie!
The Pantry http://www.pantrysantafe.com/: Classic NM restaurant has a hole-in-the-wall feel, because it is one. It’s a favorite among the locals, great spot for breakfast and family-friendly.
The Shed: Creative Cooking http://www.sfshed.com/home.html: Really great courtyard, also very classic New Mexican restaurants — it’s a downtown landmark. I suggest dinner or lunch here. Also great enchiladas!
Gabriels http://www.restauranteur.com/gabriels/: Great place to go in the summer because the outdoor seating really makes this place feel like a picturesque southwestern oasis. They make the guacamole right in front of you when you sit down. It’s a bit of a drive (about 15 minutes north of Santa Fe) but it’s classic and worth checking out.
SF Baking Company http://www.santafebakingcompanycafe.com/ This is a multiple time award-winning cafe, it’s a great place to grab a breakfast burrito and the atmosphere is extremely welcoming.
Cafe Pasquals http://www.pasquals.com/Another local favorite among the SF restaurants. It’s been around for a while and it has built up quite a reputation for being one of the best places to grab a truly New Mexican meal; consequently, it has become a really popular spot for tourists so there might be a bit of a wait, but it’s well worth it once you are eating.
Johnnys Cash Bar https://www.facebook.com/pages/Johnnies-Cash-Store/271049324449 It’s a hole-in-the-wall market, specifically recommended for tamales.
Coyote cafe/Cantina http://www.coyotecafe.com/cantina.htm. Rooftop seating — great for the summer months. Awesome margaritas! The cafe is slightly pricier, but its a great place to grab a New Mexican meal with an elegant flair.
Tia Sophias https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tia-Sophias-Restaurant/102956971769 Authentic, great chile, located right off of the plaza. It’s been around for some time and it’s definitely a “landmark” among Santa Fe restaurants.
The Compound Restaurant www.compoundrestaurant.com/ Elegant and delicious! Right off of Canon Road where all of the galleries are situated. A bit pricey but a good choice for a classy dining experience.
Plaza Cafe www.thefamousplazacafe.com/ Fusion of a classic route 66 diner and NM cuisine — and great desserts.
Harrys Road House www.harrysroadhousesantafe.com/ Diner-style, great family restaurant, American New-Mexican fusion. (And they get freshly-imported lobster, quite a rarity in land-locked Santa Fe.)
Other Cuisines
For a relatively small city, Santa Fe has a lot of diversity when it comes to cuisine and Santa Fe does it well. The following is a list of some of some of my favorite restaurants outside of the New Mexican cuisine. Just because you want your fill of local authentic NM food while visiting doesn’t mean you should not give these a try, because they are simply some of the most delicious restaurants in Santa Fe!
Jambo Cafe www.jambocafe.net/ African/Carribean food — really delicious.
Egyptian/Lebanese- Cleopatra Cafe http://cleopatrasantafe.com/Great Mediterranean food.
Italian- Andiamo andiamosantafe.com/ Great Italian food
Italian- Pronzo Italian Grill www.pranzosantafe.com/ Chic environment, great food.
Italian– Il Vicino www.ilvicino.com/ Pizza oven in house, root beer on tap and great thin crust pizza.
Mexican– Bumble Bees Baja Grill www.bumblebeesbajagrill.com/ Great Fish Tacos! It has a drive-through, but it’s not fast food quality.
Indian- India Palace www.indiapalace.com/: Best Indian food in town.
Vegetarian/Vegan/Organic- Body Cafe www.bodyofsantafe.com/body_cafe.html. Great-tasting organic and healthy food with vegan, raw and vegetarian options.
Japanese/Sushi– Shoko shohkocafe.com/ Best sushi in town.
Spanish- El Farol Tapas Bar www.elfarolsf.com/ Outdoor seating looks upon Canon Road, awesome in the summer. Very cozy inside, great tapas and paella. On Christmas even it becomes a destination point at the end of the traditional “walk up Canon Road.”
Salad Bistro- Vinaigrette http://www.vinaigretteonline.com/ Mmmm…makes my mouth water! I love salad, and this is by far my favorite restaurant for salads.
The Tea House teahousesantafe.com/ Cushions on the floor, hundreds of kinds of teas, scones, eggs and confetti. The tea house is a great place to go on a day off and take time sipping tea in this cozy yet chic setting.
Aztec– Kakawa Chocolate House www.kakawachocolates.com/ You must stop here if you are a chocolate lover. Plus the traditional Mayan elixirs are actually medicinal.
Coffee Shop– Ohoris coffee ohoriscoffee.com/
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from Tuneup (great place for pie)