Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10796
 | | 02/24/2004 9:26 PM |
| We decided that Paris was a bit far for a weekender so we are off to Santa Fe this weekend. We are staying at the La Posada.
Does anyone have any good restaurant recos, galleries, shops, etc. recommendations?
Many thanks in advance. | | | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5110
| | 02/24/2004 10:08 PM |
| For formal, continental dining, I would recommend:
Ristra
Inn of the Anasazi (although I found it a bit institutional)
and
Geronimo (no web site, but written up hereSanta Fe Dining Guide)
For great New Mexican/Mexican, check out the place that WROTE THE BOOK on the Margarita:
Maria's
Lots of lists include Santacafe as a top spot. But I think it earned its reputation when Ming Tsai was there many years ago, and reviews seem to be mixed now. | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10796
| | 02/24/2004 10:21 PM |
| | Thanks Jimmyv - Another friend recommended Geronimo and also Las Casa Sena. | | | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5110
| | 02/24/2004 10:30 PM |
| | Also, if you are looking for a memorable "Roadfood" type place for lunch, the Plaza Restaurant, (where else but on the Plaza), is a neat retro-diner kind of place just perfect for a green chili cheeseburger and a chocolate shake. | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10796
| | 02/24/2004 10:31 PM |
| | Is a rental car a good idea? or will we just park it while we are there? |
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texaswino
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2184
| | 02/24/2004 10:57 PM |
| There is a lot to see, do and eat within walking distance of your hotel. My wife and I have spent many a fun weekend in Santa Fe. Enjoy Winetex! The Ore House is good also. | | | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5110
| | 02/24/2004 11:07 PM |
| | It's a tough walk from the Plaza to Canyon Road (where the art galleries are). Your hotel probably has a car rental desk. Might be worth a 1 day rental. We flew in to ABQ, so getting to Santa Fe required a car no matter what. Took the Turquoise Trail (Scenic By-way) from ABQ to SF. Beats the Highway. | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 02/25/2004 1:09 AM |
| New York City -
Center of the universe
Times are shitty
But I'm pretty sure they can't get worse
It's a comfort to know
When you're singing the hit the road blues
That anywhere else you could possibly go
After New York would be a pleasure cruise
Well I'm thwarted by a metaphysic puzzle
And I'm sick of grading papers - That I know
And I'm shouting in my sleep, I need a muzzle
All this misery pays no salary, so
Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
Oh sunny Santa Fe would be nice
Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
And leave this to the roaches and mice
Oh--oh
I teach - Computer age philosophy
But my students would rather watch TV
You're a sensitive aesthete
Brush the sauce onto the meat
You could make the menu sparkle with a rhyme
You could drum a gentle drum
I could seat guests as they come
Chatting not about Heidegger, but wine!
Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
Our labors would reap financial gains
We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
And save from devastation of our brains
We'll pack up all our junk and fly so far away
Devote ourselves to projects that sell
We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
Forget this cold Bohemian hell
Oh--
Oh--
Do you know the way to Santa Fe?
You know, tumbleweeds. . .prairie dogs. . . Yeah
----------------
Sorry, I couldn't resist. This song just keeps rattling through my head. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10796
| | 02/25/2004 6:08 PM |
| Thanks all. And especially to David for the lovely song. | | | |
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David Walker
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2284
| | 02/25/2004 6:18 PM |
| In a former life, I used to live in Albuquerque. Don't know if it's still on WS, but I did a "Where New Mex" post over there a couple years ago and I covered Santa Fe.
Imho, the best restaurant (and wine list) is La Casa Sena. | | | |
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David Walker
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2284
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10796
| | 02/25/2004 6:29 PM |
| Mdriver - that's right, I remember this now. Since you did such a nice job on it I'm copying it to VC. Let me know if this is a problem. Thanks for the reminder!
from Mdriver, originally posted to the Wine Spec board on 2/12/02:
In Albuquerque: The best wine list in town is at a place called Great American Land and Cattle, casual dress (for the record, you can wear jeans to any restuarant in the entire state and not be the least bit out of place) and the side dishes are served family style, the owner is a wine collector so the list is reasonably priced and constantly changing. The food is better than average
Inside the Hilton Hotel is a place called the Rancher's Club of New Mexico, they have a decent list, but the markup is ridiculous (btw, they are on the WS list). The food is fair, and they do have some unique items like buffalo, venison, and usually some type of game bird.
Scalo is Northern Italian cuisine. The daily specials are superb, wine list is fair but no real values to speak of.
I've heard people speak volumes about the Monte Vista Fire Station and I'll say that I think it's one of the worst places I've ever been. Each time I've eaten there, I've become ill. The atmosphere is like an old Denny's and they have first growth bottles from off years for upwards of 400% mark-up (I have no idea who their wine director is, if they even have one). Stay away, the people who will tell you the place is good don't know much about fine dining.
Antiquity is a good place in Old Town. The building it's in is something like 200 yrs old and the food is great, nice for a small, quiet dinner. No wine list to speak of.
One of my co-workers is into wine/dining and speaks highly of a place called Le Crepe Michele, no liquor license, so no wine list but you can bring your own bottle and NO corkage fee. I've never been there, but I trust his opinion.
Another place I've never been in Abq but have heard good things about is Le Cafe Miche. Not much on looks on the outside, but they have a tasting menu w/wine for about $35-40.
New Mexican food is readily available on almost every street corner, but I like Garduno's and Los Cuates (neither of which even have a wine list).
In Santa Fe:
My favorite place is the Inn of the Anasazi, try the cinnamon rubbed beef medallions. The wine list is fairly nice, but expect typical %200 mark up. There are a few values, but you have to look for them.
La Casa Sena is another excellent place. If you go when it's warm, they have an enormous outside patio (I think the size of the restaurant triples when they use it). I think the wine list is the best I've seen in this state. Inside, the place is small and romantic. They also have a Cantina at which the servers/wait staff perform a show while you dine. It's quite entertaining, but you can't order off the restaurant menu (they have a seperate one)
One place I like to go for drinks is the Ore House. It's right on the plaza and you can sit out on the terrace and overlook the entire area. The terrace is heated in the winter, so you can sit out there any time of the year. They have the most impressive margarita list I've seen and they don't make them with a mix (they use tequilla and grand marnier for most). The food is nothing to speak of, and the service is awful. Just be patient, the margaritas are worth the wait.
I've heard good things about Geronimo and the Coyote Cafe as well, but I've not been to either. Coyote Cafe has an upstairs patio, but it's closed during the off-season.
If anyone has any other questions or is ever coming to town and would like to share a bottle, post a note on the forum. I'll try to accomodate any querys. | | | |
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MTPockets
Grape Puncher
Posts:951
| | 02/26/2004 2:26 AM |
| | We had great meals at Geronimo, Old House and Santacafe. Coyote Cafe was ok. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10796
| | 02/26/2004 2:19 PM |
| Thanks again everyone. We are off soon and not taking the computer so see you all (virtually) on Monday. | | | |
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Budman
Master of Wine
Posts:11877
| | 02/26/2004 4:31 PM |
| Winetex... Have a ball... oh, and Mr Winetex too!!!  | | | |
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texaswino
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2184
| | 02/26/2004 7:18 PM |
| Have fun.  | | | |
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wino4ever
Grape Fermenter
Posts:578
| | 02/26/2004 9:12 PM |
| Oops....maybe too late (the perils of travel).
But I lived in Santa Fe prior to my move to Austin.
I'd second the Inn of the Anasazi and the chile-rubbed medallions. Probably my fave "nicer" place in town. Also like the Bishop Lodge quite a bit. Not so big on the Compound or Casa Sena but perhaps they're just not "my" type of place. The Plaza cafe is great for breakfast. Oh, and the Old House (as opposed to the Ore House) is also great.
I like the house margaritas at Tomasitas (by the old train station) the best.
But for the best chile relleno's I'd go (not in particular order)
a) Cowgirl Hall of Fame,
b) Cafe Dominic
c)Tortilla Flats (out Cerrillos road -NOT walking distance)
I have several friends there who show their art at Joe Wade Fine Art and
Alexandra Stevens Gallery. Look for contemporary works from Arlene Hayes, some tonalist work from Lynn Windsor, and also work from Barry McCuan. I have also purchased form Adieb Khadore. And all the galleries on the corner of Canyon rd (Contemporary Southwest) are really nice.
And bring a bottle of wine/champagne/beer and rent a (private)tub at 10,000 waves. Yes alcohol is allowed.
Have fun!
I will be there for a week during Wine and Chile Fiesta.
owt. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10796
| | 03/04/2004 2:25 AM |
| Here are my impressions of the restaurants, hotel, etc. in Santa Fe.
Restaurants
The Plaza Restaurant – As Jimmyv noted this one is a good “joint” diner sort of restaurant. It is one of the ones that is reasonably priced in the Plaza area of Santa Fe. Simply awesome chile relleno and other dishes with chiles were good. Antacids necessary after dining there. We ate a dinner and a lunch there.
Geronimo – This one is a good but not great restaurant. Many of the Santa Fe restaurants fall into the trap of “regionalizing” their cuisine so many dishes have chiles or exotic spicing. These dishes are not wine friendly. Our dishes were good but over spiced. An OK and overpriced wine list, all domestic except for champagne. We ordered glasses of Veuve as an aperitif and received a three oz pour. We ordered a half bottle of 2000 Shafer Cab which was rather nice with the food. The waiter was actually able to accurately describe the differences between the Shafer and another cab. The dessert was the best part of the meal as they had homemade caramel ice cream.
La Casa Sena – An interesting menu and dynamite wine list. Again the “regional” cusine but well-presented. The appetizers were better than the entrees. The wine list was 20-30 pages but all I kept thinking was that I would not like to kill a 1999 Guigal La Mouline with chiles. The list had at least 5 different d’Yquems including a 1990. Mr. Winetex had to pry me away from the wine list to order my dinner. In vain hopes of matching wine with food we ordered a 1997 Mas Igneus FA 112. Good wine but probably a year over.
Hotel
La Posada de Santa Fe Hotel – A hotel with large grounds and bungalows. We stayed in a suite that was private, charming and spacious. The service and food (breakfasts..) at this hotel were very good. The spa had great treatments and I returned relaxed and fully spa’d out. I would stay there again.
Thanks all for the great suggestions. In all a relaxing and fun weekend. | | | |
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wino4ever
Grape Fermenter
Posts:578
| | 03/04/2004 1:50 PM |
| FYI -
La Casa Sena has a nice little wine shop attached which holds nice (free) tastings the first Friday of every month. Another liquor store, Kelly's, does them every Friday if I'm not mistaken. The local wino's take advantage of this for a nice social-type gathering. | | | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5110
| | 03/04/2004 2:25 PM |
| | Glad you guys enjoyed it. You are right on with respect to the "regionalization" of the food, and the way it fights with wine. We ended up going to restaurant and hotel bars between 4:00-6:00, and enjoying a bottle of wine without food, and then having beer or iced tea with dinner. It seemed to me that many of the chefs were trying to say: "You think the Southwestern food is hot where you come from? Wait'll you get a load of this!" Interesting, challenging and well-thought-out dishes. But decidedly wine challenged. | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
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