Ted Turner wasn’t wrangling ponies on his ranch, Tom Ford had jetted off to New York to receive the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award, the town was bereft of luminous locals. Stop and think what to do when The Boys Are Out of Town. There are any number of scenarios that arise, the most logical solution was to spend a slothful Saturday afternoon at a classic Santa Fe dining spot. Southwest regional influences amid elegant surroundings at The Compound Restaurant, heritage rich and authentically housed in a cozy adobe.

Recognized by Gourmet Magazine’s Guide to America’s Best Restaurants and The New York Times as a destination not to be missed. Chef Mark Kiffin’s authentic regional ingredients brought to the Southwest United States by the Spaniards are enhanced by contemporary seasonal ingredients. The Compound Restaurant pairs sophisticated cuisine with professional service in an elegant adobe building designed by famed architect Alexander Girard. Before its incarnation as a restaurant, this adobe home was the centerpiece of a group of houses on Canyon Road known as the McComb Compound. The whitewashed interiors boast an enticing mix of simple elegance and bursts of bright modernistic color. Make sure to look overhead, where whitewashed vigas balance out vibrant Navajo ceiling tiles, and a snake discreetly traverses one of the interior room’s ceilings.

The Compound Restaurant is the perfect location for a Proper Saturday Lunch – when you are in the mood for relaxation and high style, crisp white linens and first-class service. Think lazy Saturday when an optional afternoon siesta is penciled in your diary. A little decadence is always necessary to survive our busy lives, mosey up Canyon Road when you are longing for a chilled glass of Champers or a martini, neat! My dear local friends introduce me to newer more notable restaurants every time I visit. Who knew Santa Fe was a mecca for such grand dining?

The seasonally changing menu has a few signature dishes: Lobster & Mango Salad, Sweet Bread & Foie Gras and Chicken Schnitzel that are always offered. The restaurant, opened in the late 60s, is now run by Executive Chef Mark Kiffen, winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southwest in 2005. The interior, designed by noted mid-century designer Alexander Girard, is notable for its bar, a conversation pit; patrons are at eye-level with the bartender. You can lunch there or in one of the whitewashed airy light filled dining rooms. In warmer weather opt for one of the breezy outdoor patios with their distinctive Old World feel.

The stylish and intimate Compound Restaurant on Santa Fe’s Canyon Road attracts devoted locals and out of town visitors with an elegant Southwestern-meets-Mediterranean fine dining menu. In the earlier part of the 20th century, when Santa Fe was far away from the rest of the world, movie stars, industrialists, and socialites visited, where they enjoy a secluded getaway. Eventually, Will and Barbara Houghton acquired the main house and converted it into a restaurant. It was their decision to bring in designer Alexander Girard, who gave The Compound Restaurant its distinctive look. Girard is best remembered locally for The Compound Restaurant design and his generous donation of more than 106,000 pieces to Santa Fe’s International Folk-Art Museum.

The Compound Restaurant has received many local and national accolades. Chef/Owner Mark Kiffin, has embraced the restaurant’s history and continues to preserve a landmark tradition of elegant food and service, while celebrating in an invigorating art filled atmosphere

COMPOUND SPRING LUNCH

Spring Pea Soup

Pea Bavarois, Morel Duxelle & Spring Vegetables

Sweetbreads & Foie Gras

Cėpes, Cayenne and Spanish Sherry

Butter Lettuce & Tomato Salad Champagne Vinaigrette

House Made Papardelle Pasta

House Made Fennel Sausage with Tomato, Garlic & Sweet Herbs, Crispy Broccolini

Seared Sea Scallop

Vegetable Stew, Cream, French Butter & Crispy Pancetta

Main Course

Jumbo Crab and Lobster Salad

Mango, Red Onion & Butter Lettuce with Tangerine Vinaigrette

Stacked Salad

Romaine, Tomato, Ham, Blue Cheese and Hard Cooked Taos Eggs, Avocado Ranch Dressing

With Buttermilk Roasted Breast of Free Range Chicken

Compound Pastrami Sandwich

Our Own Cured, Roasted and Smoked Pastrami, Corn Rye Bread, Beer Braised Sweet Onions, Horseradish Mustard Mayonnaise, Cabbage Slaw, Chips

The Compound Burger

Lone Mountain Ranch Waygu Beef

Avocado, Tomato, Griddled Bulb Onions and Aioli with French Fries

Available with Roasted Poblanos and White Cheddar Cheese

Chicken Schnitzel

Capers, Parsley, Lemon and Sautéed Spinach

Organic Scottish Salmon

Spring Vegetables, Saffron Butter Sauce

Seared Rare Tuna Nicoise

Tomato, Nicoise & Pichiline Olives, Hard-Cooked Egg, Fingerling Potatoes, Red Onions, Green Beans & Dijon Shallot Dressing

Wild Mushrooms and Organic Stone Ground Polenta

Shaved Parmesan & Arugula

Beef Tenderloin Stroganoff

Organic Taos Mushrooms & Buttered Pappardelle Pasta, Creme Fraiche & Dijon Demi Glace

House Made Pappardelle Pasta

House Made Fennel Sausage with Tomato, Garlic & Sweet Herbs, Crispy Broccolini

Something for every mood! Highly recommend The Compound Restaurant , Santa Fe.

.653 Canyon Rd Santa Fe, NM