Situated in the Sangre de Cristo foothills, at over 7,000 feet, Santa Fe is known for year round outdoor adventure, a vibrant arts scene, rich Native American history and scrumptious dining. In Santa Fe, there are a myriad of choices, highly regarded chefs flock to this historically rich area. Our friend, David Tanis, spent some time years ago manning the kitchen at the highly praised Café Escalera in Santa Fe. It would be interesting to create a map of noted chefs and their migratory patterns, I’m certain Santa Fe would be dotted with acclaimed chef flags.

LOCAL FOOD Dining – Downtown Santa Fe offers a variety of dining options, including Southwestern cuisine at the Coyote Café, and one of my sentimental favorites, the garden restaurant, SantacaFe. Newer dining spots include the charming patio location of Eloisa and a bit out of town, Arroyo Vino.

Nothing better than a languid late afternoon terrace lunch at Eloisa. Named for Chef John Rivera Sedler’s grandmother, Eloisa Rivera, was the first person who taught him to cook in her cocina. Eloisa was personal chef to another creative woman, Georgia O’Keefe. Combining elemental ingredients to produce mouth-watering dishes: fiery chilies, elemental corn and bright garden blossoms, the dishes composed of simple southwestern ingredients are extremely creative and very satisfying. Chef Sedler was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2016. Perfect recipe: order a Canela tequila cocktail and lazily nosh through the small bites and share with dear friends.

Eloisa Santa Fe. Abiquiu Cesar, a non-traditional salad topped with green chile Caesar dressing and blue corn croutons. Request Tuna for a protein boost.

Eloisa Santa Fe. Tortillas Florales. House made nixtamal tortillas with avocado butter. Delicious!

A newish restaurant is Arroyo Vino, which was a 2017 James Beard semi-finalist. Arroyo Vino also has a wine store attached with a high quality wine selection and knowledgable staff. The Restaurant seeks out ingredients from farmers and purveyors of quality produce, locally sourced where possible, including an on-site garden. The two-acre garden plot has a greenhouse, seven honey bee hives, and provides the majority of seasonal produce. House Dry Aged Pekin Duck Breast smoked figs, cipollini onions, foraged mushrooms, Chinese barley, wilted greens.

Garden Greens, Arroyo Vino

Arroyo Vino

The Compound and Geronimo are fine dining establishments and local favorites set among the many galleries on scenic Canyon Road. An old standard, SantacaFe still serves meals in their charming garden and serves unique American cuisine with a southwestern flair. Always satisfying and convenient when downtown art and retail therapy leave you peckish!

SantacaFe

You really get to know a city by tasting Local Food.