Santa Fe, NM

Eating out in Santa Fe, NM

Santa Fe cuisine is neither "Mexican" nor "Tex-Mex," but is its own original blend of Pueblo, Hispanic, and American Frontier traditions, known as Northern New Mexican. Recipes revolve around the state's best known product - 90 varieties of chile - which goes into everything imaginable, even ice cream, beer, and candy! It's like wine to the French. A great way to find out more about the local recipes and ingredients, by the way, is to take one of the many entertaining cooking classes offered to visitors. Besides the local food, there is plenty of international and innovative fare, and Santa Fe's lively restaurant scene and growing number of world-class chefs make choosing a restaurant an event of its own! Outside on a patio in the clean mountain air or behind old, thick adobe walls, dining out in Santa Fe is reflects the nature of the city and the discerning palate of its residents.

Gourmet

The Anasazi Restaurant, behind massive hand-carved doors, is Santa Fe's most highly-acclaimed restaurant. The chef prides himself on creating innovative Western cuisine artistically presented in an elegant stone and adobe setting. Scan the menu and you'll see dishes you've never even heard of, like the cinnamon chile-rubbed beef tenderloin with white cheddar amarillo and mango mint salsa. 113 Washington.

Highly Recommended

The Coyote Café's signature recipes and wild folk art have made it Santa Fe's most popular restaurant. While many of the dishes seem avant-garde, it's just creative Northern New Mexican, which means chile-based everything. Some favorites are the lobster enchiladas and Chimayo red chili salmon. Try one of the 500 wines, with chips and salsa, of course! 132 West Water Street.

Local Flair

The Cowgirl Hall of Fame is part restaurant, part museum, and part theater, setting up what has got to be the most fun place in town to eat. Texas-style brisket and barbecue is served in heaping platefuls along with great New Mexican fare, served inside with boisterous entertainment from blues guitar to flamenco dancing, to cowboy poetry, or in the crisp mountain air on the tree-shaded patios. 319 South Guadalupe Street.

Romantic

Geronimo is set in a beautiful old adobe that dates back to 1756, with a Nouvelle New Mexican cuisine chef who is also a champion of game dishes, steaks, and seafood. Mesquite-grilled elk tenderloin with red-corn relleno is the sort of savory fare you'll enjoy in the white rooms with beamed ceilings, wood floors, fireplaces, and cushioned bancos, or outdoor on the airy courtyard. 724 Canyon Road.

Going party in Santa Fe, NM

Santa Fe nights are dominated by high-brow cultural events, headed up by the world-famous Santa Fe Opera. A typical night out for locals is dinner at a first-rate restaurant followed by a couple of hours listening to a diva and a baritone belt out arias in a Puccini classic. This is an upscale town, to be sure, and the club and popular music scene plays second fiddle to the arts. In America's most cultured small city, summers erupt in song, dance, and drama with concerts and plays that run day and night. Classical and jazz, Shakespeare and O'Neill, ballet and flamenco, and even a choral performance by Tibetan nuns draw a frequent complaint - "too many choices!" A handful of bars and clubs round out the options for a night of drinking and bustin' some moves. Check the arts and entertainment listings in the Pasatiempo weekend section of Santa Fe's daily newspaper, The New Mexican, for shows and events.

Opera

Universally recognized for the quality of its productions and the variety of its repertoire, including world and American premieres, the Santa Fe Opera is the summer oasis for internationally-acclaimed operatic talents. Programs run the gamut of madness, merriment, misguided love, and magic potions, with English titles at every seat that make even the most intricate plot point crystal clear.

Symphony

The 60-piece professional orchestra has rapidly gained renown since its founding in the mid-80s. Matinee and evening performances of classical and popular works are preceded by an interesting talk about the evening's program.

Santa Fe Stages

The Artistic founded this theater to bring international drama and dance to the desert. The venues for these high-quality diverse shows are small and intimate.

Maria Benitez Teatro Flamenco

There are few places in this country where you can experience the passion of flamenco dancing, and this is one of the best. The internationally-acclaimed dancers are choreographed by Maria Benitez who Dance Magazine calls "her generation's greatest flamenco dancer!".

Rodeo Nites

The biggest country and western nightclub in town stages live music and a great dance floor with free two-stepping and line-dancing lessons every Monday.

Club Alegria

Frank Pretto, the "salsa priest," presides over hot Latin dancing at this Santa Fe fixture bursting with locals and Latin dance bands. "Outsiders" are welcome and encouraged to join in with salsa dance lessons each night. Touring bands play rock, blues and alternative.

Second Street Brewery

If you find yourself in the "working artist" neighborhood, stop in and enjoy the finest microbrews in town. Irish bands, copper light fixtures, views of vats and coils, and original paintings create an unpretentious yet intellectual air. The food is tasty, typical pub fare. Locals voted this brewery one of the "Best Local Brew Pubs" in a Santa Fe Reporter survey.

Vanessie's

This genial piano bar with high ceilings and a couple of large fireplaces is welcoming and fun. The patrons often make requests of the pianist and join in singing popular tunes. Occasionally, patrons produce musical instruments and play along!.

Common events in Santa Fe, NM

Winter Festival

When the desert landscape becomes dusted with snow, the townspeople and high-flying skiers celebrate the season with events like snow-sculpture competitions, downhill racing, hot-air ballooning, music, and drama. February.

Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival

This event celebrates chamber music from Bach and Mozart to living composers with concerts from 4 centuries of classical, jazz, and world music performed by world-class musicians. "The most outstanding chamber music festival in the land," raves the Newhouse News. The Los Angeles Times agrees, saying this is "where the participation of the best and brightest is commonplace." March.

Rodeo de Santa Fe

Saddle up for a ride through the Old West as champion cowboy competitors from across the US and Canada rope calves and ride bulls. July.

Spanish Market

This festive gathering on the Santa Fe Plaza is one of the city's signature events. Stroll through the mix of Spanish, Pueblo, and Anglo locals who come to celebrate Hispanic arts, crafts, food, music, and dance. July.

Shakespeare in Santa Fe

The only thing better than theater under the stars is when it's free Shakespeare under the stars! The Bard's timeless plays are performed in the hills east of Santa Fe. July-August.

Indian Market

The world's most prestigious gathering of at least 800 Native American potters, jewelers, weavers, painters, basket makers, kachina carvers, and more display their outstanding handicrafts on the Santa Fe Plaza, along with many of the 150 local art galleries. August.

Las Fiestas de Santa Fe

Santa Fe's biggest party commemorates the return of the Spaniards to a faltering colonial settlement. There's plenty of fun, some of it quirky, like the pet parade and the burning of Zozobra (Old Man Gloom). More traditional events include dancing, religious observances, ethnic food tastings, and fireworks. September.

Santa Fe Film Festival

Dedicated to providing a showcase for quality cinema from around the world, this festival showcases the work of 65-70 filmmakers both new and veteran, focusing on themes supporting cultural diversity. Events include parties and seminars. November.