Some of these restaurants are plain and simple, some quaint, and some elegant, but all offer excellent and authentic New Mexican food. The only problem is deciding whether to order enchiladas, tamales, sopaipillas, chalupas, chile con carne, or one of many other excellent Mexican dishes.
At Route 22 & Bishops Lodge Rd, Tesuque, NM. (Telelphone 505/988-8848), is a quaint village market owned by the Tesuque Pueblo Indians who also own a nearby casino and flea market. The village market is easily missed unless someone knows to look for it. Head north about 5 miles out of Santa Fe and look for the sign that directs hungry visitors to the right and down a little incline.
Locals and visitors alike frequent this market and deli, and they may see a celebrity enjoying breakfast with her family. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch. Picnic items for the day can be picked up at the deli.
The Pink Adobe Restaurant and Dragon Room Bar
At 406 Old Santa Fe Trail (Telephone 505 983 7712) is a charming restaurant named for the rose-colored stucco in the old house that it has occupied since it was founded in 1944 by Rosalea Murphy. If there is a wait, diners can walk across a narrow alley to the Dragon Room Bar and enjoy drinks until their name is called for dinner.
The menu includes shrimp, salmon, lamb chops, and other delectable entrees, but one of the best is the house specialty, Steak Dunigan, cooked with mushrooms and green chile. Food is served in several small rooms where a few tables are arranged around an inviting fireplace.
The Tecolote Café
The cafe is located at 1203 Cerrillos Rd. (Telephone 505 982 9274) near the Indian School. The building is an ordinary white building with the Tecolote sign painted on the side, but the inside is warm and cozy and the walls may be decorated with drawings by school children and New Mexican art.
The Tecolote serves breakfast and lunch from Tuesday through Sunday. The restaurant has one of the best breakfasts in town. The burritos, omelets, blue corn pancakes with piñon nuts, and huevos rancheros are served with friendly smiles and an attentive wait staff. Wise tecolotes (owls) stop here often.
La Choza RestaurantThis restaurant at 905 Alarid, (Telephone 505 982 0909), is located near the railroad in an old adobe home that was once the main building for a ranch. The restaurant, claiming to be “the locals’ choice for chile,” serves fine New Mexican food at reasonable prices.
The atmosphere is cozy, with several small rooms with a few small tables. La Choza is the sister restaurant to the better-known and more expensive restaurant, The Shed. La Choza serves beer, wine, and wine margaritas. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 11am to 9pm.
Tomasita’sTomasita's restaurant is in a modern building at 500 S Guadalupe St. near the train station.(Telephone 505 983 5721). The food is inexpensive and the restaurant serves lunch and dinner every day of the week. Reservations are not needed, but there are often fairly long waits for seating. The restaurant offers burgers, soups, and salads as well as Mexican fare
Travelers and locals enjoy an excellent margarita (or two) while deciding whether to order from a large selection of Mexican foods including enchiladas, burritos, chalupas, chile rellenos, tamales, stuffed sopaipillas, or American hamburgers, shrimp, or steaks.
There are many wonderful restaurants in Santa Fe, and so little time (no matter whether one has a weekend or a year) to try them all. Start with these five. Each of these restaurants in The City Different offers something special.
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