Food

Santa Fe boasts of a lot of restaurants that serve good food at reasonable prices - at least by Northern California standards, that is. One can find a decent and delicious meal anywhere from $5.95 - $7.95 on the average. Be warned though, that some restaurants have smoking and non-smoking sections.

Among our favorites were:

Cafe Pasqual - is a cozy, cheerful restaurant for tourists. Of all the restaurants we tried, this was the most innovative and the most consistently delicious food. It is a blend of New Mexican, Asian, and Mediterranean cuisine. We could eat every meal here everyday for a week and not get tired of it. Reservations are often a good thing but if you happen to drop in, you can sit at their big community table if you don't mind sharing the table with others. We found sharing notes with fellow tourists to be an amusing and useful arrangement.


The traditional cuisine of Santa Fe benefits from Spanish, Mexican, and Western influences. The New Mexican chili pepper features prominently in sauces and stews. Compared to Calfornian or Texan versions of enchiladas, tamales, burritos, and salsas, the flavors of dishes in Santa Fe restaurants were brighter, cleaner, and a tad spicier. (A sopaipilla dipped in honey is a great way to suppress an overdose of chili pepper.)
The chili verde stew (as shown in this photo taken at La Casa Sena) is the signature dish of Santa Fe as crab cioppino is to San Francisco. This dish appears on the menus of most restaurants and there is great discussion about whose chili verde is the best. We tried several and think that the chili at La Casa Sena is tops. Delicious!
Santa Fe boasts of a lot of restaurants that serve good food at reasonable prices - at least by Northern California standards, that is. One can find a decent and delicious meal anywhere from $5.95 - $7.95 on the average. Be warned though, that some restaurants have smoking and non-smoking sections. Among our favorites were: Cafe Pasqual - is a cozy, cheerful restaurant for tourists. Of all the restaurants we tried, this was the most innovative and the most consistently delicious food. It is a blend of New Mexican, Asian, and Mediterranean cuisine. We could eat every meal here everyday for a week and not get tired of it. Reservations are often a good thing but if you happen to drop in, you can sit at their big community table if you don't mind sharing the table with others. We found sharing notes with fellow tourists to be an amusing and useful arrangement.
La Casa Sena - the trademark of this elegant restaurant is southwestern cuisine with international influences. Their best entrees are the "Nuevo Latino" dishes. The dining room was most traditionally elegant and the courtyard most charming. As mentioned above, we think they serve the best chili verde stew, of all the restaurants we've tried so far.
The Shed (a.k.a. La Choza) - This is a family owned restaurant that began in a burro (donkey) shed in the early 1950s. That's how it got its name. It serves North New Mexican cuisine and is world renowned for its red and green chile specialties and soups. They are open for dinner, contrary to some reviews. Good, affordable prices for their entrees, even for dinner.
Zia Diner - a century-old warehouse renovated with art-deco. This place serves flavorful American comfort food favorites with a New Mexican twist. They have big serving portions of club sandwiches, burgers, pizza, meatloaf, chicken pot pie, home made soups, cookies and pastries. Their asiago pie (a quiche served with salad) was super!
La Plazuela - is a charming, high-ceilinged, enclosed, sky-lit, tiled, indoor atrium restaurant at the La Fonda Inn. It serves award winning food. Their chili relleno was filled with asiago, queso fresco and asadero, battered and fried, then served with chili sauce on the side. What a crunchy, yummy twist! For dessert, we recommend their creamy and delicious flan. This is as close as it gets to Manila's famous leche flan. All 4 walls of the restaurant are made of glass, and so is the ceiling. The ceiling is screened from the sun. The walls are made of colorful, kaleidoscopic, individual hand painted glass panels. You may have seen them on this site. They were shots I took at the La Plazuela restaurant. To check them out, click here.

Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery - is a favorite among locals and visitors alike. They have an extensive menu. I recommend their Carne Adovada. It's a dish with tender pork cubes marinated in red chile and slow cooked, covered with melted cheese and served with Spanish rice, pinto beans and flour tortillas. Yummy & generous serving portions too! Locals hang out at the sports bar where they watch their favorite team from any of their 3 huge TVs.
The Bull Ring - is a steak house. This is the most popular dining and gathering spot for state and local political figures where people meet and talk about business, politics, sports, or local events. We came to check out their famous prime rib but alas! We came too early. They didn't serve it until after 2 pm. Their blackened prime rib sandwich and rib stew were a good compromise though.
Tomasitas - Excellent native cuisine! Residents and travelers love the spice of their cuisine. Chile is the main ingredient of their dishes and serve it real HOT. Guests who are new to the taste are advised to sample their chile prior to ordering. Margaritas are the lifeblood of Santa Fe. Tomasita's have killer margaritas! Caveat: Remember that Santa Fe sits at 7,000 feet above sea level. High altitude heightens alcohol's potency, so make sure you have a designated driver if you order one... two... or three.
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