Category: Santa Fe

New MexicanNew MexicoRating: ExcellentSanta Fe

The Pantry Restaurant – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:09 AM

“Although the skills aren’t hard to learn, finding the happiness and finding the satisfaction and finding fulfillment in continuously serving somebody else something good to eat, is what makes a really good restaurant.” In 1948, just three years removed from the second “war to end all wars” Santa Fe was hardly the sophisticated and cosmopolitan tourist haven Conde Naste Traveler magazine readers have named one of their favorite travel destinations for 21 consecutive years. With a population of around 25,000 citizens, Santa Fe’s art, cultural and architectural attractions weren’t nearly as well known as they are today, but then, the…

AmericanNew MexicoRating: Very GoodSanta Fe

San Marcos Cafe – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil Garduno3:37 PM

Contrary to some popular opinion, roosters don’t crow just to be noisy or annoying. They crow as a sign of territorial advertising; they’re protecting their turf. At San Marcos Cafe, the cacophonous din of crowing roosters is understandable considering the throngs of hungry patrons infringing on their turf.  There was one famous fowl at the San Marcos Cafe who didn’t chicken out at the sight of guests.  Buddy the Chicken, master of all he surveyed, served as the restaurant’s unofficial valet parking attendant and maitre de.  Nattily attired in polychromatic plumage and a black bow tie, Buddy welcomed one all…

New MexicanNew MexicoSanta Fe

Sopaipilla Factory Restaurant – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

If you’re expecting something akin to Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory (maybe Guillermo Goloso’s Sopaipilla Factory), you’ll be disappointed.  But, if you’re expecting solid New Mexican cuisine served by an accommodating waitstaff, the Sopaipilla Factory should meet your needs and quell your hunger.  The Sopaipilla Factory sits squarely in the town of Pojoaque, but somehow has a Santa Fe address even though the City Different is eighteen miles away.  That’s not because Pojoaque is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe county.  It’s because because Pojoaque relies on a Santa Fe post office and ZIP code routing. Still, having a Santa…

ChickenNew MexicoRating: N/R (Not Rated)Santa FeSoul Food

Anthony’s Soul Food – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

I couldn’t help but ask Anthony Moore “Don’t you eat your own food?”  Anthony is the lean and lanky owner of the eponymous Anthony’s Soul Cafe in Santa Fe.  He explained that during a typical day he gets in some 12,000 steps (five to six miles) at his restaurant.  That, he claims, is the reason he doesn’t weigh four-hundred pounds. The peripatetic Anthony jokes that his role as owner also includes dish-washer, greeter, host, waiter, chef and whatever else is required during the day.  It’s not that he doesn’t have help.  We had expected to see Anthony’s son whom we…

MexicanNew MexicoRating: Very GoodSanta Fe

Gabriel’s of Santa Fe – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:25 AM

Located fifteen miles north of Santa Fe, just south of Pojoaque and within minutes of two garish native American casinos, Gabriel’s is a culinary oasis back-dropped by nearby cedar, cottonwood and pine tree-laden hills and the Santa Fe mountains further to the southeast. Gabriel’s entrance is flanked by unpeeled latillas, a “coyote fence” precursor to one of the best restaurant settings in the Santa Fe area. In the early spring and fall, weather permitting, the sprawling dining room and its Spanish colonial theme are often rebuffed in favor of an outdoor dining experience. For al fresco dining, there are few…

2023 James Beard Foundation "Best Chef - Southwest" SemifinalistAlbuquerqueBurgersNew MexicoRating: N/R (Not Rated)Santa Fe

Patty Man – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

“Hotter than a sizzling flat-top, More powerful than a wood-fired grill, Able to stack towering flavors in a single bite… Look, up at the Sawmill! It’s a James Beard semifinalist It’s the king of the grill… It’s The Patty Man!“ Chef Sean “The Patty Man” Sinclair is a self-effacing guy, more like mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent than his “man of steel” alter ego.  You won’t see Chef Sinclair run into a phone booth to don his apron and toque nor will gawking crowds point toward him and utter “Look!  In the kitchen, it’s a cook.  It’s a chef.  It’s Sean…

JewishNew MexicoRating: N/R (Not Rated)SandwichSanta Fe

Manhattan Avenue Deli – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil Garduno3:55 PM

I’ve been called many things, not all of them kind, but the name I’m most proud to hold is “Gil.”  It was my father’s name.  When colleagues from Intel’s manufacturing plant in Israel met me for the first time, they asked if I was Jewish.  Apparently in Hebrew, “Gil” means “joy,” “happiness,” or “gladness.” The name “Gil” is associated with celebration and optimism.  Gil can also be used a verb, with forms like gili (my joy) or related words meaning to “rejoice” or “be glad.”  The feminine version of Gil is “Gila.”  In my travels over 39 years on this…

CandyNew MexicoRating: ExcellentSanta Fe

Señor Murphy Candymaker – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil Garduno3:41 PM

There’s an ancient New Mexican cuento one of the Land of Enchantment’s most sacred traditions.  The cuento recalls a Texan and his family driving through one of New Mexico’s piñon-studded forests.  Seeing New Mexican families kneeling under piñon trees, he  commented about how devout New Mexicans are.  What he perceived as New Mexicans kneeling in prayer was actually New Mexicans kneeling on the ground to pick piñon.   All across Northern New Mexico, piñon pickers can be seen on their hands and knees, taking part in a tradition spanning generations.  It’s a laborious activity that brings entire families together. In the…

AmericanAsianFusionNew MexicoRating: N/R (Not Rated)Santa Fe

Anthony’s Grill – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Some restaurants–especially those with extremely diverse menus–defy categorization.   Food writers usually lump them into the category of “American” restaurants in that American cuisine is a veritable hodgepodge of cuisines from throughout the world.  We weren’t sure what to expect during our first visit to Anthony’s Grill in Santa Fe.  We read that Anthony’s specializes in “Asian fusion” with stir-fry dishes that could be Japanese or Chinese depending on the sauce.  We also learned that Anthony’s offers some of the very best fried chicken and fried catfish in the Land of Enchantment.  So, is Anthony’s an Asian fusion restaurant or is…

AmericanBreakfastBreakfast BurritosBrunchDiners Drive-Ins and DivesFood Network Eats New MexicoNew MexicoRating: ExcellentSanta Fe

Harry’s Roadhouse – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil Garduno3:12 AM

Roadhouses–great inns and restaurants located near major highways traversing the country–once dotted America’s fruited plain, offering respite and sustenance to weary or hungry travelers. Renown for serving great comfort foods, they have been an important part of America’s heritage though with the advent of fast food restaurants and chains, fewer authentic roadhouses exist today.  Harry’s Roadhouse may be a bit more sophisticated and eclectic than its roadhouse brethren, offering several kinds of pizza, sandwiches, burgers, salads, pastas, Cajun and Asian cuisine as well as American comfort food standards that give it a feel and taste of home. To say it’s…

AmericanBreakfastNew MexicoRating: Very GoodSanta Fe

The Original Realburger – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil Garduno3:10 PM

Her sunrise could bring light into a blind man. Her sunset could put tears there in his eyes. Her colors are laying there in brush strokes. Underneath those peote skies. The lay of the land stirs all of my emotions. She heals me with a laid back energy. She holds onto my broken lifeless spirit. And molds me just like pottery. And nowhere that I’ve ever been can make me feel this way. That’s why I’m going there to stay. – The Bellamy Brothers Santa Fe’s preternatural beauty is so captivating that even the plethora of writers, artists and musicians…