Eldorado Court – Santa Fe, New Mexico (CLOSED)

In Spanish, the word Eldorado translates to “the gilded one” or the “golden one” and refers to an imaginary place of great wealth and opportunity sought in South America by 16th-century explorers. In Santa Fe, Eldorado means a stately landmark hotel just off the historic Plaza in which guests are graced by the art of hospitality in lavish accommodations. The heart of the hotel is the Eldorado Court, located just off the main lobby. During our first visit in 2005, the Eldorado Court was “guarded” by two multi-hued, bigger than life coyotes (the type that helped define Santa Fe style years ago). Those coyotes have been repositioned onto ledges where they still remain in vigilant watch. On Sundays, Eldorado Court hosts one of the very best brunches in Santa Fe, a sumptuous buffet that might have quelled the Spanish explorers’ lust for gold and supplanted it with a yearning for Sunday mornings. A Bacchanalian feast of dining extravagance features bounteous spreads of thematically arranged tables showcasing such brunch delights as seafood, salads, fruits and cheeses, desserts and oh so much more. You’ll be tempted to camp out at any one of these culinary stations, but there’s so much you’ll miss…

Peppers – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

True to the restaurant’s name, Peppers chefs play tribute to chiles and peppers so ubiquitous to New Mexico cooking. In many of their creations, they incorporate New Mexico green and red chile, chipotle, Chimayo red chile, Habañero, Serrano, Pepperonici and red and green bell peppers (a chile icon denotes all items in which chiles or peppers are used in the preparation). Despite the often clever use of chiles and peppers, Marriot’s signature restaurant suffers from inconsistency that has kept us from patronizing this Pueblo themed restaurant more often. Among the items we’ve enjoyed most is the hot spinach and artichoke dip served in a sour dough bowl with red, blue and gold tortilla chips. The salads are bounteous and the salad dressings are innovative, particularly the thick honey mustard dressing. Peppers version of this party favorite is among the best we’ve found in Albuquerque. Ditto for the crème brulee, a wonderfully light dessert done exceptionally well. Peppers specialties include a steak and enchiladas combination in which an eight ounce sirloin and three enchiladas fill your plate. The enchiladas, in particular, are pretty good in a city where everyone knows good enchiladas. Not so good are the fajitas which–contrary to conventions–are…