For people watching, there may be no better Santa Fe venue than the outdoor patio at Cafe Pink, a 2004 addition to the “City Different” dining scene. The people watching is free and a meal at Cafe Pink is only slightly more expensive. Priceless might be a good term for the colorful mural depicting the Santa Fe fiesta scene past and present. That mural provides a backdrop history buffs might prefer studying to watching tourists with their mouths agape and their eyes wide with wonder at Santa Fe’s many historical attractions (the most striking of which is our incomparable blue sky).
Despite being a relative newcomer, Cafe Pink has an impressive pedigree as a member of the famous Pink Adobe Cafe restaurant family. The Pink Adobe Cafe is the oldest family run restaurant in Santa Fe and is one of the city’s most popular dining destinations.
Cafe Pink’s hip cafe ambience is somewhat reminiscent of patio dining in Portland, Oregon, albeit under more friendly skies. Its concept is simple–place your order at a counter, take a seat and wait for your meal to be served.
Panini sandwiches are a lunch specialty while an assortment of breakfast entrees are also available. The sandwiches are grilled to order with a light drizzle of garlic infused olive oil and seasoned with salt and cracked pepper. You can choose from sourdough, whole wheat or rye bread and each sandwich is served with homemade green chile chips. A good sandwich choice is the #4 which features Genoa salami, proscuitto and provolone served with a Caribbean spread and for a pittance more, sherry caramelized onions.
Better than the sandwich were the green chile chips which had a sweet and piquant flavor. The green chile stew features cubes of pork loin, potatoes, tomatoes. onions, green chile and other spices. It’s served thicker than most and is a great belly warming treat. Cafe Pink’s salsa is imbued with a red chile powder that gave it a salute worthy taste.
In its 60 plus years of operation, the Adobe Cafe’s world famous Rosalea’s French apple pie with rum sauce has earned a legendary reputation as one of the very best pies in the country–for good reason. This is an extraordinary apple pie that defines the very best of its genre.
Cafe Pink
410 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, New Mexico
LATEST VISIT: 18 September 2004
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: 17
COST: $$
BEST BET: French Apple Pie with Hard Rum Sauce, Panini Sandwiches