{"id":12257,"date":"2011-12-18T19:14:41","date_gmt":"2011-12-19T01:14:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=12257"},"modified":"2026-04-05T20:24:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T02:24:21","slug":"luminaria-santa-fe-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=12257","title":{"rendered":"Luminaria – Santa Fe, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Luminaria’s patio is one of Santa Fe’s best for dining al fresco<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0Her sunrise could bring light into a blind man.
\nHer sunset could put tears there in his eyes.
\nHer colors are laying there in brush strokes.
\nUnderneath those peote skies<\/span><\/em>.<\/span>
\n–The Bellamy Brothers<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Santa Fe\u2019s preternatural beauty is so captivating that even the plethora of writers, artists and musicians who pilgrimage to this jewel of the Southwest are at a loss for adjectives to adequately describe it. Perhaps because of their scarcity of synonyms, some of them refer to it as \u201cFanta Se\u201d as in fantasy, a city so singularly soul-stirring that its mystical qualities seems to transcend reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Santa Fe\u2019s cuisine is also lavished with laudation. Critics and patrons alike lionize Fanta Se\u2019s restaurants and the world class chefs which preside over traditional earthen ovens, ultra-modern steely stoves and Spanish style tapas grills to prepare the mouth-watering marriage of traditional and contemporary cuisine that has made Santa Fe one of the country\u2019s foremost dining destinations.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chef Matt Ostrander, the charismatic chef luminary at Luminaria<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every once in a while Santa Fe’s ethereal beauty and a magical dining experience converge to form the type of perfect syzygy planetary alignments would envy.\u00a0 Such was the case during our inaugural visit to Luminaria, the resplendent shining star restaurant at the Inn and Spa at Loretto.\u00a0 This was not one of those Chamber of Commerce nights in which Santa Fe’s inky-black skies, illuminated only by a canopy of stars, is prefaced by a picture-perfect brush-stroked sunset.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, it was a dark, starless night, the promise of earth-nourishing precipitation foreshadowed by the rumble of distant thunder in the horizon.\u00a0 The petrichor of approaching rain coupled with the clean, sweet fragrance of sage and pi\u00f1on to arouse our olfactory-senses.\u00a0 A celestial display of lightning punctuated the night sky.\u00a0 The cool air portended an early fall.\u00a0 So did the romantic crackling of nature-incensed woods in the fireplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Trio of Breads: French baguette, blue cheese muffins, red chile biscotti with pumpkin seeds; served with Parmesan-garlic butter<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There may be no more fitting milieu in Santa Fe to spend an al fresco late summer evening than Luminaria whose expansive patio and covered ramada provide cover from spitting rains and shade from the sweltering sun. The patio is situated neath the shadows of the Loretto Chapel.\u00a0 It’s surrounded by towering locust trees whose melodic rustling at the mere hint of winds placate the soul while trumpet vines, beautiful flowers and sprawling shrubs compete for your rapt attention with the ramada’s elegant drapes, decorous chandeliers and a soothing entrance fountain.<\/span><\/p>\n

The restaurant’s interior is contemporary and stylish, a swanky refuge from the harshness of Santa Fe’s winters. From the moment you step into this oasis and are welcomed warmly at the hostess station, you’ll feel right at home. The wait staff is extraordinary in its attentiveness and ambassadorial in its knowledge of menu offerings and wine pairings. Our charming and witty waitress Erin demonstrated the rare ability to make all guests feel as if they’re her sole focus while simultaneously attending to several tables.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Amuse bouche of scallop ceviche<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Presiding over this posh palace is charismatic executive chef Matt Ostrander, an 18-year veteran of Santa Fe’s culinary scene.\u00a0 Before assuming the helm at Luminaria, Chef Ostrander worked at some of Santa Fe’s most highly esteemed restaurants: Geronimo, The Compound, Bistro 315, Il Piatto and others.\u00a0 His influences are wide and varied, but his style is all his own, a product of his unique experiences, training and education.\u00a0 The result is a holistic dining experience unlike any in Santa Fe.\u00a0 He calls it “conscious cuisine,” but you’ll call it fabulous.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conscious cuisine incorporates the use of sustainable, locally-sourced (fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers and prime grades of meat from regional ranchers) and organic products with ayurvedic principles to create balanced, healthful foods that stimulate the senses through flavor, aroma, texture and presentation.\u00a0 The seasonally rotating menu does not shy away from low-calorie and heart-healthy dining options.\u00a0 Chef Ostrander is also increasingly introducing seriously playful elements of molecular gastronomy to a menu which can’t be pigeonholed into any one category.\u00a0 You may recognize nuances of French, Southwestern and contemporary American approaches, all well executed to an edible art form.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Caprese Sundae: Mozarella, Roma tomato, Basil ice cream, roasted garlic, fried capers, and 18-year old Balsamic vinegar<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Your introduction to Luminaria’s edible art will be in the form of an amuse-bouche, essentially a single, bite-sized hors d’oeuvre, not something you order, but something presented by the chef to dining patrons.\u00a0 Not all fine-dining restaurants subscribe to this practice.\u00a0 The best ones do it very well.\u00a0 On the night of our inaugural meal at Luminaria, the amuse-bouche was a single tablespoon brimming with scallop ceviche<\/em>, as fresh and delicious as if the scallops had just been plucked from out of the sea.<\/span><\/p>\n

A triumvirate of terrific breads served warm in a wire basket arrives next. Blue corn muffins and red chile biscotti specked with toasted pumpkin seeds are baked in-house while French baguettes are brought in from the Sage Bakehouse, a Santa Fe treasure. Whether you crown these breads with a flavorful Parmesan-garlic butter, or you enjoy them denuded, you’ll enjoy them immensely. Each bread has a personality all its own in terms of flavor profile and texture, rendering each both interesting and delicious.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Local award-winning tortilla soup: Pollo Real organic chicken, avocado, corn, cilantro<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among the appetizers are several unique offerings which could be conceived only by the brilliant mind of a very creative chef.\u00a0 When discussing these preprandial surprises with Marilyn Litton, the restaurant’s charming supervisor, we both shook our heads in amusement and awe at the inventiveness of ingredient combinations neither of us could have dreamed up in several lifetimes.\u00a0 That’s why I’m writing about these starters and Chef Ostrander is turning his culinary dreams into delicious realities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where other restaurants may have been satisfied to offer a Caprese salad and most diners would have happily relished every morsel, Luminaria frequenters have come to expect much more from Chef Ostrander–for good reason. The chef’s take on the fashionable Caprese salad showcases the basic elements of the salad reconstructed in heretofore undreamt of ways.\u00a0 Think savory mozzarella ice cream, Roma tomato sorbet, and basil ice cream scooped into a sundae dish then topped with roasted garlic foam and drizzled with a rich 18-year old Balsamic vinegar reduction.\u00a0 Fried capers and Hawaiian sea salt add flavor and texture contrasts.\u00a0 I may not be clever enough to dream this up, but I sure will dream about it.\u00a0 The Caprese Sundae<\/em> is an outstanding starter!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Seared all-natural mallard duck breast, mascarpone-chipotle palenta, cherry demi, basil oil<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The local award-winning tortilla soup<\/em> is almost as fun to see being served as it is delicious to eat.\u00a0 First a concave bowl is presented at your table–its contents: unctuous, buttery avocado chunks and crispy red and yellow corn tortilla chips.\u00a0 Then a pitcher of steaming soup is poured over the top–chopped cilantro, fresh corn niblets and diced organic chicken in tow.\u00a0 The soup is the color of comforting tomato soup, but it contains no tomato.\u00a0 Its crimson hue is derived from chile powder, but it’s not piquancy you’ll notice.\u00a0 It’s the soul-satisfying earthiness only chile can impart.\u00a0 In a city which prides itself on outstanding tortilla soups, this may be the very best.<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve often considered appetizers the “foreplay” of dining–meant to whet the appetite and prepare your palate for a main course which should surpass its predecessor. It would take some doing for any entrees anywhere to surpass Luminaria’s stellar appetizers. Chef Ostrander and his crew are up to the task and then some. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Grilled New York Strip Loin, baby vegetables, 18-year old Madera Balsamic vinaigrette<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More than proving its mettle is the seared all-natural mallard duck breast served with a mascarpone-chipotle polenta.\u00a0 The duck–several medium-sized slices of breast and a full leg–is perfectly seared to a rich pink hued medium-rare on the inside and a crispy char on the outside, a textural combination that makes duck my favorite poultry (or game, as it were).\u00a0 The duck, rich and delicious, is further enlivened by a cherry demi which highlights the natural flavors of the duck.\u00a0 It does not render the duck fruity and sweet as demi glace oft does.<\/span><\/p>\n

In deciding what entree to order, I solicited the advice of the gracious Erin, asking which of two options–the duck or a pork roulade–she would prefer for her own dinner.\u00a0 She demured that those two were her favorites and that the deciding factor as which of the two she would order is the mascarpone-chipotle polenta.\u00a0 All too often polenta is poorly prepared and more closely resembles its poor cousin grits than it does the refined cornmeal dish gourmet restaurants love to serve.\u00a0 Luminaria’s rendition is the best polenta I’ve ever had.\u00a0 The mascarpone renders the dish smooth, creamy and rich while the chipotle imbues it with a faint smokiness and discernible heat.\u00a0 It’s a most worthy accompaniment to the duck.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Red Chile Creme Caramel, Tequila Orange, Sliced Oranges, Caramel Powder<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you subscribe to the notion that great steaks can only be found in credentialed chop houses and that only in thick slabs of succulent beef can your carnivorous cravings be sated, Luminaria’s\u00a0 grilled New York strip loin<\/em> will make a convert out of you.\u00a0 What the strip’s twelve ounces lack in sheer intimidating beefiness, it more than makes up in pure deliciousness, its only ameliorants being a Balsamic vinaigrette, salt and pepper.\u00a0 Perfectly prepared at medium, this steak is tender and juicy, oozing with flavor.\u00a0 It is served with baby vegetables, the stand-outs being fingerling potatoes (including pulchritudinous Peruvian purple potatoes).\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

If appetizers are foreplay for the taste buds, great desserts are the romantic cuddling afterwards.\u00a0 Pastry chef Andrea Clover swaths her desserts not in silk satin sheets, but in sweet medleys that titillate the senses.\u00a0 In 2010, Chef Clover earned first place in the “Best Taste-Most Artistic” category at the 18th annual Chocolate Fantasy Chocolatier Competition, a fundraiser for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation.\u00a0 Quite conspicuous in the lobby is a large silver color recognizing Chef Clover as winner of the dessert competition in the Santa Fe Community Foundation’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? celebration.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Raspberry, Elder Flower Liqueur Mousse; Carob Ice Cream on Chocolate “Earth” (Crumbled Brownies) and Chocolate fenentine (Chocolate-Rice Crunchy Praline)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One exemplar in confectionery creativity is a red chile creme caramel<\/em> plated with a sliced orange topped with a refreshing orange sorbet.\u00a0 The red chile creme caramel may be the very best flan to ever cross my lips.\u00a0 It rests easily on a pool of tequila-orange sauce.\u00a0 My initial inclination was that the flan was a tad too sweet (as is almost everything but dark chocolate), then the red chile sneaked up–not with piquancy, but with that wonderful back-of-the-throat warming some chiles impart.\u00a0 Being topped by the sorbet chilled the orange slice and changed its texture.\u00a0 As with so many menu items at Luminaria, what sets this dessert apart is the wonderful contrasts in flavors, textures and even colors.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

A special (as in not among the six desserts normally offered) dessert on our special night featured two desserts on a plate.\u00a0 The first was a raspberry-elder flower liqueur mousse, not as light or ethereal as some mousses tend to be, but much more rich and full-flavored.\u00a0 The second showcased carob (a chocolate substitute derived from a flowering evergreen shrub or tree) ice cream on chocolate “earth” (crumbled brownies) and chocolate fenentine (a crunchy chocolate-rice praline).\u00a0 Erin aptly described the fenentine as “like a Nestles Crunch bar but much better.”\u00a0 It was much better, too, than any other dessert I’ve had this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dark Chocolate Box: red chile creme caramel, pear nectar coulis, pineapple foam sugar<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While inferior restaurants provide complimentary mints after your dinner, Luminaria gives each dinner a <\/span>dark chocolate box with a red chile creme caramel, pear nectar coulis inside and pineapple foam sugar on top.\u00a0 It’s the dessert for which Chef Clover earned the silver spoon award prominently displayed by the hostess station.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Luminaria for Brunch<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many fine dining restaurants–particularly those housed in posh hotel complexes–who are strictly one-trick ponies.\u00a0 They shine most brightly when dinner is served and reservations have been filled.\u00a0 Many such restaurants offer a perfunctory breakfast, brunch or lunch menu primarily for the benefit of guests who prefer not to have to wander out in search of alternative options.\u00a0 Locals don’t often frequent these pantheons of fine dining.\u00a0 Some of my sage Santa Fe sources frequent Luminaria for brunch, a portend of deliciousness warranting a visit.<\/span><\/p>\n

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House Made Doughnuts for Brunch at Luminaria<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The brunch menu changes with the seasons, a practice which facilitates the use of the freshest ingredients available when they are at their best.\u00a0 Brunch is served from 11AM through 2PM, offering enough of a variety of both breakfast and lunch items to allow you a delineated difference or to mix-and-match breakfast and lunch items as you wish.\u00a0 Our inaugural brunch visit occurred a week before Christmas with a storm looming over the western horizon.\u00a0 The menu offered the type of warm, comforting dishes you want just before a storm.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

An online Mafia Nickname Generator insists my “made” guy sobriquet would be “Joey Bag of Donuts.”\u00a0 Perhaps that’s why Luminaria’s house made doughnuts called more loudly than the market fresh fruit plate my waistline would have appreciated more.\u00a0 Instead of a true bag of doughnuts, a half dozen donuts wrapped in parchment paper arrived at our table.\u00a0 You could argue these were classic doughnut holes and not true doughnuts, but who cares about semantics when there are golden puffs of dough covered in brown sugar and cinnamon goodness and they’re hot to the touch.\u00a0 Wisps of steam escape into the air as you bite into them and you might even burn your mouth a bit, an example of pain being a delicious flavor.\u00a0 These are wonderful donuts!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Risotto: Roasted Butternut Squash, Gouda Cheese, Jumbo Asparagus Tips<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With a peak season lasting from late summer well into winter, butternut squash is widely regarded as a winter squash even though with today’s cool storage capabilities, you can find butternut squash year-round.\u00a0 That’s a boon to lovers of this silken textured, deep-orange fleshed squash with a sweet, light butterscotch flavor and little of the annoying stringiness of other squashes.\u00a0 Luminaria’s risotto showcases roasted butternut squash by marrying it with pungent, salty Gouda cheese and earthy jumbo asparagus tips. \u00a0 The chef isn’t shy in using the three chief ingredients, each of which is discernible on its own as well as in combination with its partner ingredients.\u00a0 The timbale-shaped risotto is a wonderful canvas with its perfectly prepared long-grained rice.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

If your preference is for something perhaps more traditional yet no less comforting, Luminaria’s brunch menu offers a number of\u00a0 breakfast plates–a three egg omelet with several topping options, eggs Benedict (available with smoked salmon or Canadian bacon) and an “American” breakfast.\u00a0 The latter includes two fresh farm eggs any way you want them; your choice of ham, bacon or sausage; breakfast potatoes, toast made from your choice of breads, juice and coffee.\u00a0 All are of very high quality and quite delicious.<\/span><\/p>\n

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American Breakfast: Two Farm Fresh Farm Eggs, Ham, Bacon or Sausage, Breakfast Potatoes, Toast, Juice, Coffee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As its name implies, Luminaria is a bright shining star in a city resplendent with luminous restaurants.\u00a0 Even if you don’t dine there on a perfect Chamber of Commerce Santa Fe evening, a meal at Luminaria will help you create your own Fanta Se fantasy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luminaria<\/span><\/strong>
\n211 Old Santa Fe Trail
\nSanta Fe, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 984-7915
\nWeb Site<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 18 December 2011
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>:\u00a0 30 July 2011
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: Excellent<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u2013 High quality dining experience; very good to excellent food, attentive service, and a well-maintained atmosphere; worth a detour.
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Caprese Soup, Local award-winning Tortilla Soup, Mallard Duck Breast, Grilled New York Strip Loin, Any Dessert made by Chef Clover, American Breakfast, House Made Doughnuts, Butternut Squash Risotto\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Her 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 Bellamy Brothers Santa Fe\u2019s preternatural beauty is so captivating that even the plethora of writers, artists and musicians who pilgrimage to this jewel of the Southwest are at a loss for adjectives to adequately describe it. Perhaps because of their scarcity of synonyms, some of them refer to it as \u201cFanta Se\u201d as in fantasy, a city so singularly soul-stirring that its mystical qualities seems to transcend reality. Santa Fe\u2019s cuisine is also lavished with laudation. Critics and patrons alike lionize Fanta Se\u2019s restaurants and the world class chefs…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[134,563,142],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fine-dining","category-rating-excellent","category-santa-fe"],"yoast_head":"\nLuminaria - Santa Fe, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=12257\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Luminaria - Santa Fe, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u00a0Her 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 Bellamy Brothers Santa Fe\u2019s preternatural beauty is so captivating that even the plethora of writers, artists and musicians who pilgrimage to this jewel of the Southwest are at a loss for adjectives to adequately describe it. Perhaps because of their scarcity of synonyms, some of them refer to it as \u201cFanta Se\u201d as in fantasy, a city so singularly soul-stirring that its mystical qualities seems to transcend reality. Santa Fe\u2019s cuisine is also lavished with laudation. 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