{"id":68513,"date":"2024-10-17T00:01:48","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T06:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68513"},"modified":"2026-04-05T20:34:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T02:34:28","slug":"escondido-santa-fe-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68513","title":{"rendered":"Escondido – Santa Fe, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
Escondido on Agua Fria in Santa Fe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, <\/em>
\nnor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light<\/em>.”
\n~Luke 8:17<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Escondido<\/em> (which translates from Spanish to “hidden”) sure proves that Bible verse wrong<\/em>,” I lamented as I cursed Google Maps for having led me to a nondescript residential neighborhood in Santa Fe.\u00a0 Though not as execrable as the time Google Maps insisted I make a left onto a crude and rocky dry wash when trying to get to Kayenta, Arizona, I nonetheless took Google’s name in vain then followed my instincts.\u00a0 Fortunately, crossing over Agua Fria onto another neighborhood shed light on my quandrary.\u00a0 \u00a0There in front of me was Escondido, the restaurant destination I sought.\u00a0 I still won’t forgive Google Maps for having led me astray.\u00a0 Unlike in horseshoes, close doesn’t count.<\/p>\n

\"\"
View of the Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

True to its name, Escondido is well hidden–or at least off the well-beaten and well-eaten path.\u00a0 \u00a0What isn’t hidden is the reputation of Chef Fernando Ruiz, a formidable chef with a colorful past and an efulgent future.\u00a0 His is a story sadly not oft repeated, a tale of determination when recidivism is the path others in his shoes might have taken.\u00a0 At the formative age of only 13, he became involved in gang activity on the mean streets of Phoenix.\u00a0 This led to arrests for weapons and drug possession.\u00a0 Encarcertion was inevitable.\u00a0 After spending his 20th and 21st birthdays behind bars–including at one of Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio\u2019s infamous tent cities–he earned his GED. Upon release, he pursued a different path, enrolling in culinary school and graduating in 1999.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Another View of the Small Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you weren’t familiar with the chef’s past as a gang-banger, you might be acquainted with his impressive conquests of Food Network competitions: Guy\u2019s Grocery Games<\/em>,\u00a0Chopped<\/em>, and\u00a0Beat Bobby Flay.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>In the latter, he vanquished haughty glitterati with chiles en nogada, one of his signature dishes.\u00a0 Chef Ruiz won by acclamation–a unanimous decision.\u00a0 Perhaps a better portend of things to come, the chef was selected by The\u00a0James Beard Foundation<\/a>\u00ae as one of TasteTwenty<\/strong><\/a> chefs, an annual selection of \u201cones to watch\u201d in the industry.\u00a0 Those chefs will be highlighted over the course of the national Taste America<\/a> series, held across 20 U.S. cities.\u00a0 Each special event hosted by a TasteTwenty chef in their home city will celebrate the positive impact chefs have in their communities and industry at-large.\u00a0 For Chef Ruiz, that means hosting a Taste America dinner on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Bold Painting of an Owl by Santa Fe Artist Toby Morfin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Just as cooking changed the trajectory of his life, Chef Ruiz began working with the New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) in May, 2024\u00a0 to introduce a culinary training program at the Penitentiary of New Mexico (PNM). This initiative aims to provide valuable vocational skills and opportunities for inmates to pursue a post-incarceration career in the culinary arts.\u00a0 Chef Ruiz believes the inmates deserve a second chance just as he had.\u00a0 During my inaugural visit, I met a former inmate who self-glosses as “Chef Boyardee,” a sobriquet he acquired behind bars.\u00a0 Chef Boyardee told me his boss has a heart of gold who feeds the homeless.\u00a0 He shared that Chef Ruiz is a humble man who doesn’t particularly like being lionized for the kindness and respect he gives others.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Bold Painting Depicts Chef Ruiz (Center) With Two Friends<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef Boyardee, whose patronymic actually sounds like “Boyardee” saw me taking photographs of the paintings on the wall and regaled me with background information about artist Toby Morfin<\/strong><\/a> and his works.\u00a0 Those works aren’t limited to the fine art on the wall.\u00a0 He is renowned for artwork on snowboards as well as skateboards.\u00a0 In 2023, the self-taught artist hosted the 17th annual Dia De Los Muertos Fine Art event.\u00a0 The event included an exclusive four-course dinner by Chef Ruiz.\u00a0 \u00a0 Chef (middle) and artist (right) are depicted on one painting.\u00a0 An even more colorful painting depicts an owl preparing to pounce on unsuspecting prey.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Esquites<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Escondido may have been Santa Fe’s most eagerly anticipated restaurant launch in years.\u00a0 Such was the reputation Chef Ruiz had established at previous restaurant stints–Rio Chama Prime Steakhouse, Anasazi restaurant, La Boca, Chama Lodge & Cattle Company, among others–though admittedly what cemented his fame was conquering chef Bobby Flay in a head-to-head competition on Flay’s eponymous Food Network show.\u00a0 Escondido is the first restaurant Chef Ruiz can call his own albeit in partnership with Meow Wolf co-founder Vince Kadlubek.\u00a0 The latter’s influence is apparent in Escondido’s design.<\/p>\n

Escondido’s menu showcases northern Mexican-inspired dishes.\u00a0 “Inspired” is the operative word here.\u00a0 \u00a0Not everything on the menu is exactly “authentic,” but any departures\u00a0 from authenticity might just prompt the question “why hasn’t anyone thought of doing it this way before<\/em>.”\u00a0 One example is the way he prepares bay scallop ceviche with a saffron-lemon marinade.\u00a0 Bearing in mind that not everything on the menu is prepared exactly the way may have had it before, familiarity is still a hallmark of the menu.\u00a0 If familiarity is what you crave, you’ll find it in such\u00a0 items such as al pastor, carne asada and carnitas.\u00a0 Better still, try something you haven’t before had.\u00a0 Chef Ruiz plans on changing things up periodically.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mahi Mahi Taco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Escondido’s menu is segmented into distinct categories: starters, sopa, salads, ceviche + crudo, tacos, mains and postres (desserts).\u00a0 The biggest difference between lunch and dinner menus is that the dinner menu offers more main courses.\u00a0 Among those is chile en nogada, the dish which gave the chef a resounding victory over Bobby Flay.\u00a0 This dish may have had its genesis in the Mexican city of Puebla, but sources tell me Chef Ruiz’s version is the apotheosis, the best it can possibly be.\u00a0 My inaugural visit was a solo venture at about 2PM.\u00a0 \u00a0In addition to savvy recommendations from Chef Boyardee, I was well attended to by Bryan, a “rock solid server” who was recently profiled on Escondido’s Facebook page.<\/p>\n

Though my inclination is usually to try something I’ve never previously had (or better still, never heard of)\u00a0 Esquites<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(Mexican street corn, lime, Cojita cheese, chipotle mayo, red chile powder) | have become an irresistible favorite.\u00a0 Esquites is a term for Mexican street corn served off the cob and in a cup, whereas elotes is Mexican street corn served on the cob.\u00a0 \u00a0 The esquites looked like a bowl of sunshine (albeit with a dusting of snow) and indeed, they had the same effect a ray of sunshine has on a cat perched on a window.\u00a0 With just the right amount of creaminess from the cotija paired with plenty of personality from the lime aioli and red chile, the esquites were a fabulous melange of ingredients and tastes that go so well together.\u00a0 I don’t recall ever having had better.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Chicken Mole Enchiladas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tacos have become so ubiquitous across the fruited plain that they rival America’s sacrosanct burger as one of the country’s most popular and frequently consumed foods.\u00a0 Restaurants–irrespective of genre–offer their sometimes not so simple interpretations of the simple taco.\u00a0 Escondido offers eight different tacos on its menu: al pastor, carne asada, carnitas, barbacoa, chicken, vegetarian, Baja mahi mahi and shrimp.\u00a0 Four tacos per order are served, each garnished with purple cabbage, red and green housemade salsa, Cojita cheese and avocado mousse.\u00a0 Thank goodness for an accommodating kitchen staff for having served me one a la carte taco.\u00a0 At Bryan’s recommendation my one taco was the Baja mahi mahi<\/strong><\/em>, his favorite.\u00a0 The grilled, char-kissed taco was as good as advertised though the one drawback to having only one is that cravings for more are assured.<\/p>\n

Santa Fe is increasingly renowned for its outstanding mole.\u00a0 Mole no longer starts and ends with James Beard award-winning chef Fernando Olea at Sazon.\u00a0 There are so many restaurants throughout the City Different that Yelp compiled a top ten list of the city’s 10 best mole enchiladas<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0Escondido didn’t make the top ten, but that’s probably because it’s such a new listing (circa July, 2024).\u00a0 In my estimation, Escondido’s chicken mole enchiladas<\/strong><\/em> (achiote braised chicken, mole negro, sesame seeds, chipotle crema, cilantro-lime rice, beans) are rivaled only those from Zacatlan<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 They’re indeed in rarefied air.\u00a0 \u00a0Mole negro–one of the classic Seven Moles of Oaxaca–is a symphony of ingredients (chiles, seeds, nuts, bread, and fruits (fresh and dried) with a stock)\u00a0 and proportions known only by the kitchen staff.\u00a0 Some flavor profiles are discernible, but mostly mole is an amalgam of ingredients that work very well together.\u00a0 Counterbalancing the richness of the mole is a chipotle crema as good as we’ve found anywhere.\u00a0 Chef Ruiz has certainly mastered the subtleties and nuances that make mole such a complex and delicious dish.\u00a0 He’s also mastered the art of preparing whole pinto beans, the “other” official New Mexican state vegetable.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ancho Chile Pots de Cr\u00e8me<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though I usually eschew desserts, Bryan convinced me I had to try the ancho chile pots de cr\u00e8me <\/strong><\/em>(vanilla bean, cr\u00e8me Anglaise).\u00a0 He assured me it’s an especially wonderful dessert on a blustery day (compounded for me because I had just come from the funeral of my mentor and favorite teacher).\u00a0 Maybe my taste buds have become invulnerable to piquant notes because I could not discern the ancho chile.\u00a0 Though good, this is a dessert my sweet-toothed bride would enjoy more.<\/p>\n

Escondido may not have been easy to find (for Google Maps) the first time, but you can bet I won’t have that problem again.\u00a0 This is a superb find and welcome addition to Santa Fe’s luminous culinary landscape.<\/p>\n

Escondido<\/strong>
\n1101 Paseo Coraz\u00f3n
\nSanta Fe, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 316-4718
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 17 October 2024
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>:\u00a0 Baja Mahi Mahi Taco, Chicken Mole Enchiladas, Ancho Chile Pots de Cr\u00e8me, Esquites
\nREVIEW #1426<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” ~Luke 8:17 “Escondido (which translates from Spanish to “hidden”) sure proves that Bible verse wrong,” I lamented as I cursed Google Maps for having led me to a nondescript residential neighborhood in Santa Fe.\u00a0 Though not as execrable as the time Google Maps insisted I make a left onto a crude and rocky dry wash when trying to get to Kayenta, Arizona, I nonetheless took Google’s name in vain then followed my instincts.\u00a0 Fortunately, crossing over Agua Fria onto another neighborhood shed light on my quandrary.\u00a0 \u00a0There in front of me was Escondido, the restaurant destination I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68536,"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":[4682,2836,222,57,141,5647,142,727],"tags":[4432,4429,4431,4427,4436,4430,4428,4435,758,4434,4433],"class_list":["post-68513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-james-beard-foundation-best-chef-southwest-semifinalist-2025","category-james-beard-award-best-chef-restaurants","category-mariscos","category-mexican","category-new-mexico","category-rating-n-r","category-santa-fe","category-tacos","tag-agua-fria","tag-ancho-chile-pots-de-creme","tag-artist-toby-martin","tag-baja-mahi-mahi-taco","tag-chef-boyardee","tag-chef-fernando-ruiz","tag-chicken-mole-enchiladas","tag-chile-en-nogada","tag-esquites","tag-mexican-inspired","tag-paseo-corazon"],"yoast_head":"\nEscondido - 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