Tony’s Restaurant Reviews

The red-brick Santa Fe station house, constructed in 1904, houses Tomasita’s – “a distinctly Northern New Mexican restaurant.” Another place where the “locals” go, though we noticed many strangers. I had their Saturday special: Carnitas Antonio (nice name) with tender strips of beef marinated with onions and green chile with special sauce and the obligatory rice and refried beans. Tortilla soup here also worth a try. Oblige yourself with a Margarita while waiting for a table.

Service is extremely friendly, even to strangers.

500 South Guadalupe
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
(505) 983-5721

This must be the place – always listen to local recommendations. Our waiter at Del Charro told us about this place; not only is it a popular (well deserved) spot, but it doesn’t appear on any of the recommended restaurant lists when you go to sites like Frommers.

Let’s start with one of their 100 REAL Margaritas – from Maria’s Special for $5.50 all the way up to La Margarita de Paradiso for $45.00 – go to their web site for complete descriptions. They also publish “The Great Margarita” book. A warning here though: If you do not live in the Santa Fe area, be careful of your alcohol consumption as the high altitude causes a more severe reaction – designated drivers are always suggested.

The guacamole appetizer was fresh and straightforward. My Grand Gold and my partner’s Mango Margarita were very good. Dinner entrees are varied and delicious – I chose the half-chicken which was parboiled and then fried in Canola oil and served with red chile sauce, and my beautiful dinner guest had the beef fajitas. The house Sangria went along perfectly with our entrees.

A big surprise on the Friday we were there was the guitar trio – three young musicians who did inspiring renditions of Guantanamera and La Paloma. What musicians and what voices! Go there and support the local performing artists.

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555 West Cordova Road
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
(505) 983-7929

www.marias-santafe.com

The Inn of the Governors hotel in Santa Fe has a wonderful restaurant – the Del Charro Saloon. The saloon section allows smoking but they have a separate nonsmoking section which is truly smoke-free and worth a visit. The room rates include a Mountain Sunrise Breakfast Buffet which I rank as one of the best in the world – and I’ve been to a few buffets.

But the real surprise was the lunch experience – excellent cooking at very reasonable prices. Start out with a house Margarita which is freshly shaken tableside, or with their white wine Sangria. Salads and entrees are on a par with Rick Bayless’ cooking but choices here of course are not as varied. But lunch entree prices are in the $4 to $5 range. I started with a delicious tamale, followed by a battered Poblano pepper stuffed with black beans, corn and cheese and topped with a nominal amount of creamy Chipotle chile sauce. I will be back for this Poblano.

Service is extremely friendly and efficient throughout the establishment – I highly recommend it for its quaint southwestern touches (fireplaces in the rooms for example and plenty of firewood to boot).

pennies

101 West Alameda
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
(505) 982-4333

a few short blocks from the Plaza

www.innofthegovernors.com

Ok, so what is a guy from Chicago doing having pizza in Santa Fe? I have to admit that after my 2.5 hour walk around the canyon roads of Santa Fe I was ready for real food. The National Park Service ranger at the region trail offices recommended Upper Crust on my way back to town – I took his advice as he is a Philly native and expounded on the merits of Philly Cheesesteak – another truly important food.

This is not Chicago or New York style pizza, it’s in a class of its own. Standard Italian as well as whole wheat crust is available (this modern man opted for whole wheat as it is again taking its place on the food pyramid though not in as strong of a position). I chose the sunny chicken pesto specialty pizza which was nicely done with thin and crispy crust, a very light inclusion of cheese (to not mask the other flavors), and sun dried tomatoes instead of the conventional tomato sauce. Their Jemez red local wine was an adequate libation choice.

This place opened in 1979 and I strongly promote keeping this place in business as it is a favorite lunch spot for local politicos since it is located down the block from the State Capitol of the land of enchantment – the more they take advantage of the $3.75 lunch special (piece of pizza, salad and soft drink with 25 cent refill), the less they’ll be having lunch with the lobbyists. They offer 30 toppings so let your creativity go wild. Other menu items include sandwiches, salads and five house specials including a sausage roll!

Pennies

329 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, NM
(505) 982-0000

www.uppercrustpizza.com