LTHForum.com

Very sorry offense was taken. I will try not to be a smart-ass in the future.

Bill/SFNM

I thought that Bill's post perfectly captures the local flavor of New Mexico. The only thing missing was the dialect inflection. I didn't interpret this as any dig at your original inquiry.

By the way, I for one, could care less about R de C being open or closed. My opinion is that the food is mediocre at best. However, the setting is beautiful and it's a great place to sip Sangria out on the patio on a nice day. Just don't expect any culinary revelations.

_________________
Dogs can fly.
http://www.flyingmutts.com

Well, if you're not going to be smart-ass then you might as well just post on Chowhound where they don't tolerate smart-asses. I know from experience, having been booted off.

_________________
Dogs can fly.
http://www.flyingmutts.com

There is a difference between literary license and smart ass. Bill was, in my opinion, way on the side of literary license.

LTHForum is not Dragnet - Just the facts - is not required.

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

C'mon, brother ended his post with a - What, can't read emoticon? (Yeah... THAT'S being a smart ass... )

So, I sould apologize for asking a question? Don't people on the Openings and Closings, Coming and Going thread always ask about some window covered with paper and speculate whats closed and whats going to open up when? That's all I was asking, a local observation.

No, of course not. It was the smart ass comment took things slightly off track.

No harm, no foul, though I'd say this particular fork in the road is played out.

Enjoy,
Gary

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

I've been watching this thread since I will be in Santa Fe in mid-November. I was last there in 1996, I think, and was pretty broke. I stayed at the El Rey Hotel after driving mostly on Rt. 66 from Champaign, IL. It was by far the nicest hotel I stayed in the whole trip. Other Santa Fe highlights were the frito pie from the Woolworth's counter, breakfast at the Tecolote Cafe, and a burrito from a street vendor in front of the Palace of the Governors.

Soooo... this time I'm not as broke My friend wants to hit Cowgirl Bar & Grill. I looked at the website, and I'm skeptical. Really really skeptical. I'm a bbq snob, is it worth a try?

grace

Grace,

I believe you will be VERY disappointed with Cowgirl. The only BBQ I've enjoyed in NM is Danny's Place in Carlsbad. I admit I haven't eaten at Cowgirl for a few years, so there is the possibility there has been a miraculous turnaround.

Bill/SFNM

Danny's is a place I've always wanted to visit. I'd second the recommendation, Grace.

_________________
Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

We ate at Whole Hog Cafe on Cerrillos Rd last month and were happy with it. They have 6 different types of bbq sauce at each table so you can mix and match; I liked a combo of #3 and #4 on the brisket.

_________________
When I grow up, I'm going to Bovine University!

Is Danny's the place in the Dairy Queen. My Wife's grandparents live in Carlsbad and they talk about BBQ at the DQ. I never imagined it was any good. Do I actually need to accompany my wife the next time she goes to Carlsbad?

Danny broke off his relationship with Dairy Queen a few years ago. It's now called Danny's Place.

Thanks all for the suggestions so far!

Bill, I was thinking of stopping by the Santa Fe farmer's market... if I hit that and a few bbq places, I can say this is a business trip Looks like there are a few prepared food vendors. Do you know if there is anything in particular I should try? I won't have access to a kitchen but baked goods, cheese, preserved foods and anything else that would travel?

I'll be celebrating the end of the pig rig season #3, and we'll be stopping by the Gruet winery on the way down from Albuquerque to pick up a few bottles. We'll need some hotel snacks!

grace

Iblock,

Danny's Barbecue is high on my want to visit list. Every BBQ man I've heard speak of Danny's has been exceptionally complimentary, including Bill SF/NM, a BBQ man for who I have great respect.

So, yes, if I was you I'd head to Carlsbad and if I was Grace I make Danny's a must stop.

Enjoy,
Gary

Danny's Barbecue
902 South Canal
Carlsbad, NM. 88220
505-885-8739

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

Grace,

The good news is that the Farmer's Market has just moved into its new permanent indoor location in the newly-renovated Railyard. They've done a beautiful job at turning a run-down district into a nice park with the market, shops, etc.

The bad news is that November could be a pretty slow time for farmers due to the cold and there may not be as many vendors as you would encounter during the summer. The baked goods are mostly so-so. Sage Bakehouse, just a few blocks from the Railyard, has the best baked goods in town. I'd swing by there. If you like goat cheese, Sweetwoods Dairy is almost always selling at the farmers market. Some green-chile goat cheese would go great with some Sage Bakehouse bread for a hotel snack.

Good luck on the BBQ thing. If you find any place decent, please let me know. I've had very bad experiences around here. A few times I tried the BBQ at Sugar's in Embudo and was impressed, but on another visit it was not so good. Since it is located in the middle of a fairly long drive, I don't want to be trapped in the car for that long with a bad meal in my stomach.

Bill/SFNM

Now I just need to find a way to suggest a trip to Carlsbad that wont make my wife suspicious of my "true" motivation. I will be happy, however, to do with one less meal at the Stevens Hotel.

See third story down regarding Rancho de Chimayó. Not looking good.

Thanks Bill. Not good news but not unexpected when working with old building methods.

I just wanted to post about our recent trip here. We used some rec's from this thread, thank you as always!

Flew into ABQ Thursday, had a quick dinner at Sadies. It was okay, not great. For this reason, I can't remember much about it, plus we were very tired.
6230 4th N.W., Albuquerque
(4th street north of Montano)
(505) 345-5339

Headed to SF and checked in to a hotel we only spent one night at, to save money. It wasn't worth it, as it was a really depressing place with a very uncomfortable bed & I don't recommend it.
Luxury Inn
3752 Cerrillos Road
(505) 473-0567

Friday morning, we had pastries at the French Bakery at the La Fonda hotel. Excellent pain au chocolat!
www.lafondasantafe.com
100 E. San Francisco
(505) 982-5511

As a late morning stop, we had coffee at Downtown Subscription. The outdoor area was lovely - plenty of sun and shade, and hummingbird watching. Espresso was delicious, as was a huge slice of orange poppyseed cake.
376 Garcia St
(505) 983-3085

We had lunch at Coyote Cafe, and were able to sit on the roof which was great. Packed at 2 pm. The cubano sandwich with sweet potato fries was awesome and husband loved the 3-meat taco. His margarita was very good.
www.coyotecafe.com
132 W Water St
(505) 983-1615

Dinner was at Geronimos (a celebratory birthday dinner for me ) The food was outstanding. I had two appetizers: deconstructed corn soup, which was somehow light and rich at the same time. It had tiny bits of lobster in it. I love having things that I can't make myself. Speaking of that, I also had foie gras - the largest lobe of foie I have ever seen. It was perfectly seared and served with a strawberry sauce and cocoa nibs, as well as beautiful pieces of mushroom (I can't remember the kind). It worked together and was overwhelmingly good. Husband had seared Elk, which was delicious as well, but I was pretty focused on my own food. The only thing that was disappointing was dessert. We shared the dark chocolate torte with mango puree, but it just wasn't as good as it could have been. Dinner, a glass of wine, and a 1/2 bottle of wine + tip was about 200$.
www.geronimorestaurant.com
724 Canyon Road
(505) 982-1500

The other two days we had breakfast at the hotel, which was very good. Full hot and cold buffet, good coffee & pastries. The hotel itself was great - comfortable and the heated pool was a perfect downtime spot.
www.innofthegovernors.com
101 West Alameda Street
(505) 982-4333

Lunch on day 2 was in Taos, at Orlando's. We ate late - like 3 pm - but it was full. Food was excellent, but service was ridiculously slow and they forgot my husband's beer. Still, the food was worth it. We both had chicken enchiladas with house red sauce. The chicken was shredded and super moist and the red sauce had a layered, smoky taste to it. Spicy, but not unbearably so.
1114 Don Juan Valdez Ln, Taos, NM 87571
(505) 751-1450

_________________
"Food is Love"
Jasper White

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip, it's been some time since we have stayed at Inn of the Governors so good to hear it's still nice.

We just spent a week about 40 minute NW of Santa Fe. We rented a little house and cooked most of our meals, but we did wander in to Santa Fe for lunch a few times. Plaza Cafe is still cranking out decent Santa Fe Plaza diner fare. Had huevos Rancheros (verde), and Pollo Adobo on the subsequent visit. Both well prepared, good ingredients and attentive service. Huevos Rancheros came with beans (whole) and hashbrowns. Adobo sauce was flavoful and the chicken down just right. Hit The Shed once as well, and 20 years later, they still make a darn good red enchilada with an egg (stacked, not rolled, and swimming in sauce) Ranks right up there with my own. We dined outdoors in the little Sena Plaza. Good service here too.

In our wanderings we passed through Chimayo and checked up on Rancho De Chimayo. The sign referencing the website is still there unchanged from above report. There's lots of Tyvek over the kitchen area and there seemed to be some activity in the vicinity that might be construed as construction. But then again, maybe not. Sometimes it's just hard to get a read on the situation up there.

The Famous Plaza Cafe
54 Lincoln Ave
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 982-1664

The Shed
113 1/2 E Palace Ave
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 982-9030

Rancho De Chimayo
County Road 98
Chimayo, NM
(505) 984-2100

I didn't take any pictures of food, but I did take a picture or two. Link is to a spot 5 minutes from the house. We took in a few sunsets here: http://www.nikonians-images.org/galleri ... k-02sm.jpg

Doug in Kansas City

Great photo Doug, you captured one of the best things about New Mexico, the beautiful sky! Also thanks for the report on my favorite places, I love Plaza Cafe and the Shed. Not long ago I ordered "stacked" enchiladas at a place near here, hoping to get what you had at the Shed, instead I got rolled enchiladas stacked under a huge pile of lettuce and yellow cheese. Time to back to SF for the real thing.

Thank you to all for the suggestions for Santa Fe. After catching a 6:30 a.m. flight out of Chicago, I landed in Albuquerque, met my friend, and proceeded to the Range Cafe for a breakfast of chicken fried steak w/green chile gravy. I delicately inhaled the whole thing.


Range Cafe
2200 Menual NE
Albuquerque, NM

Eating highlights included Cafe Pasqual's in Santa Fe (eggs barbacoa w/chile de arbol), and bbq at Sugar's in Embudo. Sadly, I did not make it to Danny's in Carlsbad. Sugar's serves chopped brisket in the winter, and my understanding is they have more bbq offerings in the summer. The brisket was very good, and a perfect way to end the day after spending the morning at Ojo Caliente mineral springs and then having an off-road adventure drive down into the Rio Grande valley on the way to Embudo. The sandwich was pre-sauced, which is usually a negative, but the sauce was nicely tangy. Perfectly fried onion rings, too. Well worth thrashing our rental car!

Oh, and I thought the Santa Fe farmer's market was hoppin'. All sorts of meat vendors, locally made cheeses, chiles (of course), fall produce, prepared foods, and a band playing Hank Williams tunes.


Cafe Pasqual's
121 Don Gaspar
Santa Fe, NM




Sugar's
1799 SR-68
Mile Marker 18
Embudo, NM

grace

Rancho de Chimayo says they'll be open in June.

Thanks for the update Bill.

Done. Made lemons into lemonade during a visit for a recent funeral.

New re-open date for Rancho de Chimayo - Late July

I'm going to be in Santa Fe for the first time at the end of the month and just wondered if there was any recent recommendations. I have read through the above posts and made my list based on the info, just thought I would check to see if there was anything new.

Thanks!

According to local paper, Rancho de Chimayo set to reopen Sept. 26.