That's funny, Deb - usually I do assume SF means Santa Fe, which caused me a good amount of confusion when I started on Fodor's! :-D

BigRuss, you got several responses on a Santa Fe food thread. It's here somewhere in the NM folder.

Lee Ann

Santa Fe, not San Fran (this was an ABQ post, not Palo Alto ;-)).

Deb -- I'll check under your name, thanks.

What a wonderful list!!! :)

DebitNM and ElendilPickle especially, thank you for pointing me this way.

I had a list going for a while. I'll try to find it and top it for you.

BeachGirl247 on Oct 1, 09 at 8:34pm
My favorites are:
Tia Sophia
Cafe Pasqual for lunch or dinner
Anasazi on the patio
La Boca -- one of my favorite Santa Fe restaurants
Rio Chama or Del Charro for a steak burger or bar experience
The Shed - I like the ambiance better than La Choza
Bistro 315
Upper Crust Pizza
Andiamo!
Geronimo - I have to give it another shot as it can't be open if it's that bad every day






Tia Sophia's for New Mexican breakfast and lunch.
Tomasita's - not a great ambiance but the food delivers my much needed red and green chile cravings.
Cafe Pasqual's - love their lunches and dinners more than breakfasts
Blue Corn Cafe - still a reliable spot for lunch and dinner
Coyote Cantina - a good spot for drinks and appetizers. Service is still slow and spotty.
Coyote Cafe -- chef Eric DiStefano from Geronimo has brought this back to life. It isn't the best but should give you a very nice dinner spot
Geronimo -- Chef Eric is back in the picture but I don't think it's as good as it was even last year. Maybe they just stumbled this summer, I don't know.
Andiamo! - always a good idea for Italian
Amavi - nice Italian in the spot where Julian's used to be on Shelby Street. Romantic atmosphere.
SantaCafe - hit or miss for us every single time.
The Compound - haven't been in over a year but I hear it is still good.
*La Boca -- LOVE this restaurant! The chefs love this restaurant. Wonderful Spanish menu. He used to be the chef at El Farol for many years.
El Farol - still a favorite. I just love the ambiance of it.
*Bistro 315 - This French bistro always delivers for us.
Ore House - margaritas and chips kind of place for us.
The Shed - love the ambiance and shed red!
La Choza - sister restaurant to The Shed is still good as well
The Bar at Rio Chama - great burgers and steaks. Good spot if you want to watch a game, too.
Pink Adobe -- well, the Dragon Room bar definitely lost its charm when it sold to the group that owns Five Graces behind it. Food is ok and it has a lovely outdoor dining area now.
Cowgirl Cafe - always consistently good and fun atmosphere
Del Charro Saloon - fun bar that serves great burgers and great atmosphere
Tesuque Village Market - was really good then it's fallen off. Hit and miss. I don't know what to say about a place that allows their kitchen to run out of red sauce. In New Mexico!
Fuego's at La Posada - if you want a multi-course gourmet meal this is the spot. Excellent service and a delicious meal
Harry's Roadhouse - I love this quirky spot that serves a little of everything.
Il Piatto - another good Italian restaurant.
Maria's -- the margaritas are still the strongest in town, I think.
La Casa Sena - we don't go as often but it is still a wonderful setting with a great wine list and menu.
Ristra - has been good for us but a friend just returned and said it wasn't good all around the table.
Sleeping Dog Tavern - another spot that gives us a great meal without a lot of fluff.
Upper Crust Pizza - still serving up the best pizza Santa Fe style. I never thought I would have pizza in Santa Fe but boy am I glad I did. Green chile, chorizo and red onion on wheat.

*******
Sorry this is so long but you hit a topic I'm quite fond of -- Santa Fe and food!
I'm sure I've left something out. There are many new restaurants we haven't hit yet.

Go to Santa Fe Reporter's web page and check the restaurant guide.

As Beachie indicated the restaurants in her list are in Santa Fe, not ABQ. A great list and she knows her stuff.

You are so nice, Deb. And, yes, it's Santa Fe restaurants.

<u>Restaurant Martin</u> is new on the list and we'll give it a try when we're there over the holidays. It's in the old Oasis Restaurant building on Galisteo.

<u>A La Mesa</u> is on our list, too. Heard great things from locals about it. It's located by Our Lady of Guadalupe church (?) on Aqua Fria & Guadalupe (same location that housed Cafe San Estephan). I hear the owner/chef of San Estephan is now the head chef at Hotel St. Francis. That may be worth a stop as he had wonderful food.

Also, after our last trip, La Boca wasn't a 10/10 according to our friends.

Thanks both of you. I'll use it on my next visit in May.

Has anyone eaten in Casa Vieja, Farina's or Slate Street Cafe? My spelling might be off.

I haven't eaten at Slate Street or Farina's; it's been a long time since Casa Vieja [different chef].

[Check on chow.com; there were a couple of mentions of Farina. There may be threads on others]

Same here, Centralparkgirl, but Slate Street and Farina get good reviews around town. Farina is some sort of offshoot of Artichoke Cafe.

Lee Ann

Yes. Farina's is owned by the same people as Artichoke Cafe. I'll check chow.com Thank you both!

I have two more to add based on our trip to ABQ and Santa Fe last wk.

In Bernalillo, north of ABQ, the Corn Maiden restaurant at the Hyatt Tamara was very good. We had a birthday dinner there and it blew us away from start to finish. Pricey but worth it. We sat outside on the covered patio and watched the sunset reflecting on the Sandia mountains as we ate. I had sea bass cooked in a banana leaf; husband had a rotisserie met selection w/steak, duck and tuna; it was incredibly good w/nice presentation. Good place for a special ocassion. Hyatt Tamara is a special place to stay also.

Santa Fe: Rooftop Pizzeria, on the top floor of the Santa Fe Arcade (which is on the Plaza- but the restaurant faces Water St.). This is not a typical pizza joint. Very nice cafe w/very good and creative antipasti/salads, artisan pizzas made w/a wonderfully flavorful thin artisan crust and very good toppings (they make their own spicy sausage and it is great). Great spot for lunch- they have a special w/a large slice of artisan pizza and salad, plus a drink (or upgrade to a beer for an extra $2) for $9.

http://www.rooftoppizzeria.com/Menu/EDIBLES

We had a very disappointing meal at El Farol in SF. It was still good a yr ago, but the service was AWFUL this time, hot tapaps were delivered cold and took forever to get reheated, and we won't go back again.

Good dinner at La Casa Sena in the Cantina w/live Broadway tunes sung by the waiters/waitresses and piano player.

I'm sitting here getting excited about Balloon Fiesta and thinking of new restaurants to try and old favorites.

Anyone have a suggestion of a new favorite? I've found most of my favorite ABQ restaurants thanks to this post over the years.

Crepe Michel and Il Vecino - Here I come!

I just got back from a weekend in ABQ. I had dinner in Jennifer James 101, Seasons, and Farinas. I can't say enough great things about JJ101 and Farinas - although very different menus and prices. I also had a very good lunch in Zinc.

Hey, didn't you have a nice Buddah Bowl at Flying Star too??

Debit and others-

Which of these restaurants would you recommend for breakfast that is in the vacinity of the airport and I-40? We will be spending the night at the airport upon arrival and then heading to AZ in the morning (early I'm sure as we will be on EST).

Hands down, go to Frontier. Classic New Mexican, funky place and great food at really good prices.

Deb - just saw this. Yes, I had a nice Buddah Bowl and with even better company!

Thanks Debit, that was my thought. I was worried that on a Sat morning it might be a long wait but I am sure we will be getting there early.