Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7
7
Places to Eat in . . . Santa Fe, New Mexico
Remember all the foodie buzz this city generated in the late 1980s and early
1990s, when creative southwestern cuisine was the Next Big Thing? Well,
things have finally simmered down, which means that Santa Fe's chefs are now
able to break out of lockstep and branch out in new directions. The adobe
precincts around the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe may look quaintly historic,
but its dining scene is anything but stuck in the past.
Among the most romantic spots in town is adobe-arched, tin-ceilinged
Trattoria Nostrani
(304 Johnson St.;
&
505/983-3800;
www.trattoria
nostrani.com), where Nelli Maltezos and Eric Stapelman honor northern Italian
culinary traditions with specialties such as pumpkin ravioli, roasted quail with
sweet Italian sausage and soft polenta, or a grilled rack of lamb with potatoes
and artichokes and a black truffle reduction. At
Anasazi Restaurant
(113
Washington Ave.;
&
505/988-3236;
www.innoftheanasazi.com), the pueblo-
esque contemporary wood-floored din-
ing room of downtown's renowned Inn
of the Anasazi, chef Oliver Ridgeway
focuses on seasonal ingredients, com-
ing up with imaginative combinations
such as Hawaiian tuna with a wasabi-nut
crust, or veal medallions glazed in mole
sauce with asparagus, morels, and ele-
phant garlic. Local sourcing is a passion
for chef Brian Knox, at
Aqua Santa
(51 W. Alameda St.;
&
505/982-6297
).
Working out of an open kitchen in this
tiny, sought-after spot, the gregarious
Knox changes his menu continually,
bringing out the deepest flavors in
dishes like Tuscan bean soup with white-
truffle oil, or a slow-braised lamb ragout
flavored with hazelnuts and pecorino. A
little farther southeast of the Plaza, the
restored Borrego House, a low-slung
ranch house built in 1756, is the setting
for elegant
Geronimo
(724 Canyon
Rd.;
&
505/982-1500;
www.geronimo
Behind the scenes at Trattoria Nostrani.
