Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
653 Canyon Rd.
&
505/982-4353.
www.compoundrestaurant.com. Reservations recommended. Main
courses $12-$20 lunch, $25-$44 dinner. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Sat noon-2pm; daily 6-9pm; bar
opens nightly at 5pm.
157
Coyote Café
SOUTHWESTERN World-renowned chef and cookbook author
Mark Miller put this place on the map decades ago. Now under new ownership, it has
gained new popularity as a place for innovative food in a festive environment. The atmo-
sphere blends warm colors and creative lighting to make for a memorable meal. The
waitstaff is efficient and friendly. The menu changes seasonally, so the dishes I mention
may not be available. Past favorites have included sautéed Italian porcinis or prawns over
corn cakes with chipotle butter and guacamole. For a main course, look for delights such
as pan-seared white miso halibut with roasted lobster jus, wasabi mashed potatoes, and
braised baby bok choy; or the “Cowboy Cut,” a rib-eye with “borracho” beans, red chile
onion rings, and roasted fingerling potatoes. You can order drinks from the full bar or
wine by the glass.
Coyote Café has an adjunct establishment. In summer, the place to be seen is
La
Nueva Cantina,
where light Mexican fare and cocktails are served on a festively painted
terrace. Try the guacamole and chips, the crispy calamari strips, or the jalapeño rellenos
with buttermilk roasted-garlic sauce.
132 Water St.
&
505/983-1615.
www.coyotecafe.com. Reservations highly recommended. Main
courses $6-$16 (Nueva Cantina), $19-$36 (Coyote Café). AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Nueva Cantina: Daily
11:30am-9:30pm. Dining room: Daily 5:30-10pm.
El Farol
SPANISH This is the place to head for local ambience and flavors of
Spain, Santa Fe, and Mexico. El Farol (the Lantern), set in an 1835 adobe building, is
the Canyon Road artists' quarter's original neighborhood bar. The restaurant has cozy
low ceilings and hand-smoothed adobe walls. Thirty-five varieties of tapas are offered,
including such delicacies as
gambas al ajillo
(shrimp with chile, garlic, Madeira, and lime)
and
pinchos morunos
(grilled pork skewers with harissa sauce). You can make a meal out
of two or three tapas shared with your friends, or order a full dinner such as the paella or
the mixed grill, with lamb, chorizo, and shrimp over delectable potatoes. There is live
entertainment 7 nights a week—including jazz/swing, folk, and Latin guitar music—
starting at 9:30pm. In summer, two outdoor patios are open to diners. Call ahead to find
out about their flamenco dinner shows. The restaurant offers some of the finest wines
and sherries in the world.
808 Canyon Rd.
&
505/983-9912.
www.elfarolsf.com. Reservations recommended. Tapas $8; main
courses $8.75-$18 lunch, $26-$33 dinner. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am-3pm and 5:30-10pm. Bar
until 2am Mon-Sat; until midnight Sun.
Fuego
Moments
INTERNATIONAL This is one of Santa Fe's most stylish and
sophisticated dining experiences. The restaurant offers the ambience of a traditional
Southwestern hacienda, accented with colorful paintings from local galleries, grand iron
chandeliers hanging from high ceilings, and comfortable couches, along with a broad
dining patio that's one of Santa Fe's best. Service is excellent. Some locals consider the
“Rancher's Brunch” one of the town's finest. It includes favorites such as eggs Benedict,
along with inventive items such as a shellfish-and-brie omelet. Lunch might start with a
seafood platter or Caesar salad and move onto duck leg confit, cooked for 10 hours and
served with sautéed potatoes. Dinner might start with lobster medallions, followed by a
Kobe New York strip steak with truffles and braised potatoes. For dessert, try selections
from a world-class artisanal farmhouse cheese cart or variety of sweets. An excellent wine
7
