Land of Enchantment.
That’s what it says on the license plates in New Mexico. All I know is that I’ve been enchanted by New Mexico for a very long time. There is something about the clear blue sky, mountains, pinon scent, and the ever present green chiles in many foods that lures me in. Whenever I can manage a visit (which is about once a year), I go to my favorite restaurants. This time, I was passing through on my way to tape some shows for “Creative Living with Sheryl Borden” at PBS station KENW-TV in Eastern New Mexico. Santa Fe beckoned to me and I couldn’t resist.
We (husband Larry and I) had less than 24 hours in Santa Fe before flying from Albuquerque back to our home in Denver. So, I plotted our restaurants in advance to make the most of our time. I chose three favorites that we’ve visited many times before.
La Boca
After taping 3 shows that morning, we arrived at La Boca, known for its Modern Spanish Cuisine. Chef James Campbell Caruso, a James Beard award nominee several times, offers a Happy Hour where appetizers are half-priced. Almost everything is gluten-free, so eating here was a breeze.
Larry & Carol at Inn of the Anasazi Restaurant.
La Boca Chicken Skewers
Plus, if you ask, they serve their own gluten-free bread which I have eaten several times. The restaurant has been acclaimed by the New York Times, the Food Network, Travel and Leisure, and Esquire, to name a few. It is excellent and usually full every time we visit.
After driving for 4 hours, we were famished. But, first we started with Blood Orange Sangria. This isn’t La Boca’s recipe, but it is really good. Then we turned our attention to the menu. We started with a bowl of superb olives, then added Tacos, Chicken on skewers (fried in rice flour, not the usual wheat flour), Bacon-wrapped dates, and finished it off with La Boca’s fabulous Chocolate Pots de Crème.
La Boca tacos.
Because we were there during Happy Hour, our bill was less than $60 which was extremely reasonable for this feast.
Brussels Sprouts and Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Last year, we stayed at the marvelous Antigua Inn, but they were full this year so we just stayed at a non-descript place on Cerrillos Road. If you can stay at the Antigua Inn, I really recommend it. It will be memorable!
Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi
We started the next day with breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast spots: Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi. The Anasazis (translates into “the ancient ones”) populated this area centuries ago, yet mysteriously disappeared.
This restaurant is a very upscale place, and the menu choices are tantalizing. After much deliberation, I chose the Applewood-Smoked Ham Benedict with Chipotle Benedict.
Applewood-Smoked Ham Benedict with Chipotle Hollandaise Sance
Larry chose the Huevos Rancheros. This is a very gluten-free-friendly restaurant, so my Benedict featured house-baked gluten-free bread rather than the usual English muffin. It was absolutely wonderful and beautifully-plated, as the photo shows.
After breakfast, we visited a market that I’ve noticed for several years called Kaune’s Neighborhood Market on Old Santa Fe Trail. It is an upscale market, with several gluten-free choices. In fact, I found a new bread from Flax 4 Life called Toaster Buns. They are heavy and dense (the way I like them) and should be cut in half before toasting. Slathered with Almond Butter and a smear of jam, they are a delightful change of pace for breakfast.
La Casa Sena
Our final meal was in the courtyard of the lovely La Casa Sena (this place was actually someone’s home long ago). The weather was in the 70’s, sunny like most New Mexico days, and the menu was very appealing. Like the other restaurants, many of the dishes were naturally gluten-free. I decided on the Beef Oxtail-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers. It was extremely good, but I was saving room for the dessert—Three Chocolate Mousse, which was beautifully plated and a work of art in itself.
Three Chocolate Mousse
After three superb meals in less than 24 hours, we drove to Albuquerque for our flight home with happy memories and fully-sated taste buds. As we flew over Santa Fe, I noticed the contrast of snow-capped mountains, red-brown soil, pinon-forested hills, and the low-slung adobes that characterize Santa Fe. The lure to come back was already starting! We’re planning our next visit soon!
