I've lived in the Southwest a huge portion of my life since that fateful late June 1964 day when I loaded my meager belongings in the backseat of my Chevy and headed down Route 66 to pilot training in Arizona. Over the intervening years there were five years in Arizona, a year in Nevada, two years in San Antonio, four in New Mexico, 20 in Colorado and now five more in Texas. Lotsa cowboy has been dusted on this Chicago street punk over the decades.
But New Mexico has a feeling. It's partly the land, partly the sky and clouds, partly just a spirit that pervades. Two of my favorites have long been Santa Fe and Taos. Of course, I love the art, but what really brings me back is the food.
Sure, we've got "Mexican" food in Texas, but even the native born Texians call it Tex-Mex. It varies from place to place only slightly. The only real differences I can usually detect are whether a chile relleno is freshly made or out of a freezer. Is the salsa from a jar or a local market's freshest produce made with skilled hands. But I really can't tell much difference from enchilada to enchilada.
But in New Mexico it is cooking with the chiles. Make no mistake, chiles are like wines or premium coffees. They have great variety and the flavors are nuanced. In the hands of a creative chef they aren't simply hot, they are magical with soul.
Yesterday it was an arrival early dinner at my mandatory Santa Fe comfort food joint, Tomasita's in the old Santa Fe depot. Nothing compares--although once a long time ago I had some better in a back-road shanty on the Mescalaro Apache reservation. But that place is long gone and Tomasita's still is.
Best Burrito in Existence With Sopaipilla Chaser
Tonight, it's upscale. This is masterful in the grand cuisine manner with foie gras and beautifully reduced sauces, but with the decided underlying flair which tells me this couldn't happen anywhere else but Santa Fe. In Chicago, foie gras is illegal!
The Compound
Life is good! And there's much more coming up.
3 comments:
Have you tried "Maria's"?
Raz,
Thinking about visiting Santa Fe in the fall. Got any recommendations on where to stay?
Juvat,
Lots of great places to stay but some get pricey. Depends on what you're willing to bear. Top end in all aspects is Inn of the Anasazi. I was at La Fonda on the Plaza this time because that's where SWMBO's symposium was held. Very convenient to everything downtown. Nicer, but a block or two away is Inn on the Alameda. Lower cost but still very convenient to everything is Inn of the Governors. Another downtown hotel which is excellent is Inn at Loretto.
You can't go wrong with any of them. Walking distance to great food and shopping and museums for all. Price range $180-400/night.
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