This article, written by Natalie Bovis, first appeared in Spirited Business Magazine in June 2019
Nestled 7000 feet high, at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Santa Fe is known for expansive turquoise sky, summer-and-winter mountain sports, art galleries, Pueblo-style architectureand nationally-recognized restaurants. Boasting the oldest church in the country, built by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 1600s, this is also one of the earliest wine regions in the United States due to their import of European grape vines to make wine for Mass. Nowadays, thirsty travelers can also enjoy the area’s recent explosion of surrounding craft breweries, cideries and distilleries. This small town, of about 80,000 people, evencelebrates imbibing with two annual festivals sandwiching the popular summer tourist season: NM Cocktails & Culture Culinary Festival (nmcocktailculture.com) returnsMay 31 – June 2, and Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta(santafewineandchile.org) is in September.
Seorita-Agave with Salted Lime Foam at Coyote Cafe
Downtown
All visits to Santa Fe start at the plaza. (Yes, it is shaped like a “square” but only tourists call it that!) The best overlook to thecity’s bustling heartbeat is the second-floor balcony of the Draft Station(draft-staion.com), which features local beers on tap (try the Marble Red) and order-in gourmet pies from Rooftop Pizzeria (rooftoppizzeria.com) where green chile is a MUST add-on ingredient!
From there, a short jaunt toward the majestic St.Francis Basilicadelivers the Hotel La Fonda on the Plaza(lafondasantafe.com), a famed Fred Harvey hotel, whose Fiesta Lounge is a swanky craft cocktail lobby bar. Atop the hotel,Bell Tower offers a bird’s eye view of Santa Fe’s famous sunsets. While there, sip on a Daizy, made with their own barrelof Patron Anejo tequila selected in Jalisco, Mexico for La Fonda, mixed with orange and elderflower liqueurs. For more skyward bar-hopping, Drury Plaza Hotel’s rooftop Bar Alto is but a meander to the other side of the church and bustles withlibation-loving sunset-seekers, while Eloisa (eloisasantafe.com)on that hotel’s ground floor boasts James Beard Award-winningChef John Sedlar’s Georgia O’Keefe tasting menu, punctuated with wine pairing or classic cocktails.
Downtown Santa Fe is dotted with more fine restaurants than a small town has a right to, and most are a stone’s throw from thelast. Sazon (SazonSantaFe.com) presents Mexican-born Chef Fernando Olea’s selection of moles and impeccable upscale south-of-the-border cuisine with sumptuous cocktail offerings such as the Diego Rivera, featuring tequila, mezcal, Coconut & Lychee liqueur, passion fruit purée and an edible orchid, from its cozy Santa-Fe style bar. Another celebrated Mexican transplant, Chef Martin Rios, boasts several James Beard nominations for his restaurant Martin (restaurantmartin.com) whose wine list ranges from exceptional to out-of-this-world. Agave-spiritlovers rejoice at the designated tequila table at Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi’s (rosewoodhotels.com) comfy lounge where guests sample multiple types of the Mexican elixir, while filling their bellies with creative haute cuisine from Chef Peter O’Brien. If Happy Hour crosses your mind while in this corner of the Plaza, stop into Il Piatto (Ilpiattosantafe.com) which offers generous portions of farm-to-table Italian delights and wine at appealing prices.
Anasazi Restaurant
Spanish influence is everywhere in Santa Fe so paella and sangria at El Meson’s (elmeson-santafe.com) bar, down Washington Street, go down easily while taking in a table sideflamenco show. And, tapas at La Boca (labocasantafe.com) on the opposite block, has a beautifully curated selection of sherries, Spanish wines and live guitar, sometimes played by Chef / Owner James Caruso, himself. Visitors waiting a more immersive dinner-and-flamenco experience can drive 5-minutesdown gallery-laden Canyon Road to rustic-yet-modernEl Farol(elfarolsantafe.com). Afterwards, pop into the atmospheric bar at Geronimo (geronimorestaurant.com) and ask Barman Shaun Adams for his creation of the day! And, oenophiles will regale at the wine list at yet another James Beard honored Chef Mark Kiffin’s Compound (compoundrestaurant.com) a few steps from there.
Meanwhile, a 5-minute walk from the town’s epicenter is delightfully rewarded at the famed Coyote Café (coyotecafe.com) serving hands-down some of the best dining (elk tenderloin, anyone?) and cocktails in the Southwest, if not the country. In summertime, a more casual-cool crowd flocks upstairs to Coyote Cantina for frozen margarita-and-beer treats called Lava Lamps. Summer evenings call for an aromatic Smoked Sage Margarita at Secreto Lounge in Hotel St. Francis (hotelstfrancis.com) on the next block over. While there, pop into the charmingGruet tasting room, just off the hotel’s lobby,to try New Mexico’s premium sparkling wine. Late-night grub and pub is also found at uber-popular come-as-you-are Del Charro tucked inside the Inn of the Governors at the end of the block.
Feeling jazzy? The tiny, deco-inspired Tonic bar on Water Street serves classic-inspired cocktails. Feeling raucous? Walk to where Galisteo meets San Francisco Street, and follow thumping punk music down into a darkened basement, otherwise known asthe awesomely dive-a-licious Matador, where vinyl records spin to a backdrop of absurd films and a hodgepodge of characters, and booze runs freely. (Insider tip: Ask about the ghost who demands a whiskey shot each night!) Feel like dancing? Across the way, at street level, Evangelo’s(evangelosocktaillounge.com) is the neighborhood watering hole spilling over with tropical décor, old photos, memorabilia, and live bands, first opened in 1971 by a Greek immigrant and still run by his son, Nick.
Cowgirl Hall of Fame
Railyard
The Santa Fe railroad helped shape the American West. Today, the neighborhood surrounding the historic train stop is called the Railyard and, after years of being relatively undeveloped, has sprung to life with gastropubs, shopping, second-hand stores and theaters. The decades-old, once-shuttered, single-screenJean Cocteau Cinema(Jean Cocteau Cinema.come) is open again thanks to new owner, and resident, George RR Martin. Before taking in a indie flick, enjoy a drink from the adorable, closet-sized bar – maybe try a cocktail honoring the author’s Game of Thrones characters, or buy his autographed books. Grab dinner around the corner, on Guadalupe Street, at Paloma(palomasantafe.com) a vibrant eatery with a fresh take on Mexican specialties in both the kitchen and mezcal-focused bar.If pool is your game, walk two blocks down to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame (cowgirlsantafe.com) where a room full of tables and live music will have you kicking up your cowboy boots overlocal beer and whiskey. There’s even a back patio with a slide for little cowpokes.
A short diagonal walk brings you to Agua Fria Street, and Joseph’s Culinary Pub (JosephsofSantaFe.com) a homey spot with an emphasis on locally-sourced dishes such as New Mexican Lamb Tartare, and a robust selection of interestingwines, beers and house-made kombucha.
If cider tickles your fancy, New Mexico Hard Cider(nmcider.com) is a hop-skip-and-jump across Paseo de Peralta street on lower Cerrillos Road. Owner, Craig Moya, is a former firefighter whose family’s apple orchard in nearby Españolainspired his brewing. Get the $10 Pint & Dog special (the sour cherry cider with Red Chile Dog is highly recommended!) Not far from there, Social (socialkitchensantafe.com) at the Sage Inn, pours generous cocktails and fresh fare from the Farmer’s Market just across the street, in the core of the Railyard district.
Tumbleroot Brewery / Distillery Tap Room
Midtown
Every city has its more youthful up-and-coming area, and in Santa Fe, that section of real estate falls under the blanket term “Midtown.” A 10-minute drive south on Agua Fria drops you at Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery(tumblerootanddistillery.com). Welcome to hipsterville! Not only are their craft beers and spirits made a mere few miles away from the multi-purpose taproom (dance space, large patio, indoor bar) but the food comes from the creator of the popular Bang Bite (locu.com) food truck.
Saunter your skinny jeans about a mile east and you’ll land at the “cool kid” castle known as El Rey Court (elreycourt.com). The new owners spiffied up a rundown motel with (many) coatsof white paint and a driftwood-and-succulents-Joshua-tree vibe,and added a bar called La Reina where – you guessed it – tequila is the spirit of choice, which even locals can enjoy poolside with a summertime membership.
Whimsey at Meow Wolf's Float Cafe
A couple of miles south is the alternate universe known as Meow Wolf(santafe.meowwolf.com) This world-famous interactive art space also added its own Float Café & Bar which tantalizes visitors with whimsical cocktail ingredients such as marshmallows, flavored foam and a variety of absinthes.
If you’d rather skip the razzle-dazzle of on-trend hotspots, settle on to a barstool or dog-friendly patio at Rowley Farmhouse Ales (Rowleyfarmhouse.com). This down-to-earth brewery and gastropub focuses on national award-winning farmhouse and sour ales with comfort food such as Poutine and Chicken & Waffles. (Bonus: These guys raise money for various dog rescues.) Digging the suds? Second Street Brewery(secondstreetbrewery.com) was one of the first in town and has expanded from its original midtown location to also pull pints at their outposts in the Railyard and on Rufina Street (just near Meow Wolf). Among their offerings, those aged in scotch, rye whiskey, and tequila barrels are definitely worth a taste!
Southside
This area of Santa Fe doesn’t get much love from tourists – and the locals kinda like it that way because parking is a-plenty, seating abounds and prices don’t reflect high-season sticker shock. Since 1997, Blue Corn Brewery & Café(bluecornbrewery.com) has served up New Mexican fare and had particular acclaim for its brown ale and oatmeal stout. Keep driving another 15 minutes, or so, down the Turquoise Trail, and Santa Fe Brewing Company (SantaFeBrewing.com) invites visitors to discover the beer-making process they’ve employed since 1988 with the first Santa Fe Pale Ale. The space includes a 13,000 square foot brewery and event space for concerts. Finally, out toward Santa Fe’s two-room airport, book a tour and taste the wares at Santa Fe Spirits (santafespirits.com) distillery. (the apple brandy and piñon liqueur are unique additions to your home bar.)
Terra at Four Seasons
Tesuque
Just outside the city limits, Tesuque is its own village but thetree-lined, two-lane Bishop’s Lodge backroad beckons for exploration. Start out early because brunch at Tesuque Village Market (tesuquevillagemarket.com) inside a ramshackle, wooden house, fills up quickly – but pastries, provisions and booze bottles are for sale to go. El Nido (elnidosantafe.com) isyet another old-made-new-again restaurant that was popular with then-resident celebrities such as Sam Shepard, Jessica Lange and Shirley MacLaine in the 1980s, and after its own face lift and revamped menu offers Italian country fare and full bar. And, finally, no visit to Santa Fe is complete without an excursion to the gorgeous Terra at the Four Season’sResort & Spa. Speckled with world-class art, expansive mountain views and Chef Kai Autenrieth’s elegant cuisine, the wrap-around outdoor patio and outdoor fire pit draw the pre-Opera crowd who enjoy martinis and belly laughs with longtime barman, Larry, who exemplifies Santa Fe hospitality at its best… and, clearly, hospitality is what Santa Fe does best.