Where to Eat: Santa Fe

[Via TripAdvisor]

After exploring the plaza downtown and running some errands elsewhere in the city, D and I were definitely ready for a lunch break. I had one more restaurant on my mind to try -- Chocolate Maven Bakery & Cafe. We popped the address into our GPS, which made finding the place a lot easier. Its location, though not far off the beaten path, is a little random. Upon your arrival, you are apt to ask "Is this the right place?" given its industrialish warehouse location. But upon closer inspection you'll note the full parking lot and then spy the entrance surrounded by "Best of Santa Fe" awards. Don't be fooled by the warehouse atmosphere--once inside you are transported to a cozy bakery and cafe.

D and I were quickly seated in the cafe's upper level (reached by a winding staircase). The upper level is bright and airy (there was a nice breeze coming in through an open window) and the walls are covered in warmly-colored landscape art. Upon perusing the menu, the biggest question was what to order given the many tasty options.

D opted to go the breakfast route and ordered the Almond Raspberry French Toast. This entree was described as "two thick slices of freshly baked challah, batter dipped, then dredged in sliced almonds and griddled to golden brown, [and] served with raspberry-almond sauce" -- and its taste definitely matched its description.

I opted to go the lunch route. (As a connoisseur of grilled cheese sandwiches, my eye (and stomach) is often drawn directly to that selection if available!) I ordered "The Bistro" sandwich, a "French grilled cheese sandwich with Gruyere, apple slices, and grainy mustard grilled on our home baked, thick sliced sourdough levain." The sandwich typically also comes with either "naturally raised smoked ham from Niman ranch" or "vegetarian ham" -- however, I'm not that big a fan of ham, and the idea of "vegetarian ham" really doesn't sound all that appetizing to me. (As a vegetarian, I was never really into things that are supposed to taste like meat, given that being a vegetarian, I was actively choosing NOT to eat meat!) Anyway, though the blurry BlackBerry photo does it no justice, the sammy was delicious. And did I mention it came with rosemary garlic fries? Yum -- definitely need to figure out how to make those at home!

D and I managed to save room for dessert this time around. After looking through the dessert menu, we opted for the carrot cake. In addition, I ordered a delicious Mexican hot chocolate (the restaurant also offers hot chocolates made with American, Belgian, or Italian chocolates). The carrot cake was a-mazing:

It came garnished with a (tall!) puffed rice-sugar ornament and fresh cut strawberry. It was heavenly -- the perfect flavor combination to end our meal.

Like the other restaurants we visited in Santa Fe, Chocolate Maven pledges to use "no artificial flavors, preservatives, or synthetic additives; hormone-free, naturally-raised chicken, beef, ham, and eggs; unbleached, unbromated regionally grown flours; GMO-free certification on many ingredients; many seasonal ingredients from local farms and farmer's markets; and no hydrogenated oils. Ever." In addition, the restaurant now features farmer's market-inspired dinners.

Chocolate Maven is open daily for breakfast from 7a to 3p. Lunch is offered 10:30a to 3p Monday through Friday, and brunch is served 9a to 3p Saturday and Sunday. Dinner is served Wednesday through Sunday from 5:45p to 8:45p. In addition, high tea is available Monday through Friday from 3p to 5p.

It was really heartening to find a town with so many options for those seeking meals made with organic or locally-produced ingredients. We didn't even get to half the restaurants that participate in the town's farm-to-table program. I really hope I get another chance to visit this vibrant city and hit up several more of the great restaurants Santa Fe has to offer.

Chocolate Maven Bakery & Cafe

821 W. San Mateo Road

Santa Fe, NM 87505

(505) 984-1980

Where to Eat: Santa Fe

[Via flickr]

For dinner on Saturday night, we opted to hit up Cafe Pasqual's. This restaurant features a menu inspired by flavors of the Southwest, Mexico, and Asia. And of course, yet again I was excited to find that Pasqual's emphasizes the use of ingredients that are seasonal, fresh, organic, and naturally-raised.

Given the small size of the dining room and the cafe's popularity, reservations are recommended for dinner. Though we could have opted to take an earlier reservation by sitting at a shared table, we opted to dine a little later (at 9p) to ensure a private booth. (Though the folks seated together at the shared table seemed to have created quite a camaraderie together!)

[Secreto cocktail --- and note all the great fresh produce lining the bar!]

D and I began our evening by enjoying a cocktail at the Secreto Lounge located in the Hotel St. Francis. I enjoyed a Secreto cocktail, which featured muddled grapes, strawberry, organic rosemary, and red wine along with a few choice liquors. Long story short, it was delish!

[Via flickr]

Following our stop for cocktails, we continued down the block to Cafe Pasqual's. We were seated immediately and quickly dove into the menu after taking in the great decor. (Note the brightly-colored papel picado hanging across the ceiling in the above photo.) Everything on the menu looked so good! We started out by sharing a vegetarian tamale -- so spicy and good. For my main entree, I chose the enchiladas with sauteed chard, grilled zucchini, and jack cheese. The enchiladas were served with a grilled banana, fresh corn torte, and cilantro rice. I opted to have my enchiladas "Christmas-style" meaning it was served with both the red chili and green chili sauce. Oof! So much food. And SO good. I was definitely gulping down some water, though -- quite a bit of spice for me. But not distressingly spicy, just a nice kick. (A bite or two of the cilantro rice also helped calm the burn, too.) D ordered the organic chicken mole enchiladas which also came with cilantro rice, a fresh corn torte, and an orange-jicama salad. Long story short, after eating we were absolutely stuffed to the gills . . . and depressingly unable to even consider dessert. (Well, okay, we did look at the menu but nothing was able to overcome our extreme satiation!) Some folks at nearby tables did order dessert and everything looked quite tasty.

Cafe Pasqual's is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday from 8a to 3p, and for Sunday brunch from 8a to 3p. Dinner is served daily from 5:30p. Though not exactly budget-friendly, Cafe Pasqual's is perfect for a special night out. Dinner entrees range from $23 to $38. Breakfast and lunch entree prices are a bit kinder to the wallet.

Cafe Pasqual's

121 Don Gaspar

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 983-9340

Where to Eat: Santa Fe

After taking a look at the menu and philosophy of Tree House Pastry Shop and Cafe, I knew I had to go there for a meal. According to the cafe's website, "[it] is an all-organic, vegetarian pastry shop and cafe with a menu based on the local agricultural products grown and harvested in and around Santa Fe" -- definitely right up my alley! Given that the kitchen closed at 3p on Saturdays, and was not open on Sunday or Monday, I had to make this cafe my first destination. I booked it straight there after arriving in Albuquerque. (Santa Fe is about an hour and a half drive north of Albuquerque.) There was a slight snafu when I discovered the directions I had printed out the night before were to the cafe's old address, but luckily Google maps on my BlackBerry helped lead me to the right place.

The cafe is located in the Lena Street Lofts, a new loft development that intermixes loft living with a variety of businesses, including several art studios. The cafe itself is located in an open and airy adobe building encompassed by floor-to-ceiling windows that allow in ample light. Cafe service is casual and low-key; you order at the counter and your meal is brought to you by a friendly employee when it is ready.

Tree House features a changing menu; daily specials are written on the chalkboard. I was starving upon my arrival, having only had a chai latte at the secret Starbucks kiosk in the Denver airport several hours earlier. For my lunch, I chose the local tempeh wrap -- a whole wheat tortilla filled with house-made hummus, seasonal veggies, lentils, marinated tempeh, and sunflower sprouts. The wrap was served with a lightly-dressed salad of mixed greens. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint, and was the perfect antidote to my rather-ravenous hunger.

In addition to serving breakfast and lunch, the cafe also offers a variety of pastries, including muffins, scones, croissants, brownies, and cupcakes.

The cafe is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8a to 4p. During the winter months, the cafe is closed Sunday and Monday. Breakfast is served from 8a to 11:30a and lunch is served from 11:30a to 3p. Entrees range between about $5 and $14.

Tree House Pastry Shop and Cafe

1600 Lena Street

Santa Fe, NM 87505

(505) 474-5543