Santa Fe Restaurant Tips by rexvaughan

Restaurant Name: La Case Sena La Cantina

This is a restaurant with an attached cantina but I think the menus are the same. We ate in the cantina where the waiters and waitresses also sing. Every few minutes one of them would walk to the grand piano where their accompanist was awaiting and sing. The program was mostly songs from Broadway shows and they were quite good.

We were with old freinds from Angel Fire and surprisingly met a couple of freinds from our home town in Georgia so they joined us for dinner. They have just been married about 3 years and she regaled us with the story of why she kept her maiden name instead of adopting his which is Funk. Let your imagination go with that one! Between her and the singers it was a most entertaining evening.

Favorite Dish: This place has what is purported to be the most extensive wine list in the Southwest US, and we all had different wines. I had prime rib which was delicious. Others had chicken, trout or salmon and all declared it very good. I can also attest to the quality of their creme brule and expresso.

Highly recommended even if it is a bit on the pricey side.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 505 988-9232
Address: 125 East Palace Avenue
Directions: Just off the central plaza.

Restaurant Name: La Fonda's La Plazuela

This is such a beautiful enclosed courtyard restaurant that it would be a pleasure to just sit for an hour and admire the beautiful and vibrant glass and the colorful surroundings. However the food is really quite good. They claim to use only fresh, locally grown New Mexico ingredients and the food certainly reflects this in its taste. We had lunch and I had a chicken salad sandwich with poblano cream, apples, raisins, pecans, tomatoes, onion and greens accompanied by a delicious coleslaw. Others in our party had tortilla soup with avacado and chicken, Caesar salad and shrimp. Everyone was very pleased with the food. The tortilla chips they serve with salsa when you sit down are made on the premises and are some of the best I have eaten.

The restaurant is one of three in the hotel which was built in 1922. However, there has evidently been an inn (Spanish ‘La Fonda’ translates to ‘The Inn’) since the early 17th Century just after the city was founded. It is old and charming but well maintained and has a nice variety of shops and cafes in the building


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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: (505) 982-5511
Address: 100 E San Francisco St
Directions: Right on the Plaza
Website: http://www.lafondasantafe.com/foodbev/foodbev.html

Restaurant Name: Little House

After about 2 days of good Mexican food I am always ready for a change of pace. Since our whole family likes an occasional Chinese meal, I asked the hotel desk clerk if he knew of any good ones. He recommended the Little House just down the road. Well, it was some of the best Chinese food I have eaten. I was a little worried when we walked in as there were very few people there and virtually no one in the main dining room where we ate. However, my fears were unfounded. I even tried my first Chinese beer, a Tsing Tao which was pretty good - not as good as Belgian, but not bad.

The dining room is attractively decorated in what I would call minimalist style given what I have seen in some Chinese restaurants. Must be the influence of the subtle Mexican decorating style.

Hours are 11:00 a.m.- 9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday & Saturday; and 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. on Sunday. Open 365 days a year.

Favorite Dish: We ordered several things to share: Moo Goo Gai Pan, Sesame Chicken, Chicken Lo Mein, Spring Rolls, Fried Rice and Sizzling Rice Soup. The only thing that was not excellent was the soup and to be fair to them it was not on the menu but they said they would make it. It wasn’t bad, but have had better several places. With the meal they served Won Ton Soup which was very good.

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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 505 983-1558
Address: 1965 Cerrillos Road