Your Fabulous Host: Stacy Pearl

Welcome!

Each week host Stacy Pearl and one of her many marvelous Guest Hosts present Mouth of Wonder, a half hour of topical, fast-paced, humorous banter with lots of solid cooking advice thrown in, a variety of segments, and some great musical introductions. The segments include:

"Authority on everything, expert on nothing," Rula is an over-the-top advice columnist from Williamsburg Brooklyn who answers questions about food and entertaining. Sheila Vista — the ultimate Santa Fe woman — also stops by from time to time to present her cosmic view of the world and what we eat.

The Southwestern food scene
has never been so entertaining!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Bert's La Taqueria

Restaurant Review

Bert's La Taqueria What an interesting meal! I love a menu full of things I have not seen before. From the delicious salsas to the exotic corn fungus appetizer this meal was wonderful. I had lamb wrapped in a a banana leaf which melted in my mouth. Both the Pipian and Mole sauces were excellent and the shrimp enchiladas with squash blossoms were divine. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, you must try this place.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette This is a stylish new spot on Don Cubero alley near Cerrillos. I had a great, healthy lunch of wild mushroom soup and 2 gourmet salads in a very modern room. The ingredients are top notch and the options are many. There is also an excellent wine list and all desserts are homemade. Very trendy at the moment, be the first on your block to try it!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Lan's and The Station Cafe

Restaurant Review

Lan's This is a great new find in the College Plaza shopping center on Cerrillos near Smith's. Real Vietnamese cuisine in Santa Fe! The ingredients are good quality and many are organic. The menu is full of yummy options (some of which they don't have at the moment) and the atmosphere is beautiful. The service still needs work so go prepared. They are however, looking for waitstaff. Need a job?


The Station Cafe A very chic and trendy new coffee shop has opened in the Railyard and I love it! They serve Illy coffee, Taos Cow and Häagen-Dazs ice cream, and get their bread and pastries from Le Zodiac bakery. It's all served with style and class and I love the cool plexi water dispenser filled with iced cucumber water.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Le Flip

Restaurant Review

Le Flip This is a cute, tiny, pseudo-French restaurant next to Alfanoose on Second street. They do coffee and tea drinks, smoothies, and crepes. The crepe fillings are creative, but unfortunately the actual crepes are tasteless. And the dessert crepes were particularly disappointing.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, October 25, 2008

The Santa Fe Bar and Grill - revisit

The Santa Fe Bar and Grill This is a reliable, convenient, choice in the DeVargas Mall. The room is nicely designed, the service is attentive and professional and the food is good almost all of the time. I love their carefully prepared salads, the soups and burgers are also good. The New Mexican items are not their strong point, but the menu is full of other tempting options.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Coyote Cafe

Restaurant Review

Coyote Cafe It seems a shame that the most famous restaurant in Santa Fe — the one that started it all when it comes to modern Southwestern cuisine — has fallen this far. The room needs a good deal of care to make it elegant once again. The tables and chairs are beat, and the wall near our table had a big red wine drip on it. The food was beautifully presented, but on some dishes, the presentation made it impossible to eat. General quality was uneven and at that price this just won't do! My Foie gras appetizer arrived cold and had to be sent back. The antelope was superb, but the pork Wellington was dry and not very tasty. Even our chocolate dessert was off. Espresso Panna cotta was just plain weird. Not the meal I had dreamed about!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Torino's @ Home

Restaurant Review

Torino's @ Home This is a wonderful, little, well-hidden restaurant on Don Gaspar across from Del Charros. Big parking lot is right there! Husband and wife team Maxime and Daniella make authentic pastas, sandwiches, grilled Paninis, and salads. They are French and Italian and the two palates combine to make excellent, high-quality foods to eat in or take home. A great downtown gem open Monday - Friday. They also offer a great cup of coffee. Coming soon in an adjacent spot, an Italian market. I can't wait!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Ziggy's International Market

Restaurant Review

Ziggy's International Market It's about time Santa Fe got an inexpensive, international marketplace! They have a great Middle Eastern section (Halava galore), a great English section (though I'm not sure how many people need Bisto, treacle pudding, and sour wine gums), and a big Indian section. I hope they add more stuff. Ziggy's is in the shopping center at the intersection of Cerrillos and Saint Francis, near Tiny's.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Delicasa

Restaurant Review

Delicasa This basic little restaurant has raised the bar on dinning out on Saint Mike's. Just up the strip mall from Kinkos and The Hidden Chicken, they offer high quality paninnis, subs and salads, as well as fancy coffee drinks and Dr. Brown's sodas. The sandwiches are excellent and not expensive and the salads are superb. Thanks to the people who brought us La Boca!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Bernice's top picks around town


Bernice's top picks around town

The Bullring 150 Washington Street 983-3328
The best damn steak in town served with class.

La Boca 72 West Marcy Street 982-3433
Lovely Spanish tapas prepared with extreme care. This place is jumping!

Del Charro 101 West Alameda 954-0320
The best cheap burger in town and a great local bar. Parking is tricky.

Bobcat Bites 420 Las Vegas Highway 983-5319
A bit out of the way, and they have crazy short hours, but the burgers are superb.

Clafoutis 420 Guadalupe Street 988-1809
The only place in town to get croissants as well as real-deal French pastries and food. Close your eyes and you could be in Paris.

Plaza Cafe Southside 3011 Cerrillos Road 424-0755
Good normal diner food, as well as New Mexican and Middle Eastern, you can't go wrong!

Piccolino 2890 Agua Fria 471-1480
Cheap and cheerful family-style Italian restaurant in an old Church's chicken joint, go figure!

Konami 313 South Guadalupe Street 984-2002
They have a great $10.00 sushi lunch special, then shop the street!

Whole Hog 3006 Cerrillos Road 474-3375
Great BBQ, sauce on the side, so it doesn't have to be spicy. First shop at Goodwill, then do lunch, a perfect afternoon in Santa Fe.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, August 16, 2008

The Turtle Mountain Brewery in Rio Rancho

Restaurant Review

Turtle Mountain Brewery If you find yourself starving and thirsty and in Rio Rancho, this is where you should eat. It's not health food by any means, the portions are big and heavy, but the beer is excellent the pizzas and all the bar food selections are tasty and well made. Service was fast and efficient and the air conditioning is on high, so bring a wrap.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Los Amigos

Restaurant Review

Los Amigos This new joint on Rodeo Road where Castro's used to be, is filling the needs of the locals by providing very cheap New Mexican food in a nice clean establishment. I however, found the menu and the food boring and the service lacking.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Aqua Santa re-visit

Restaurant Review

Aqua Santa re-visit This was a very expensive meal which did not thrill me. Yes, the food was decent enough, but the service was less than attentive, the seasoning and preparation was not that careful, and the flies made me crazy. Love the decor, hate the china!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, July 26, 2008

O'Keefe Cafe

Restaurant Review

O'Keefe Cafe This is a lovely place to sit outside on a warm day and have a very expensive lunch. Most of our items were excellent, but I can't forgive the Carrot Gazpacho served in a hot bowl on a hot saucer which was very unpleasant. The chocolate cake is superb but skip the apple tart. At $9.00 a dessert, you owe me!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, July 19, 2008

New Dehli Grill at Sunset Gas Station

Restaurant Review

New Dehli Grill Go figure, the best Indian restaurant in town is out on the Old Las Vegas Highway in the back of a gas station! Trust me, it's really good. We skipped the cheap and cheerful lunch buffet for $7.99 when one of the guests warned us to be sure the chicken was really cooked and headed to the cute dinning room in the back. The menu is big and interesting, there are lots of vegetarian choices, they make the Panir from scratch, and it wasn't oily. You even can dine on the open patio and watch people cry while gassing up.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Cleopatra's Cafe

Restaurant Review

Cleopatra's Cafe This new cafe in the infamous Lowe's parking lot off Zafarano is nothing to get excited about. I felt the same way I felt when I ate at their original location in the Design Center. I appreciate their use of local lamb in the kabobs, but it's too bad it was overcooked and had no seasoning. The Fava bean falafel sounded interesting, but was bland and mushy. I understand the Moussaka is excellent. Maybe they need to work the kinks out, and get some consistency in their food. For the moment, I would rather keep driving and go to the Southside Plaza Cafe for my Middle Eastern food cravings.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Pepe's Tacos

Restaurant Review

Pepe's Tacos This is a real deal, cheap and cheerful Mexican Taco joint on Cerrillos road right next to Los Portillos, which has the same owner. The menu is huge and on the wall and full of authentic dishes. The Cubano sandwich was tasty and very heavy, as it should be. The Chicken tacos were excellent, but after this lunch I had to take a nap!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Max's

Restaurant Review

Max's Okay, this tiny restaurant on Guadalupe Street behind WillLee's Blues Bar is a huge success waiting to happen. If you go there now, everyone will be impressed with how ahead-of-the-curve you were. The food is carefully and lovingly created by chef Deena who has a flair for international cuisine, uses the best possible ingredients, and has a great sense of style. Now is the time to support a truly local effort in a cool setting that's fairly priced. What more could you ask for...? Just bigger tables, please!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, June 14, 2008

The Himalayan Restaurant

Restaurant Review

The Himalayan Restaurant This is a quirky little restaurant on Cerrillos road in College Plaza where they serve Himalayan and Indian food and some of the options are really great! They do great lamb. The nan with sauteed onions and cilantro is great! The portions are huge, the menu is extensive (we were told the new chef would be changing the menu shortly) and the service is a bit odd. What else is new? They do a cheap lunch buffet which I want to try this week.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Outback Steakhouse

Restaurant Review

Outback Steakhouse This is a well-established Australian-influenced chain restaurant with a very loyal following off Cerirllos Road, right near Kohl's department store. The menu is about meat, with some fish mixed in, and the quality of the food is pretty good. Portions are large and it's a decent value but the whole experience — from the really bad service to the overly peppy waiter — was kind of annoying.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Ellie's Yoberri Park

Restaurant Review

Ellie's Yoberri Park This is an amazing, "made-from-scratch," non-commercial, super high-quality and delicious frozen yogurt shop that opened moments ago on San Fransisco down the street from Il Vicino. They are still tweaking the secret formula, but I think it's perfect. They are sweetening with Agave sweetener and the flavors are amazing. The mango is orgasmic! And, it's half the price of Columbo yogurt at Haagen Dazs!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Keva Juice

Restaurant Review

Keva Juice As far as I am concerned, this brightly colored, not terribly clean store on Zafarano has nothing to do with juice, real nutrition, fresh produce, or healthy living. It is just a corn syrup infused soda shop where obese people and teens have the illusion a 400 calorie drink is good for you as a snack. On the plus side, It is better then McDonalds.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, May 17, 2008

The Galisteo Inn

Restaurant Review

The Galisteo Inn This is a gorgeous place to dine. Chef Kim Mueller serves up some super, high-quality, well sourced, and beautifully presented food, which is well worth the drive even at current gas prices. Note the llamas who live near the parking lot (I don't know why). Simplicity prevails in the flavorings, which is a different approach from the norm of "how many exotic ingredients can I squeeze in one dish?" Desserts could use some work.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Las Mayas and the Most Expensive Frozen Yogurt In The World

Restaurant Review

Las Mayas A lovely little treat of a restaurant hidden behind the Hilton Hotel on Water Street, off of Guadalupe Street. The atmosphere was romantic, the trio playing old Jazz standards was perfect, the service was very attentive and the food was solid. Portions were large and well-prepared with some unusual choices on the menu. The grilled scallop starter with pistachio sauce was a winner. The only disappointment was the mealy flan which the waitress recommended. Next time I choose my own dessert.


Frozen Yogurt at Haagen-Dazs on the Plaza You have to be kidding me! We ordered 2 medium cups of plain vanilla yogurt and it costs $11.65. I almost flipped. No wonder people think Santa Fe is such a rip off!
[not even a SHMEAR!]

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Lunch at Osaka

Restaurant Review

Lunch at Osaka Though the sushi was excellent, the entire experience was not so great. The wait staff was unprofessional, the restaurant looked dirty, and the china was badly chipped. Nothing a good manager and some T.L.C. couldn't fix.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Tune Up Cafe and a Jinja re-visit

Restaurant Review

Tune Up Cafe A great new neighborhood joint in the old greasy home of Dave's Not Here. Thank god, they cleaned it up and more. The atmosphere is chill and hip, the menu is creative, the fries are hand cut, it's reasonably priced, and the locals love it already


Jinja In a Mouth of Wonder first, I am withdrawing all the bagels I gave to this restaurant only a few weeks ago due to the bad service we received the other night.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, April 19, 2008

The Blue Heron and Guadalupe Cafe

Restaurant Review

The Blue Heron at Sunrise Springs An unfortunate turn of events. They were 40 minutes late in opening, understaffed and the food quality was uneven. Many of the dishes showed promise, but the whole experience was poor.



Guadalupe Cafe A great value lunch in the downtown area — how rare is that? Portions are huge, food is very fresh, help is friendly, and there is great outdoor seating.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Croissants around town

The results of the Santa Fe Croissant Tasting

Clafoutis The best in town made by real French folks — and it shows. This place was rocking at 9AM! Bernice said it made her feel like she was in Paris. It pulled apart in a perfect spiral and made us very happy!


Sage Bakehouse A surprise to me! It was buttery, flakey and just sweet enough. Who knew they could do French?


Cafe Paris Light and buttery, but a little too sweet and not enough crust.


Treehouse Cafe A croissant of a totally different kind. Organic and made with whole-wheat flour, it was surprisingly light and delicious.


The French Bakery at La Fonda Had the potential to be good and rich, but our sample seemed a little dry and old, was it yesterday's? That would be bad.


Santa Fe Baking Company It was mushy and bland.


Chocolate Maven If you can't make it good, make it big. Didn't even resemble a croissant.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, March 29, 2008

The Sleeping Dog Tavern and High Tea at the Hotel Saint Francis

Restaurant Review

The Sleeping Dog Tavern This slightly below-street-level (on West San Fransisco), dark and stylish bar serves up some tasty but kind of expensive gourmet bar food. My spinach salad topped with a small amount of perfectly cooked medium rare duck and an ice tea ran me over $20.00. Ouch! The angus burgers are more reasonably priced and excellent. If you have the stomach for it, the truffled french fries with Stilton make the beers go down with great ease.


High Tea at the Hotel Saint Francis What a lovely and surprising downtown experience. I felt like I had left quaint old Santa Fe and was in a real city for 2 hours. Service was super professional, the traditional wares (like the silver tea strainer, the three tiered plate holder, and Demerera sugar cubes) were all in place, and the scones were top notch, as were all the delicate little snacks. And they use real deal clotted cream!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Jinja

Restaurant Review

Jinja A wonderful surprise behind the DeVargas mall. Contemporary Asian cuisine in a beautiful setting with a great adult bar scene. Be prepared to wait for a table, but it's worth it. My one complaint — Vietnamese spring rolls and Chinese egg rolls are not the same thing! I found the menu misleading, but the flavors were all good.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Late Night Burger

Restaurant Review

Late Night Burger What an lame experience — from the bad design, to the bad sound system, to the overcooked, tasteless burger. Why bother asking how you want it cooked if they all come out well done anyway?

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Alfanoose

Restaurant Review

Alfanoose A great new, family-run Middle Eastern restaurant on 2nd Street. Very cheap, real street food with lots of dips and lots of Pita bread and great Baklava made by Mom! Baba Ganouj was my favorite.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, February 23, 2008

The Old House at the Eldorado Hotel

Restaurant Review

The Old House at the Eldorado Hotel This is a beautiful restaurant with well-trained, professional staff, an excellent reputation, and very high prices. I was disappointed at the inconsistent quality of the food. The appetizers were excellent, the Foie Gras was to die for, but the mains were run-of-the-mill. The chicken entree was dry and boring. The chocolate torte was excellent, but the beggar's purse with banana was made with a giant rubbery crepe and we had to hunt for the banana bit.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Tribes Coffee House

Restaurant Review

Tribes Coffee House The first place to open on the fast-developing Southside with an authentic hippy vibe. You could actually hang out there and forget you are sitting in the parking lot at Lowe's. Nice sandwiches, salads and wraps and excellent homemade cakes and cookies. The coffee cake is worth the trip!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, February 02, 2008

The Kakawa Chocolate House and Clafoutis

Restaurant Review

Kakawa These folks sell all kinds of extremely expensive chocolates made with super high-quality ingredients, supply you with unlimited historical references, and fascinating medicinal facts, but frankly they just don't taste very good.


Clafoutis This place opened, like, 10 minutes ago, and already the buzz has started. It's a real French bakery and cafe where many have failed before them on Guadalupe where LeMoyne's Landing recently closed. They have a full pastry case of home made sweets and breads, the salads are superb. The croissant brought tears to my mother's eyes, "the Queen of Butter." Service was warm and friendly and they even do day old bread. Tell them Mouth of Wonder sent you!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, January 26, 2008

High Tea at the Chocolate Maven, Dinner at Puerto Penasco, and a slice at Patsy's New York style Pizza

Restaurant Review

Chocolate Maven Another disappointing experience from one of the most experienced bakeries in town. They certainly have their fans, but I am not one of them. We tried their "high tea" which was terrible. They served me an old hard scone, some sort of sour cream or mascarpone in place of the clotted cream required, and cheap seeded raspberry jam. At least the tea was good. They also don't seem to understand the concept of a tea sandwich. Call it something else!


Puerto Penasco A great find on Airport road which serves Mexican seafood and Mexican classics. The Ceviche tostada was fantastic, as was the Filet de Vera Cruz. I even liked the Enchiladas which I think are assembled to order. No grease, the right amount of heat, and even the rice and beans were tasty. A great value in a clean and friendly setting.


Patsy's New York Style Pizza If "New York Style" means served with a bad attitude they've got it down. Actually, their classic cheese and tomato slice with a nice thin crust is excellent. Avoid their attempts into gourmet combinations. The white pizza with spinach and goat cheese was undercooked and tasteless. The folks next to me were having meatball heroes which looked and smelled great. They refused to give me a glass of tap water. Bottled water only!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Masa Sushi (revisit)

Restaurant Review

Masa Sushi Super-sized sushi in the Solana center. This place is under new management but we had a poor experience — just like the first time. Like they taught me in art school: if you can't make it good, make it big. I don't think this is a winning formula for Japanese food. Everything was huge, hard to eat and covered with sticky sweet Ponzo syrup.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Argentina Grill and Inn of the Anasazi

Restaurant Review

Argentina Grill A great new surprise in a strip mall off Cerrillos road where Guadalajara Grill used to be. Apparently the Argentinian cuisine is a reflection of many European influences, like German and Italian — they do pasta! There were so many interesting flavors on the menu. The blood sausage, I know it sounds gross, is fantastic, as are the light and flaky empanadas, the chicken rice soup, the superb Pastel de Carne (meat cake). Go hungry, portions are big, and prices are very reasonable, and leave room for the best piece of bread pudding in town.


Inn of the Anasazi This was a very overpriced hotel lunch with a heavy, out-of-date menu which left me cold — from one of the best chefs in Santa Fe? I guess lunch is not that important. The room decor was boring, the salad was boring, and the famous fish and chips were greasy. And the de-constructed dessert was a major flop. Can't anyone bake a decent piece of cake in this town?

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Mauka

Restaurant Review

Mauka I am tired of big plate, small food, big price. This new restaurant on Agua Fria where Kasasoba used to be promised to be Asian fusion with Hawaiian influences, but it was really all over the place. Lots of sexy sounding ingredients just didn't add up most of the time to create food that was very pleasing. And can someone please make cushions for those plywood booths?!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Cafe San Esteban

Restaurant Review

Cafe San Esteban Not nearly as good as I remembered and quite pricey. The red cabbage salad was half as big as it used to be and a small plate of Guacamole with some chips costs $9.00 — are you serious? The entrees were a better value, and well prepared. It's a cozy New Mexican room with good service and a nice fireplace, but the menu selection was not very exciting. We should have walked further and checked out Bert's La Taqueria!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, December 01, 2007

The Chocolate Tasting Results

Live on-air Taste Test
All chocolate for this test was purchased at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's and there are lots more to try!

Valhrona 71% Dark Chocolate
The best deal in town. A good day to day choice, keep it with you at all times! Just ask Laurel!


Paul Newman's Sweet Dark Chocolate
An inexpensive choice with great texture and richness, and it's organic.


5 Star Fruit and Nut Bar
More of a chocolate whipped confection than a plain bar, it's simply to die for, and they make 4 other flavors, my work never stops!


Renew Dark Chocolate with Cassis
A little too hard and bitter for my taste but the scent of black currant was heavenly.


Vosage Mo's Bacon Bar
Okay, I was all prepared to hate this one and talk about how wrong it was to mix pork and chocolate, but I must tell you it was amazing. They just work together! The excellent, creamy texture of chocolate, which is described as "dark milk chocolate," together with the smokey aftertaste of the bacon is fantastic!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

The Hot Food Bar at Whole Foods

Restaurant Review

Whole Foods Too lazy to cook? Like half the idle rich in Santa Fe? Why not pick up some "super healthy" international convenience food at Whole Foods? Because it's just glorified cafeteria food with inconsistent quality, questionable freshness, and the chicken has bones. Need I say more? Go home and cook something!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Los Potrillos

Restaurant Review

Los Potrillos A superb Mexican meal served by sexy young women with great professionalism. Portions are huge and prices are small. The menu is extensive and full of authentic dishes which you don't find everywhere. I love this place!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Del Charros, Osaka Sushi Bar, and The New York Deli

Restaurant Reviews of three cheap local joints I go to when I have little time

Del Charros Still the best $5.00 burger in town in a friendly bar near the plaza. Are you sure you are in Santa Fe?


Osaka Sushi Bar A great inexpensive sushi experience in a not completely tidy setting. Don't look down. But the quality of the fish is first rate. Go figure!


The New York Deli I am never going here again. Not only is it poor quality, but it's much too expensive for what they serve. They should not be allowed to use "New York" in their name. The burgers are soggy, the tea is weak, the salads are bland, and the bagels are inedible.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Yummy Cafe

Restaurant Review

Yummy Cafe This Chinese-American restaurant in the Saint Mike's shopping center does little to distinguish itself. Okay the portions are large, but big isn't always better. They seem to forget that Szechwan and Hunan cusine is supposed to be tasty and complex.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Konami and Santa Fe Brewing Company

Restaurant Review

Two "Go-To" cheap and cheerful restaurants These are two of my favs around town. The under $10.00 sushi lunch special can't be beat at Konami on Guadalupe Street! Avoid the Bento box, it disappoints. Whenever I see a concert at the Santa Fe Brewing Company, I always allow time to have dinner there. The burger is great, the Greek wrap is great, sweet potato and regular fries are good, love the Thai cole slaw. Drink their beer and avoid the wine.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Horseman's Haven

Restaurant Review

Horseman's Haven For those of you who judge a restaurant on how hot the red and green chile is, this is the place for you. They also feature large portions, and a funky New Mexican truck stop motif. The breakfast burrito is what they are known for — apparently it's a great hangover cure. I loved the moist chicken burrito which came with posole and rice.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, October 13, 2007

The Wild Wok

Restaurant Review

The Wild Wok This is an "Asian style" restaurant. They have a snazzy decor and use good quality ingredients, but the place lacks any authenticity. Maybe it's a good choice for an after- or before-movie meal — being that it's in the Regal cinema parking lot — but personally, it reminded me of mall food.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Cafe Cafe

Restaurant Review

Cafe Cafe We were not very impressed with this new Italian restaurant on Sandoval street. The kitchen couldn't seem to get it together. My overpriced chicken dish was both very dry (the breast meat) and too raw (the leg and thigh). The pizza was bland and the Cannelloni lacking sauce. The deep-fried ravioli was excellent, so maybe there is hope. We will try them again in a few months.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Zia Diner

Restaurant Review

Zia Diner This joint is too expensive to be considered a diner, and not really a good enough New Mexican restaurant. I applaud their commitment to natural and organic but $4.50 for a cup of hot chocolate? The basic food is okay and the portions are ample. They have a very good location and free parking. The desserts are big... you know what they say, if you can't make it good, make it big!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Baleens and Cafe Istanbul

Restaurant Review

Baleens Sometimes less is not more, it's just less. This is the case at Baleens: a beautiful restaurant in the Inn of Loretto which serves tiny portions of overpriced, mediocre, modern southwest food in a very dark dining room with a little too much attitude for my taste. When they brought out the mini silverware I knew I was in trouble! And what's with the monkey theme?


Cafe Istanbul and Market This is a great authentic middle eastern marketplace — on Wyoming in Albuquerque — with a cafe in the front. Leave time to sit down for lunch before shopping. All kinds of interesting pickles, jams, beans, and spices. Makes you forget about green or red chile!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, September 01, 2007

La Boca and Pyramid Cafe

Restaurant Review

La Boca This is a superb Spanish restaurant which is getting raves all over town and deserving them. We tried 13 different Tapas and 3 desserts and every one was a winner. Their attention to detail and excellent ingredients makes every bite a joy!


Pyramid Cafe An authentic ethnic experience at a great price right here in town, go figure! We ate lunch there a few weeks ago and went back for an equally delicious dinner. Love the Tunisian influences and the many vegetarian choices. The night we were there they had belly dancers, which I found a bit weird as they spun around the room, but all the men seemed to love it!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, August 18, 2007

The Tea House

Restaurant Review

The Tea House A beautiful, little, tranquil spot which sits slightly below street level on Canyon road. Known for their extensive tea selection, it's a favorite of the "zen" crowd. I was horrified when their famous large, over-priced scone arrived so over-microwaved it turned into a rock before our eyes. I had been warned about this practice, but hoped it was untrue! The small lunch menu is nice and healthy.The Tempeh wrap was definitely the best of the 3 things I tried. Ask for dressing on the side, as they seem to overdo it!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Bistro 315

Restaurant Review

Bistro 315 This is a lovely, unpretentious French restaurant on Old Santa Fe Trail. They have a beautiful outdoor patio, great staff, and a menu full of good seasonal choices. The food went from okay to great. Excellent house-made paté and squash blossom beignets. We had some seasoning issues — too much or none at all. I wish they would have given me lemon with my softshell crabs! They have a fantastic, reasonable wine list with many "by the glass" options. Dessert selection could use some help. Woman can not live by creme brulée alone!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, August 04, 2007

The Pink Adobe

Restaurant Review

The Pink Adobe A disappointing, overpriced meal from the newly reopened "old standby" on Old Santa Fe Trail. Service was poor, menu choices were far from exciting (they have removed all the New Mexican classics, but I understand due to the public outcry they will be adding them back in), and the execution of the dishes was careless. The wad of Polenta was awful! For that amount of money, do I really have to eat on craft paper? Show me the linens. They now have an extensive wine list which desperately needs an editor. One wine suggests "goes great with a roast beef sandwich," which is not on the menu!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Pyramid Cafe

Restaurant Review

Pyramid Cafe This freshly-renovated Cafe in the shopping center off Cordova, down the block from Trader Joe's and next to Saigon Cafe is the real deal. Middle Eastern and North African foods are prepared with skill and offered by friendly faces. I loved the fries with Harrissa sauce! Skip the ketchup, this is sooo much better! We found many tempting vegetarian options and the Greek salad topped with roast lamb was great. I plan to work my way through the entire menu, and at these reasonable prices I can.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Body Cafe

Restaurant Review

Body Cafe A rather bland, expensive, "health food" meal in a very lovely setting. Bring a sweater because they have air conditioning and they are not afraid to use it. Does "all natural and organic" mean flavor and spice is not necessary? I don't think so.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Osteria de Assisi

Restaurant Review

Osteria de Assisi What a great surprise! This beautiful, long-standing Italian restaurant on Federal plaza just across from Santacafe is charming and very well run. The food was superb. The Lasagna the best I have ever had! The menu features all kinds of classic choices as well some contemporary twists. When the kitchen realized they were out of the requested Tiramisu they sent us a to-die-for chocolate bread pudding, on the house, with their apologies. Now that's what I like to see!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Amavi

Restaurant Review

Amavi This is the brand-new offering from David Sellers, of Santacafe fame, in the beautiful old Julian's location and it needs some work. Their intentions are good, but their kitchen needs some help in executing the small menu. While they are still waiting for their liquor license paperwork to clear, they might consider removing the food and wine pairing menu from the folder as it is not available. It was a case where all items read better than they tasted. We will go back in 6 months and give it another try — I would wait if I were you!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, June 30, 2007

The Burger Situation in Santa Fe

Restaurant Review

This list is from cheapest to most expensive, but more cash will not really help you get a better burger. It might get you ambiance, but you can't put that on a bun!

Carl's Junior The only fast food burger I would consider eating. It's big, it's good quality beef, it's messy, it's grilled to order, and it's cheap. Bun is fresh; fries are not over-salted; lettuce, tomato, and onion are crisp.


Del Charro The best deal in town! A great downtown bar serving an excellent burger on the best bun in town. Why does everyone skimp on the bun? Huge portion of hot, crisp fries. Great friendly service and beer.


Bobcat Bite The winner, hands-down in my book! It's a tiny, out-of-the-way place with weird short hours and a sign-in waiting board on the porch. They grind their own beef daily and it shows. The burgers are huge and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Great coleslaw. Homefries instead of French fries are not so great. Look for the Hummingbird show outside the window


The Railyard I promise to never eat here again. The service is so bad and careless it ruined any possibility of a good meal. My burger arrived undercooked, cold, and without ketchup or mustard.The coleslaw tasted like garbage and the bun was burnt. And that is just the tip of the iceberg!


The Bullring A disappointing showing from the bar of a restaurant I love. Though the quality of this overpriced burger was there, the service was very poor. First they screwed up our appetizer order, then when they brought out our main courses it took 5 minutes to get ketchup, mustard, and pepper. Good quality Angus beef, decent size, cheap bun, and homemade soggy fries. I think there was one other table in the room eating. How about thinking ahead? At a high-end restaurant I expect more.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Friday, June 22, 2007

Josh's BBQ and Whole Hog

Restaurant Review

Josh's BBQ I wanted to like this well-designed new kid on the block in the Lowe's shopping center off Zafarano, but I found it a bit pricy and lacking in soul. The smoked meats were dry, the sides fell short, and the sauce choices were a bit weak. Nice touch serving cornbread, if only it weren't so dry.


Whole Hog The real deal BBQ meal on scenic Cerillos road. Decor consists of pig trophies and a sexy stainless steel smoker with a big wood pile. How can that be bad! The meats are tender and smoked to perfection. The ribs are to die for! There is a choice of 7 sauces, each with regional authenticity — and they have sweet tea!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Kasasoba

Restaurant Review

Kasasoba This pricey, creative Japanese restaurant on Agua Fria has lots of hits and misses. Avocado sashimi for $6.00 sounded interesting but it was really just half an avocado, sliced fancy, with a dab of Wasabi and green chile paste. That was a bad joke. The spicy tuna roll was perfection. Other tasty items included excellent miso soup and Gomae (which is a wilted spinach salad with a sweet sesame dressing). Skip the "pregnant smelts," as the waiter with attitude called them.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Hotel Saint Francis and The Steaksmith

Restaurant Review

The Club at Hotel Saint Francis A beautiful outdoor setting with some fantastic flavors. The quality was definitely in every ingredient — until we got to dessert. The Duck Confit (which is house made) salad was to die for and enough to have as a main course. The bar menu is a bargain!


The Bar at The Steaksmith A great, well-run restaurant in a relaxed, mature setting. The bar is the place to eat. Lots of good, inexpensive options to choose from. Their famous spinach balls are a must, and the crust on their Raspberry pie is heavenly, but I left the filling, which was a bit too sweet for my taste.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, June 02, 2007

The Lunch Counter at Ta Lin in Albuquerque

Restaurant Review

The Lunch Counter at Ta Lin When was the last time you had a $4.99 lunch including beverage? Yes it was a little oily, but the authentic flavors and bountiful portions were a real treat, and yet another excuse to truck to Albuquerque to buy unusual foods from around the globe.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, May 26, 2007

El Meson and Yasmine's cafe in Albuquerque

Restaurant Review

El Meson This restaurant serves decent Spanish Tapas in a fine setting, but the service was sooo poor and rude it completely ruined our experience. We were served a bad glass of house red wine and made to feel like criminals for trying to exchange it. Are you serious?


Yasmine's Cafe on Central in Albuquerque Andrew and Jody, 2 friends who have lived in the Middle East, took me to this simple, inexpensive cafe for what they said was authentic food and it rocked! The falafel came stuffed with almonds, onions and spice, the Lamb Kefta came with creamy hummus and everything comes with side salads and pita. Super value for lots of fresh tasty treats including an entire pastry counter full of phyllo-based pastries and short strong coffee.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Maki Yaki and Santa Fe Baking Company

Restaurant Review

Maki Yaki This was — by far — the worst Sushi restaurant we have ever been to. All the rolls were filled with fake crabmeat (not mentioned on the menu), which has no flavor; the tempura was greasy on the outside and raw on the inside; and the potstickers were inedible. Just keep driving!


The Santa Fe Baking Company This super busy local hangout, which looks like it hasn't been cleaned since the "hippy" days, actually has very good food. The salads and sandwiches are fresh and large and quite delicious. I would skip the baked goods which are displayed in a messy dirty showcase. Bigger is not always better.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Trattoria Nostrani - the 2nd time

Restaurant Review

Trattoria Nostrani To please some friends and fans, I decided to give this snobby joint with a bad attitude a second try and was disappointed once again. They have a lot of nerve serving such tiny portions at those prices. It's a insult. Yes, someone in the kitchen can cook, but their idea of customer satisfaction is a joke.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Amaya at the Hotel Santa Fe

Restaurant Review

Amaya I don't know what they were thinking when they decided to go with the "Native American roots" theme for their advertisements, because frankly that has nothing to do with their menu. This is an adequate hotel restaurant, serving a basic middle-of-the-road continental menu, and they do it well. Did the Indians eat Hoisin spareribs and chicken Piccatta?

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, April 28, 2007

The Ore House and Santa Fe Brewing Company

Restaurant Review


The Ore House
This upstairs restaurant overlooking the Plaza serves up over priced bland New Mexican food. This is a good place to take tourists or those looking for an interesting Margarita and some chips and salsa, but I would skip the dinning room.


The Santa Fe Brewing Company
This is our third dinner at this joint and what they do, they do well. I love consistancy! Burgers, wings, salads, and beer. How can you go wrong? A great value in a great new music venue. So if you are going to see a concert, leave time for dinner.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Souper Salad and TaLin Market

Restaurant Review

Souper Salad This is probably the healthiest, fast, cheap food on Cerrillos Road — if you make the right decisions at the "all you can eat" salad bar. The ingredients are fresh but not top quality. The premade dressings are not too good, I recommend a splash of Balsamic.


TaLin Market (in Albuquerque on Central) This is a fantastic place to buy foods from all over the world. Asian ingredients are their specialty. They also have fresh fish, housewares, and a cafe. All they are missing is a nail salon!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, April 07, 2007

P.D. Bean and The Plaza Southside Cafe

Restaurant Review

P.D. Bean A really nice, friendly, independent coffee shop on Cerillos in a land of corporate fast food. Bring your laptop to get that inner-city isolated feel. Tasty fresh sandwiches!


The Plaza Southside Cafe The quality tends to go up and down a bit, but at the moment the food is good. Sunday night they have Karaoke in the bar and the sounds that leak into the dining room are a bit disturbing. Good Cocktails!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Chicago Dog Express and Ferragamo's

Restaurant Review

Chicago Dog Express For a cheap and cheerful lunch, you can't beat the "Dog." Don't forget this was Pancho Epstein's favorite restaurant! They serve a good quality Vienna Beef dog with excessive toppings which make it messy but yummy!


Ferragamo's Good Italian food in a nice setting, even though it's in the Solana Center. Check out the bad paintings on the walls. Homemade bread, good cooking, well designed plates and large portions. Great Tiramisu!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, March 17, 2007

The Blue Heron and Tesuque Village Market

Restaurant Review

The Blue Heron at Sunrise Springs A fantastic, perfectly cooked creative brunch in a lovely setting. I wasn't expecting such a great meal! Highly recommended.


Tesuque Village Market New Mexican food of good quality in a neighborhood setting. Large portions were a good value. Dessert ruined the meal. We tried two and they were both bad. Service was poor.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Sal's Red Top Grill and The Bullring

Restaurant Review

Sal's Red Top Grill just opened on the Old Las Vegas Highway. We feel it still doesn't know what kind of restaurant it wants to be. High end, low end, steak joint, or bar food. The cooking is good, but the presentation needs work.


The Bullring is the best steak meal in town for my money, and it costs major money. Fantastic, quality aged beef, excellent service, and escargots with mushrooms, floating in garlic butter. Call the paramedics, I'm on my way!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Del Charro and Piccolino

Restaurant Review

Del Charro The best, cheap, high-quality meal in town. It's in a cozy, friendly, pub setting with a fireplace and good service. The burger is the best deal in town. How can you go wrong?


Piccolino A great neighborhood Italian restaurant. Consistantly careful cooking with a large classic menu and daily specials. The Osso Bucco with Risotto is excellent.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Castros on Cerrillos and Pizza Etc. in the DeVargas Mall

Restaurant Review

Castros on Cerrillos Great local cheap and cheerful food. Huge portions. Both red and green excellent... if you like that sort of thing!


Pizza Etc. Probably the worst pizza I have ever had. What else can I say?

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Mu Du Noodles and Counter Culture's Brunch

Restaurant Review

Mu Du Noodles An expensive, disappointing Asian-inspired meal — which surprised me, due to their popularity. My noodle dish was very oily and not that tasty. The coconut rice pudding was the best part of the meal.


Brunch at Counter Culture A fantastic brunch with all the homemade touches. Cinnamon bun French Toast was delicious, eggs cooked exactly as asked, perfectly cooked bacon made my day! If only they had waiters!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Andiamo and The Dragon Room

Restaurant Review

Andiamo was a disappointing Italian meal with poor service in a crowded, noisy room.The appetizers were good, but the main courses were uninteresting.


The Dragon Room is a fun local bar with a reputation. The drinks are strong and the crowd is friendly. Stick to the bar menu for basic food.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, February 03, 2007

The Bishop's Lodge and the Pantry Restaurant

Restaurant Review

The Bishop's Lodge has an expensive, good quality, fixed-price brunch in a beautiful setting — perfect for a special occassion. Go hungry to get your money's worth.


The Pantry Restaurant I don't know what the big deal is about this place. It's cheap and cheerful and friendly but far from a good meal. All baked goods are commercially made. Best thing was the potatoes, they rock!

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Señor Lucky's

Restaurant Review

Señor Lucky's sends out mixed signals. Is it a elegant restaurant? Is it a sports bar? (There are way too many TVs.) Is it a gay bar? Is it a cowboy bar? The food is expensive bar food, and not that memorable, but the place is fun and the service excellent. I say go late and just drink and wait for the sporty gay cowboys to show up and ride the bull and see if it all comes together.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Il Piato and Izmi Sushi

Restaurant Review

Il Piatto Where the kind waitress told me when I complained about the bread pudding — which was basically an egg custard, had almost no bread in it, and no berries — "when I first starting working here it had berries." What's good is great, but there are lots of unannounced changes and substitutions. And the place could use a cleaning.


Izmi Sushi In an never-ending search for good sushi in Santa Fe, yet another disappointing experience in the mall off St. Mike's. Korean menu items were bland. Sushi rolls were undistinguished.

Labels:

• Posted by Stacy   

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Top Five Restaurants!

Last week, in honor of the Mouth of Wonder 1-Year Anniversary, your lovely hosts shared their favorite places to eat in Santa Fe. Since Stacy and Angela are taking this week off — and in case you missed it — here are their Top Five Restaurants.

Stacy's Top Five Restaurants for 2005-2006


Angela's Top Five Restaurants for 2005-2006