Rarely has a city this small exerted culinary influence this big. The city is Santa Fe, New Mexico and what it’s cooking up these days is worth paying attention to.
First, the cooking schools, the places that percolate all this fabulous food. Santa Fe School of Cooking’s Director of Cuisine Tracy Ritter’s magic now emanates from a new location at 125 Guadalupe Street. The location gives off an ambience that’s at once modern and retro. The Santa Fe Culinary Academy, atop downtown’s Plaza Mecado, doesn’t just train restaurant chefs, co-founders Rocky Durham and Tanya Story teach basic classes for home cooks too.
Properly trained, stop by The Real Butcher Shop. This savvy shop will sell you the real deal: naturally-raised, grass-finished “heritage” meats and charcuterie which hale from New Mexico and nearby Colorado.
Locally-sourced fare steps to the fore of the menu at Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen, a creation of first-time restaurateur Fiona Wong and longtime pro Soma Franks. The health food café cum wine bar just opened this November for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Pacheco Park. Another new entrant is Momo & Co. Bakery and Boba Tea Bar, billed as “an entirely gluten-free and mostly vegan bakery and teahouse.” Baker Leslie Thompson is the lady who holds sway over the imaginative kitchen.
Holding sway over your imagination is a foodie exhibit at the Museum of International Folk Art. New World Cuisine: The Histories of Chocolate, Mate, y Mas is an energized exploration of the roots of these stimulating beverages. The show opens Dec. 9 and runs all the way through Jan. 2014. It showcases more than 300 things that have helped folks gather, prepare and store food – as well as assorted cups, sippers, stirrers and such.
You can fly to Santa Fe nonstop via American Eagle from either Los Angeles International, or American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth hub.
(Featured image: Jonny Brownbill)
