SantaFe.com

Sure, you can spend a small fortune on dinner at Santa Fe’s justifiably famous high-end restaurants. And really, you should—at least once in a while. But for everyday eating out (well, maybe not every day, but you know what I mean), there are plenty of establishments that won’t put quite such a dent in your wallet. So let’s explore some local eateries where a meal can be had for under $15 per person. Drinks and extras (appetizers, desserts) may put you over at some restaurants, but you’ll still get good value for your dining dollars.

In addition to the restaurants listed below, check out...

Monday, June 23, 2008
by Annie Lux • SantaFe.com

You know the refrain, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way?” Well out here in the East Mountains, it’s more like, “Where there’s a need, there’s a way.”

Five years ago, Jay Wulf and his wife, Barb Hanlon Wulf, definitely had a need. A couple of them, in fact. As parents of two young boys, a move to a new neighborhood was now in order.

“We’d been coming up to the East Mountains for years to hike, bike, and ski,” says Jay. “So when we came to the point in our lives where we were looking at school districts and for someplace affordable with privacy and land, this was the perfect fit.”

Monday, June 9, 2008
by Rena Distasio and Jennah Ward (Photographer) • localflavor magazine

Coyote is the trickster in many American Indian legends, and the new incarnation of Santa Fe’s legendary Coyote Café sparkles with playfulness. This is world-class cuisine with a grin on its face.

After 20 years under the guidance of Mark Miller, the Coyote has new owners including executive chef Eric DiStefano, formerly of Geronimo. (Miller will serve as a consultant.) The dinner that friends and I had recently was sensational from beginning to end. The new Coyote is fresh and reenergized, again one of Santa Fe’s premier restaurants.

The joy of the experience began with watching other...

Friday, June 6, 2008
by Anne Hillerman • Journal Santa Fe

The OK, Mr. Pancho Cafe is a small storefront restaurant that opened a month ago in the spot near the Albertsons location on St. Francis Drive that formerly housed the Blueberry Cafe. It is unassuming and modestly decorated, unless its patrons know the Perales family well enough to see the invisible garlands of hopes and dreams decorating the place.

This is the third OK, Mr. Pancho the family members have opened, and the one they are pinning their wishes on.

Even before Francisco and Norma Perales came to this country 28 years ago, he was dreaming of owning a restaurant some day. And he...

Tuesday, June 3, 2008
by Kate McGraw • Journal Santa Fe

According to culinary historians, the Menches brothers created the “Hamburg Sandwich” in Hamburg, New York in 1885. Working as cooks at a county fair, after running out of pork for their sausage patty sandwiches, and having a supplier unwilling to butcher more hogs in the summer heat, the Menches decided to try beef instead. They found the meat to be so tasteless after they fried it, coffee and brown sugar were mixed into the patties. There were no other condiments.

Fast forward 125 years. In addition to mayo, ketchup, mustard and onions, I’m sure the Menches would have been happily...

Monday, June 2, 2008
by Tim French • SantaFe.com

I like the Tune-Up Café. This new restaurant is simple and unpretentious, friendly and inviting. Tune-Up Café features a menu that fits the cozy space, a small but delicious assortment of American favorites, New Mexican choices and a few Salvadoran touches. It has a stay-and-sit-a-spell ambiance.

The space, a few blocks off St. Francis Drive near St. Anne’s Church, is the former longtime home of Dave’s Not Here. The new owners, a husband and wife with restaurant experience, spruced up the space with some cleaning, fresh paint and a touch of remodeling. (This is not only a...

Friday, May 30, 2008
by Anne Hillerman • Journal Santa Fe

Usually, a director of marketing doesn’t make decisions about the operation of a business. But Judy Herzl, the director of marketing at Sunrise Springs Resort Spa in La Cienega, functions as much more than the person designated to develop a strategy that promotes the resort’s local and out-of-state business.

“I’ve been providing vision for the resort,” Herzl said. “I’ve worked with the owner, Megan Hill, for years and know her vision. When it came time to hire a new chef for The Blue Heron Restaurant this winter, I did the searching.”

Sunrise Springs, a 70-acre, 58-room eco-resort with a...

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
by Emily Van Cleve • Journal Santa Fe

The colorful surroundings at the Thai Cafe — orange, yellow and purple walls and a blue ceiling — compliment the brightly flavored food you’ll find here. If green chile and Tabasco are your main experience with spicy, this cuisine will expand your horizons in a most delicious way. Don’t let talk that Thai food is too spicy put you off. At Thai Cafe you customize your choices, and no one scoffs if you ask for “mild.” An old fan of Thai food? Well, even though Santa Fe sits far away from the Asian food centers, the Thai Cafe will summon memories of Bangkok.

Friday, May 23, 2008
by Anne Hillerman • Journal Santa Fe

Joey the English bulldog is watching and waiting. He’s supposed to stay in the third floor office above the Coyote Café, so most of the time he’s shooed out if he tries to get on the “backstage” elevator, but he has also learned that there are two bussers whom he can intimidate into letting him ride. Ah! And there one is now.

A quick waddle, and he’s on the lift. When it stops at the second floor, he can unobtrusively sidle into the café …

“Joey!”

Drat. His Master’s Voice. Chef/owner Eric DiStefano has caught him again.

“You just get right back on that elevator, mister, and go on back up.”

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
by Kate McGraw • Journal Santa Fe

Chef Mark Kiffin, James Beard Foundation's "Best Chef of the Southwest 2005", revitalizes The Compound Restaurant, a renowned restaurant at the cultural center of Santa Fe.

The Compound, remembered for its distinctive style and elegance since the 1960’s, has been rejuvenated with the energy and excitement that made it a leading destination in its early years. The Compound has been recreated with a modern menu layering bold flavors based on historic culinary traditions; a knowledgeable and highly attentive staff; and an inviting, elegant setting.

The Compound Restaurant has a heritage that...