Imaginative food, excellent service and lovely presentation make this a dining experience to remember
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 people’s orders emerge from the kitchen. Time and again, we interrupted our conversation to ask, “What was that?” as a waiter walked by with a beautiful and unusual presentation. The Caesar salad is dished up in two parts, connected with a bridge of cheese sticks. The beef tartare, served on an extended oblong tray, comes with a herd of tiny accoutrements.
And consider the fondue. Instead of a modest pot of melted cheese, the Coyote’s has pizazz. Our order consisted of a bowl of fingerling potatoes including some deep purple ones, a plate of perfect bread rounds, red jalapeño chutney and fragrant, gently bubbling Gruyere with dipping forks. Dramatically towering above it was a long skewer of bacon-wrapped rumakis. In place of the traditional water chestnuts, the chef used small, mild, slightly sweet Cipollini onions. Remarkable, scrumptious, and well-priced at $14.
Can liver be pretty? The foie gras ($23), mild and juicy, arrived with two small vanilla crepes, a dusting of pistachios and tiny pieces of sweet golden pineapple. It tasted as good as it looked. I especially enjoyed the contrast between the crunch of the nuts and the velvety texture of the liver. From the “Living Butter Lettuce Salad” served with dried figs and apricots, to the “Shrimp Short Stack” on fresh grilled corn cake, the appetizers are original and tempting. I could make a meal of them, and maybe I will next time.
As an entrée, the new owners kept the restaurant’s trademark “Famous Cowboy Cut,” a 24-ounce bone-in aged rib-eye. Other choices include salmon, short ribs, filet mignon, New Mexico lamb and asparagus strudel. We tried the Kurabota pork ($28), tender and juicy prepared in a thin pastry crust like a Wellington, served with spinach, flavorful whiskey peppercorn sauce and a lovely cremini mushroom duxelle. The three thick slices of pastry-encrusted meat were playfully arranged like the blades of a pinwheel.
“Eric’s Five Spice Rotisserie Rock Hen” ($27) was another feast for the eyes as well as the palate. The individualsized roasting chicken, cooked until it falls off the bones, arrived precut and stacked. The side of “mac ’n’ cheese” with a touch of green chile had my taste buds dancing. The elk tenderloin ($39) was outstanding. Unbelievably tender and flavorful, it could turn a wavering vegetarian into a full-bore carnivore. The halibut ($35), pan seared to perfection, was enhanced by the lobster broth, perfectly spiced wasabi mashed potatoes, tender baby bok choy and a few drops of black truffle as garnish and condiment. This could be the best halibut in Santa Fe!
Desserts ($11 each), like the appetizers, are samplers. The house-made ice cream arrives as a long row of small scoops of various flavors and colors — mint, blood orange, Kahlúa and more — each excellent and all enhanced by the presentation. The tres leches cake, garnished with sweet pineapple, shares the plate with a tiny chocolate mousse and a cup of hot white chocolate.
Throughout the evening the service was informed, friendly and efficient without ever being intrusive. Like the food, it’s among Santa Fe’s very best.
Coyote Café
WHERE: 132 W. Water St., Santa Fe, (505) 983-1615
HOURS: Dinner Sunday through Thursday: 5:30 to 9 p.m.; Friday through Saturday: 5:30 to 10 p.m.
SERVICE: Excellent
FOOD: Global with Southwestern influences
AMBIANCE: Lively, upscale, noisy
PRICES: Entrees $28 to $48
