Restaurants in Santa Fe Area (Ruidoso, Raton: shops, pine, dental)

[mdmagana]

I've had one or two enjoyable dates at the Ore House. (Upstairs on the Plaza across from the five and dime.) Not nearly as pricey as the Bull Ring feels Santa Fe-ish inside. It's not near the Plaza but the Steaksmith might be worth a look too... probably want to make reservations for both of these places.

[CAVA1990]

The Compound Restaurant - Santa Fe New Mexico - History

[santafescribe]

The Compound's a great option for a date, although it's expensive. I would not go to the Bullring or Steaksmith for a date night - a little too functional - or Rio Chama, which is noisy. Pink Adobe's a good option - it's got the history and the ambiance, and the food's fine.
Alternatively I'd head to El Farol (ask for a reservation in the flamenco room, otherwise they'll put you out back, which is not in my opinion very atmospheric...) or to Casa Sena or Ristra downtown.

[aggiewalk]

Thanks for all the help and direction. And thank you for santafescripe on those details, which are worth knowing. I will check out these new suggestions and I welcome more!!

[karmathecat]

We always enjoy La Boca for tapas. I've heard good things about El Meson as well.

[aggiewalk]

Thanks for all the responses. Anyone else have any suggestions?

[lowidle]

I didn't see Joe's Diner on Rodeo here. By our limited experience it's the best value for the money anywhere. They are taking it seriously and it shows.

[JBM]

I really love the Saigon Vietnamese Kitchen and the Pyramid Cafe right next door to each other on Cordova Road by Trader Joe's. Mmmm, best Spring Rolls!! And I LOVE Pyramid cafe. I always get off the train at South Capitol, and eat at Saigon, and grab take-out at Pyramid to take back to Albuquerque with me. I love 'em both.

[PanTerra]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

WHO likes Wolf Brand Chili poured over everything??

My gawd, that stuff is just NASTY...nasty. I can't believe that anybody would ever eat that crap!!! Ewwwww!!!!

When I run into the bland crap that is Alamogordo, NM, I WISH for some nice, spicy, HOT Tex-Mex salsa.

Everybody keeps saying how spicy NM cuisine is, but I have yet to run into anything that even remotely burns me out.

Dayum, I miss Tex-Mex BAD!!!

TEx mex is so bland. Wolf Brand Chili con carne poured over everything. Go to the SHED in Santa Fe. I went there with some of my Tex-mex lovin friends and got to watch them sweat bullets from their Red sauce, that was great.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by PanTerra

TEx mex is so bland. Wolf Brand Chili con carne poured over everything. Go to the SHED in Santa Fe. I went there with some of my Tex-mex lovin friends and got to watch them sweat bullets from their Red sauce, that was great.

I don't know where you are going that Wolf Brand chili is poured over everything. I have never seen that. WHO does that? Where are you eating?!?

Sweat bullets? There are few places that could ever make me do that! I have yet to find a restaurant in my 59 years whose table sauce was too hot for me to eat. I often ask for hotter from the kitchen. In Durango and Ruidoso, they were only too happy to accomodate. In Alamo, FORGET it.

Most of the Tex-Mex in West Texas is NOT bland, and my favorite Mexican restaurant in Midland had great Tex-Mex, along with a wonderfully hot salsa. Dayum, I miss Tampico's! I miss Alpine/FD GOOD Tex-Mex/Mexican restaurants!

I found better Mexican restaurants in Durango--for crying out loud--than I do here in NM. Fortunately, I can go to Ruidoso or El Paso for some decent Tex-Mex and/or New Mexican.

Protect me from bland food! Fortunately, I can get the ingredients for both Tex-Mex and New Mexican--and I've had both. I have eaten NM/Mex/so-called Tex-Mex in Alamogordo, Hobbs, Roswell, ABQ, SF, Los Alamos, Farmington, Las Cruces (probably the best so far), Ruidoso and a couple of other places I can't remember now.

They won't even bring you some hotter salsa from the kitchen if you ask for it here. Alamo Grill was a new place that had a cook from Juárez....the first meal I had there was PERFECT, and they brought me some great hotter salsa from the kitchen.

Well, the next time I ate there, about a month later or so, the waitress told me that people were complaining that the food was too spicy, and they had to bland it down. My hopes for a decent Mexican food restaurant were dashed.

I don't have a problem with people who don't like spicer food, but I DO have a problem with a restaurant kitchen that won't throw in a few more chiles to accomodate you.

I imagine that it is both Holloman and the huge influx of Midwesterners that is responsible for the restaurants all being so damn bland.