Restaurant Martín’s ever-creative Martín Rios gives us a preview of his cold- weather cuisine. Loaded with seasonal ingredients and plated with his eye for sophisticated beauty.
Restaurant Martín Takes Market Stands to Fine Dining Standards
Martín Rios’s earliest food memories come from childhood in Guadalajara, helping his mother and grandmother at their market stands. They sent him to pick ingredients. Such as pozole, menudo, flautas, and more, teaching him to select produce, butcher meat, and waste nothing. Those early lessons still shape his dishes today. Before the first hard freeze, he now preserves any remaining produce and herbs from his own gardens. He does this by by dehydrating them, turning them into flavored vinegars, or storing them for winter use.
Martín moved to Santa Fe in junior high, when his parents relocated. To help support the family, he dropped out of high school and worked as a dishwasher. His talent and work ethic soon stood out, propelling him quickly to executive chef at the Eldorado Hotel—without a diploma or formal training. When his wife and future business partner, Jennifer, entered the picture, Martín confided his wish to go further. She helped him plan to earn his GED and save money for the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.
Training and Return to Santa Fe
At the CIA, Martín worked under acclaimed chefs including David Burke in New York and George Blanc in France. After his externships, he and Jennifer returned to Santa Fe. The Eldorado welcomed him back, this time as executive chef of its new restaurant, The Old House. He later honed his skills at Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi and Geronimo before he and Jennifer opened Restaurant Martín in September 2009—just in time to host a Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta dinner.
A Signature Style
Martín’s cooking begins with his classical training but branches into playful creativity. Inspiration might come from his Mexican heritage, a taste memory of Asian or Middle Eastern cuisine, or even a riff on American comfort food like clam chowder or Southern ham, beans, and greens. His favorite proteins include lamb, duck, and seafood, which he often sources from Jeff Koscomb’s Above Sea Level. He pairs them with earthy root vegetables—turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, carrots—and adds flourishes for texture, color, and flavor.
A meal at Restaurant Martín, paired with Jennifer’s warm hospitality, always feels special. Yes, we eat with our eyes first—so enjoy this preview of his fall menu before heading to the restaurant for the full experience.
Seasonal Dishes at Restaurant Martín
Yellowfin Tuna Crudo
Charred avocado, citrus salad, shaved turnips, kombu powder & fennel emulsion.
Martín devotes a whole chapter of his cookbook to crudo and ceviche. This fall version combines Cara Cara oranges for vibrant sweetness, turnips for spice, fennel for anise notes, and briny kombu for balance.
Roasted New Zealand Lamb Rack
Rutabaga & butternut squash purée, crispy potato & bacon pavé, hon shimeji mushrooms, black garlic reduction.
Lamb, Martín’s favorite red meat, anchors this dish. Roasted root vegetables and fermented garlic bring sweetness and depth, while the potato pavé adds smoky richness from bacon.
Roasted Honey-Glazed Duck Breast
Crispy duck confit fondant, charred radicchio, baby carrots, celery root purée, black currant duck reduction.
Martín highlights duck in two ways: a crisp-skinned, honey-glazed breast and a rich confit. Grilled radicchio offsets the sweetness with bitterness, while celery root and currants tie the dish together.
Roasted Baby Beets & Pickled Strawberry Salad
Goat cheese mousse, fennel oil, fennel fronds, Belgian endive, red leaf lettuce, cider & mustard seed vinaigrette.
Inspired by his mother’s ensalada de Nochebuena, this beet salad changes with the seasons. Pickled strawberries add tang, fennel provides anise notes, and cider vinaigrette highlights fall apples.
Pan-Seared Sea Scallops
Kabocha squash & carrot purée, pickled carrot salad, sautéed fennel hearts.
Plump scallops meet earthy sweetness from squash and carrots, with pickled carrots adding bright pops of acidity. Lightly sautéed fennel balances the dish with texture and subtle licorice notes.
Two-Chocolate Crémeux
Pumpkin seed brown butter financier, buttermilk custard, blackberry & papaya gels.
This dessert layers milk and dark chocolate crémeux, enriched with coffee and cinnamon, over nutty financiers. Buttermilk custard lightens the plate, while jewel-toned fruit gels add color and brightness.
Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison
Photography by Kate Russell
