While the three-martini lunch never really took root in Santa Fe, the idea of lunching with a purpose thrives. The movers and shakers of the City Different still get together to discuss matters of import while breaking bread. We asked some influential advocates, creatives, volunteers, power brokers and politicos to include us in their conversations about topics important to all New Mexicans.
Lunching Throughout Santa Fe with Changemakers
Who’s Lunching?
Kate Ferlic and Jenna Skinner Scanlan have been friends for more than a decade. Brought together by Kate’s work as an attorney advocating for women’s issues and Jenna’s volunteerism in education and other causes, both are active in gender justice issues. Kate served on the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women, and as board member and past chair of NewMexicoWomen.org.
Jenna is a teacher, community volunteer, and the current board chair of the Ms. Foundation for Women, which works to build women’s collective power in the US to advance equity and justice for all. The organization celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
The friends chatted over omelets and salmon tartine at Dolina, Santa Fe’s Eastern European-inspired bakery and café known for fresh, simple ingredients and recipes. In fact, Kate brought home chef-owner Anna Marie’s ginger squares as a treat for her family. “I’m Slovenian, and Anna Marie is Slovakian so some of our traditional foods overlap. I love everything Anna Marie
bakes,” Kate says.
The setting––a woman-owned restaurant––seemed appropriate to the discussion, which ranged from the fallout of the Supreme Court’s recent decision on abortion, to how New Mexico is a safe haven for women’s reproductive rights, to how coalition-building between organizations is vital to progress in the weighty issues that affect children, women, and others in the state and the nation. As Jenna said when she and Kate parted after the meal, “to be continued…”.
The Caretakers
Juanita Thorne-Connerty, a nurse, and Will Halm, a lawyer, met each other 15 years ago through a charitable event. Both are committed to health care causes, especially as volunteers for Southwest Care’s AID & Comfort Gala benefiting those living with HIV/AIDS. Southwest Care serves patients from all walks of life, including economically, socially, and culturally vulnerable people in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
Will chose The Compound because, “when you walk through the door, everything feels more significant and elevated,” he says. “There’s a seriousness that imbues your meal and who and what you are talking about and to. You will see politicians, community leaders, arts and cultural leaders there.” Of equal weight for him is the food: at this meal a lobster salad, squash soup, shrimp a la plancha, and a pork loin sandwich. A piece of dense chocolate cake finished the feast.
Bringing the Gala back for 2023 after two years of pandemic cancelations had personal significance for the friends. Juanita lost two siblings to AIDS, and she was one of the first health care professionals in Santa Fe to work with this patient population. Will has set legal precedents in the field of assisted reproduction law, including the first parentage judgment to a same-sex
couple in a gestational surrogacy case. His husband is also a physician.
The Gala is important to Santa Fe for three reasons, he says. “First, there are no gay bars, or center, or connectedness among LGBTQ individuals here. Second, there are still those living with HIV/AIDS, regardless of new meds and treatments. And finally, COVID and the pandemic have affected us all, our well-being and how we live and deal with community. The event is a good reminder that living with these and other health issues is forever.”
The Influencers
Amber-Dawn Bear Robe (Siksika Nation), an art historian and creator/curator of Indigenous Fashion Week, met friend, model and Dark Wind’s actress Jessica Matten (Red River Métis and Saulteaux-Cree) at Izanami on a chilly December day.
Both women are Canadian, Indigenous, and strongly committed to helping other Native peoples rise. Amber-Dawn advocates for Indigenous artists and designers.
Jessica expands Indigenous representation and opportunities through her work as president of an Indigenous-owned production company and as co-founder of The Counting Coup Indigenous Film Academy, where emerging and aspiring First Nations, Metis, and Inuit artists can gain expertise and experience in film.
They shared several light dishes, among them izanami-favorite Spicy Cucumber & Avocado Salad; seasonal vegetable fritters with wasabi salt; and the Chirashizushi, a rice bowl topped with a rotating selection of raw fish, cucumbers, wakame, and fresh-grated wasabi root.
Amber-Dawn chose the Japanese restaurant because of its focus on fresh, healthy ingredients prepared simply, knowing it would appeal to Jessica’s clean-eating practices. “We talked about everything we want to do together––bring Indigenous fashion to the mainstream, support others in their art, an upcoming cover shoot for Jessica that I’m styling,” says Amber-Dawn.
“Jessica has great connections in the modeling world, and I always need more Native models. We also talked about other ways we can support each other in what we’re doing in trying to make change through Indigenous representation.”
The Creatives
Austin Evans and Amanda Alexander have known each other since attending high school together in Santa Fe. Amanda is president and creative director of Peyote Bird Designs, founded in 1974 by her father, Mark. This local jewelry house specializes in handcrafted artisan jewelry from and inspired by the American Southwest. Austin, a design consultant, joined his fellow International Folk Art Market Night Market committee member at Tesuque Village Market.
Over chips and dips, tortilla soup, a Southwestern salad, and mocktails, Austin and Amanda shared their experiences as young creatives in Santa Fe, a place they’ve seen evolve over the years. “Especially following COVID, we’ve both seen an influx of more young people.
This exciting energy from new artists, entrepreneurs, and restaurateurs is changing the landscape––in a good way,” Amanda says. “We both feel like there’s a shift happening, especially in the music scene, that’s been stepping up and becoming more a part of the culture. Austin told me he’d recently gone to an underground rave with 300 cool young people he’d never met before.”
Both were excited about the International Folk Art Market’s recent move to the Railyard for the annual July event that draws tens of thousands of attendees and generates significant revenue for more than 150 artists from around the world. “Moving to the Railyard represents a shift where IFAM has heard the community and is trying to become a bigger part of it.
To appeal to a younger demographic, and to more locals who couldn’t necessarily attend before. With this change, the Market will be more accessible, and more sustainable.”
The Politicos
J.D. Bullington had just signed a contract as lobbyist for the City of Santa Fe when he lunched with Mayor Alan Webber and Deputy City Manager Layla Archuletta-Maestas at Santacafé. This venerable Santa Fe restaurant just blocks from City Hall is an iconic spot where politicians, businesspeople, and anyone who wants to see and be seen has been dining for decades.
In addition to salad with Duroc pork dumplings, a club sandwich, and the daily Maggie’s Pasta Special (on this day: Spinach Ravioli stuffed with walnuts and squash in a basil cream sauce), the conversational menu featured selections from the city’s wish list for the 2023 state legislative session.
J.D.’s role was to advocate for funding for 50 city-identified projects, including a new fire station, an upgrade of facilities at SWAN Park on the city’s Southside, and the significant redevelopment of the Midtown campus of the former Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
“I’ve been a lobbyist for 26 years and have lived in Santa Fe for the past 15. It’s not a big city, and everyone in politics knows everyone else. I’m constantly running into people everywhere and that happened this day, too. We were just finishing lunch when another lobbyist and client were seats away. In true form, they stopped to say hello,” J.D. says.
Story by Kelly Koepke
Photography by Tira Howard, Gabriella Marks, and Daniel Quat
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