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Ruidoso Uncovered: Santa Fe’s Mountain Gem

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Staff Author
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old designed bar called win place show with sign in view

Often known for summer Quarter Horse racing at neighboring Ruidoso Downs, the village of Ruidoso offers much beauty in its summer activities. The appeal of a small mountain town surrounded by gorgeous landscapes. It was shortened from Rio Ruidoso, which means “noisy river” in Spanish, to Ruidoso. The village was named after the river that runs through it. Here is a checklist of great Ruidoso spots to explore.

The Roots

Owners of Roots, Justin and Nenada Huffmon, have always have a single espresso machine running. This is so that shoppers can get a cup for $1.50 to enjoy while perusing offerings of coffee and teas.

roots ground coffee bags lined up on wooden table

This additionally includes cocktail-related items, local goods and crafts, along with an assortment of house plants. “It looks like a jungle in here in the summer,” says Justin.  

roots in new mexico red sign in front door

Happy Hiker

Enchanted Vine Winery pioneer Mary Jo Piedmont opened the Happy Hiker to sell everything needed to tackle the Ruidoso trails, including bear spray. “Forestry Service always sends people over to get some,” says regional manager Nicole Warner.

winery outside with wooden chairs and large tin room

The store carries products that give back in some way to the National Parks, Forestry Service, and other green organizations. Their offerings go beyond hiking supplies with self-care products, pet supplies, gifts, and discs for disc golf. “Disc golf is huge around here,” says Warner, noting that there are four courses in the area.

Old Barrel Tea Company

Owned by Dana Huffmon and the female members of her family, Old Barrel Tea Company offers loose and bagged teas made with New Mexico-harvested ingredients. Of note: the Green Chile Bischocito tea. The shop also carries tea paraphernalia such as pots, strainers, and local jams and honey.

Café Rio

Café Rio fans line the walls with hand-drawn pictures on napkins and notes of admiration that read things like, Café Rio is the bomb. Thin-crust pizza is served up by a young squad of hipsters. “This is some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. You guys are pizza geniuses,” said a couple of cowboys on their way out the door.

town center sign with ruidoso sushi appearing

Ruidoso Sushi

Local Tom Balderrama says, “You get a little nervous sometimes eating sushi way out in a mountain town, but it’s always fresh and he makes good shit.” He is Chef Lam Ho who serves up typical sushi fare, but also makes off-the-menu items, like takoyaki—dough balls stuffed with octopus topped with fish roe.

Scenic mountain town view of Ruidoso New Mexico

Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino

Inn of the Mountain Gods is a family-friendly resort. The Ted Robinson-designed champion golf course, casino, fine dining, 1852 cigar lounge, and concerts are available for the grown-ups and an arcade, pool, and food court are for the kids. 

Local shops and streets in Ruidoso mountain community

Big game hunting and horseback riding are offered in the spring and summer. The resort is located on the 463,000-acre Mescalero Apache reservation that includes the Sierra Blanca Peak, which the Apache refer to as White Mountain. They believe it is the home to the protective mountain gods.

Ski Apache Zip Line

The third longest zip line in the world at the highest elevation of any is Ski Apache’s zip line. The three-span line starts just shy of 600 feet below the mountain peak at 11,400 feet above sea level. The first mile stretch allows liners to reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. The last leg lands brave adventurers at 9,600 feet.

resort in front of water with zip line in view

Win, Place & Show Axe Throwing

Win, Place & Show has been a local watering hole since 1956. They have the original, duct-tape-repaired bar stools to prove it. “We just tape them up and hope it sticks,” says bartender Lori Phillips with a smile.

old designed bar called win place show with sign in view

“We’re a combination of honky-tonk, liquor store, and axe throwing,” says Win, Place & Show owner and self-proclaimed bourbon steward, Mike Cheney, who decided to convert the parking lot into a beer patio-slash-axe-throwing venue last year.

axe in wooden wall at throwing center

Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts

The Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts sits like an architectural jewel on the 20-acre lot in Alto, NM that once belonged to its founder Jacqueline Spencer Morgan. Opened in 1997, Spencer Morgan built the theater for her love of the arts and the love for her husband who became ill with kidney disease.

Forest landscape surrounding Ruidoso in New Mexico

“They loved Broadway shows and the symphony,” says publicist Kathleen McDonald. She explained that once his illness made it difficult to travel, Spencer Morgan decided to build the theater. This would allow the performances come to them instead.

Rustic cabins and nature scenery in Ruidoso region

The newspaper heiress selected Antoine Predock, a renowned architect from Albuquerque, to design the structure. Inspired by the Sierra Blanca peak, Predock conceptualized the building to emulate its silhouette.

inside of theater with metal chairs and tables with glass bar and pink flowers

Enchanted Vine Winery

Just down the road from the Spencer Theater, you’ll find the Enchanted Vine Winery. You might pull up to find wild horses or bucks snacking on grass and leftover apple peels—byproducts of the cider-making that also happens at the facility. Staff offer tours of the winemaking process every weekend.

winery outside with wooden chairs and large tin room

No Scum Allowed Saloon

For the real-deal Wild West experience, head to No Scum Allowed Saloon (aka, White Oaks Bar, circa 1885). It is nearby White Oaks and provides great drinks, dancing and live music.

Outside of saloon with deer fixture and man in cowboy hat

This no-frills, high-altitude watering hole oozes frontier charm with its creaky wooden floors, weathered bar, and handwritten signs. “No Scum Allowed” is a motto the bar lives by. Once a booming gold rush town, White Oaks is now a near-ghost town. The saloon stands as its most lively remnant.

so scum allowed bar inside look with shelves of bottles behind bar

On weekends, locals and visitors alike pack the place for live country music, cold beer and boot-scootin’ dancing under the stars. It’s rowdy, friendly, and full of character. It’s exactly what you’d hope for in an outlaw-approved saloon at the edge of nowhere.

Story by Wendy Ilene Friedman

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Museum of International Folk Art’s Angels and Demons

By
Keith Recker
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A group of devil figures that look as if they are made from dough.
From Calderón Pichincha, Ecuador. Artist unknown.

Angels and demons dwell peacefully together in the storage vaults of the Museum of International Folk Art. Decades of curators keep them safe for future generations. What can we learn from this cohabitation of seeming opposites?

The Museum of International Folk Art

Founded in 1953, the MOIFA holds more than 160,000 objects. Legendary 20th century designer Alexander Girard and his wife, Susan, gifted over 106,000 of these to the institution. This donation made it the largest collection of international folk art in the world.

Angels and Demons Vaults of Art

Ancient Sumerians may have birthed the first angels approximately 3,000 years ago with their sculptures of otherworldly winged guardians. Nearly as old are Zoroastrian visions of a great battle between good and evil fought by angels and demons. This may have influenced subsequent Biblical accounts.

History and Spirit Collide

According to Yale University scholar Dale B. Martin, it’s only in the 2nd century CE that the Old Testament story of Lucifer—the most beautiful (and errant) of the angels—begins to change. This is when the idea emerges that angels and demons occupy branches of the same family tree.

Generations of curators carefully preserve depictions of these cousins from cultures around the world in the storage vaults of the International Museum of Folk Art. These art-whisperers care for works in the permanent collection. Works to organize exhibitions, and through their scholarship, bring light to their origin stories from communities around the world. They also help us perceive the meanings and lessons suggested by these works of art. This includes the context in which they were created. 

In the varied countenances of Michaels and Mephistopheleses we most certainly find signs of kinship in the curve of a smile, the tinkle of an eye, the flourish of a gesture. How could we not? These artifacts of humanity reflect back to us facets of ourselves.

In our polarized times, we can find both wisdom and comfort here. If angels and demons—symbols of opposing extremes of human nature—are kin, how can we not pause and try to understand each other better? MOIFA’s website states that part of the organization’s mission is “to illuminate human creativity and shape a humane world.” Awakening such ideas within us shows that curators, past and present, are very much on the job.

Handcrafted folk art sculpture
From Prague, Czech Republic. Artist, Hana Králová, 1966.

Into Temptation

The devil can sweep the most angelic of us off our feet! This licentious spirit rendered in linen lace has taken innocence by surprise. The ancient tale of Persephone tells of how she set the seasons in motion by eating a few pomegranate seeds during her first visit to the underworld. This encounter may carry similar weight. Who knows what surprises might follow?

Traditional folk art piece with vibrant colors

From San Gabriel, Suchitepéquez, Guatemala. Artist unknown.

Lucifer

MOIFA’s notes on this devilish figure link him to pre-Christian imagery. “The development of the Christian devil was influenced by the pagan god Pan, who was half goat and half man. Pan’s carnal appetite made it easy for early Christian worshipers in the Roman world to associate this god with all things forbidden, and he soon became synonymous with sin.” The cloven hoof of Pan’s left foot, his crab claw hands, serpentine tail, horns, and unconcealable lust for life all reinforce his association with the wildness of life outside customs and norms.

Close-up of handcrafted devotional folk art
Candlesticks made by a Poqomam artisan in Chinautla, Guatemala in the 1960s.

A Glory of Angels

Far more circumspect than Lucifer, these ceramic angels conceal their nether regions under round skirts stone-burnished to a beautiful sheen. The dove-bearing beauties are known as emblems of heavenly elegance and propriety.
They still show signs of devilish cousinship. This is history of heat and passion written in the flame-kissed markings left behind by their time in the fire.

Decorative folk art object
From Tabay Mérida Venezuela. Artist

Guardian Angel

The hooks on its back suggest that someone likely hung this carved bas-relief wooden angel on a wall. Under its wide-set blue eyes, could anything bad possibly happen? Probably not. Is the definition of “good” accommodatingly broad when your guardian angel’s robe is a provocative red and his/her neck is as sturdy as a bull’s? This winged watcher might have accepted an invitation to share a bottle of wine over a discussion of the complexities of personal morality.

Artisan-made cultural sculpture displayed
From Calderón Pichincha, Ecuador. Artist unknown.

Bread Dough Devils

Not even Valentino or Versace could come close to the level of splendidness found in the feast day finery of these hand-rolled and sculpted bread dough devils. Artists paint and varnish them after a few days of drying. The art piece rose in the 1940s out of an All Souls’-Day tradition in Calderón Pichincha, Ecuador. The tradition involves bread babies by its enviable exuberance.

They’d fit right in with the angel in red on the opposite page. They might hog the wine and hijack the conversation towards the virtues of parties and other earthly pleasures.

Story by Keith Recker
Photography by Tira Howard
Information by MOIFA Director Kate Macuen

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Chainé Brings Magnificent Macarons to Santa Fe

By
Lynn Cline
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Magnificent Macarons with red garnish

Chainé opens on Burro Alley in Santa Fe, featuring macarons that feel fresh from France.

Bite Into Authentic Macarons at Chainé in Santa Fe

Macaron maven Chainé Peña takes her name from a three-step ballet turn. The reference fits: her journey through downtown Santa Fe has been a graceful dance. She launched Chainé’s Gourmet Cookies on Water Street in 2019, and the shop quickly became a success. After a brief stop at Santa Fe Village, she ultimately found her newest home on Burro Alley. In many ways, this third location feels perfectly suited to one of the city’s sweetest streets.

“I’m so excited and I’m completely charmed by Burro Alley—it has such a European vibe,” says Peña. She grew up in Santa Fe watching her mother bake cakes shaped like mermaids and bunnies. Now, her new shop highlights her celebrated magnificent macarons, which she first learned to make in Paris and later perfected for Santa Fe’s high elevation. In addition, Chainé offers her popular Piñon Chocolate Chip cookies and, for the first time, decadent cakes by the slice.

A Specialty-Curated Experience

Patrons can relax in Chainé’s welcoming space. At the same time, they can browse beauty products crafted by women-owned businesses while sipping from an enticing menu of elixirs. As Peña explains, her vision is “a specialty-curated experience,” one that combines sweets, style, and moments of self-care.

Flavors with a Twist

Over the years, Peña has built her reputation on imaginative, magnificent macarons. For example, she blends Lemon Lavender, Chimayó Red Chile Chocolate, and Strawberry Rosé, filled with Gruet rosé meringue buttercream and fresh strawberries. Marie Claire even praised her “Southwesternized French macarons,” calling out her churro cookie filled with cinnamon meringue buttercream and dulce de leche.

Even with so many unique flavors, certain favorites rise above the rest. “The most popular cookie, hands down, is the Crème Brûlée,” Peña notes. Meanwhile, seasonal specials like Bizcochito macarons appear from fall through the holidays. “Those are my favorite ones to make,” she adds, “because they use my great-great-grandmother’s bizcochito recipe. The bizcochito is crumbled and folded into a Swiss meringue buttercream, piped into a macaron shell, and finished with homemade dulce de leche.”

Coming Full Circle

Ultimately, Peña’s connection to Burro Alley runs deeper than business. “My grandfather’s father used to run a little convenience store on the corner, where the burger stand is now,” she recalls. Therefore, opening her shop here feels like a return to her roots. “It feels like home.”

Story by Lynn Cline
Photography by Tira Howard

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Exploring the Lunch Options of Santa Fe with Purpose

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Staff Author
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A woman picks up a piece of salmon with chopsticks.

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.

Business professionals networking over lunch meeting

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.

Colleagues sharing meal during corporate lunch

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.

Danniel Quat lunch

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.

close up of shrimp dish at daniel quat lunch

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.

Restaurant table set for business lunch meeting

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.

Professionals discussing work over plated lunch dishes

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.

Group enjoying upscale dining during business meeting

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.”

Close-up of gourmet lunch plates for corporate gathering

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.

collaborating over meal at stylish restaurant

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.

Executive lunch meeting with food and drinks

“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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‘Found + Foraged’ Opens at Lapis Room 

By
Kylie Thomas
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A collage of a woman on a blue background with white flowers.
Passing Through II by Chad Cleveland

Culture is on the calendar this week with the opening of the Fall Group Show, at Albuquerque’s Lapis Room.

The outline of a person made from a collage of patterns.

the teacher sees what shes made of by Thomas Christopher Haag

This year the annual show through October 19 draws together 12 local artists. The exhibition name of the exhibition, Found + Foraged, is also the theme. The idea is for artists including Rebecca Elise Cook, Thomas Christopher Haag,Kristin Diener, Marcelle Bowman, Lana Scholtz, and Chad Cleveland to see the potential in the discarded and outdated. These 12 talents show that there is beauty in the mundane.  

A sculpted piece in muted colors on a white background.

Blue Frontier by Rebecca Elise Cook

Cook uses hand-formed sheet metal and car parts, while Diener creates a hand-fabricated piece from treasures she’s collected over the year. Diener’s piece includes parrot feathers, butterfly wings, a hummingbird eggshell and even an olive pit and lingerie fragments.

A hanging decor of beads and gems in silver.

Pollen Collector Talisman in the Golden Age of the Predator by Kristin Diener

Bowman’s piece speaks to the Southwest in a work formed from rocks found and foraged in New Mexico and arranged on salvaged barn wood.

A series of small pebbles on a wood table.

Nightfall by Marcelle Bowman

And recent MFA grad from UNM, Lana Scholtz creates a work that draws on botanical imagery with a beautifully ethereal quality. 

A painting with pink and purple and green colors.

Eternal Necklace by Lana Scholtz

Story by Julia Platt Leonard
Photos Courtesy of the Artists

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Wild Life’s Handcrafted Housewares

By
Staff Author
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Two women sit at a wooden table with plating all around it.

Work is work and everything else is life. Draw a clear line between the
two. No checking emails at night or texting co-workers and guard your private life religiously. That’s the goal, isn’t it? But what if private and professional passions intersect and the day job isn’t just a job?

Decorate Your Home with Handcrafted Housewares at Wild Life Santa Fe

That’s happily the case for Shobhan Porter’s team at Wild Life. Wild Life, on the plaza in Santa Fe, sells covetable, handcrafted and artisan wares for the home. Think of a glass by Malfatti (Italian for “misshapen”), so thin you think it might shatter when you pick it up. Made from borosilicate glass––the same material used to make laboratory beakers––it’s delicate yet durable.

Two platters hold food on a dark brown table with floral near the bottom right hand corner.

Handmade Homewares That Last

Run your finger along the unglazed lip of a set of hand-formed nesting bowls in speckled celadon by ceramicist Laurie Goldstein. Marvel at the work of the artist. Feel the substantial weight of a piece of brushed stainless-steel cutlery from Astier de Villatte in your hand. Know you’re holding something meant to last.

It’s a marriage of nature. It’s untameable, unpredictable, and an utterly one-of-a-kind culture. The homeware is an art and craft that is at the heart of Wild Life. Nature is the inspiration and the hand of the maker lies at its heart.

A liquor cabinet/shelf full of glasses with towels over the door of the cabinet.

It’s a refreshing philosophy that flies in the face of mass-produced, throw-away homewares. And it’s one that carries through to the staff who work at Wild Life and its sister stores, Santa Fe Dry Goods and Workshop. “I often say that Dry Goods is more uptown; Workshop is downtown; and Wild Life is out of town,” says owner Shobhan Porter. Wild Life metamorphosed from store to dinner party recently when staff members gathered for an after-hours celebration.

“We’re a pretty tight team, that’s all I can say. There’s a lot of
enthusiasm. Everyone loves living in this specific way.” And all share a love of handmade works. “Almost everyone here is an artist in some way, so there is a deeper connection in that vein,” she says.

A woman sits at a wooden table in a showroom space at Wild Life.

Celebrating Artistry and Tradition

The food was prepared by Joseph Wrede, head chef and owner of Santa Fe’s iconic Jacob’s Culinary Pub, and was as inspired as the conversation. An egg-yolk yellow porcelain platter from Bertozzi, one of Wild Life’s signature lines, was the perfect choice for Chef Wrede’s salad of bitter greens, shaved fennel, blackberries, razor-thin slices of squash and pink grapefruit segments.

Three people in colorful clothes sit at a table holding glasses in her hands.

With its wavy, hand-built edge and yellow glazes ranging from buttery yellow to warm sunflower, Bertozzi epitomizes Wild Life’s ethos. The team’s quest for the unexpected is easily noticable. “I think the products are the maker,” Shobhan says. Each Bertozzi piece is handmade and the result of three generations of Italian know-how in the complex world of porcelain and glazing. “Their soul is throughout everything they make.”

“This maker world is available to all of us and this crowd pursues that on their own, so we share that as friends would.” Shobhan says this means passing around newspaper or magazine clippings and late-night texts that read. “You won’t believe what I just found!” Unique products, sourced and sold by a team just as unique. “It’s definitely a cast of characters and I love that.”

A woman in a pattern shirt holds a large salad bowl in orange.

Story by Julia Platt Leonard
Photography by Tira Howard
Styling by Kitty Solon, FORAGED Floral Designs

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Venezuela to Taos: Chokolá Chocolate Café

By
Staff Author
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Pieces of elegant chocolate from Chokolá sit on a brown table.

From the highlands of Venezuela to the Sierra Madre, Debbie Vincent carries her passion for chocolate to Taos. Debbie Vincent grew up in the small Venezuelan mountain town of Mérida. Though surrounded by coffee farms, she always dreamed of chocolate.

Bean-to-Bar at Chokolá Chocolate Café

After moving to Taos for a stint at the Harwood Museum of Art, Vincent devoted herself full time to her passion. This included time for the making of delicious chocolates that remind her of her homeland.

Chokolá sources chocolate ethically and sustainably, following a bean-to-bar philosophy that channels the magic of nature into every bite. Debbie Vincent also collaborates with local artists she met at the Harwood. Together, they design the beautiful packaging, adding another layer of creativity to each treat.

Located just off the Taos Plaza, a visit to Chokolá Chocolate Café is a delicious boost for that post farmers’ market stop. It is also the perfect chocolate treat after shopping at the John Dunn Shops, or an après ski treat. We suggest you try one of Chokolá’s amazing caramels, pictured here in Lavender, Sea Salt, Earl Grey and Rosemary.

Story by Alex Hanna
Photography by Tira Howard

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From Garden to Plate at Los Poblanos’ Campo

By
Staff Author
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A man squats beside Los Poblanos' garden.

The horticulturalists at Los Poblanos, give TABLE readers a magical tour of the verdant, sustainable growing fields tucked around the resort, spa, restaurant, and shop. Along the way, they points out many varieties home gardeners can try this summer.

Trading Rain for Sun to Find New Roots

I’ve had a kitchen garden for years, growing potatoes by the bucketful, green beans that happily spill out of containers, and peppery arugula that nestles in hanging baskets. My London garden is a small slice of green in an urban landscape. Bordered by brick walls on three sides and our house on the fourth, it’s a warm microclimate where temperatures rarely dip below freezing. If water is an issue, it’s too much rather than too little.

I’m trading that for a new garden in Santa Fe where conditions couldn’t be more different. The challenge for me––and any keen gardener in New Mexico––is to create a kitchen garden where water is precious and temperatures dip in the winter and soar in the summer. What should I plant and how can I make my garden thrive?

Garden landscape blending natural plants

For help, I turned to the horticulturalists at Los Poblanos, whose passion for plants and Southwestern gardening is infectious. Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm covers 25 acres in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. It features lush lavender fields and formal gardens. About four acres are dedicated to growing food for Campo, their award-winning restaurant. They also grow herbs used in spa treatments and body-care elixirs.

Inside Los Poblanos’ Organic Fields and Heirloom Philosophy

I take a tour of the kitchen and gardens to learn how they collaborate on what they grow. Together, they focus on heirloom and native varieties adapted to withstand heat and drought. You and I might not have room for a beehive or guinea fowl to control garden pests. Still, we can learn a lot from how they garden at Los Poblanos.

Blooms in Los Poblanos' garden.

In their fields you’ll find Sungold cherry tomatoes, a high-yield, super-sweet variety; deep purple eggplants like the meaty Black Beauty and the slender, paler purple Orient Charm; sweet corn, popping corn, and a variety of indigenous blue corn; and, of course, chiles like the small, spicy Aji Crystal, colorful and compact Chinese Five-Color and the mild poblano; as well as lesser known––and appreciated––plants like amaranth, with its stunning red
leaves and plumes.

Not only does amaranth add architectural elegance to the garden, you can eat both leaves and seeds. Campo Head Chef and New Mexico native Chris Bethoney suggests sautéing the leaves like chard. “Sometimes we’ll take the leaf because it’s such a beautiful red and imprint it on a tortilla or tamale,” he adds.

Outdoor garden space with pathways and greenery

If you’re eager to grow fruit, Los Poblanos recommends peach varieties like Contender or Hale-Haven. They also suggest Jonathan apples, sour cherries, or Moorpark apricots with their pink-tinged blossoms. Or try your hand at unfamiliar fruits like the Jujube (also known as Chinese date) which thrives in a warm, dry climate and can tolerate cold winters. It’s a great pollinator plant and is super-xeric so won’t need frequent watering. (Chris has used the fruits in a pecan shortbread recipe and is experimenting with poaching them in a simple syrup.)

Cultivating with Care

As with most gardens, the best results start with the soil. “Here in the desert, we always have to add organic material.” Home composting is one of the best things you can do and it doesn’t have to be a complex or expensive system. You can start with plastic garbage cans with secure lids and holes punched in the bottoms for drainage.

Start with dry leaves and pine needles in the base then add potato peelings, vegetable scraps and coffee grounds––almost any plant-based waste. You can even add charcoal from a fire pit, which “sweetens the soil,” I am told. Install a drip irrigation system rather than overhead watering.

The idea with drip irrigation is that you might water for an hour very slowly and deeply,” the gardeners say. Water at night when there is less ground evaporation and the roots have a chance to absorb the water. And never leave soil uncovered. “Bare soil is the enemy of any desert garden.” Cover with several inches of compost and top with a layer of barley straw. While cardoons flourish at Los Poblanos, their relative—the artichoke—is much more finicky. Both belong to the Cynara genus.

Contemporary garden installation with sculptural plants

“Mother Nature is in charge, we’re not.” The gardeners plants borage, an edible flower with periwinkle blue blossoms, alongside tomatoes to deter sphinx moths. “Could be an old wives’ tale but it seems to work,” they say. Dahlias can do double duty as a cut flower and ingredient, the petals becoming an edible, citrus-inflected cup for small, ripe strawberries. Nasturtium leaves have a peppery, wasabi-like flavor, while the edible pods can be stored in salt and used like capers.

A warm white flower in sunlight and shade.

A Desert Gardener’s Mantra for Success

Choose plants that earn their place in your garden. One example is Cota (Thelesperma megapotamicum), also known as Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, or Indian tea. A member of the aster family, it has bright yellow flowers and is used to make a delicious (and medicinal) herbal tea and also as a dye plant. “Why not have kale in the beds with your shade trees or perennial flowers?” Why not indeed. “Maybe food is all over the yard?”

As we finish up our tour, the gardeners point out a tasting basket full of fresh produce the team picked that day. It’s a simple way to show visitors what’s in season and what’s on the menu that night. Think Chris’s pasta made with tomato leaves and topped with sautéed tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, and herbs—everything fresh from the garden.

Desert garden featuring native plants and modern layout

We end our tour at the Campo bar with cocktails made from Los Poblanos’ two new botanical gins. They’re crafted in the New Western style, not the traditional London Dry. That means juniper is less dominant, providing plenty of room for other aromatic plants to shine.

The move into making gin is a natural since they’ve been growing and distilling botanicals for their Los Poblanos beauty range for over two decades. But most importantly, how do the gins taste? The Western Dry gin is smooth and complex, distilled with 16 botanicals from the farm. Ingredients include piñon, rose, hawthorn, and chamomile.

Green sprouts from the soil.

The Los Poblanos Lavender Gin is distilled with four different lavender varietals and from the first sip feels like a drinkable walk through their lavender fields. Both are quaffable treats. As we lift our glasses and toast my new garden, I ask for any last words of advice. The team responds that it’s pretty basic: “Work with nature, never against it.”

Story by Julia Platt Leonard
Photography by Tira Howard
Shot on location at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm

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Santa Fe’s Chefs’ Favorite Eats Around the City

By
Samuel
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0
on top view of potato and veggie dinner with napkin rolled

With over 300 restaurants in Santa Fe and Albuquerque alone, choosing where to dine can be a challenge. In New Mexico, residents and visitors alike are spoiled for choice with everything from a quick bite from a food truck to fancy white-tablecloth dining. But what about the hidden gems where we might find the best burritos, carne adovada, flakiest pastries, or the must-have dinner? We asked four New Mexico chefs where they go when they’re not behind the stove–and what their favorite dishes are.

Santa Fe Chefs’ Favorite Restaurants

Start the Day Right with Chef Dakota Weiss

Chef Dakota Weiss of Santa Fe’s Catch Poke, Capital Coal Neighborhood Eatery, and Albuquerque’s Notorious Poke at Sawmill Market says, “I am a sucker for breakfast at downtown Santa Fe’s Pantry Rio. I usually stick with a Smothered Burrito Christmas without eggs, but full of protein, potatoes, and tons of cheese.”

two plates with potato veggie dinner with forks
Mesa Provisions. Photo by Elliot Archuleta

A 35-year resident of Santa Fe, Chef James Campbell Caruso of La Boca and Taberna says his secret breakfast spot is Ramblin’ Café, a family business tucked away in a tiny strip mall on Second Street. “The carne adovada and eggs is my go-to order. And their red chile is happening.”

Caruso also frequents Clafoutis and Mille, both French hot-spots with stellar pastry selections. He admits, “When I am at Clafoutis, I want to eat all the pastries, so I buy some and share with my staff. I also love their quiche. At Mille, I love the crepes—every type—and the Croque Madame. Mille also has sensational pastries that pair beautifully with their great coffee.”

tower of baked goods with orange red hue
Pastries at Mille.

Early Morning Go-To’s with Chef Marc Quinones

When Executive Chef Marc Quinones of Hotel Chaco’s Level 5 goes out for breakfast, it’s always Vic’s Daily Cafe. “Chef and owner Victor Pandazis is the real deal and everything on his menu is mouthwateringly delicious! My go to is El Vaquero—a huge portion of hand-battered chicken-fried Steak smothered with red chile and cheese.”

Albuquerque’s Chef Jennifer James of frenchish isn’t much on breakfast, “But If I’m up early on the weekend, I’ll go to Burque Bakehouse and get a coffee. Their kouign Amann are caramelized crunchy goodness or a canelé is a practice in precision and a deep, dark complement to my coffee.”

plate of crossants in a circle with butter in middle
Croissants at Mille.

Midday Munching with Chef Jennifer James

James segued quickly toward lunch. “If I am out and about on a Monday or Tuesday and need a tasty lunch, I go to Duran’s downtown or Duran’s Station or Oni. At Duran’s, I always get the Carne Adovada Burrito. Smothered. No onions. Oni is also chef owned and -driven, and I order anything on the menu. The ramens and the tartare are not to be missed.”

Chef Quinones goes to Mr. Powdrell’s Barbeque for a lunchable Beef Brisket & Cheese Sandwich. He added, “I’m also a huge fan of the Red Chile Beef Bites at High Noon Restaurant & Saloon in Old Town.”

ice cream waffle cone with colorful sticks
Neko Neko.

The Dinner Bell with Chef James Campbell Caruso

On the rare occasion that a chef gets to escape dinner service and enjoy a luxurious dinner out, the chefs in each city were in agreement about where they head. In Albuquerque, Mesa Provisions tops the list, where Steve Riley holds court with his seasonal menu. James said, “I’ll order almost the whole menu because you can’t go wrong.” Quinones concurred and said, “Steve is my favorite chef right now. His Smoked Half Chicken hits the spot for me every time!”

blake plate with food and white plate with red sauce
Mesa Provisions. Photo by Gabriella Marks.

Santa Fe chefs Caruso and Weiss called out Horno as their top dinner haunt. Caruso said, “Horno is across the street from my restaurant, but also what I believe to be the best restaurant in town. There aren’t many chefs who care as much as Dave does.” With a nod, Weiss added, “It doesn’t matter what mood you are in and what you want to eat, you will be satisfied. The dumplings with the coconut broth, that is a definite yes! Any version of his hangar steak is also a definite yes, as are the pork belly skewers.”

A perfect food day is never complete without dessert and Weiss recommends Neko Neko at the Sawmill Market. She said, “The ice cream cone is warm and crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. Their flavors are crazy exciting—from the pandan to the yuzu, but the watermelon is my favorite. You can add toppings like Fruity Pebbles, condensed milk, mochi. It’s fun and it’s not something you see anywhere else in New Mexico.”

Our Chef Experts

James Campbell Caruso
La Boca, Taberna
Jennifer James
Frenchish
Marc Quinones
Hotel Chaco’s Level 5
Dakota Weiss
Capital Coal Neighborhood Eatery, Catch Santa Fe Poke, and Notorious P.O.K.E. Read more about Chef Weiss here.

Story by Heather Hunter
Photos by Gabriella Marks and Elliot Archuleta

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Prime Steak Tartare

By
Ethan Chmura
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0
Aerial view of Prime Steak Tartare on a small, black, bowl looking plate.

Chef Kathleen Crook executes Prime Steak Tartare with precision, turning it into a timeless steakhouse favorite. She combines fresh, finely chopped beef with tangy Dijon, brandy, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and just enough heat from hot sauce. Shallots, gherkin, and parsley add crunch and brightness. It is served cold, with the dish being a testament to letting quality ingredients speak for themselves.

The Art of Tartare

It is traditionally made from finely chopped or ground raw beef. The chefs season tartare with a variety of flavor-enhancing ingredients like mustard, herbs, onions, and capers. They carefully balance each component to highlight the meat’s natural flavor while adding depth and complexity. Tartare is as much about technique as taste. Proper chopping, seasoning, and chilling are key to achieving the perfect texture and flavor. Served cold and often accompanied by toast or crackers, it’s a dish that embodies refinement, restraint, and culinary artistry.

Print
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Aerial view of Prime Steak Tartare on a small, black, bowl looking plate.

Prime Steak Tartare

  • Author: Chef Kathleen Crook
Print Recipe

Description

Chef Kathleen Crook’s recipe for Prime Steak Tartare is a master class in restraint and a valuable reminder that the best ingredients are best handled simply. Her dish is a classic, beautifully executed interpretation of a perennial steakhouse favorite.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 tsp ketchup
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 dashes hot sauce
  • 2 tsp brandy
  • 1 gherkin, minced
  • 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
  • Sea salt as needed
  • 3 oz beef filet

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients together. Toss with the meat and serve cold.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Story by Chef Kathleen Cook
Photography by Doug Merriam and Gabriella Marks

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