volume 7, number 1 January 2002
New Mexico's Premier Food, Arts and Lifestyle Magazine

La Cocinita is thrilled to present our Second Annual Critics' Choice Awards, an in-depth, insightful, informed guide to dining out in New Mexico. We know from experience how difficult it can be to choose a place for dinner, so we decided again to ask some of our most trusted friends and associates to help us prepare this decision-making aid for you. Our panelists are industry insiders who, if they're anything like me, dine out way more often than their waistlines and wallets would prefer. They've shared with us all the top spots in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and beyond, from where to get the best coffee in Taos, to the best sushi in Albuquerque and the best steakhouse in Santa Fe.

For six years, La Cocinita has been at the forefront of the New Mexico food scene, scouring the edible landscape to bring you the biggest, juiciest and best our state has to offer. In this spirit, we present to you the results of our Second Annual Critics' Choice Poll. We hope you'll find room for this issue in the glovebox of your car and refer to it again and again.

Bon appétit!
Gwyneth Doland

The Panelists

Justin Bailey is a writer, songwriter and food lover who divides his time between Albuquerque (where he takes classes at UNM) and Taos (where he operates a chimney sweep business). As a chimney sweep, Justin really gets to know restaurants inside and out.

Virginia L. Clark is a 15-year resident of Taos, transplanted from the wilds of the San Fernando Valley and the milds of Venice Beach, California. A poet, writer and retired critical care nurse, Virginia has lived in Tel Aviv and Toronto, where she learned to love upside-down coffee (Haifa) and Portuguese blood sausage.

Shirley Jones-Nelson contributes to La Cocinita, the Hugh Johnson's wine books, and is Southwest Editor for Wine and Cuisine, an Internet magazine. She was a wine/food consultant to Schutenhaus Restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland, and recently was one of 29 writers to receive an Academy of Wine Communications' Wine Writer Award, presented at Copia (American Center for Food, Wine, and the Arts) in Napa Valley. She divides her time between Albuquerque and Las Vegas, NM.

Lisa Sanderson, a former professional cook, is now Executive Director of the Santa Fe Restaurant Association and Assistant to the Executive Director of the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta, Taos Winter Wine Festival and Vintage Fine Wine and Art Auction. She dines very, very well.

Jason Sheehan is a freelance writer and former chef. His resume is the envy of his friends and an embarrassment to his mother who always told him he should be an orthodontist. In addition to his years behind the lines in kitchens all across America, Jason has also been a restaurant consultant, taught cooking classes and done a brief stint as a TV chef before realizing that people are uncomfortable seeing some short, long-haired, hyperactive Irish kid touching their food. He is working on a book about his years in food service entitled Burnt: A Memoir from Behind the Lines.

John Vollertsen is Director of the Las Cosas Cooking School, a regular contributor to La Cocinita and an all-around bon vivant. Before moving to Santa Fe in 1993, he lived in Sydney, Australia for eight years where he headed up a chain of Southwestern restaurants.

Best Specific Dishes and Menus

Best Breakfast

It is futile to resist the temptations of Frontier's breakfast menu. The crispy bacon, the goopy breakfast rolls, the fiery green chile and fresh-squeezed orange juice combine with décor that is 20 years beyond kitsch to make this University-area hangout an every-Sunday-morning destination. Fajitaville also scored points with our panel for their quick, cheap and yummy early morning grub. Pasqual's is Santa Fe's version of Frontier, only much, much smaller and with much, much classier food and clientele. In Taos, Doc Martin's scored a narrow victory over longtime favorite Michael's Kitchen and the tiny Main Street Bakery. Must be Doc Martin's blueberry-topped blue corn pancakes, or maybe the Kit Carson: poached eggs served over a tender yam biscuit smothered in red chile.

Best Coffee/Espresso

Though the debate rages on as to whether Flying Star has the best actual cup of coffee, there is no question that it's everyone's favorite place to go get coffee. All four locations are architectural masterpieces with killer pastries and great people watching. Other Albuquerque favorites were the North Valley's Desert Willow, the University's R.B. Winning and downtown's Gold Street Cafe. In Santa Fe, Downtown Subscription is where our panelists head for a cup and a paper. Otherwise, we recommend Ohori's Coffee, Tea and Chocolate. In Taos, the java junkies among us congregate at the centrally located World Cup. Of course, when we're on either side of town there's always the north and south locations of The Bean.

Best Appetizers

Sometimes you don't want a whole meal, just a couple appetizers and a half-bottle of wine. For these occasions, we recommend Le Café Miche, where one-third of the restaurant is devoted to a wine bar. In Nob Hill, panel members can't get enough of the Asian app's at Kanome and in Old Town, we head to Seasons. In Santa Fe, Canyon Road's Geronimo narrowly nudged out Bistro 315 for our favorite nibble spot. In Taos, the ever-changing starters at Joseph's Table, most notably the "awesome foie gras with dried cherry chutney," keep us coming back for more. The funky menu at Byzantium had some panelists begging for more, as did Momentitos de la Vida, on the way to the ski valley.

Best Bread Basket

It's not necessarily the best bread, but the best combination of breads that we were looking for. What we found in Albuquerque was a great combination of house-baked breads and muffins at Bien Shur. In Santa Fe, we're enamored of the yeasty yummies at Santa Café, Geronimo and of course, Sage Bakehouse (we know, that's cheating). The beautiful baked goods, "especially the poppy, sesame and sea salt-studded breadsticks" at Dragonfly Café in Taos never fail to disappoint either.

Best Barbecue

Mmm, pulled pork tastes good. The smoky meat and tangy sauce at Rudy's in Albuquerque more than make up for the concrete floor, picnic tables and lack of plates. The baby back ribs at Robb's Ribbs also deserve an honorable mention. In Santa Fe, but our panel can't get enough of the delectable ribs at the Bull Ring. For all other barbecue needs, we head to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Casa de Valdez, on the main road in Taos, wows us with pit-cooked spare ribs, and Rocky Mountain Barbecue in Angel Fire gets a nod.

Best Burger

We take our burgers very seriously here in New Mexico, where the simple addition of a bit of roasted green chile elevates the simple ground beef patty to a divine form of nutriment. In the Duke City, Hurricane's Typhoon does it for us, but Frontier wasn't far behind, especially with that Bonanza burger. Other panel members voted for O'Niell's and the Townhouse. Competition in Santa Fe was equally tough, but the San Francisco Street Grill, a perennial fave, nudged ahead of Bobcat Bite, Bert's Burger Bowl and Horseman's Haven. On the Taos plaza lies Ogelvie's, home of Taos' best burger. Not far away is the best kept burger secret in Taos: Mountain View Groceries and Gas where they serve "magical" meat patties. And who can forget the original Owl Café in San Antonio?

Best Sushi

Southwesterners aren't supposed to love seafood, but we do. Especially sushi. From Albuquerque's Northeast Heights, the Samurai Grill dominates the city's sushi scene, though newcomer Raw has taken a bite out of their lead. In the City Different, Sei Sei does it just the way we like and in Taos Ginza's got it goin' on.

Best Pizza

Pizza is a magical thing. It's one of the very few dinner items people of all ages can agree they want to eat, but very few can agree on which particular kind of pie is best. Among our panel members, though, Il Vicino gets the most votes. One member did note that that new Copper Lounge is serving great pizza, like its predecessor, Jack's. Santa Fe's Upper Crust can't be beat (not even by runner up Pizza Etc.). In Taos, Dolomite lost a good fight to the organic flour-crusts at Taos Pizza Out Back.

Best Desserts

What's the last thing you remember about dinner out? Yup, dessert. The beautifully presented and beautifully prepared desserts at Prairie Star are consistently stellar, though Flying Star did garner a few votes as a dessert destination. In Santa Fe, the Coyote Café has developed a history of serving up to-die-for last courses, but the Chocolate Maven also has some very vocal fans. In Taos, Joseph's Table blew our panel away with their simple yet divine sweets.

Best Happy Hour/Bar Food

Stale popcorn and oversalted pretzels don't cut it with this crowd. We like to eat well while we're drinking well. In Albuquerque, the best combination of the two can be found on the special menu at Season's rooftop bar. We love the food, the booze and especially the view. In Santa Fe, La Cantina at Casa Sena's killer wine list and scrumptious small plates make us swoon. And in Taos, the cozy interior and awesome-for-watching-the-world-go-by patio of the Taos Inn always lure us back for another round.

Best Cocktails

It shouldn't be a surprise that a bar named the Martini Grille should be so popular, but we are constantly amazed by the colossal martinis they serve up. On our less dressy days we also love the totally tiki drinks at Burt's. In Santa Fe, locals and tourists alike have been lining up at the Pink Adobe's bar for decades and our panelists have been elbowing them out of the way for almost as long. Again, the Taos Inn kills the cocktail competition in Taos with drinks like the Cowboy Buddha margarita, "the cleanest blend of Herradura tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime juice," according to one panelist.

Best Green Chile

The quality, heat factor and quantity of a restaurant's green chile is a constant topic of conversation around these parts and for good reason. We like it for every meal! In Albuquerque, Frontier's fiery hot chile makes it hurt so good. In Santa Fe, the panelists converge at Horseman's Haven for a swift kick in the pants and in Taos, we get our fix at El Taoseño where the chile is "not extremely hot, but very flavorful."

Best Red Chile

Green chile perfect in its most pure form: simply roasted and chopped. Red chile, though, takes a little more effort and the results are less predictable. Not so great red chile tastes like wet chile powder. Great red chile transports us to tastebud nirvana. The gloriously rich and velvety red chile at Mary and Tito's in Albuquerque sends us reeling. Maria's in Santa Fe performs a similar gastronomic miracle (though Tomasita's is close). And in Taos it's at Orlando's on the north side of town.

Best Salsa

For the variety, consistency and utter joy apparent in each bite of their many salsas, our panelists unanimously voted for Fajitaville. In the capital city, the award goes to the outstanding Bert's La Taqueria for his super fresh salsa. The Old Blinking Light in Taos stops us dead in our tracks with tortilla chips raised and ready.

Best Huevos Rancheros

Menudo may be the hangover helper but who with a hangover could really stomach the stuff? We think the best huevos are at Barelas Coffee Shop and they're worth waiting in line for, though Garcia's and Frontier will do in a pinch. Santa Feans take in their huevos at Tecolote. In Taos, Michael's Kitchen eeked out a win over Doc Martin's and Main Street Bakery.

Best Enchiladas

Okay, it's all the same ingredients just in another shape, but there's something inherently satisfying about a plate of enchiladas done just right. Padilla's in Albuquerque has that formula down. Tomasita's is where we go for enchiladas in Santa Fe and it's got to be Orlando's in Taos.

Best Carne Adovada

It's the chile, stupid. With that captivating red sauce, Mary and Tito's cuisine reigns supreme! When in the City Different, we seek out our slow-simmered pork in the shelter of The Shed and just to the north at El Taoseño.

Best Tamales

The best tamales are your mom's and that's exactly what all our panelists said. But when the freezer is empty, we seek them out at the Albuquerque institution El Modelo—you can tell a fan by the pig-shaped bumper sticker that says "I § Tamales from El Modelo"—and Mujeres en Accion. Santa Fe newcomer Tamale Molly has completely decimated the competition with her delicate and delicious vegetarian tamales. In Taos, both locations of Rita's have customers lining up for more.

Best Chinese

Albuquerque seems to have a Chinese restaurant on every corner, but one stands out from the crowd: Chow's Chinese Bistro, a Santa Fe import. Chow's lighter, brighter, leaner, meaner cuisine takes the guilt out of eating out. Though Santa Fe's Mu Du Noodles isn't just Chinese, the super creative, super delicious combinations of flavors make us want to march in the streets. In Taos, we head to Hunan when we're in the mood for mu shu.

Best Diner

Choosing a diner is a very personal thing. You choose one diner and that's the place you go when you didn't bother to put on make-up in the morning (or take it off from the night before), when you're so drunk you think eating a giant chicken fried steak at 3am is a good idea or when you just want pancakes and a cup of coffee, not atmosphere or conversation. In Albuquerque, that place is without a doubt Milton's. Nothing shocks them. Santa Fe doesn't dress down as well as Albuquerque, so the Zia diner is almost too classy to qualify, but takes the category anyway, just ahead of Harry's Roadhouse. In Taos, El Pueblo is, "as reliable as Mom's apple pie," but just west of there the little diner in Tres Piedras is also a real winner.

Best French

Nobody does it better than the French. Unless of course, you're talking about a Danish owner and a chef de cuisine who trained in Italian cuisine, because Le Café Miche does upscale French better than anyone else in the Duke City. "Just think, they manage to do all this in a strip mall in the desert," one panelist said. La Cuisine, La Crêpe Michel and Le French Corner are also on our list of favorites. Bistro 315 on Old Santa Fe Trail was chosen unanimously as our favorite French in Santa Fe and with foie gras like that we'll keep choosing it again and again.

Best Greek

Why is it that New Mexico seems to suffer from a dearth of pure Greek food? Sure, we've got Greeks and we've got plenty of Greek diners, but Albuquerque's really the only city with a decent variety. Of those, we pick Olympia Café again and again.

Best Indian

India Palace in Albuquerque and India Palace in Santa Fe. Two different restaurants that both have lavish service, exquisite food, deluxe ambiance. One panelist can't get enough of the "sinus clearing prawns vindaloo" in Santa Fe; another would kill for the chicken korma in Albuquerque. What more can we say?

Best Italian

Many Albuquerque restaurants have tried and failed to beat the combination of location, ambiance, reasonable pricing and great Italian food at Scalo, whose sister restaurant, Pranzo does the same in Santa Fe. Just outside of Taos, we think Villa Fontana is worth the drive "especially during mushroom season," but La Luna also has us howling in praise.

Best Mexican

Though the panel members do love our New Mexican chile, sometimes we like to pare it down and concentrate on the flavors that come to us from south of the border. Albuquerque's El Sabor de Juarez is where we head for clean, honest desebrada and fresh guacamole (for pennies!) In Santa Fe, we high-tail it over to Mariscos de la Playa for oysters on the half shell and fried trout, but more and more we're also stopping in at El Encanto. In Taos, we hate to choose between the two Guadalajara Grills, because they're both so good.

Best New Mexican

Best red chile plus best carne adovada equals best New Mexican. Mary and Tito's is first in our minds when we want down-home New Mexican cooking in Albuquerque. In Santa Fe, we make a beeline for Maria's and in Taos to Orlando's.

Best Steakhouse

Maybe it's the taxidermied heads on the wall or the antler chandelier or the leather booths, but something about The Ranchers Club in the Albuquerque Hilton that just makes us want to eat steak. It's the same leathery smell that drives us wild at the still new-ish Rio Chama Steakhouse just down the road from Bistro 315 (where they also have great steaks) in Santa Fe. In Taos, we like to make a special trip out to Stakeout and stuff ourselves silly on that mouth-watering meat.

Best Thai

Albuquerque has a healthy handful of Thai restaurants, but none stands out so much as Thai Ginger with distinctly un-greasy, un-complicated dishes in which "the flavors just melt together." The westside's Teriyaki Queen also made a showing in this category. In Santa Fe, Aztec Street's International Café wins us over with what one panelist described as a "killer" green curry.

Best Vegetarian

Sometimes it's hard to be a vegetarian. But not at Thai Ginger, our favorite Thai and our favorite for meat-free meals. They make it easy with extra vegetables and fried tofu available in nearly every dish. In Santa Fe, we love the options at Whistling Moon and Mu Du Noodles. In Taos, we trot over to Inspirations in our hemp sandals for a stab at the "nouveau vegan" soup and salad bar.

Best Vietnamese

Huong Thao barely managed to nudge above May Café and May Hong in our panelists' opinion, with herb-filled spring rolls and "oh-so-crispy" grilled pork. In Santa Fe, there was no competition for the magnificent Saigon Kitchen.

Best New American

What is New American? It's not nouvelle, it's not fusion, it's not continental, it's not hot dogs and apple pie, but it's the best of all those things tied together in a uniquely American appreciation of global culinary diversity. Albuquerque's Restaurant Jennifer James has jumped to the forefront of this style, nudging out traditional favorite Artichoke Café. The carefully-blended combinations of flavors at The Compound on Canyon Road in Santa Fe are "perfect every time," while Joseph's Table in Taos takes the (sour cream-cardamom) cake.

Best Atmosphere

The hundred-year old hacienda that makes up most of Prairie Star's dining area kills us with its smooth adobe walls, warming kiva fireplaces, laced vigas and jaw-dropping view of the Sandias. One panelist said, "Next time I'm bringing a pillow and staying the night!" Again, The Compound wins, this time for its clean, whitewashed aesthetic and lush back garden. On the way to the Taos Ski Valley, we love to stop at Momentitos de la Vida for a drink and a snack in the warm, candle-lit bar.

Best Restaurant for a Romantic Dinner

It can be hard to find the restaurant that's just right for a very special night. In Albuquerque, our panel members always score with Prairie Star, Paul's Monterey Inn and the "charming, intimate" La Crêpe Michel. In Santa Fe, romantic restaurants are a dime a dozen, but for its lip-smacking cuisine and dimly lit corners, The Old House is worth every penny. The candles suspended from wrought iron hooks are just the kind of thing we like about the dining room at Joseph's Table in Taos.

Best Restaurant to Impress Your Dinner Companions

Nobody in Albuquerque takes making a first impression more seriously than Le Café Miche. Except of course if it's The Ranchers Club. Geronimo really puts out the effort to go the extra mile in the City Different and the great food, "lively bar, incredible artwork and great jazz" make Momentitos de la Vida our choice in Taos.

Best Restaurant if You're Not Paying

"Come on, we'll take you anywhere you want to go. What's your favorite restaurant?" Why is it that when people ask you that you can never remember a single one of your favorites where dinner costs more than the $20 you have in your own pocket? Let us refresh your memory. In Albuquerque, it's best to pass the bill at Prairie Star. In Santa Fe, hand it on over at The Compound and in Taos, let them get it at Joseph's Table.

Best Service

"Maybe it's the tuxedoes, or is it the golden domes over my food, I don't know what it is, but I love the service at the Ranchers Club." We all do. Panelists also mentioned the attention at The Old House in Santa Fe and Doc Martin's in Taos.

Best Value

There's an ATM in the lobby of Frontier near UNM in Albuquerque, but you won't need to make a withdrawal in order to cover your lunch. One panelist called it, "cheap as dirt!" Harry's Roadhouse has some of the most reasonable prices in Santa Fe and the rock-bottom prices at Rita's are a big reason why we love it.

Best New Restaurant

In Albuquerque, there's "no question!" Restaurant Jennifer James was our clear favorite. In Santa Fe, we're most delighted about the noodles at Kasasoba and in Taos, we keep going back to the Western Sky Café.

Best Restaurant Wine List

The immense cellar and immeasurable depth of knowledge possessed by Prairie Star sommelier Sam McFall make this Wine Spectator award-winner an easy choice for our panel. La Casa Sena, Santa Cafe and Bistro 315 all push us into a "bottle-buying frenzy," as one panelist remarked. The list at Lambert's in Taos is second only to the choices at combination deli and bottle shop Bravo! in Taos.

Best Wine/Liquor Store

In Albuquerque, our panelists are "willing to drive across town" to get to the selection at Jubilation, though the prices on familiar favorites at Cost Plus are hard to resist. In Santa Fe, the bottle shop at La Casa Sena is familiar territory, as is Liquor Barn. In Taos, we head straight to Bravo!

Best Top Shelf-Stocked Bar

The difference between Bombay Sapphire and Crystal Palace is the difference between a pleasant evening with friends and a late-night call to a bail bondsman. We think it's worth it to pay a couple bucks more for a really great drink and we stay out of trouble by going to Martini Grille in Albuquerque, the bar at Geronimo in Santa Fe and Momentitos de la Vida in Taos.

Best Catering

For their attention to every detail like the "fresh flowers in the salad" one panelist noted, Chef du Jour got the nod. In Santa Fe, we call Roadrunner and Peas 'n' Pod. In Taos, we love the sandwiches from Taos Wrappers.

Best Grocery

Hint: It's not the place where the checker has to ask, "what is this" for every produce item on the conveyor belt. We never have those problems at La Montañita Co-op in Albuquerque, Whole Foods in Santa Fe, and Cid's in Taos.

Best Kitchen Supply Store

For spatulas, cookie cutters and marble pastry slabs, our panelists head up to Albuquerque's Now We're Cooking, though one recommended National Restaurant Supply as a not-so-secret-anymore source of inexpensive kitchen supplies. In Santa Fe, Las Cosas Kitchen Shoppe narrowly beat out Cookworks and in Taos, we stroll through the shops on Bent Street to get to Monet's Kitchen.

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