Coyote, Chile’s, & Forgotten Heroes

Tues-Wednesday September 12-13

We encountered more rain and thunderstorms in Santa Fe. Flash flooding around the area made it impossible to go hiking or fishing, so we were relegated to a day of walking around in the rain in downtown Santa Fe. I found a replacement wedding band for Justin, who has lost his first two; it’s hand-carved and made by famous multi-generation jewelers, and amazingly, it was his size.

One of the best things about Santa Fe is the food. I have eaten food all over the country, and Santa Fe, in our opinion, has the best cuisine and restaurants. One of my absolute favorites is Coyote Cafe; it’s an upscale restaurant with unique dishes and unique presentations. Our waiter was David, and his assistant was Winston.

Upon the recommendation of David, Justin and I shared a Cesar Salad, but it was not just a Cesar Salad; the kitchen split the dish for us and presented us each with our own salad. The romain leaves were beautifully wrapped in the shape of a rose and lightly coated in toasted black sesame seeds. Then, each petal of the romain rose was dripping with a luxuriously creamy, salty, and tangy caesar dressing, and if that wasn’t enough, the top was dusted with large crumbles of aged Parmesan Reggiano. Accompanying the salad was a unique, crispy, yet creamy rectangular Green Chile Polenta Crouton and Pate of fresh anchovy. Combining each dish element in one bite was perhaps one of the most decanted and delicious bites of food we have ever eaten.

Justin ordered the cast iron seared, grass-fed, pecan espresso-crusted filet mignon; it was served with blackened serrano tomato butter, yukon-gold mashed potatoes, and caramelized onions and was delicious. Justin paired his dish with a well-aged glass of perfectly peppery dry Cabernet.

On the other hand, I ventured for something different or unexpected, so I ordered the crispy branzino. Which did not disappoint. It was served with forbidden rice in a kaffir, lime, coconut, and lemongrass broth, which was topped with pickled shemeji mushrooms, toasted coconut, and shiso (a unique Japanese leaf from the mint and basil family). It was unbelievable, with a combination of savory yet slightly sweet flavors I had never had before. The black forbidden rice was like no other rice; it was al dente with just the right amount of bite and an earthy and delicious flavor. The branzino is perhaps the crispiest yet buttery fish I have ever eaten. The broth was tangy, aromatic, and slightly sweet with a silky finish. The pickled mushrooms were a touch briny and earthy and paired so well with the other flavors. This dish was a plate full of tango dancers that tangoed across all taste buds in complete harmony. I paired my dish with a perfect glass of oaky buttery, french chardonnay.

We don’t normally eat dessert, but at the urging of David we ordered the Masilla Pecan Pie; it was made in-house with New Mexico Pecans and served with Bourbon Brown Sugar Ice ccream and Ginger Compote. Anyone who knows me knows that ginger is one of my weaknesses. Again, this was a well-composed desert, where all components were delicious separately, but together, they were amazing. If you are ever in Santa Fe, I highly recommend a dinner at the Coyote Cafe.

The next day was again rainy. When the rain stopped, we took a few walks around the campground trails. Then, in the late afternoon, we decided to go to the Santa Fe railroad district and look at furniture. Justin found the most fantastic furniture shop called Mexico Lindo Furniture and Doors. It is a family-run business; we met the son, Andre, and his cousin. The furniture is our kind of furniture. It’s southwestern rustic, each piece handcrafted, unique, and made using old wood. We fell in love with a couple of pieces and talked to the owner about all the doors they make; he said they could create using old wood, every door for a home, beams, kitchen islands, and all kinds of tables, bookcases, light fixtures, and furniture. So, when we retire and build our final home, we will contact Andre Arana to design pieces that will make a new house feel like an old home.

Table and chairs that they make at Mexico Lindo.

Doors that they make at Mexico Lindo.

Justin wanted to find a local New Mexican Restaurant with authentic flavors of New Mexico; someplace where the locals will go. Andre recommended two places, but one was more for the locals than the other. Tomasitas was where we chose to go; the place was packed, so we had to wait, but we found two spots at the bar and ordered two glasses of Sangria while we waited. We talked to two local lifelong Santa Fe residents—Mike and Andrea (pronounced On drea ah). They told us how they preserve Chile’s for the winter and how this was their favorite restaurant in Santa Fe. Their now-grown children went to school with the restaurant owner’s children. The restaurant has been open since the early 70s and is known for its red and green chile sauce. We also learned that a Greek family started this restaurant, and the same family still owns it. This restaurant is also the favorite restaurant of Country music legend Randy Travis. Randy Travis’s, a local Santa Fe resident’s favorite meal at this restaurant, is a double pork chop covered in red chili sauce served with a side of beans and rice.

Tomasita is known for its red chile sauce. Their sauce is so spicy that you are warned about the spice level on their wall when you enter the restaurant—Justin, who loves spice more than anyone I know, was so excited to see the warning. I was concerned about cilantro, as I am seriously allergic. It turns out that in traditional New Mexican cuisine, they use very little to no cilantro, and they don’t use very much cumin, a spice that Justin is not too fond of. In fact, the only cilantro in the whole restaurant was in their tortilla soup.

Justin ordered a pasole soup with a cup of red chile sauce to add to his desired temperature; he used more than half of it and said it was delicious. He also ordered the Tuesday Special on Wednesday, which consisted of a Chile Relleno with green chile sauce, a blue corn chicken enchilada with red chile sauce, and a beef taco; this dish also came with Spanish rice and beans. I ordered the Chicken and green chile flautas with guacamole, salsa, pico (no cilantro), and Spanish rice and beans. I could not even eat 1/4 of my dish, but it was amazing and flavorful. They also serve you a traditional New Mexican Sopaipilla (which is a light and fluffy airy fried dough). They serve it with Organic New Mexican Raw Honey. Of all the restaurants, this was Justin’s favorite; I think it was my second favorite.

Before heading back to the RV, we decided to get a few fresh produce items at the local Trader Joes, but they didn’t have much, as it was tiny, and the people were incredibly friendly. We also stopped to fuel up as we were heading out of Santa Fe in the morning.

I went into the local gas station and noticed a homeless man and his dog sitting on the ground by the door. The dog was wrapped in a blanket, and the man wore dog tags around his neck. I asked him if he served in the military, and he said he was in the army and did two tours in Iraq. His name was Johnny, and I asked him if he had been to a local shelter to get help. I hate to see war veterans living on the streets, and I figured we could do something to help him. Johnny said they won’t let him in with his dog. He has been clean for a few months, but he struggles with PTSD and a head injury, and he can’t seem to get his life together; no matter how hard he tries, it has cost him everything but his dog. My heart was broken for Johnny, and then angry that he would be left on the streets because the only thing that comforts him, his dog, is not allowed in the shelter. He clearly takes better care of the dog than he does himself. I couldn’t do anything, so I went in and bought him some food and a bag of dog food for his dog. He looked up at me with sadness in his eyes and said, “Most people won’t even look at me, bless you.” I left and could not help but shed a few tears for this forgotten hero.