Need Santa Fe recs

quote:

---

Atrisco, el comal , tomasita’s, La Choza and The Shed

---

All are good and all will be super crowded. Tomasitas has a bar and if it's just you and the wife, you can walk past the line of people out the door and try and find a spot in the bar, they have tables in there too you can grab. Another low key, less crowded place is Fire and Hops just off the plaza. Good beer selection and really good Asian fusion food. Rawley Farmhouse Ales which is a 10 minute drive from the plaza has a great selection and their own farmhouse stuff is good too. There is a good Folk Art Museum in SF that is enjoyable.
Taos is much smaller and slower than SF. We go there because a friend lives there and I enjoy it but with just 5 days, I would stay around SF. The hot springs is worth an overnight but get reservations now, if there are any available.

We were in SF for two nights in May 2022. The Loretto Chapel is a must see and there is another old church, San Miguel, that is worth a stop but they have limited hours.

You will exit Loretto Chapel through a gift shop (big surprise, I know) but when you exit the shop you enter a hall that will take you by some upscale shops and then into the lobby of the Inn and Spa at Loretto. It looked like a very nice hotel and it is in a very good location. We stayed at the Hilton at the end of Water Street and it was fine but not in the center of things.

A friend recommended Coyote Cafe and we had lunch there on the 2nd floor bar/patio that overlooked Water Street.
[/url][/img]
We got these stuffed peppers for an appetizer; they were good but we couldn't eat them all and the main course too. Gave 1/2 of them to a guy next to us.

There is a visitor center about a block and 1/2 from the Inn and Spa; stop there and get a map.

You can hike up or drive to the site of the Cross of the Martyrs/Old Fort Marcy Park to see an overview of the city. There is not much there but its where the U.S. built a fort before we acquired SF from Mexico if IIRC. We drove.

Out of town down the Old Santa Fe Trail is Museum Hill where they have 5 museums and the botanical gardens. We went in the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian and it had a lot of silver items; beltbuckles, etc. It was interesting but about 2 hours in one museum is enough.

Check out Los Alamos if you go to Bandelier. The Manhattan National Historical Park is there and we spent about 30 minutes in the visitor center (it's small) and then walked around the town for a while. They'll give you a map. Before the Manhattan Project about all that was there was a ranch where the sons of wealthy Easterns would come to be cowboys.

About 30 miles east of SF is the Pecos National Historical Park. There are ruins there and a walking trail.
[/url][/img]
We didn't walk the trail because we got there about 30 minutes before closing so the ranger would just let us walk to the ruins. They have signs that say "Beware of the Rattlesnakes".

When we were there they were having a lot of wildfires and some places were closed. My wife is a big fan of Longmire (the TV show) and we wanted to see his cabin he lives in on the show but the road was closed. It's at Valles Caldera National Preserve on NM Hwy 4, 16 miles from Los Alamos. The view on the show just looks amazing.

The historical area of Santa Fe is a great area. You will enjoy it.

Great info

Thanks!

I'm on the email and mail for Oja. Every chick that see's the resort thinks what a cool experience. Give a review if you go.

And by original Ojo, I mean the one out at Ojo Caliente which is about an hour away. The one in Santa Fe is fine, but it’s not the same. Of course, we’ve been going to Ojo and Santa Fe for 20+ years (just got back home from a long weekend racing bikes there), and everything has changed there over that time.

Was there last fall. Had a blast.

Enjoyed all the meals we had. Cafe Pasquals was a standout. Coyote Cafe as well.

We enjoyed Meowolf. Didn't think I would, but it was fun, and they have a bar there so you can get drinks after you go through.

Santa Fe is a beautiful town

I have a little time, so I'll throw out some things that haven't been covered yet.

Food/Dinner:
La Choza or the Shed for classic New Mexican.

Tomasitas if you want classic New Mexican with a mariachi band

Paloma for upscale mexico-city inspired cuisine $$

Geronim0 for upscale fine dining $$$

Tesuque Village Market for a cool experience and good drinks/beer selection.

Marias for "the largest selection of tequilas/margaritas". Food isn't bad, but the tequila selection is the real selling point.



Dives:
El Parasol if you want the New Mexican version of Taco Tico or something. There are a few chains, and it's badass. Shredded Beef Tacos are awesome, but everything is good. Highly recommend for grab and go lunch.

El Chile Toreado for a badass food truck

Bumblebee's for drive through/pick up is good.

Taco Fondation for lunch walkup has amazing tacos (and other food).

Shake Foundation: burgers and shakes (I think the burgers are a little bland).


Cocktails, Craft and Coffee:
Opuntia: teahouse in the Railyard. Super cool and hip, but food and beverages are solid

The Teahouse Santa Fe: great stop in if you're walking Canyon Road. Solid drinks, food, and coffee and tea.

Los Poblanos Farm Shop: hip store with craft cocktails in the Plaza area.

Rowley's Farmhouse Ales: close to Meow Wolf and well worth stopping in. Beer is excellent.

Local Breweries to look out for:
Le Cumbre (ABQ)
Rowley's Farmhouse
Bow and Arrow


There's tons more, but that's a start. As for what to do, that's a great question. We somehow continue to find new things to do every time we go there. Lots of museums (O'Keefe Musuem and International Museum of Folk Art are probably my favorites). Driving out to Abiquie and O'Keefe country is cool Abiqui lake is nice swimming and rock diving. A good day trip is O'Keefe home tour, Ghost Ranch hike to chimney rock, then swim at Abiqui Lake. The original Ojo Caliente is also out that way.

Nambe Falls is a fun hike (be careful hiking up the falls, as it can get treacherous). Lots of hikes on the way up to Ski Santa Fe. Heading up to Bandolier/Los Alamos for a day trip is always good. Valle Caldera. Jemez Springs is up that way as well.

Lots of options, which keep us coming back over and over, but the real magic of the place is the climate and the culture.

Tomasita’s is right by the train station whereas La Choza is about a 10 minute walk. I prefer La Choza’s atmosphere but I might give food edge to Tomasita’s.