Best Green Chile So Good you Take the Three Extra Bites Home in a Doggy Bag
Tomasita's
500 South Guadalupe Street, 983-5721
Just Eat It:
The cooks at Tomasita's cook up huge batches of both red and green chile six days a week. In fact, they sell about the same amounts of red and green, especially because many of the most popular menu items come served with both. But it's the fresh, just-like-mi-abuelita-makes-it flavor of the green that keeps the chile addicts coming back for more.
House Special:
Get whatever you want-roast beef burrito, stuffed sopa, whatever, as long as it's smothered in that dreamy green.
Winner's Circle:
Manager Carlos Flores says, "I eat [our chile] every day and I think I will eat it for the rest of my life, if I can." Apparently, he's not alone.
Second Place:
Horseman's Haven
Third Place:
Tia Sophia's
Best Red Chile So Good It's Actually the Reason you Haven't Left Town
The Shed
113 1/2 East Palace Avenue, 982-9030
Just Eat It:
The Shed's chef Josh Carswell is equally proud of his red and green chile. Both come from the same farm that has been supplying almost all of the restaurant's chile for decades. But there is something drool-inducing about the fiery, fruity red that simply curls our toenails.
House Special:
If you can pull yourself away from the blue corn enchiladas, try the rib-eye and enchilada dinner sometime. Same great red chile taste but tons more meat.
Winner's Circle:
"People just have it stuck in their heads that our red is better. They're both great!" Carswell says.
Second Place:
Tomasita's
Third Place:
Blue Corn Café
Tomasita's
500 South Guadalupe, 983-5721
Just Eat It:
New Mexican food is the best food ever invented by anyone, anywhere on the face of the planet at any point in the history of civilization. Hey, that's just our opinion. If you're not yet convinced, the mighty chefs at Tomasita's will surely convince you. Just close your eyes and point to anything on the menu, as long as it's covered in that hot hot hot green chile.
House Special:
Is it any wonder that the restaurant with the best green chile is also the best New Mexican restaurant? Tomasita's knows the way to our hearts-through our lead-lined stomachs.
Winner's Circle:
After a while you'd think Tomasita's would be jaded by all the accolades. Actually, Manager Carlos Flores is very appreciative, understating marvelously with "We're very glad people like it so much."
Second Place:
The Shed
Third Place:
Maria's
Tia Sophia's
210 West San Francisco Street, 983-9880
Just Eat It:
Proof positive that Texas is inferior to New Mexico in every important way: breakfast tacos. Santa Feans, and anyone who's eaten even once at Tia Sophia's, knows that the open nature of a taco could never handle the mountain of hash browns, eggs, chile, cheese and bacon that we're used to putting down at breakfast. Seriously, they should give lessons. The cooks here could teach a zookeeper to swaddle a newborn elephant.
House Special:
Breakfast burritos roughly the size of a newborn elephant, but way, way tastier.
Winner's Circle:
Owner Nick Maryol says, "I'd hate to see someone try pick one up with their hands. I suppose it's possible. Maybe we'll have a contest and take pictures." Oh yeah, Nick. It's on!
Second Place:
El Parasol
Third Place:
Santa Fe Baking Company
Andiamo!
322 Garfield Street, 995-9595
Just Eat It:
In 1995, Joan Gilchrist opened a neighborhood trattoria for restaurant people who couldn't afford to eat at expensive restaurants all the time. Ten years later, they're still doing the same thing. Chef Esteban Parra has been at Andiamo! six years, as has most of the kitchen staff. "It makes for consistency," Gilchrist says. "Not that we get it right all the time-sometimes stuff happens-but we're shooting for consistency." She shoots, she scores!
House Special:
"Over time customers get hooked on certain dishes and they make a real fuss when we change it, " Gilchrist says. That's why Andiamo's menu has only four or five dishes that change seasonally. The rest of the menu stays put and daily specials give regulars enough variety to keep coming back for white pizza and chicken Marsala night after night.
Winner's Circle:
"There were a lot of years when we weren't recognized…but I feel like we do a good job, so I'm happy about [being recognized]."
Second Place:
Osteria D'Assisi
Third Place:
Il Piatto
Chow's Contemporary Chinese Food
720 St. Michael's Drive, 471-7120
Just Eat It:
We are special bunch, aren't we? Everybody in the City Different has to have a different color yoga mat, a different version of the Free Tibet bumper sticker and a different sacred heart tattoo. Even our Chinese food has to be special. Nope, no mediocre steam-table sweet and sour shrimp for us. Chow's believes in our sense of adventure, trusts that we're willing to take chances on non-traditional entrées. And we dig that about them.
House Special:
Owner Richard Zeng is proud of the new dishes his kitchen has debuted this year, especially the coffee chicken, wasabi shrimp and quail with mango salad.
Winner's Circle:
"Nobody beats us for 10 years!" Zeng proudly claims.
Second Place:
Yin Yang
Third Place:
Mu Du Noodles
Best Sushi Because Who has Time to Pickle Ginger at Home?
Shohko Café
321 Johnson Street, 982-9708
Just Eat It:
One thing's for sure: We're not eating at Shohko Café just for our recommended daily allowance of omega-3 fatty acids. Wheatgrass shots we're willing to endure at the juice bar, but the fresh fish at Shohko is pure pleasure.
House Special:
Last August, the original owners of Shohko Café reclaimed their 30-year-old restaurant from the folks who had been running it for the past seven years. Tito and Shoko Fukuda had planned to retire, but found they just couldn't stay away. They have since changed the menu and added a much larger sake and wine selection.
Winner's Circle:
Iba Fukuda, the youngest daughter of the original owners, says the quality has been much improved since last summer. That's all the encouragement we need to get our butts back in the seats over there.
Second Place:
Kohnami
Third Place:
Izmi Sushi
India Palace
227 Don Gaspar Avenue, 986-5859
Just Eat It:
"Even though we're downtown," owner Narendra Kloty says, "most of our clientele is local." That's not to say India Palace never gets any tourist dollars. "With tourists I consider myself a fourth-day restaurant," he says, explaining that after three full days of huevos, enchiladas and green chile stew, tourists are ready for something different. We understand. Tastebud burnout happens to everyone sooner or later.
House Special:
The lunch buffet is a screamin' deal. For less than $10, you get to dip your naan into eight different dishes, including four that are meat-free.
Winner's Circle:
"We are very happy and very thankful to the Santa Feans," Kloty says. "Every year one has to keep on top of things. We are lucky to have won again."
Second Place:
Cleopatra Café
Third Place:
India House
Annapurna Chai House
905 West Alameda Street, 988-9688
Just Eat It:
This Albuquerque export has been open in Santa Fe a mere six months, but owner Yashoda Naidoo says she's not surprised they're doing so well. "We already had a following in Santa Fe. They used to come to our restaurant on Yale [Blvd., in Albuquerque,] because it's close to the airport. They'd take food when coming or going out of town."
House Special:
Ayurvedic theory determines each person's diet based on analysis of one's constitution. At Annapurna, diners are encouraged to order based on the recommendations and restrictions of their constitutions. The Indian-born Naidoo is vegetarian, not vegan (Ayurvedic guidelines do not forbid eggs or dairy), but demand for vegan food has caused her to focus Annapurna's menu on vegan options. And veggies love it!
Winner's Circle:
"We're so excited. The response has been great!" Naidoo says. She also took a moment to cheer for Tara's Organic ice cream. "It's so great. Every restaurant should have it. I can't have it here, but I get my own personal stash."
Second Place:
Mu Du Noodles
Third Place:
India House
Harry's Roadhouse
9613 Old Las Vegas Highway, 989-4629
Just Eat It:
Recent studies have shown that craving comfort food is a biological response to chronic stress. Owner Harry Shapiro is a former counselor and psychologist who seems to have changed techniques, not careers. Sliding into a chair at Harry's is like getting a hug from Grandma while wearing your fuzzy bunny slippers.
House Special:
The Roadhouse is having fresh lobster flown in every Friday night this summer. If you want the lobster special, get there early; it usually sells out by 7 pm or so. Otherwise, there are new items on the menu every week. Whether you take comfort in grilled pork chops with collard greens or arroz con pollo, Harry's will fix you up right.
Winner's Circle:
Harry says, "I'm really happy! People talk about chocolate as a great cure. Well our food does the same thing."
Second Place:
Cowgirl
Third Place:
Zia Diner
Best Brunch, Please Pass the Syrup
Fuego at La Posada
330 East Palace Avenue, 986-0000
Just Eat It:
The Sunday Rancher's Brunch is absolutely nothing like the old chafing dish and casserole brunches of your Holiday Inn youth. Here, brunch is a multi-course experience that La Posada's Ken Humes believes has "completely changed Santa Fe's concept of brunch."
House Special:
Set your cell phone to ring you out of a Sunday morning stupor so you can recharge with an exceptionally good brunch. It'll last you through the week.
Winner's Circle:
General Manager Humes says, "We think our brunch is a wonderful alternative to the classic buffet. There's an enhanced level of elegance to it."
Second Place:
Chocolate Maven
Third Place:
(Tie) Bishop's Lodge, Pasqual's, The Pantry
El Farol
808 Canyon Road, 983-9912
Just Eat It:
Technically, they're tapas, of course, but El Farol's owner David Salazar doesn't really care what you call them. Fried avocado bites, little spareribs in a fruity glaze, chunks of Manchego and quince paste on crusty bread, each plate is a new adventure. Salazar says between 65 and 70 percent of the restaurant's guests make their dinner from a selection of tapas.
House Special:
Chef James Campbell Caruso has been hard at work on a collection of new menu items called tenedores, little bites of food just big enough to fit on a fork. You'll soon be able to order a plate of five or six tenedores, served with matching wine or sherry.
Winner's Circle:
"Tapas can be romantic, because you share. It can break the ice in a corporate meeting and it can broaden the horizons of men like me who are hesitant to …to…" What David, hesitant to commit? "Ha! Now don't get me in trouble here!"
Second Place:
Steaksmith
Third Place:
Fuego at La Posada
The Bull Ring
150 Washington Avenue, 983-3328
Just Eat It:
The Bull Ring's USDA Prime steaks are flown in from Chicago every Wednesday, and trimmed daily. Instead of being grilled, the meat here is cooked in a special oven that sears the steaks' surfaces at 1,800 degrees, sealing in the flavor.
House Special:
Look for more specials and promotions in the Bull Ring's lounge later this year. Owner Harry Georgeades plans to start putting his bar to better use in the near future.
Winner's Circle:
"Every man who's ever had a beer wants to open a pub and every woman who's ever cooked a meal wants to have a restaurant. I've been doing this 30 years and it's harder now than it's ever been," Georgeades says. At least all that hard work is paying off.
Second Place:
Steaksmith
Third Place:
Fuego at La Posada
Mariscos La Playa
537 Cordova Road, 982-2790
2875 Cerrillos Road, 473-4594
Just Eat It:
Chicharron de pescado, shrimp with Mexican cheese rolled in bacon, back-to-life seafood soup with shrimp, octopus, scallops, clams, crab and calamari. Are you drooling yet? No part of town is too far from one of Mariscos' locations.
House Special:
A handful of new items appeared when the restaurant printed new menus last month. Shrimp fajitas and whole red snapper are two of most recent additions, but owner Jose Ortega says they might have a few more dishes coming soon.
Winner's Circle:
"I think we have been so successful because of our authentic Mexican seafood style," Ortega says.
Second Place:
Fuego at La Posada
Third Place:
El Nido
Upper Crust
329 Old Santa Fe Trail, 982-0000
Just Eat It:
Pizza is not a complicated food. It's just bread with a bunch of stuff on it, right? Then why is it so easy to mess up? Lucky for us there's always Upper Crust, its latilla-covered patio beckoning, yeasty aromas wafting down to the street…wait, do aromas waft down? Maybe we're just imagining it.
House Special:
We love the barbecued chicken pizza and the sunny chicken pesto pie, but admit we sometimes opt for a hot meatball sub. The Grecian special (feta, kalamata olives, is a favorite of owner John Nardine, who says he used to eat pizza every day, but now limits himself to about one a week. Check out the willpower on that guy!
Winner's Circle:
"We're really glad about winning," Nardine says. "We've had a lot of new competition move in, but we've got a great location and a great reputation."
Second Place:
Il Vicino
Third Place:
Backroad Pizza
The Staab House Patio
330 East Palace Avenue, 986-0000
Just Eat It:
La Posada's gorgeous patio is painstakingly landscaped, with umbrella-shaded tables spaced just far enough apart for comfort and privacy. The hotel's fine dining restaurant, Fuego, serves lunch on the patio, but at dinner time it's open to the more laid-back Staab House lounge.
House Special:
Hotel Manager Ken Humes explains that, "We keep Fuego inside at dinner because the standard and style of service needs to be inside. We completely realize its over-the-top elegance, and it really works well to let the patio be a more casual environment." We're fortunate to have a beautiful physical patio that fits in the heart of La Posada.
Winner's Circle:
"We've put a tremendous amount of work into our patio, and we are delighted and honored to be recognized by the readers of the Reporter," Humes says.
Second Place:
Cowgirl
Third Place:
La Casa Sena
Cowgirl
319 South Guadalupe Street, 982-2565
Just Eat It:
It's funny the Cowgirl wins this category because those of us without rugrats tend to think of the Cowgirl as a rather grownup kind of place. Manager Jenn Haynie says she didn't used to think of Cowgirl as a kiddie place either, but she suggested that we bring our kids and try it out. We said we'd be right over…in about 10 years.
House Special:
The Kiddie Corral got a little renovation this year, when a layer of artificial grass was laid over the dirt. "It was a real nightmare when it would rain," Haynie says. "The dirt would turn to mud and you couldn't use it, and kids would say 'I'm going to scoop up mud and throw it all over!'"
Winner's Circle:
"We've done a lot of work to make our Kiddie Corral better for everyone," Haynie says. She thanks you for noticing.
Second Place:
Backroad Pizza
Third Place:
Zia Diner
Chocolate Maven Bakery and Café
821 West San Mateo Road, 984-1980
Just Eat It:
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, more chocolate and a bakery case full of stuff that's taste-bud-bursting without even containing any chocolate. How are we expected to stay on our diets with this place in business? Regular old ice cream sandwiches used to be enough. Now we've got brownies stuffed with hazelnut ice cream and dipped in Belgian chocolate. Atkins be damned.
House Special:
It's berry season right now and Chocolate Maven is making individual mixed berry cobblers. Owner Daram Khalsa says they're made without too much sugar to let the flavor of the fruit shine through. We're sold!
Winner's Circle:
"At least half of the stuff we make is here because somebody asked for it," Khalsa explains. He says he loves customer feedback and the appreciation of the voters.
Second Place:
Café Paris
Third Place:
Harry's Roadhouse
Sage Bakehouse
535 Cerrillos Road, 820-7243
Just Eat It:
You don't even have to set foot in the Sage Bakehouse's comfy Santa Fe shop to fall in love with their breads. The bakery is owned by Andrée Falls and Amy Cox and you can find their breads in baskets in restaurants all over the state.
House Special:
Have you ever had a piece of warm pecan-raisin bread topped with a puffy white cloud of cream cheese? If not, you haven't really lived. If you go to the Bakehouse, don't pass up the opportunity to try some of the toothsome sandwiches or masterful muffins.
Winner's Circle:
Andrée Falls says she feels "terrific" about their win: "We're very pleased and very grateful for the support Santa Fe has given us through all these years."
Second Place:
Chocolate Maven
Third Place:
Café Paris
Albertson's
DeVargas Center, 982-4668
3001 South St. Francis Drive, 992-8663
3542 Zafarano Drive, 471-1058
Just Eat It:
For the best combination of selection, quality and low prices, locals head to Albertson's. When you need organic apples and Tom's of Maine toothpaste, but you aren't in the market for recycled toilet paper, this is your one-stop-shop.
House Special:
Did you know that Albertson's has a huge selection of South Beach Diet brand products (like cereal and frozen dinners)? Apparently they're selling like hotcakes. Unfortunately, people seem to be washing them down with non-South Beach beverages (see next category).
Winner's Circle:
DeVargas Manager Wayne Antonson says, "Every market is different, but we strive to be the best for our customers and give them what they want."
Second Place:
Trader Joe's
Third Place:
Whole Foods
Albertson's
DeVargas Center, 982-4668
3001 South St. Francis Drive, 992-8663
3542 Zafarano Drive, 471-1058
Just Eat It:
The liquor department here is huge, well stocked and priced just right. The DeVargas store alone carries 500 different bottles of wine and more brands of vodka than you could hope to sample in a weekend without running the risk of permanent liver damage.
House Special:
Customers can request specific wines or brands of booze using the stores' suggestion boxes. They try to accommodate as many requests as possible.
Winner's Circle:
"Yeah, we've got a pretty big selection here," Antonson says, seeming not entirely surprised about the store's win.
Second Place:
Kokoman
Third Place:
Liquor Barn
Maria's
555 West Cordova Road, 983-7929
Just Drink It:
Owner Al Lucero makes almost all of his 130 'ritas with the more reliable supply of lemon juice after his taste tests revealed that most people couldn't tell the difference between margaritas made with lemons or limes. Hell, after a couple of these babies, we can't tell the difference between an underwear model and a brand new member of Weight Watchers.
House Special:
As new tequilas and ingredients hit the market, Maria's changes its offerings. Last fall a pomegranate margarita was added to the menu when pure pomegranate juice suddenly became available. Pomegranate juice has three times the antioxidant power of red wine or green tea. So who needs food, right?
Winner's Circle:
"We sell somewhere between 1,500 and 2,500 margaritas a week," Lucero says, but very few of them are frozen because "we want you to taste everything." Oh we do too, it's just that sometimes we need two or, you know, seven, to make an accurate evaluation.
Second Place:
Tomasita's
Third Place:
Blue Corn Café
Swig
135 West Palace Avenue, Level Three, 955-0400
Just Drink It:
Sit down at the bar and you're handed a drink menu so dazzling it may take you half the night to make up your mind. But the martini is a serious drink for people who don't want to waste time with annoyances like ice. You'll look like an idiot if you hem and haw for half an hour.
House Special:
Try the Sprig, made with vodka and mint leaves muddled with sugar and lime. It's a mojito for people who hate rum, served in a tall, skinny glass for people who tend to wear more of their martinis than they can drink.
Winner's Circle:
"Without the support and appreciation of our wonderful clientele we wouldn't be where we are today," Swig's General Manager Patrick Padilla says. "Thank you, Santa Fe. The continual hard work of the Swig staff is also a key component in our pursuit of excellence-thank you all."
Second Place:
The Anasazi Hotel
Third Place:
The Paramount and Bar B
Aztec Café
317 Aztec Street, 820-0025
Just Drink It:
Aztec is a great coffee shop, but what makes it a winner in this category is just how well they cater to Santa Feans. There's always plenty of local color hanging out and sipping organic chai, the counter sells a selection of locally made snacks and Aztec uses their own homemade ice cream in milkshakes and floats. Plus, customers too cheap to foot the bill for high-speed Internet at home can come in and surf the Web for free.
House Special:
Owner Sarah Wilhelm is asking the historical review board to approve her plan for an awning over the cozy, but sometimes baking hot patio.
Winner's Circle:
"This place was a really big dive when I bought it. I've really turned it around and cleaned it up," Wilhelm says. "It's nice that people are noticing. We didn't even place last year!"
Second Place:
O'Hori's
Third Place:
Downtown Subscription
Annapurna Chai House
905 West Alameda Street, 988-9688
Just Eat It:
All vegetarian, mostly vegan ayurvedic food? It seems hard to believe that Annapurna that came to Santa Fe from Albuquerque and not the other way around. But we don't care where it came from, Santa Fe is in love with Annapurna.
House Special:
The menu here changes daily in accordance with each day's planetary ruler, but you don't have to understand what that means in order to enjoy the homemade chapatis, dal and samosas. Where else can you find a vegan, gluten-free marzipan tart flavored with cardamom and rose water?
Winner's Circle:
"We're so pleased by the reaction we've had so far!" Yashoda Naidoo says.
Second Place:
Rooney's
Third Place:
Piccolino
Best Splurge Restaurant Because You Feel Like Dressing Fancy
Geronimo
724 Canyon Road, 982-1500
Just Eat It:
Cliff Skoglund and Chris Harvey's Canyon Road restaurant isn't just a favorite for Santa Fe diners looking to splurge. Geronimo has been lauded by everyone from The New York Times to Zagat for its menu, presentation and service.
House Special:
Under the culinary genius of Eric DiStefano, every meal at Geronimo is special occasion, but for the ultimate globally eclectic culinary experience, order from the prix-fixe chef's menus. And when your mom (or your boss, or the drug-company rep…) is paying, get the accompanying flights of wine.
Winner's Circle:
Other restaurateurs take note: You'll have to wake up pretty early in the morning to take this award away from Geronimo. Keeping your restaurant at the top of everyone's list is hard work.
Second Place:
Fuego at La Posada
Third Place:
The Compound
Bumble Bee's Baja Grill
301 Jefferson Street, 820-2862
3777 Cerrillos Road, 988-3278
Just Eat It:
Everybody loves Bumble Bee's. It's fast, easy and cheap enough to do so often you're afraid they'll rename the house salad after you. Three mahi-mahi tacos and the all-you-can-smother salsa bar for $10? It's a steal.
House Special:
After its first location did so well, Bumble Bee's opened a second restaurant on Cerrillos Road. Now owner "Bumble Bee" Bob Weil is at work on two more locations (sorry, they're in Albuquerque) that he expects to have open by this fall.
Winner's Circle:
"It's pleasing to have won three years in a row," Bumble Bee Bob says. "Thanks a lot!"
Second Place:
Harry's Roadhouse
Third Place:
Backroad Pizza
Bobcat Bite
420 Old Las Vegas Highway, 983-5319
Just Eat It:
Members of the Cult of the Burger know exactly where their Santa Fe temple is. Beef worshippers meet regularly in a humble cabin out on Old Las Vegas Highway, where high priest John Eckre grinds his own hamburger meat every day and forms each patty by hand.
It's not just Reporter readers who love Bobcat Bite. The place has been written up in magazines like Gourmet and Travel and Leisure. Last year they were even featured in a documentary called Hamburger America.
House Special:
If you don't get a green chile cheeseburger here, you're due for a mental health checkup. Ever wonder why this place can be eerily quiet, even when all the tables are packed? Everyone's chewing.
Winner's Circle:
"Speaking for everyone here, it's nice to be appreciated and recognized for our hard work. Thank you for everybody's support," says Bonnie Ecker, who owns the restaurant with her husband, John.
Second Place:
Burt's Burger Bowl
Third Place:
Cowgirl
Carlos' Gosp'l Café
125 Lincoln Avenue, 983-1841
Just Eat It:
Even though this ever-popular spot is only open for lunch, that doesn't mean Carlos spends his days relaxing by the pool. "It takes a lot longer to get this stuff ready than it does to serve it," Carlos White says, sounding weary and stressed out after he says his longtime manager "went away on vacation and never came back." Their loss is your gain as the hands-on treatment will only prove to make the food here even better.
House Special:
Do you know the difference between a turkey breast that was roasted this morning and one that was roasted in a factory somewhere in Iowa two weeks ago, then cryovac'd and sent here on a truck? You will if you try one of the sandwiches made with White's house-roasted turkey breast.
Winner's Circle:
After winning so many times, White says, "I think I've gotten used to it." But he's keenly aware of how precious his popularity is. "I'm sure one of these days it's going to be somebody else [who wins] and I'll be sorry."
Second Place:
Mucho Gourmet
Third Place:
Backstreet Bistro
Back Street Bistro
513 Camino de los Marquez, 982-3500
Just Eat It:
Most restaurants serve a soup or two, but eight or 10 soups on the menu every day? Now that's a commitment to liquid nourishment. These Souper Bowl champions interpret the phrase "liquid lunch" the old fashioned way.
House Special:
Serving all of their daily soups by the bowl or cup means real soup lovers can make a meal out of several different tastes, or even have their own Souper Bowl competition at the table. "When I opened up my first space," owner David Jacoby says, "I knew a lot of soups, so that's what I did." After many years with little change, Backstreet Bistro may finally see some new menu items this fall. Jacoby hopes to add some new, more creative sandwiches. "It's time to upscale a little bit and get with the times," he says.
Winner's Circle:
"My favorite is matzoh ball soup," Jacoby says of the soup he serves every Friday. "It's the several-medium-sized-maztoh-balls kind," not the softball-sized-matzoh-ball kind. LeChaim!
Second Place:
Carlos' Gosp'l Café
Third Place:
Whole Foods
Santa Fe Reporter