Live from Santa Fe, NM
Mecca for Art, Turquoise, Skiing, Southwest Cuisine, and Wines
About Santa Fe
Not too many people realize that Santa Fe is the United States’ oldest city that is now a state capital. What they usually remember are the pueblo architecture, art galleries, shops, restaurants, and diverse activities offered in New Mexico’s top tourist site. Whether it's a weekend or weeklong trip, Santa Fe hosts an assortment of travel, adventure, and shopping opportunities. Join me Live from Santa Fe.
Gruet Winery- One of the USA’s Best-Value Sparkling Wineries
Travel for me is not complete without at least one winery visit. It was my honor to interview Cyril Tanazacq, Winemaker for Gruet Winery, one of the largest and best-value sparkling wine producers in the United States. Gruet is located just outside of Albuquerque and just 50 minutes from Santa Fe. Cyril is native to Reims, Champagne, France, where he has been an enologist and winemaker for over 20 years. Cyril recently moved his family to New Mexico for this exceptional opportunity. Watch for my interview with Cyril Tanazacq, coming up in December in Wine Wanderings
Fine Dining in Santa Fe
There are more than 200 restaurants in the small but cosmopolitan city of Santa Fe. Many of the chefs in these restaurants have studied at prestigious cooking schools in New York, Paris, or London. Additionally, the wine and spirits programs are often led by experienced and certified sommeliers. Let’s sample three of the best.
The Compound
The Compound Restaurant is celebrating its 50th anniversary and serves as a cornerstone of the culinary experiences in Santa Fe. Owned and operated by Chef Mark Kiffin, winner of the James Beard award for Best chef of the Southwest 2005, his contemporary American menu focuses on Mediterranean influences on locally-sources ingredients. I recommend the Veal Bolognese and the Fall Manhattan Oyster Chowder with Sweet Potato and Tomato-Fennel Soup. Wine Spectator has chosen The Compound as a favorite as well and was selected as Best of Award of Excellence 2020. Ask for Kristina Hayden Bustamante, Wine Director, one of Santa Fe’s most highly certified sommeliers. Her extensive wine menu is not only imaginative but highly inclusive of many notable wine regions like Burgundy, Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Chianti, the Priorat, Washington State, among others. My “Right Bank” St. Emilion Bordeaux was a perfect complement to dinner.
Geronimo Restaurant
Geronimo is one of THE places to dine in Santa Fe. Located in the Canyon Road area in a 1756 adobe home, this elegant restaurant is home to New Mexico’s only Mobil 4 star and AAA 4 Diamond-rate restaurant. Don’t miss Chef Sllin Cruz’s seasonally changing “global eclectic” cuisine. Our favorites included the Fujisaki Asian Pear Salad and the Mesquite Grilled Maine Lobster Tails. Be sure to ask for Bar Manager Shaun Adams, who hosts a well-curated wine and cocktail list. The dessert wine selection is memorable.
Skyfire
Created by “The Godfather of Southwestern Cuisine,” this Chef Dean Fearing-inspired restaurant Skyfire draws on inspiration from ingredients of Mexico and the Southwest. Located in the beautiful Bishop’s Lodge, An Auberge Resort, this restaurant is not to be missed at sunset on the fire-lit patio. I recommend the Tortilla Soup, Southwest Caesar Salad, and the Texas Wagyu Strip Steak. Sommelier Ella Raymont will have thoughtful recommendations for wine pairings and a pre-dinner chili-infused specialty cocktail.
Museums: Georgia O’Keeffe and New Mexico History Museum
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
I am a huge fan of the art of Georgia O’Keeffe. Prior to even booking the trip to Santa Fe, I wanted to make sure the Georgia O’Keeffe museum was open, and it is. This museum is dedicated to Georgia O’Keeffe’s artistic legacy and collections. Known as the “Mother of American modernism” this artist is famous for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and New Mexico landscapes.
Though the museum has just a limited the number of tickets sold at prescribed times, the museum and its audio tour were available and booking up quickly this Fall. Be sure to bring your headsets in order to access the cell phone app with audio descriptions of all the collection as you walk through the museum and listen to life stories of this celebrated artist.
“My painting is what I have to give back to the world for what the world gives to me.” – Georgia O’Keeffe, 1940
New Mexico History Museum
Founded in 1962, the New Mexico History Museum is a treasure of Santa Fe’s city square, the Plaza. Sitting amongst the art galleries and jewelry shops, this museum is operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and collects some of its oldest cultural objects that represent the state’s centuries-long narrative, including the “Telling New Mexico” exhibition with its overview of more than four centuries of regional history.
Activities and Day Trips
Taos Excursion and Skiing
Whether you drive the “high road” or “low road” to get to Taos from Santa Fe, count on an hour+ drive to get there. The scenic “high road” is a winding road through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains through Chimayo, a community known for the beautiful Santuario de Chimayo and the El Posito, a hole in the floor of a side chapel filled with healing earth. The “low road” or river road takes you to Taos beside the Rio Grande River. Taos is a well-known skiing resort area, and its downtown area is a more laid-back version of Santa Fe’s Plaza. Foodies, hikers, shoppers, and skiers love Taos. For Skiing resort tips, see Ski Taos.
Hot Air Ballooning
The Albuquerque International Hot Air Balloon Festival is an early October annual event not to be missed in a lifetime. However, hot air ballooning is available in the Santa Fe area many times during the year. Call Rainbowryders or Air Carriage LLC for reservations.
Shopping in Santa Fe
Jewelry & Minerals
Three of the first things to understand about jewelry shopping in Santa Fe include the origins of Native American designs, the mines from which the stones originate, and the ability to bargain in Santa Fe. Is the design Zuni or Navajo? Did the turquoise or “sky stone” or “Turkish” stone come from the Cerrillos Hills of New Mexico or is it a Sonoran Gold Turquoise mined near the Mexican city of Cananea? Once you have decided on your color preferences, base materials (like silver and gold), and artistry, you have some bargaining power in Santa Fe. Many Native American designers head to the Plaza at the center of Santa Fe on the weekends selling their jewelry directly—and bargains are everywhere!
The blue color of turquoise comes from copper, the green from iron. Often inlayed turquoise jewelry designs incorporate minerals such as lapis lazuli, malachite, coral, mother-of-pearl, and onyx. Some shop recommendations:
Wind River Trading Company – 113 San Francisco St.
The Golden Eye, 115 Don Gaspar
Ortega’s on the Plaza, 101 W. San Francisco St.
Touchstone Gallery, 127 W. San Francisco St.
Art & Artifact Galleries
New Concept Gallery, 610 Canyon Rd., 505-795-7570
Nedra Matteucci Galleries, 1075 Paseo de Peralta, 505-982-4631
Hat Ranch Gallery, on the Turquoise Trail, 27 San Marcos Rd W, 505-424-3391
Where to Stay
Santa Fe accommodations range from Airbnb’s and value hotels to expensive hotels and destination resorts. Decide on the location based on your activities and interests. Right on/near the Plaza you’ll find La Fonda on the Plaza and the Drury Plaza Hotel, a value hotel with breakfast and a generous happy hour mini-meal “kick-back menu” with drinks included. Just outside of Santa Fe be sure to see Bishop’s Lodge, an Auberge Resort Collection sitting on 450 acres. Perfect for the equestrian or wedding couple, this resort is home to a 156-year-old historic wedding chapel, has a stunning setting, stables and horseback riding, a spa with yoga classes, as well as the celebrated SkyFire Restaurant. Thank you to my friend, Lee Benton, for her experienced insight to visiting Santa Fe.
If You Go
Hotels & Spas
Bishop’s Lodge, an Auberge Resort Collection, 1297 Bishops Lodge Rd., Santa Fe, 505-390-2323
La Fonda on the Plaza, 100 E. San Francisco St., Santa Fe, 505-982-5511
Drury Plaza Hotel, 828 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe, 505-424-2175
Hot Air Balloon Rides
Air Carriage LLC Balloon Rides: 505-604-5156
RainbowRyders 505-823-1111
Restaurants
Geronimo, 724 Canyon Rd., Santa Fe, 505-982-1500
The Compound, 653 Canyon Rd., Santa Fe, 505-982-4353
Skyfire at Bishop’s Lodge Resort, 1297 Bishops Lodge Rd., Santa Fe 505-390-2323
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What a great article! It makes me excited to return to Santa Fe and use your recommendations to guide my trip.