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Tabla de los Santos restaurant in the Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe. (Jeff Caven/Courtesy Of Hotel St. Francis)
The charming, shaded patio at the Hotel St. Francis is a great spot for summer dining, a mini oasis surrounded by Santa Fe’s downtown and its summer hubbub. After a long stint of popularity, in recent years this patio has become a quiet gem of a spot for a meal or a drink during our short outdoor dining season.
During a recent visit for dinner, three friends and I had our choice of patio tables; only one other table was occupied. (The indoor dining room was deserted as well.) Sure, it was a weeknight, but this is tourist season! The hotel’s Secreto bar buzzed with business, and nearly every chair on the street-facing terrace was occupied with people enjoying evening cocktails.
I don’t think the problem here is the food. My friends and I liked it – I’ll explain in a moment. Service was good. The prices are a touch higher than you’d find at a mom-and-pop place on Cerrillos Road or a restaurant in a shopping mall. But I figure the patio ambience and the overlay of Santa Fe history is worth a bit extra. Parking is relatively easy, with a public city-run lot right across the street if spaces at the meters along Water or Don Gaspar are filled.
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Tabla de los Santos LOCATION: Hotel St. Francis, 210 Don Gaspar Ave., Santa Fe, 505-983-5700 HOURS: Breakfast daily, 7:30-10:30 a.m.; lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; dinner 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays and Sundays; 5-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; Sunday brunch 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. FULL BAR |
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The restaurant’s menu, small but more than adequate, seems to have been created with an eye toward what customers like and a focus on local and organic. The lightly breaded pan-fried trout, for example, arrived deboned but with the skin and head on as proof of its origin and freshness. The tangy lemon finish accentuated the fresh, mild natural flavor of the fish without overwhelming it with fancy spices or extra richness.
The quail, a serving of two birds, was also first-rate, tender and full of flavor. Our waiter explained that both the trout and the quail are fresh, never frozen. We could taste the difference. Unfortunately, the little birds came with an overpowering salty brown sauce, but it was easy enough to avoid it. The sauce aside, both the trout and the quail are some of the best I’ve had anywhere. They came with potatoes and perfectly cooked fresh vegetables that stayed crisp. I strongly recommend both these dishes.
The New Mexican food gave me and my guests a nice surprise. I expected to be underwhelmed since this is, after all, a hotel restaurant where many customers aren’t accustomed to our vibrant, chile-inspired cuisine. But chef Estevan Garcia knows his chile and isn’t afraid to showcase it.
The combination plate contained a tasty rolled enchilada, a large moist and meaty tamale with plenty of spice in the filling. It also had what I’d describe as a light version of a stuffed sopaipilla: two thin sopaipilla rectangles stacked with pinto beans between. The red chile sauce that we requested was rich with flavor and to our local palates had just the right amount of heat. The vegetable, calabacitas, made a lovely summer pairing of fresh zucchini and pretty yellow corn kernels. The evening’s specials included New Mexico lamb chops and salmon cooked any way you’d like it.
As a starter, I’m crazy about the carne adovado ravioli; three large soft squares of fresh pasta with richly flavored spicy shredded meat inside presented in a creamy red chile sauce. The house-made salsa featured roasted/charred tomatoes mixed with garlic, jalapeño and a bit of onion. Even the salad was better than average and included interesting white and pink radishes.
The guacamole appetizer got high points for good looks – a layer of guacamole on the top followed by layers of yellow corn kernels and fresh red tomatoes. But it was tiny. One of the few other disappointments was the soup of the evening, a bowl of chopped, cooked veggie that tasted rather flat. My friend who ordered it suspected it has been around a while; I blame underseasoning for the boredom.
Desserts? Yes indeed. Try the wonderful goat-milk flan, creamy, rich, not too sweet and all-around delicious. We also shared a slice of Tres Leches cake, served with tangy swirls of mango and raspberry sauce. Our dinner for four was $101 before tax and tip.
