 E-mail Story Print Friendly
|
Friday, February 20, 2004
Santa Fe Bakery a Tasty Hangout for Locals
By Anne Hillerman
For the Journal
Santa Fe Baking Company has a steady cadre of return guests and no wonder: The food is good here, the coffee hot and fresh. It's a no-pressure kind of place where you can relax over a meal without getting dressed up or spending a fortune and take a big, fresh-baked cookie home to the kids.
Located in a shopping center just off Cordova Road, Santa Fe Baking caters mainly to locals. It's a great place to people-watch. You'll see a microcosm of Santa Fe here, from artists to construction workers, state employees to trust funders. You'll find families with kids, 20-somethings and older folks, all drawn by the same winning formula— good food at a fair price and a no-hassle atmosphere.
We stopped in on a Sunday for breakfast. As usual, the place was busy. We grabbed a yellow laminated menu and lined up to place our order by the bakery counter, getting a eyeful of fresh baked muffins and cinnamon rolls. I thought my favorite, the Pueblo Pie, had already sold out that morning. But no. There it was, a modification of the classic apple strudel with even more apples, plump raisins and a crisp crust finished with the crunch of sugar crystals. At only $2.50 for a giant slice, how could any sane person, on Atkins or not, resist it?
In addition to the menu, which offers omelets, burritos, huevos rancheros, French toast, chile steak and eggs, blue corn pancakes and other great-sounding choices for breakfast, the Baking Company has specials on the blackboard. We ordered two of them that we've seen frequently here, the chicken burrito ($4.75) and the chilaquiles ($5.95). The young lady at the counter gave us two big cups for our coffee and asked for a name so they could deliver the food to our table when it was ready.
We went with regular coffee, filling our cups from among the four coffee choices. We could also have had latte or other fancy coffees, including those with soy milk or made to order smoothies or other healthy drinks from the juice bar. For a relatively small place, Baking Company customers have an abundance of choices.
The cafe always has the Journal North and the other Santa Fe papers as well as an assortment of magazines for its guests to peruse with their coffee. The Baking Company hosts live broadcasts from the Santa Fe community radio station, KSFR, each weekday morning and also offers free wireless Internet access and a huge bulletin board with flyers of community events. The guest-friendly atmosphere encourages folks to relax and stay awhile; its efficiency contributes to a good "to-go" business. This place is a Santa Fe treasure— no corporate attitude here.
We looked at the art on the yellow, orange and red walls. Like the color scheme, the seating is eclectic, counter chairs at the juice and coffee bar and a bunch of mismatched tables and seats in the high-ceiling dining room. The overall effect is welcoming rather than disorganized. When the weather warms up, the hungry crowd spreads out to the patio, but for the next few months customers make do with the cozy atmosphere inside.
We took the slice of Pueblo Pie, warmed at our request, to the table, gathered up our silverware from the self-serve bins and filled our coffee cups. We hadn't even finished the pastry when our real breakfast arrived, hot and fresh. The chicken burrito, smothered with not-for-tourists green chile, was packed with eggs, cheese, potatoes and pieces of chicken. We'd never seen chicken sliced, diced or manipulated quite the way it had been to fit inside this big soft flour tortilla, but it tasted just fine.
The chilaquiles, which we ordered without the traditional corn chips, were tasty scrambled eggs mixed with cheese and onions and a side of chile. The potatoes that came with it were tasty little rectangles with a touch of crispness on the outside and sweet softness inside. And so many of them we couldn't finish. Life is good.
The only problem with the Baking Company I can think of is the ever-present threat of a serious caffeine buzz. With good fresh coffee a few steps away and limitless refills, it's easy for us addicts to overdo it. But, everyone should have at least one vice, don't you think? Our ample breakfast for two with the Pueblo Pie and coffee was $17.28 with tax, before the tip. And worth every penny.
SF Baking Company
***
FOOD: Breakfast, lunch choices and bakery temptations
WHERE: 504 W. Cordova Road, 988-4292
HOURS: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays
SERVICE: Self-serve, food delivered to your table
ATMOSPHERE: Colorful, casual and welcoming hangout
PRICES: Breakfast $3.75-$7.75, lunch $5.75-$7.25