Outdoor Dining @ Luminaria

The patio restaurant at the Inn and Spa at Loretto in the center of Santa Fe was one of our favorite interludes in this interesting town.
We stopped in for lunch under the arbor, a beautifully appointed space with lovely table linens, glass and dishware, and a guitarist playing discretely as patrons dined.
I'd read in a local rag that Luminaria had the "best white sangria in town," and therefore had to try it. (Good!)
For eats, we each had a bowl of delicious gazpacho (top photo) and then split a "Santa Fe chopped salad."
Should you ever make it to Santa Fe, NM--which has an almost overwhelming array of foodie choices--I'd recommend this as a spot to consider.

Huevos Rancheros & more

Huevos Rancheros is not a complicated dish, but it won't taste right unless you have a superb chili sauce.

We had the huevos at Tia Maria, a down-home kind of joint in Santa Fe, NM.

The basic idea is to place a warm corn tortilla on the plate topped with fried or scrambled eggs, ranchero sauce (with green or red chilies) and cheese. It's usually served with a side of beans and grilled flour tortillas.

Also while in this town, we ate at a very well regarded tapas bar called La Boca, where we had the dishes photographed above, among others. Shown are the tuna carpaccio and grilled asparagus wrapped with smoked salmon.

Coyote Cafe for marvelous Mexican

We just arrived in Santa Fe NM -- staying at the Hotel St. Francis just off the Plaza -- and lunched at the famed Coyote Cafe.

Along with a watermelon mojito and top-shelf margarita, we split the shrimp seviche (foreground) and an order of vegetarian tacos.

Great start to what promises to be a weekend of dining, drinking, shopping, sightseeing and a trip to the Santa Fe opera.