THE PARTY BEHIND THE PARTY
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f you’ve ever thrown a party or hosted an event, you know it’s hard work. From the food to the entertainment, there is much to keep track of to ensure your guests have a seamless good time. This is why, when planning an event, you call the Cowgirl. Yes, the Cowgirl, that fun and funky restaurant on Guadalupe Street with the to-die-for margaritas, legendary green chile cheeseburger and awesome local entertainment. Owners Nicholas Ballas, Barry Secular and Chef/partner Patrick Lambert offer one of the most comprehensive catering services available in Santa Fe. “We’re full service catering. We can do anything from a party of 10 to 2000,” says Lambert. “You can rent out the restaurant or a smaller room, and we do off site catering as well.” “The standard restaurant menu is a good basis for our catering menu, but we really springboard into a whole panoply of options spanning the globe. Patrick’s training ranges from Pacific Rim to classical European, with a lot in between,” notes Ballas. Voted Best Caterer by the readers of the Santa Fe Reporter for four out of the past six years, the Cowgirl’s list of regular clients includes such local heavyweights as Christus St.Vincent Hospital, the Folk Art Market, Hipico and the City of Santa Fe.
“We’re a restaurant without walls,” explains Lambert. “We even do multiday events. We just did a three-week grand prix equestrian event down at the horse park.” “One of the hits at this year’s Folk Art Market opening night was Patrick’s amazing paella,” adds Ballas. “In fact, we’ve done the Folk Art Market opening for the past five years. I had numerous follow up calls this year from people who were surprised we did paella and wanted us to cater their upcoming event.” “People think of the Cowgirl as laid back, so they are often surprised when we show up with goat cheese torta and jerk chicken satay. We can pull off anything,” says Lambert, before adding, “And we have a very comfortable price point.” Worried about entertainment? Not with the Cowgirl. “We have a great guy who does music booking with us, and he’s more than happy to assist our catering clients,” says Ballas. The Cowgirl’s catering is available within a 50 mile radius, up to Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch, out at Pecos, even up I-25 to Las Vegas. The trained catering service staff are separate from the restaurant servers and work year round. With the holidays around the corner, special packages are currently available. In-house seasonal menus often translate to specialty catering menus. For example, Lambert puts together a turkey-driven Americana menu around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and a Cajun style menu in time for Mardi Gras. “We’re friendly and fun-loving at a catering job, just like we are here at the restaurant. And often that’s the reason why people hire us,” says Lambert. Basically, if you’re planning a party, no matter size, theme or venue, call the Cowgirl. They’re the party behind the party.
The Cowgirl 319 S. Guadalupe St. 505.982.2565 Cowgirlsantafe.com