PALACE PRIME Primed and Here to Stay

By Anya Sebastian

Restaurants have come and gone at this location, but Palace Prime seems finally to have figured out how to establish one as a permanent fixture. General Manager, Charles Dampf, describes it as, ‘a fine dining restaurant, featuring prime steaks, seasonally sourced seafood and fresh, hand-made pasta.’ It also has a bar area, with one of the largest selections of spirits in Santa Fe. The after-hours bar scene is vibrant and energizing and many of the bottles on the shelves, including bourbons and tequilas, are ‘specials,’ unique to the establishment. The casually contemporary and sumptuous dining room has spacious comfortable seating and fabulous art throughout. The dining room is highly sought after for reservations. There is extensive outdoor patio seating, which is very comfortable during the warmer months.

The restaurant’s success may also be due to the fact that the people who are hands-on running the place grew up here. Bar Manager, Todd Walker, Wine Director, Austin Flick, and Charles Dampf himself, all left to gain experience in other places before coming back to Santa Fe. So they have the knowledge and experience gained from working in top establishments elsewhere, coupled with an insider’s understanding of what the city wants and needs. Seasoned local restaurateur, Charles Dale, is also on board as a consultant.

Upscale food is served in a welcoming and friendly atmosphere— no need to dress your best to eat here—and selections can change daily. There is, however, an unusual specialty of oysters on the half shell from many different parts of the country, depending on the season. “We easily go through 8 to 10 cases a week, if not more,” says Executive Chef, Douglas Hesselgesser. “It’s definitely one of our most popular items.”

Overall, the menu has excellent choices of prime steaks, various fish dishes and the house-ground prime burger with smoked green chile and New York cheddar, made from the trimmings of filet mignon, prime rib and New York strip steaks from Pat La Frieda out of New York. Outstanding pasta specialties are included too. Not only is the pasta hand-made, it is also made from flour specially imported from Italy. “Dishes might seem simple at times,” comments Wine Director, Austin Flick, ‘but the care that chef puts into them, together with his original touches, really makes a difference.”

Hesselgesser has exemplary culinary credentials and he is clearly an exceptional chef. Ingredients are always top of the line, eggs are local and freerange, and whenever possible, products are sustainably sourced and organic.

As for wines, the list covers multiple pages, with more than 300 selections always in stock. There is also an overwhelming choice of cocktails, many of them the brainchild of bar manager

Todd Walker, with names like Palace Penicillin and Todd’s Toddy. “It’s also a place where people can stop by for a drink, before or after a show at the Lensic, since it’s literally just around the corner,” points out wine director Austin Flick.

In other words, there is something here for everyone, young or old, romantic or solo, so whatever your mood, stop off at Palace Prime, relax over a cocktail, and enjoy the welcoming vibe. This place is definitely here to stay!

Chef James Campbell Caruso has been a fan of Spanish cuisine for over two decades. After seven years at El Farol, he was inspired to go out on his own, and opened La Boca restaurant in downtown Santa Fe in 2006. “I thought then - and I still think now - that Americans don’t really know too much about Spanish food,” he says. “They are familiar with French and Italian, but Spanish not so much, and I really wanted to turn people on to the flavors of Spain.”

He clearly succeeded, because a more spacious sister restaurant, Taberna, was added in 2012. More relaxed than La Boca, with live music on the weekends, both offer the same menu. “I call it modern Spanish cuisine,” he says, “because it’s my own personal take on traditional recipes, inspired by the ingredients and the flavors.”

La Boca is especially well known for tapas, something Chef James, who has been nominated 8 times for a James Beard award, specializes in. “I do like to educate people,” he explains, “and eating tapas is a good introduction to the many different flavors of Spain. They’re so versatile, there’s really no limit to what you can do.” Wines are not forgotten either and the restaurant, which features Spanish wines and sherries, was awarded a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2022. The restaurant is open every day from 11:30am until 9:00pm and the menu is also available for take-out.

La Boca

72, W. Marcy Street 505.982.3433 labocasantafe.com

Fans of La Boca’s Spanish cuisine can now find some of the great products imported and used by Chef James to create his restaurant’s special dishes, at Bodega, a new location just a few steps away, which opened in December last year. Here you can peruse and take home, top-of the-line items, including cheeses, different kinds of specialty olives and olive oils, spices, seafood, chorizos, anchovies, charcuterie and more. There are also paella pans from Spain, as well as cutting boards, ceramic items and table ware, specially made for Bodega by local artists.

For those in search of good food, but with limited time to spend over a complete meal, there is a coffee/lunch counter, featuring Chef James’ signature tapas, together with one-of-a-kind sandwiches on special bread created by his wife, Leslie. Also on display is a selection of mouthwatering pastries, all freshly made in-house, and everything is available to go. Spanish charcuterie and cheese platters can be pre-ordered for picnics or special events and there is also a full-scale catering service. Definitely a welcome addition to the downtown culinary scene.

505.982.3433