July 2014

J U LY 2 0 1 4

SUMMER ROMANCE

S AN TA F E | ALBUQ UE RQ UE | TAO S

A TAST E OF L I FE I N N EW M EXI CO

“Santacafé Unleashes Secret Weapon!”

– Johnny V., Santa Fean Magazine, June-July 2014

L AU R A SHEP P HER D ATELIER Folk Art Trends Vintage Piano Shawl Embroidered Jackets Indian Silk Kantha Jackets Handbags from Uzbekistan and many more treasures from around the world!

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65 w. marcy street santa fe, nm 87501 505.986.1444 laurasheppherd.com Like us on

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it’s closer than you think..

Local ingredients, served locally. We seek out the freshest, seasonal organic produce, meats and fish.

Then we serve it up with flair and attentive service right in your neighborhood. Join locals supporting locals. Deliciously.

OLD TOWN ALBUQUERQUE 505.766.5100 www.seasonsabq.com

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Inside: The Buzz

by Kelly Koepke 8

What’s new, what’s not, what’s cold, what’s hot … that’s the buzz!

Summer Romance

ON OUR COVER: Opening Night At The Santa Fe Bandstand

by Gail Snyder 13

Santa Fe opens its plaza and its heart to our wonderful local musicians.

Making music is a lot like making love and we’re definitely feeling the love.

All That Jazz

by Gordon Bunker 18

A little jam session with the three great guys who bring you the annual New Mexico Jazz Festival.

Georgia

by Erin Brooks 21

It’s the talk of the summer season—a daring new restaurant in the heart of Santa Fe—and not a green chile in sight.

Summer Fun

photos by Joy Godfrey 26

Vintage Albuquerque kicks off the summer social season with the best food and wine around.

Galisteo Bistro ranks amongst the TOP restaurants in Santa Fe by

OPEN TABLE TRIPADVISOR URBANSPOON YELP

Bring on the Whites!‫‏‬

by Phillip de Give 28

Aromatic whites—the perfect summer wine.

Piattini

by Emily Beenen 32

Chef Peter Lukes creates small plates with big flavors—and everyone is shouting Bravo!

Join us and see for yourself why foodies are raving!

NOW SERVING LUNCH Lunch Wednesday–Saturday, 11 AM–2 PM Dinner Wednesday–Sunday, 5–9:30 PM Reservations Highly Recommended: 505-982-3700 OpenTable.com or GalisteoBistro.com

227 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, NM

REWARD

Free Dessert with Entree

Local Flavor Favorite of the Month

by Mia Carbone 36

The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet reaches out to Juan Siddi Flamenco to create a collaboration of artists passionate about the world of dance.

Chef Johnny Vee Wants to Know

by John Vollertsen 40

Chef Marc Quinoñes just took over the reins at Luminaria in the Inn and Spa at Loretto and Chef JV couldn’t wait to find out how he’s doing.

A Sip of Santa Fe

by Kate Gerwin 42

Cocktail chic in the City Different.

Still Hungry?

by Mia Carbone 44

The Spanish Table celebrates July and all things from España with a spectacular paella party in honor of Spanish Market. Here are three of their signature recipes. Olé!

JULY

2014 ~ Publishers: Patty & Peter Karlovitz Editor: Patty Karlovitz Publisher’s Assistant: Mia Rose Carbone Web Editor: Melyssa Holik Art Director: Jasmine Quinsier Cover photo: Kitty Leaken Prepress: Scott Edwards Ad Design: Alex Hanna Advertising: Santa Fe: Lianne Aponte 505.629.6544.

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address. © Edible Adventure Co.‘96. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used without the permission of Edible Adventure Co. localflavor accepts advertisements from advertisers believed to be reputable, but can’t guarantee it. All editorial information is gathered from sources understood to be reliable, but printed without responsibility for erroneous, incorrect, or omitted information.

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A Taste of Life in New Mexico

JULY 2014

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letter

Our three cities come alive in the month of July like no other time of year and the performing arts have always been a central theme to the issue. As I was combing through stacks of story possibilities, the ones that I ultimately chose were from wildly different venues––an international jazz festival, a hometown bandstand, a regional ballet company and a flamenco troupe looking for a home. What struck me after the stories were finished was the common thread that ran through them all that we had not intentionally planned. These are not the stories of the actual performers on stage (the ones who are usually in the spotlight) nor the backstage crews or the technical teams––rather they’re the stories of individuals who passionately believe that the performing arts should be an intrinsic part of everyone’s life––and then they make sure it’s a part of our lives here in New Mexico.

Meet Michael Dellheim of Outside In, the tireless promoter and organizer of Santa Fe Bandstand; Jean-Phillipe Malaty of the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet; Juan Siddi of the Juan Siddi Flamenco; and the mighty triumvirate that brings you the New Mexico Jazz Festival––Bob Martin of the Lensic, Bob Weil of the Santa Fe Jazz Foundation and Tom Guralnick of the Outpost Performance Space. If you want to see things happen in a town and especially if you want to see dreams become reality, these are the people you turn to. We thank them for their organizational wizardry, their never-give-up attitude, and their love of music and dance.

It’s not Local Flavor without food and wine stories and wait ‘til you see what’s in store for you this month. First, the opening of the stunning new restaurant, Georgia, in Santa Fe. Steps from the Plaza and cozied up next to the famed Georgia O’Keeffee Museum, locals may wonder how we will assimilate another white tablecloth restaurant in our little culinary mecca.

Well, that’s exactly what we asked the new owners, Lloyd Abrams and Terry Sweeney––and you may be surprised at their answer.

Chef Peter Lukes, one of Albuquerque’s pioneer fine-dining chefs, closed his North Valley restaurant Terra American Bistro and headed to an entirely new neighborhood on Girard and Hammett. His new place, Piattini, has already captured the hearts of their new neighbors with Italian-style small plates big on flavor – and service that’s big on smiles.

Wine guru, Phillip de Give says it’s time to “Bring On the Whites!”And not just any whites, but fragrant, minerally white wines from not-so-familiar grapes and regions. We promise you’ll come away from this story with a list in hand of new wines to try. And speaking of wine, if you missed out on any or all of the fourday-long celebration of Albuquerque chefs and vintners from near and far, you missed one of the best parties of the year.

Photographer Joy Godfrey was there along with the entire Local Flavor gang (that’s Ashley and Tyler Schutte in the photo with me––our dynamite brothersister sales team in Albuquerque). We’ve been a part of the celebration for well over ten years now, and it just keeps getting better all the time! Bravo to Albuquerque for building a truly vintage event and helping the kids of New Mexico at the same time.

Sit back, enjoy the issue and feel the Romance of Summer.

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Photo: Joy Godfrey

This month’s cover made my all-time top ten list––not an easy choice when you’ve been doing a magazine for two decades and you have the privilege of working with some of the best photographers in the Southwest. But this one is right up there. It’s what Local Flavor is all about–– capturing people and places and moments that speak to the heart and say, “yes, this is the place I call home.”

STUMBLING SUNDAYS INDUSTRY APPRECIATION ON THE

PATIO

HAPPY HOUR MONDAY – FRIDAY 2PM – 6 PM

Brewery & Gastropub

BOMBAY BACARDI GOOSE

JAMESON $4 LIVE MUSIC EVERY FRI, SAT, SUN

THE BUS TAPES 7/5 6-9PM DJ ERNIE ZEE 7/5 9-1AM NEXT TO THE TRACKS: BIG GAME AMERICAN TOUR 7/6 2-5PM

Fourth of July Weenie Roast & S’mores!

Live Music by Next 2 the Tracks 6-9pm Red, White & Blueberries Beer Randall

CROWN ROYAL $5 $1 OFF WELL, WINE & DRAFT

SUNDAY – WEDNESDAY: 11AM – MIDNIGHT THURSDAY - SATURDAY: 11 AM – 2 AM 3700 ELLISON RD NW ~ 505.792.7805 A Taste of Life in New Mexico

JULY 2014

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More Nob Hill news—Yanni’s Mediterranean Grill is serving up produce grown in its very own urban garden. This women-owned business now has a women-run urban farm. Farmers Paloma Sanchez and Gretchen Garcia constructed a 60-foot raised bed, filled it with organic soil and compost and planted chiles, tomatoes, cucumbers, every herb imaginable, watermelons, eggplants, squash, fig trees, etc. “We are taking a farm-to-table approach here at Yanni’s to educate our customers on the importance of organic, natural and non-GMO foods,” says Yanni’s co-owner Nicole Martinez. “We hope to partner with UNM’s sustainability program next spring and hope to have a summer camp for young children by next summer.” Watch the Yanni’s Facebook page for photos and the latest farm-to-table treats.

Shhh, don’t let the secret out. Charles Benzaquen’s tiny restaurant, Charles Place, is really his house at 12th and Tijeras, downtown. And it only seats 14 people at five tables. And only serves dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, and other times for private parties. And only offers a prix-fixe meal based on the products that the retired Albuquerque Country Club executive chef finds fresh each week. And can only be reserved by calling 505.244.0830.

The New Mexico Symphonic Chorus announced its 2014-2015 season: four exciting concerts featuring choral masterpieces in its new venue, First United Methodist Church.

Season tickets available now and individual tickets on sale in August. But until then, catch the July 12th Summer Showcase of Talent, free at the First Unitarian Church.

The Loan Fund, the state’s oldest community lender and long a supporter of restaurateurs, has started a monthly food truck day at its offices at Iron and Fifth. The list of creative food truck clients includes The Supper Truck, S’wich It Up and Karibu Cafe. Eating local is good for everyone! The third Thursday of every month, a food truck will be at the Loan Fund offices from 11 to 2, serving up delicious local lunches. July 17 will be Karibu Cafe (East African cuisine). Keep on funding and eating, Loan Fund!

New Mexico now has an official Breakfast Burrito Byway, consisting of the top 50 breakfast staple restaurants, as voted by fans across the state. Albuquerque locales include Frontier, Flying Star, Blake’s Lotaburger, the Range Café, Weck’s, Little Anita’s and Sadie’s. Check out the official trail map at newmexico.org/trails.

Behind Adobe Walls Home and Garden Tour, July 22 and July 29, offers a peek into four different private residences and gardens each week on this 75th annual bus-led tour. Sponsored by the Santa Fe Garden Club, the tour (and optional pretour lunch) proceeds benefit the Santa Fe Garden Club’s local on-going education, beautification and conservation projects. Visit thesantafegardenclub.org for tickets, times and other information.

SANTA FE

Congrats to the Santa Fe-area restaurants named to the New Mexico Breakfast Burrito Byway. Horsemen’s Haven, Tia Sophia’s, the Pantry, El Parasol, Flying Star, Blake’s Lotaburger and Weck’s all made the list of top 50 places to get our favorite breakfasts eats. See the full map at newmexico.org/trails.

| Martìn Rios

| Gabrielle Uballez Congrats to the new executive director of Working Classroom, Gabrielle Uballez.

Uballez, who takes over from founder Nan Elsasser, has a long history with the organization supporting new and diverse voices and visions in the arts. She grew up in Working Classroom, was part of the sculpture team that created “La Trumbuleña: Our Lady of Trumbell” with internationally prominent Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrié and was the project manager for Wanxin Zhang’s “Travelin’ Man,” the second public sculpture sponsored by Working Classroom in the International District.

Serious barbecue fans should head to the 11th annual Pork & Brew BBQ State Championships at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, July 4 through 6. This

Restaurant Martìn has added a lovely garden room to the patio area of its Paseo de Peralta and Galisteo Street compound. So don’t worry about an errant thunderstorm, you’ll be snug and dry, and still have an amazing view of the herb and flower garden. Oh, and don’t forget about the food, ‘cuz it’s pretty good, too, (wink).

| Mark Kiffin Been to The Compound Restaurant lately?

It’s got a brand new look. Custom-designed chairs and banco cushions have replaced the original furniture that was installed by famed designer Alexander Girard in 1967 when he conceptualized the original design of the restaurant. “We loved the old chairs,” explains Chef/Owner Mark Kiffin, “but they had been used for 47 years and were showing their age. We hope our long time

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If you ever wondered what goes on under the lid of a pressure cooker, wonder no more with three classes from Chef Lars Liebisch at Las Cosas Kitchen Shoppe & Cooking School, July 18 and 19. “Healthy but Delicious,” “Cajun Date Night on the Bayou,” and “Meals Under 30 Minutes” are the themes, and Chef Lars knows his stuff. At our altitude, you almost have to use a pressure cooker to prepare beans, stews and other traditionally slow cooked dishes, but many people are afraid of this essential, versatile kitchen tool. Call 505.988.3394 to reserve your spot.

Welcome to Santa Fe, Marc Quiñones, the new chef at Luminaria at the Inn and Spa at Loretto. Chef Q comes most recently from the fine dining Bien Shur restaurant at Sandia Resort and Casino. His resume includes Albuquerque’s best chef honors and cooking for President George W. Bush aboard Air Force One. He’s a Le Cordon Bleu Scottsdale, graduate and cooked in Hawaii, Arizona and Napa, Calif., before coming to New Mexico.

Photo courtesy of Inn and Spa at Loretto

New in Nob Hill! Nu Asia Vegan is the latest in restaurants showcasing the amazing things chefs do with vegetables. Try all-youcan-eat vegan sushi, seven days a week for lunch and dinner, as well as other vegan specialties: tempura, tofu, soy crab, bulgogi and more. Owner Philip Esparza is from the Philippines, his two partners, Hkung S. Maran and Brang Jangma, from Myanmar.

The trio has developed an extensive pan-Asian menu. Call 505.508.1908.

Been wondering where long-time Duke City favorite El Norteño Mexican Grill went? It moved to a new location at 4410 Wyoming NE. Owner Monica Manoochehri is still in the kitchen creating from scratch all the salsas, the corn tortillas, a wonderful flan and award-winning fish tacos. She prides herself on cooking true Mexican recipes, and El Norteño is one of the few places where you can find slow-cooked cabrito (goat in red chile). Her vegetarian entrees include guacamole tacos and tacos de nopalitos. There’s always a daily special (often seafood) as well as Albuquerque’s summer-time favorite, horchata. Beer and wine are served, and the art from local artists is for sale. Visit elnortenoabq.com or call 505.508.4372.

Photo: Gabriella Marks

ALBUQUERQUE

and new customers come to see the new look and understand the fun yet elegant look we wanted to achieve.” Other new additions also include diamond plaster walls (stunning by candlelight) and throw pillows covered with Alexander Girard fabric designed in 1971.

Not to be forgotten, the outside garden patio has been spruced up with new banco cushions and umbrellas just in time for summer.

Photo: Gabriella Marks

b y K E L LY K O E P K E

the buzz

event, one of the top 100 barbeque events in the country (so says the American Business Association) features family-friendly fun and live music, and the winners of the judging go to the American Royal Invitational, presented by Kansas City Masterpiece.

Between chomps of fantastic barbecue, you can check out local arts and crafts, burn off some calories by dancing to live music and take the kids for face painting and a few trips through the bouncy houses. Last year, more than 30,000 people attended, so get your tickets at rioranchonm.org.

| Mark Quiñones San Marcos Café has new owners. Susan and Tom Macdonell are turning the keys over to Cindy and Mark Holloway. No plans to change much except eventually adding dinner to the breakfast and lunch schedule. So head on out for huevos rancheros and cinnamon rolls as big as your head and give the new owners a “howdy do” to welcome them to town.

Santa Fe School of Cooking brings acclaimed chef Susana Trilling, founder and director of the Seasons of My Heart Cooking School in Oaxaca, to town on July 9 and 10 for classes on the cuisine of that

region. Trilling studied Mexican cooking at the Fonda San Miguel in Austin and was the owner of the New York City restaurants Bon Temps Rouler and Rick’s Lounge in the early 1980s. She moved to Mexico in 1988 to conduct cooking classes. She is the author of “My Search for the Seventh Mole: A Story with Recipes” and “Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico,” and has been featured on PBS and the Food Network. Reserve your space now at santafeschoolofcooking.com.

The 17th annual Santa Fe Greek Festival, run by St. Elias the Prophet Greek Orthodox Church, has an exciting new venue and new dates this year! The Eldorado Hotel & Spa plays host on July 12 and 13 for a festive and lively event that is a great way to experience Greek culture in Santa Fe. Enjoy Greek food, pastries, music, dancing and adult beverages from the many Santa Fe restaurant owners and chefs of Greek descent, like Leonardo Razatos of the Plaza Cafe Southside, Dean Alexis of Upper Crust Pizza and Tortilla Flats, Ignatios Patsalis of Tomasita’s and Atrisco Cafe and Ziggy Rzig of the Pyramid Cafe and Omira. New this year is a silent auction to complement the Greek gift items and canned and bottled Greek foods. Visit steliasnm.org/ santa-fe-greek-festival.

Speaking of the El Dorado, congrats to Heritage Hotels & Resorts for its purchase of Santa Fe’s largest hotel. Led by native New Mexicans, Jim Long and Randy Talbot, Heritage Hotels and Resorts adds the Eldorado Hotel and Spa to the other three Heritage properties in Santa Fe: Hotel St. Francis, Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe and The Lodge at Santa Fe. This will be the first time in the hotel’s history that it will be owned by New Mexican families. “The Eldorado Hotel & Spa is one of the premier properties in Santa Fe and New Mexico.

We are excited to add this property to our collection of culturally designed New Mexico hotels,” says Long, CEO of Heritage. “All of our Heritage Hotels and Resorts offer guests an authentic New Mexico cultural experience and tell a unique story about our rich heritage and history. The Eldorado Hotel will remain the premier Santa Fe property and enhance our presence in Santa Fe.” Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival boldly enters a new artistic collaboration with its inaugural Music & Wine Gala on July 22. This special event blends the worlds of chamber music with gourmet cuisine and exquisite wines, beginning with a private concert at the New Mexico Museum of Art, with performances by violinist William Preucil, cellist Mark Kosower and pianist Jon Nakamatsu. After the concert, guests move on to La Posada for an elegant cocktail reception and gourmet four-course dinner paired with exceptional wines. The Music and Wine Gala features a silent auction of wines donated by private collectors and highend wineries, one-of-a-kind experiences, exclusive getaways and special offers from some of Santa Fe’s finest restaurants. Tickets at santafechambermusic.com.

The Lavender in the Valley Festival in Abiquiu is celebrating the abundance and glory of the purple flowers. Purple Adobe Lavender Farm invites you to join them and other Abiquiu businesses for a magical summer day in a magical spot. Stroll through the blooming lavender fields, sit and relax under the ancient cottonwoods, play at making lavender crafts, walk the newly established labyrinth, shop in the lavender store and enjoy a refreshing cup of lavender tea. Local artisans will be displaying and

selling their work, while musicians will add to the festive ambiance. Look for the purple flags throughout the valley marking participating businesses such as Rising Moon Gallery and the Abiquiu Inn (which has created a delightful menu, including chocolate chunk lavender pancakes for breakfast and sweet lemon corn cake with lavender syrup and raspberries for dessert). Head up U.S. 84 on July 12 and 13 for this quick day trip.

The San Miguel Chapel on Old Santa Fe Trail, a national landmark and the oldest active church in the United States, needs help continuing to restore its bell tower. That’s why it has asked AnnaMaria Cardinalli with her sensual contralto and virtuoso Spanish guitar to sing every Thursday. The program, “Legado y Leyenda” (Legacy and Legend), conveys insight into the story of the people of northern New Mexico and the amazing significance of the church through music. All proceeds go directly to benefit the urgent structural preservation of San Miguel’s bell tower. For details, visit sanmiguelmission.org/#!concert-series/cc2c.

The Music at the Downs series begins July 5 when the Soulshine Tour rolls into town, headlined by Michael Franti & Spearhead, featuring live music, DJs and yoga. Also on the bill are SOJA, Bret Dennen and Trevor Hall. Yoga activities will be offered throughout the event. Vendors and food and drinks will be available. The series continues on August 5 with Ray LaMontagne and The Belle Brigade, and wraps September 13 with perennial Santa Fe favorite Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. These concerts are produced

by AMP Concerts and Heath Concerts, two of New Mexico’s premier non-profit arts presenting organizations. Visit ampconcerts.org or ticketssantafe.com for details.

photo by Sergio Salvador

Bringing together local food, farmers and the community!

See our website for a full list of events and special dinners

8917 4th St NW

Albuquerque, NM 87114

505.503.7124 Farmandtablenm.com

Dinner: Wed-Sat open at 5pm Brunch: sat-sun 9am-2pm

We wish to clarify an item that appeared in the May Buzz. The name of the new head brewer at Blue Corn Brewery is James Warren.

TAOS The long established Michael’s Kitchen has been named to the New Mexico Breakfast Burrito Byway. Congrats to this hometown eatery of three decades, which still has some of its original staff. If a burrito doesn’t float your boat at breakfast, try the blintzes, French toast, omelets or waffles. Or stop in for lunch or dinner, or take home some of their homemade baked goods. You won’t be disappointed, whatever you choose.

Travel + Leisure has named the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House one of the best small-town American museums. And who can blame them? In 2003, the Taos Art Museum moved to its current digs, the former residence of Russian-born portraitist and landscape painter Nicolai Fechin, who embellished his adobe home with triptych windows and carved doors. The museum celebrates the works of the Taos Society of Artists, a collective that painted during the first three decades of the 20th century. Their canvases portray horseback riders, aspens and cottonwoods, simple adobe pueblos and other iconic New Mexico scenes.

Visit taosartmuseum.org.

July 11 through 13 is the 29th annual Taos Pueblo Pow Wow. Competitions include dances, arts and crafts, food and music. Friday evening begins with a grand procession and the start of the dance competition. Join the residents of Taos Pueblo as they dance, sing and share the beauty of their ancestral home. See taospueblopowwow.com for details.

Celebrating the Art of the Cruise • “Lowrider Only” Parking

Patio Seating • Happy Hour Specials One block from Santa Fe Plaza in Hotel Chimayó de Santa Fe 125 Washington • 505.988.4900 • www.HotelChimayo.com A Taste of Life in New Mexico

JULY 2014

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the buzz ALBUQUERQUE

Start your citywide First Friday Artscrawl on Friday, July 4, at The Artistic Image, where they are presenting Car-Toons, original photography by Allan Price with an artist’s reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Featuring prints of antique automobiles, hot rods and muscle cars in which Price has created images of spectacular color and form, and a multimedia show of another 100-plus images.

Visit photoartnm.com for more information.

(Note: Many of the galleries are moving their traditional First Friday openings to Saturday, July 5, because of the holiday. Check before you go.)

comes to utilizing a wide array of glass making techniques, including torch work, fusing, sandblasting, acid-etching and the use of elaborate enamels to produce her imagery. See palettecontemporary.com.

SANTA FE

Jamie Chase has been a fixture in the Santa Fe art community for over 30 years and his new exhibition, POV: New Paintings by Jamie Chase, opens at Matthews Gallery on July 25 with an artist’s reception from 5 to 7. Through August 8, the artist presents a stunning array of perspectives culled from a lifetime of looking and creating. In the acrylic painter’s well-known figurative works, female nudes float through abstract fields of color, their surroundings reflecting their emotional experience. Chase’s newer series of abstracted landscapes drops the viewer directly into these color fields, allowing us to experience firsthand the profound feelings of his figures.

Weyrich Gallery opens a group show July 16 with an artists’ reception from 3 to 6 p.m.

Imprints of Home: Works on Paper presents evocative, often experimental and always pleasing art prints and poems by twelve artists. Vicki Bolen, Geraldine Brussel, Esther Feske, Dale Harris, Christine Herman, Frank Melcori, Trish Meyer, Carrol Moxham, Donna Murray, Margy O’Brien, Kent Swanson and Mary Sweet are members of a print and poem cooperative that first exhibited at Weyrich in 2011. This diverse group of artists came together through a shared interest in printmaking, poetry and book arts. Their delight in ongoing creative cross-pollination and artistic camaraderie produced this new collaboration. See weyrichgallery.com.

Photo: Courtesy The Gallery ABQ

During the month of July, The Gallery ABQ features two of its newest artists— watercolorist and acrylic painter Jo Schuman and metal artist (plus Albuquerque community police officer) Travis Cochran— in its show New Inspirations. The opening reception is Saturday, July 5, 3 to 6 p.m. Jo will be giving an Artists Insights talk at 4 p.m., and gallery artist plus accomplished jazz musician Andy Kozeliski will be performing live at 3 and 5. The Camino Real 8 are guest artists in the gallery’s salon with their show In and Out, featuring intimate paintings of the New Mexico landscape.

| Travis Cochran

Palette Contemporary Art & Craft opens a show July 19 with an artist’s reception from 3 to 6 p.m.: The Devil is in the Details

by Tami Coatsworth. Primarily inspired by nostalgic pop culture, Coatsworth precisely and creatively explores the iconic nature of familiar items such as crayons, gum wrappers, comic strips, match boxes and more. You will be amazed at her attention to detail when it 10

JULY 2014

Photo: Courtesy Matthews Gallery

| Allan Price

| Jamie Chase Stop into Bindle Stick Studio on Canyon Road before the end of the month to see Into the Moonlight, an exhibition of work by Jeffrey Schweitzer. This narrative series of 12 shadow boxes explores a young man’s relationship with the moon through a poetic narrative of rhyming couplets. These intimate moonlit scenes are a combination of detailed pen and ink paintings, delicately cut paper layers and photographic elements. Into the Moonlight will be completed as a book this summer, too.

Visit Thursday through Monday.

| Jeffrey Schweitzer

TAOS

The Runway Vigilantes, a group of artists, designers and entertainers who produce and perform collaborative art projects presented as runway theatre, using fashion, costuming, sets, choreography, light and sound, presents a multi media event on July 11 and 12 at the Harwood Museum. The show runs in conjunction with the Harwood’s current special summer exhibition Highlights from the Gus Foster Collection, whose underlying theme relates to sacred geometry. Celebrate and explore the mysterious patterns that create the world we live in through design, sound, image and movement. Info at harwoodmuseum.org. magazine.com

THE ART OF OUTDOOR DINING Taste the flavors of Santa Fe at Fuego.

Savor breakfast, lunch and dinner outside on our patio. Indulge in cocktails at the historic Staab House Bar. Enjoy live entertainment nightly.

La Posada de Santa Fe, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa 330 East Palace Avenue Santa Fe, New Mexico

For reservations, please call 505-986-0000 or visit opentable.com

t i a o p d a i n n er y o j n e at

Elevating Santa Fe’s optical experience with refreshing & artistic independent eyewear.

Special Events: July Trunk Shows

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ALWAYS A FIESTA! Visit our other locations in Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and at Albuquerque’s Winrock Mall and Cottonwood Mall 125 LINCOLN AVE., SUITE 114 • 988.4444

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CARMEN

ROMANCE DRAMA FUN

Bizet

DON PASQUALE

SEASON

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. . . all at THE SANTA FE OPERA

JUNE 27 - AUGUST 23

Donizetti

FIDELIO Beethoven DOUBLE BILL

THE IMPRESARIO Mozart

LE ROSSIGNOL Stravinsky AMERICAN PREMIERE

DR. SUN YAT-SEN

Mark Nohl photo

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A R R I V E E A R LY W I T H A TA I L G AT E S U P P E R T O E N J O Y T H E S U N S E T A N D M O U N TA I N V I E W S An Incredible Setting

SantaFeOpera.org

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800-280-4654

Mark Nohl photo

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SOUTHWESTERN SUMMER Join us for our Pre Opera Prix Fixe Menu C

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SUMMER ROMANCE

“...the experience of hearing music performed live, in real time, brings its listeners’ heartbeats story by GAIL SNYDER into harmony. And if that music is performed by musicians playing from the heart, then it elicits p h o t o s b y K I T T Y L E A K E N a heart-opening experience for all the listeners within its vicinity—which is what people talk listen. The music will lure you in no matter who you are, no matter how young about when they talk about music giving them chills.”

or old or what your musical preference. The scene is like a giant block party, only with unusually good music. here’s a belief out there among certain scientists that music “It’s everybody,” says Michael Dellheim, executive director of Outside In, the is the sonic manifestation of the human heart. If that’s true, nonprofit organization that oversees Santa Fe Bandstand. “Locals, tourists. There then it stands to reason that the experience of hearing music are people dancing by themselves, dancing with their dog, same-sex couples, greyhaired older hippies and 20-somethings. It’s a judgment-free zone,” an oasis in the performed live, in real time, brings its listeners’ heartbeats into desert of what too often we experience as a segmented, alienated society. “People harmony. And if that music is performed by musicians playing who may not frequent bars or clubs, or who don’t have the means to buy concert from the heart, then it elicits a heart-opening experience for all tickets, can often feel disenfranchised. But not here. There are 103 noon and the listeners within its vicinity—which is what people talk about evening shows scheduled for the next 10 weeks, June 23rd through August 28th, and they’re all free of charge, come as you are.” when they talk about music giving them chills.

Despite its reputation as a music mecca, “Austin has nothing like that,” says Now in its 12th season, the Santa Fe Bandstand series provides us this Michael. “Neither does Madison, neither does Ashville. So many other civic quintessential opportunity—to join with neighbors, connect, and, from venues are just concrete forever, and when it gets hot, concrete really radiates. Our late June through the end of August, feel chills together in the midst of the summer heat. In the early evening most weekdays, no matter where you are A Taste of Life in New Mexico 13 JULY 2014 within earshot of the Santa Fe Plaza, stop whatever you’re doing and just

T

SUMMER ROMANCE

Plaza is unique! From 1610 on there’ve been people congregating there. No other music venue has this ambiance of an authentic historic setting, lawn, benches, trees. People bring a blanket and spread out picnics there. Artists really respond to that setting, it’s a real sense of place, not ‘Hello, Cleveland!’

Wow, and the light, it’s so crisp at that magic hour. The audience really responds, too.”

With no barrier between the homey little bandstand and the audience, it’s incredibly intimate; you can literally make eye contact with the members of some of your favorite bands, a real rarity these days. This year’s line-up includes some of New Mexico’s finest, from the usual suspects to the relatively new, along with renowned acts doing international tours. The website gives the full schedule (santafebandstand.org) but some noteworthy highlights include Native American Music Award winner Joy Harjo, Albuquerque’s the Handsome Family, a onetime member of Bill Monroe’s original Bluegrass Boys, Grammy Award winner Peter Rowan, Australian acoustic-based 2013 Grammy nominees The Greencards, rockabilly honky-tonker and longtime Johnny Cash affiliate Earl Poole Ball and everybody’s favorite original local folk alt-country act, Joe West.

This year, 280 bands applied for Santa Fe Bandstand’s available slots. The series just keeps expanding. “I’m a curator,” Michael says. “I welcome people’s input as I’m choosing what works best.

Since the concerts are free, we have to pay for it all—the city gives us less than a third of our operating budget, so we have to come up with a lot of sponsors.” An Outside In board member since 1995, Michael took over as director in 2012 when its founder David Lescht died unexpectedly. “David was my best friend. I feel very connected to what he did and what he would do now. I think I’m a good steward in that sense,” Michael says. Not only is he continuing to raise the bar on the quality of music Santa Fe Bandstand presents, garnering local awards such as the Santa Fe Reporter’s Best Community Event of 2013, but he is also expanding its reach across town.

This year, Santa Fe Bandstand goes to the southside’s Plaza San Isidro courtyard, next to the Regal Cinema theaters. “This will be a whole new experience,” says Michael with enthusiasm. “Now we’ll be reaching all segments of Santa Fe with broad, more diverse programming. In fact, if all goes well, we’ll expand it to Plaza Contenta in the heart of the city’s south side next year. We just need more businesses willing to support us.” He’s grateful to all those who’ve brought them this far, including most recently the Shake Foundation and Jean Cocteau.

Also new this year is the inclusion, on certain nights, of food trucks at the Plaza, geared to match the flavor of that night’s music. “So for zydeco master and Grammy winner Terence Simien, from New Orleans, we’ll have a truck selling gumbo and etouffe. The night of the Derailers, out of Austin, it’ll be a truck selling homemade barbeque.”

The likelihood of music being played from the heart this summer at the Plaza is pretty certain, since musicians across the board hold the concert series in highest regard. “These shows are the most exciting part of the musical scene in Santa Fe,” says Paige Barton, one of three members of the acclaimed new local band Hot Honey, which performs in the series kick-off week. “It feels like we’re being inducted into the family of New Mexico musicians, which is such a huge gift to us—as if the community has taken us and lifted us up. It feels good to be welcomed!”

Lucy Barna, also of Hot Honey, agrees. “It’s an honor to be chosen. I imagine, being up there onstage, that I’ll probably have a few sentimental moments when I look out at the crowd and over at my band mates and feel how lucky I am to get to be playing in this sweet, nostalgic center of our town.

And it’s so amazing,” she adds, “to get that many local sponsors to be able to pay all the bands and go on all summer. It shows that we do in fact have a music scene!”

Hot Honey’s Lori Ottino, who’s performed in past summers at the Plaza with Joe West, anticipates “the magic experience of seeing the city come together, the special gift of it all, to everybody. They have such a great sound system, which is a total delight for a musician—it’s so fun to belt out a song and hear it reach down the whole block, echoing back. It’s a powerful thing happening, a collective energy that’s really exciting, as a few get up to dance and then everyone follows, the vibe builds and we’re all sharing it together!”

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Organizer Michael Dellheim and City Counselor Patti Bushee

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Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience

Michael, who emcees each show, recalls a small group of elderly Hispanic audience members who always, year after year, set up their chairs together at the side of the stage. “They’re enjoying the show,” he says, “but it always reminds me, don’t forget the traditional components of this community. I don’t program to them, per se, but I’m aware of the importance of keeping the balance.”

Along those same lines, he adds, “One of the more rewarding aspects of doing this is seeing the single people who come, lots of them the same ones, every night. It’s an appointment. I think of people describing this as Santa Fe’s favorite family event, and I’m happy to say we’re not a family event.” Because what the Santa Fe Bandstand series provides is something much more inclusive than individual families grouped around the stage. It’s a sense of unity, the chance to let go, become the shape and substance of the music, everyone together inside an ocean of sound. Hearts wide open.

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Hot Honey onstage, left to right, Doug Meier, Lucy Barna, Paige Barton and Lori Ottino

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All That

Jazz

W

story by GORDON BUNKER photos by JIM GALE

e’re getting settled around the table, four of us, for a little jam session of sorts. This would be me and the three directors of the New Mexico Jazz Festival: Tom Guralnick, Bob Martin and Bumblebee Bob Weil. There’s a lull in the conversation and I guess it’s my turn to say something. My job is to get to the heart of the matter, so I spit it out: “Three non-profits collaborating, three directors, presenting at six venues in two cities…” I pause to let the scope of what I’ve said sink in. It’s amazing, these guys aren’t just talking about how nice a collaborative effort would be—they’re doing it!

“Wow, that sounds good!” exclaims Tom. We’re all laughing. Bob adds, “I wish we had come up with that!” Well, gentlemen, please be my guest and use it however you like.

“You’re in your ninth year,” I say. “How do you make it work?”

The bottom line is that each of these men eats, drinks and sleeps jazz, and each brings a broad range of experience to the table. And they’re buds who, like any friends who have hung together for this long, have a good chemistry going.

The New Mexico Jazz Festival began in 2006, after the Open Arts Foundation’s Santa Fe Jazz and International Music Festival came to a close. “I didn’t want to see [that] festival die, and I didn’t want to take it over solely for the Lensic,” says Bob, who also happens to be the Lensic’s executive/artistic director. Enter stage left, Bumblebee Bob, who is president of the Santa Fe Jazz Foundation and has been booking jazz gigs since he was in high school in St. Louis. He brought his talents with him when he came to Santa Fe in 1989 and started booking events around town, including at the Lensic, before it was renovated, when he presented Wynton Marsalis. Tom, meanwhile, in addition to having performed professionally for more than 25 years, is the founder and executive director of the Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque since 1989. So they’d all bumped into one another a time or two. “We worked well together,” Bob says. “We just talked and I said, ‘Let’s try to have it be an important jazz festival.’”

Bumblebee Bob says, “Bob called Tom and Tom called me and asked, ‘You guys want to do it?’ And we said, ‘Sure.’” Simple. Done.

Well, maybe not quite, but you have to love people who take a direct approach. They had a great idea and they made it happen. No noodling around.

“We felt it was important to keep jazz as a strong presence in New Mexico,” says Tom. “It’s an important part of our culture. All of us believe that. And it’s not that easy, you can’t just say, ‘I’m putting on a jazz concert and the place is going to fill up.’ You need to really work at it and believe in it.”

Check out the 2014 lineup on their website—you’ll find events and artists that add up to over two weeks of jazz performance bliss. Hats off to these three and many others in their respective organizations. They’ve put in a lot of hours together and we get to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Tom grins and says, “We’ve met at least once this year.”

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Terence Blanchard

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Bob Martin, Bob Weil and Tom Guralnick

Bumblebee Bob snickers.“The reality is Tom does most of the work,” he says.

“He’s in the business, he takes the lead in doing most of the booking. It’s nice for us, he’s willing.”

“Oh,” I say, like I’m on to him. I’ve met Bumblebee a few times between shrimp tacos at his Bumblebee’s Baja Grill in Santa Fe and I know he’s always up for some kidding around. I point to Tom. “So, he does all the work and you take all the credit!”

Bumblebee lights up. “That’s it!”

Tom exclaims, “That’s absolutely not true!” Everyone is laughing. “We all listen to each other’s input and honor each other’s interests.” This, of course, is key.

“At the Lensic, originally, there was a lot of classical music,” says Bob, “and Bumblebee Bob was probably the first person that came in and presented any jazz.” There was a ready audience for those performances, people were interested.

Those audiences at Bumblebee’s early presentations made the idea of a jazz festival a viable one. Without them, it might not have happened.

The success of the festival is in large part due to the diverse programming, which stems from the unique backgrounds these characters bring to the table— and “everybody in this field,” says Tom, “is a character.” He continues, “For me, it was playing as a performer since I was 18 years old, deeply involved in the world of touring.” Tom plays sax and he grows a bit wistful talking about it. He was doing “experimental solo work … on the outer edge of the jazz world.” Delving into the avant-garde and touring and maybe occasionally buying some groceries must have been a huge challenge. Judging from how he talks about this chapter in his life, I bet he still loves to pick up a sax and make it speak.

Bob comes from a theater background in San Francisco. “There was a great jazz club, Keystone Korner. … I got my jazz education there,” he says, and adds succinctly, “I love the music.”

In addition to booking performances, Bumblebee Bob got into organizing jazz parties, bringing musicians and devotees together at one venue or another, at his home or sometimes a hotel. For a weekend, everyone would hang out. Musicians who had never had the chance to play together would come and there’d be some great music and great times. Through these experiences, Bumblebee Bob formed lasting friendships with some of the greats. Many, as a result, have come to the festival.

The bond for these three lies not only in their passion for the music, but from their unique perspectives. They’ve each lived it. They’ve been behind the scenes, experienced the trenches and understand the monumental challenges of being the small, new act. So in putting the festival together, they are not solely interested in the big names. In booking the big names, Bob comments, “you know you’re going to do ok. It’s the groups that don’t quite have the names but are doing great work.

You gotta make that decision. Should it be part of this festival or are you going be concerned about the lowest common denominator, selling tickets?” Looking at the lineup you’ll find the answer. Some names are small, all are great.

I ask if they’ve found different vibes in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Tom says, “I’ve created a scene with the Outpost and an audience that’s very dedicated.” But, he continues, interestingly, “We do better with the larger concerts up here [in Santa Fe], even though it’s so much smaller.” There isn’t as much interchange as one might think. “Not many people come down from Santa Fe to Albuquerque. The ones who do are very dedicated,” he says. “They consider it a long drive, when in Los Angeles it’s considered a short commute.” The same is true in the other direction—all a matter of perspective.

On the subject of larger audiences in Santa Fe, Bumblebee Bob puts in, “Maybe the Lensic got the crowd trained, more used to seeing concerts.” And granted, the Lensic is a bigger venue.

Bob defers to Bumblebee Bob and Tom. “Because [of ] what you guys have done before the jazz festival,” he says, “there’s been a jazz presence. […] Slowly we’ve actually built up somewhat of a jazz audience in Santa Fe that probably didn’t exist ten or twelve years ago.”

Much of the jazz presence in Albuquerque over the years has been at the Outpost, which is small. Bob makes a good point that when Tom “does a big concert, there isn’t just one place he does it—he does it at the KiMo or the Hispanic Cultural Center or the Hiland, so probably that’s a little more diffused for an audience.”

Whatever the differences between the two cities, common ground lies in the people having a love for jazz. The New Mexico Jazz Festival reaches out and we enjoy.

Bumblebee Bob has been quietly taking in what is being said. He speaks up, “It’s sort of amazing when three non-profits with their egos and everything get together for nine years and there’s never been a harsh word or anything between us. I think that is a record in the non-profit business.” He’s hit the nail on the head. That is so very cool. He adds, and I just know he’s building up to something, “It’s really great to have this relationship with Tom and Bob. I keep wanting to wear my tap shoes but they won’t let me.”

“This year we will, this year,” consoles Bob. “To perform,” asserts Bumblebee.

And suddenly there’s another lull in the conversation.

For information and tickets go to newmexicojazzfestival.org, ticketssantafe. org (505.988.1234) or The Outpost, 505.268.0044. outpostspace.org.

| A Taste of Life in New Mexico

Catherine Russell JULY 2014

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Thursday July 31 at 5:30 Enjoy Dining, Dancing and Live Auction at the beautiful

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Georgia

of Santa Fe S

story by ERIN BROOKS photos by GAELEN CASEY

tanding in the dining room of Georgia, one of the newest restaurants to hit the Santa Fe culinary scene, you’d never know that in January the whole place was gutted from floor to ceiling for a complete renovation. Walls were torn apart to be reinsulated, original ceilings were exposed and plumbing and electricity overhauled.

From the dust and debris a gorgeous space has emerged. In the dining room, luxurious leather banquettes and tables covered in white linen line the freshly painted walls, which are hung with contemporary art. Stemware and chrome ice buckets reflect light from the pendant lamps that hang suspended from the ceiling. A zinc-topped bar and a wall that displays the restaurant’s wine selections dominate another room.

“Great architecture is an important component of a succesful restaurant.”

-Lloyd A bram s

|

On a warm day in June, I sat down at a table on Georgia’s patio to speak with the trio behind the venture: owners Lloyd Abrams and Terry Sweeney and the restaurant’s executive chef, Brett Sparman. Lloyd, who is also associated with Geronimo restaurant, was the driving force behind Georgia.

He purchased the property, previously home to the O’Keeffe Café, from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, located next door. Originally officers’ quarters for the U.S. Army, the two buildings on the property are 114 and 107 years old (they are now connected).

After Lloyd Grilled NY Strip bought the property, Terry agreed to become a partner and the pair recruited Brett, who had been working since 2011 at the Inn and Spa at Loretto’s Luminaria restaurant. As we chat, Lloyd frequently jumps out of his chair to do one thing or another—speaking with a customer who will be returning later for dinner and cleaning up the restaurant sign. “This

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Terry Sweeney and Lloyd Abrams Photo: Gabriella Marks

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| Executive chef Brett Sparman

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is the longest I’ve seen him sit down in five months,” Brett jokes. “He’s one of the most tireless restaurant owners I’ve ever worked with.”

Since the beginning of the year, Lloyd and his partners have been busy renovating the old buildings, which needed a lot of work. Because they’re historical, nothing could be done to the outside. But inside, Lloyd says, “we ripped the place apart. We didn’t use an existing electrical or plumbing line. We put in a brand new kitchen. It’s a brand new building.” He shows me a picture of the space during the early phases of renovation—a mash up of ripped-open walls, exposed insulation, loose nails and boards and the general disarray of construction. Although there was a lot of work that needed to be done to get the place up and running, Lloyd knew the location was special. “Great architecture is an important component of a successful restaurant,” he says. “This building and this setting had unique potential.” When I walked into Georgia for dinner later in the week, it was clear that the metamorphosis also extends to the service and cuisine.

“There is a real absence in Santa Fe of the type of restaurant we wanted to create, that we think other cities have,” Lloyd explains. “And that’s an in-town country club. A place that’s elegant and sophisticated, but where people can eat every week.” The idea is that when people come to Georgia, the staff and owners know not only their name, but also where they like to sit and what they like to eat. Service is upscale but personable, and the dishes are simple and approachable, so people will want to come in often. Keeping prices reasonable is also important to the owners of Georgia: nothing on the written menu will be over $35 (nightly specials may run a bit more), and there are plenty of wines by the glass for a reasonable $7 to $9. “We want Georgia to have a very comfortable atmosphere with fantastic contemporary American food,” Terry tells me.

Another niche Lloyd and his partners are hoping to fill is an après lunch available daily in the summer and fall months from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. “There’s nothing downtown open at that time,” Brett says, pointing out that the area is saturated with foot traffic that they’re hoping to catch.

The idea is for people to be able to have a bite to eat and a drink in the afternoon before dinner. A stop at Georgia’s patio for oysters and a glass of sparkling wine, or charcuterie and a cheese plate, sounds perfect for a Santa Fe summer afternoon.

Brett’s cuisine at Georgia is focused on simple, approachable dishes.

He won’t be serving Southwestern cuisine, particularly green chile—he says there are plenty of people in town serving this type of food already.

Instead, look for appetizers like grilled romaine (sheep’s cheese, crouton and limón Caesar) and Brett’s jumbo lump crab cake (olives, sun dried tomatoes, summer bean salad and basil). Entrées include Talus Wind Ranch lamb rack (roasted garlic potato, parsnip, baby squash and salsa verde) and Alaskan halibut (broad beans, purple cauliflower, baby carrots and beurre blanc). Brett says he will source organic and local ingredients as much as possible, especially during the summer months when he can make trips to the farmers market. He also plans to change items on the menu frequently, rather than making changes only seasonally. “Food here is approachable, simple and clean with my personal touches,” he says.

“This is the food I really like creating.”

I had some fabulous dishes at Georgia that I would definitely try again. The Texas quail was delicious on top of a yam purée, garnished with vivid blue borage flowers. Beech mushrooms here and there added a delightfully chewy texture contrast to the smooth purèe. The beet salad was simple, with golden beets, shaved radish, pistachios and goat cheese yogurt. Brett’s dishes are lovely and the beet salad arrived garnished with a striking dark pink beet powder that stood out beautifully against the white plate.

I also loved the crispy onion streusel and sweet citrus-vanilla emulsion with the pan-roasted Scottish salmon. Black barley and smoked apricots finished the dish. I could smell the mesquite-grilled New York strip cooking while I sat on the patio, so I was delighted to have the opportunity to try it. It was served with white asparagus, crispy potato and king oyster mushrooms, though my favorite part of the dish was the romesco sauce swept across the plate. Perfectly spicy and smoky, it was a great compliment to the mesquite-grilled meat.

Making sure guests’ experiences are exceptional is at the heart of what Georgia is all about, from the time you arrive until the moment you leave. For example, driving up for dinner I was excited to see a sign

for valet parking, a service rarely offered at Santa Fe restaurants. Servers are dressed in white collared shirts with black ties. Details like a bread and butter service (each guest is offered a choice of rolls, muffins and lavash) and varietal-specific stemware amplify the dining experience. Lloyd and Terry emphasize fine dining service, but what really stood out for me is how involved both partners and the chef are through the night. While I ate dinner, Terry and Lloyd walked around, stopping at tables here and there to speak with guests. Brett did the same, delivering some of his dishes to tables and stopping to introduce himself.

Brett tells me, “These are the most involved restaurant owners I’ve ever worked with.” He laughs and says that Lloyd is there every day—cleaning windows. “And watering the plants!” Terry joins in. “I got here early one day,” Brett remembers, “at seven in the morning. Lloyd was already here and had the holes dug for the new trees!” He points out that Terry and Lloyd are always on the floor, talking to guests and being present. “These are not the guys in the corner saying, ‘I own this place, give me a drink!’

They’re here being a part of what this place is.”

The involvement of the team at Georgia and the familiar, friendly atmosphere, paired with a high level of service, will be a defining feature of the restaurant and what sets it apart from other restaurants in Santa Fe. “We want to be the neighborhood restaurant,” Lloyd says, and it seems Georgia is already succeeding. While I had dinner I saw many familiar faces from my years in the restaurant business. Community is one of the main reasons Lloyd decided to open Georgia in the first place. “My wife Janet and I are very involved and love our life in Santa Fe,” Lloyd says. “We think this is a way for us to be even more personally involved in the community.”

Georgia is located at 225 Johnson Street in Santa Fe. 505.989.4367.

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A Taste of Life in New Mexico

JULY 2014

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Summer Fun

photos by JOY GODFREY

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A

h, Vintage Albuquerque––an annual extravaganza of art, food and wine––and an annual extravaganza of people watching. It is the party of the year––and the place to see and be seen. Thirty prestigious wineries and 30 of Albuquerque’s finest chefs throw a party in the beautiful courtyard of the National Hispanic Cultural Center … all to raise funds for arts education for the children of New Mexico. This is truly a vintage moment for the city of Albuquerque and its wonderful culinary community.

A Taste of Life in New Mexico

JULY 2014

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story by PHILLIP DE GIVE

W

Bring on the

hen the weather gets hot in July, we get thirsty for wines that refresh the palate and complement spring and summer dishes. The white wines that we gravitate toward around this time are aromatic. They smell predominately of fresh fruit or flowers and are often best consumed young, when they are especially redolent. These wines are so packed with flavor that they are seldom aged in oak and consequently have that elusive quality that wine tasters describe as “minerally”: faintly salty with a scent reminiscent of wet gravel or wet slate. Certain familiar and readily available Sauvignon Blancs could be included in this category, as could Rieslings, but let’s focus on some more unusual grapes and the wines they produce––wines from Argentina, California and Europe.

Argentina has made a huge impact on the wine-drinking world with its red Malbecs, but growing in popularity is the white wine Torrontes, made from the grape of the same name. Most Malbecs come from Mendoza, but the best Torrontes is found further north, in the cooler region of Salta. Salta is a mountainous region with vineyards at a high elevation. This makes for cool nights that help the grapes maintain acidity. Torrontes from Salta is crisp and lightbodied with aromas of rose petal, white flower and peach.

From Galicia, a region in northwest Spain where the locals are known as Gallegos, comes another favorite white wine for summer drinking, Albariño. Full of peach and tropical fruit overtones like pineapple and mango, but with bracing acidity, it is great with cold seafood salads and is a wonderful alternative to heavier white wines.

The D.O. (Denominación de Origen), or viticultural region, is Rías Baixas, known for its cool and rainy maritime climate. The varietal maintains its high acidity and freshness and the alcohol level rarely exceeds 12.5 percent.

A contrast to the Albariño is the intensely fruity and aromatic Gewürztraminer. It offers perhaps the best illustration of how the aroma of a wine can fool your palate. This varietal can remind you of lychee, rose petals or orange rind and smells so exceptionally fruity that the nose interprets the wine as sweet, though it is often dry with a slightly bitter finish. Its most pronounced version is found in the Alsace region of France, on the border with Germany. It is a sunny area, due to the rain shadow created by the Vosges Mountains, and the wines are rich and low in acidity. They are great with heavier winter dishes like roast pork and sauerkraut, but also work with terrines, pâtés, lighter spicy foods and savory fruit-based dishes.

Trimbach Gewürztraminer, a dry version produced by an esteemed Alsace family, can be found in independent wine shops around the state.

Many of these aromatic grapes find their most successful expression in regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The warmth of this area allows fruit to fully ripen and varietals have been identified and encouraged over hundreds of years that develop delicious flavors without losing their acidity or requiring oak aging.

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Whites!

photo: www.trimbach.fr

Pinot Gris (or Pinot Grigio) is grown in Alsace but also, more notably, in Italy, where inexpensive examples are infamously mild in flavor. However, with careful attention and the right soils (such as can be found in northeast Italy or neighboring Slovenia) the grape shows lovely ripe apple, pear and lemon aromas.

Falanghina is indigenous to southern Italy, especially the region of Campania, around Naples. One of the world’s most famous volcanoes, Vesuvius, buried the ancient Roman city of Pompeii here in the first century A.D. and the area has acquired volcanic deposits that add to the specific character of the soil. The white wines from this region are among the best in Italy. Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina is readily available in New Mexico and is described by its importer as having “intense aromas of apple, banana and pineapple, with hints of white flowers.”

Vermentino is produced in several countries and regions in the Mediterranean: in Bolgheri on the coast of Tuscany; in the Languedoc of southern France, where it is called Rolle; and in Corsica, which, from a broad, viticultural perspective, is considered part of southern France. The neighboring Italian island of Sardinia provides the most exuberant example, Vermentino di Sardegna. Sella & Mosca La Cala Vermentino, one of the better known versions, is an amazingly floral wine with lip smacking acidity.

In France, Viognier is grown in the Northern Rhône Valley to make the famous wines of Château-Grillet and Condrieu. It has also been successfully transplanted to the new world, in California and Australia. It is atypical among this group of varietals in that it has all the body of Chardonnay, though it is much more aromatic, full of peach and flowers.

Muscat, a family of varietals ranging in color from white to pink to black, is regarded by ampelographers (scientists who study grapes) as one of the oldest domesticated strains in the world. It has an exceptionally powerful nose of honeysuckle and orange and is usually made into a very sweet wine, often fortified, though one of its varietals, Muscat of Alexandria, can produce a dry or off-dry style.

To get some recommendations for summer white wines found at local stores, I consulted with Phil Hemberger, wine manager at Kokoman Fine Wine & Liquor in Pojoaque, and Tasha Zonski-Armijo, CFO and owner at Jubilation Wine & Spirits in Albuquerque. Here are Phil’s intriguing picks with his descriptions:

Colomé Torrontes Valle Calchaquí, Salta “Fresh floral notes, hints of citrus, orange and grapefruit and a touch of spice.” (He describes the varietal as “a combination of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.”)

Granbazán Albariño Verde, Rías Baixas, Spain “Green apple aroma, some citrus and tropical fruit, a hint of little white flower

blossoms follows. This winery produces more than one type of Albariño, but we like this one for hot weather consumption.”

Marjan Simcic Pinot Grigio Goriska Brda, Slovenia “Not quite what would be called an ‘orange’ wine as the maceration time is less, but

yellow in color. Nose is floral with spice and hint of apricots.” (Slovenia produces “orange” wines made from white grapes that are treated as if they were red, receiving extended maceration with the skins during fermentation.)

Jorge Ordóñez Botani, Sierras de Málaga, Spain “Oranges and apples on the nose with a touch of what the importer calls ‘wilted flowers’ and a hint of sweetness on the palate.” (This wine is 100 percent Muscat of Alexandria.)

Tasha, at Jubilation, likes to recommend lighter white wines from France and Spain for “their versatility with lighter foods for the summer like salads, seafood and chicken.” She is enthusiastic about the Bodegas Pinord Mireia from the Penedès region in northeast Spain, which combines Gewürztraminer, Muscat and Sauvignon Blanc. She also recommends Cline Cellars Viognier. This California winery specializes in Rhone varietals and sources the grapes predominantly from vineyards in Mendocino, on the North Coast of California.

The wine displays those qualities of peach and apricot that are so characteristic of Viognier.

For all the popularity of Chardonnay, which outsells all other varietals in the U.S. wine market today, you owe it to yourself to experiment with other white wines. As you sample cuisines in restaurants and at home from around the globe, enhance your experience with a wine that is full of flavor and aromatic without being full of body. Talk to the knowledgeable staff in our restaurants and independent wine shops and be bold in your choice of summer whites.

+Care for another glass? Visit localflavormagazine.com for more whites, reds and everything in-between.

A Taste of Life in New Mexico

JULY 2014

29

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JULY 2014

31

I

Piattini

noticed a strange phenomenon when I researched the new Albuquerque restaurant Piattini (“small plates” in Italian), which opened this past March. Much of what I read was positive: “Staff is accommodating and sweet,” “Best seafood dishes I’ve ever had, anyplace, including Italy” and “Good community vibe,”—to cite a few examples.

Those folks are all going back, to be certain, but the peculiar thing was even those who grumbled a bit displayed a relentless willingness to give Piattini the benefit of the doubt and try again. Lunch-time crowd slowed the service? That customer will be back during the evening. “Overamped” guitar made conversation difficult on Mother’s Day? That patron plans to return when there’s no scheduled music. There appeared to be a universal collective hope for Piattini to be successful.

For all the daunting statistics about new restaurant ventures (an estimated half close down within the first year), Piattini clearly has the triumvirate necessary to prosper—excellent service, quality food and location, location, location. Veteran chef Peter Lukes put Terra, his restaurant of almost 16 years, on the market when approached about a new space at the corner of Girard and Hannett because he believed so strongly that this was literally the best location in the city for a bistro.

When renovations began, many from the Summit Park neighborhood and north UNM campus area were excited.

On opening day, “people were almost banging down the doors,” Maggie Lukes, Peter’s wife, recalls. “They were excited to have something that brought the neighborhood together. People who loved the market [the neighborhood grocery store formerly in that location] continually tell us how supportive and concerned they are about our success, which is incredibly touching.” Terra, located on the busy thoroughfare of Alameda, had a more sequestered location and Pete and Maggie weren’t entirely prepared for the level of personal embracing Piattini has received from the neighborhood. They’ve been “pleasantly overwhelmed” by the steady, enthusiastic stream of customers.

Maggie, an intern architect and licensed interior designer by trade, took on the exterior and interior design.

From the beginning, she says, she “was very conscientious of maintaining a look that fit into the neighborhood.

We did not want to be obtrusive.” She started with four walls and a dirt floor (there wasn’t even insulation) and, envisioning “pre-fab, 1930s Italian diner” style, she latched

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stor y by EMILY BEENEN photos by JOY GODFREY

On opening day, “people were almost banging down the doors,” Maggie Lukes, Peter’s wife, recalls. “They were excited to have something that brought the neighborhood together.”

|

Owner and Chef Peter Lukes

onto “the only redeeming architectural feature”—a cool deco wrap all along the exterior above the storefront that had been hidden under an awning—and ran with it. “We had to rebuild it because it sort of disintegrated when we started messing with it,” she explains.

“We had a custom metal fascia piece put on the front and put the red neon on and bent it around the building.”

Further capitalizing on the prominent corner location and the clean lines of the exterior, they popped it out, architecturally speaking, with windows, creating an inviting lounge area on the inside complete with a 10-foot long, custom-made apple green Chesterfield sofa. They had a planter, now teeming with flowers and herbs, built on the exterior of the corner to bring some greenery. The interior space is long and narrow, but rather than close it off and make it feel like a boxcar, Maggie decided to open up the kitchen line and make a big, long, poured concrete dining table that stretches from one end of the restaurant to the other. A small wine bar with a few TVs and several high tops harmonized with Maggie’s design sense and kept with the neighbor-friendly feel. With that much concrete, however, sound dampening elements such as vinyl floors and a lowered ceiling with acoustical tile were necessary. All of the banquettes are custom built as well and made more comfortable with cushions and throw pillows that further absorb the sound. The logo—with the three I’s of Piattini cleverly dotted with small plates—is replicated on the interior wall next to the kitchen line, painted black with white plates.

And what of those eponymous small plates? As is often the case, greatness inspires greatness. At an oft-visited restaurant in Florida, Pete and Maggie had a revelation, or more accurately, they had a mushroom and truffle pizza that inspired a revelation. “We could do this,” they told each other. Though small plates are mostly considered a Spanish concept, they decided to opt for an Italian translation that was more universal, with lots of communal eating and shareable items. They returned to Albuquerque and Pete, who had always proclaimed Italian food his favorite cuisine, did what any serious Italian chef would do—he found himself a tomato guy. “We pride ourselves on our tomato-based items. I’ve searched long and hard for specific tomato products that we use. And the flour is imported from Italy, which makes a huge difference.” The tomato-based items are fairly unadulterated

|

Owner Maggie Lukes

|

Steamed Mussels with Pesto, Capers and Pinot Grigio A Taste of Life in New Mexico

JULY 2014

33

Piattini

g r a p h i c d e si g n

and an excellent indicator of the integrity with which Piatinni uses ingredients. For instance, the pizza sauce is tomato, basil and olive oil.

And that’s it—simple and delicious. Piattini uses the same formula for their marinara, adding only garlic and more herbs.

The menu is an ambitious culinary Italian lesson opening with boccone (morsels) and winding its way through the giardino (garden), fattoria (farm), and mare (sea), along with traditional offerings of farina e acqua (flour and water pasta), pietra (stone—as in, Neopolitan-style stone-fired pizza) and finally, the grande piatti (large plates) for those who might snuffle at the idea of smaller portions.

“We don’t sell a lot of the lamb or steak off the large plate items,” Pete muses, which could indicate “the small plate concept is going pretty well. We do have lots of couples and four tops come in and they’ll split six small plates.” Folks seem to love the calamari, the heirloom tomato salad, the pizzas and the most popular large plate, linguine molluschi (linguine and clams in a white wine sauce). This suits Chef Pete, as he’d like to expand and feature more seafood items, but it’s still a challenge at this point to gauge whether, say, squid ink pasta would fare well in the neighborhood. Late in the summer, he’ll head to England for a professional enrichment course on pasta making, as he’d like to do more handmade pasta. Look for more artisanal items as well, such as charcuterie done in-house.

As the initial bustle and love of the honeymoon phase subsides, Piattini is now faced with the question of sustainability. “We need to get a marketing plan in place,” frets Maggie, who, now retired from design, is new to the restaurant industry and is trying to get home “at a decent hour” to be with their kids. I can see the wheels start to spin as she nods toward Pete, “This was a big risk for me—he’s doing what he’s always been doing.” Both Pete and Maggie are amazed at how they’ve been able to duplicate the energetic, upbeat, at times slightly raucous environment of their “model” restaurant in Florida, so she catches herself, smiles, and says, “We’re having fun. Our staff is fun. I feel like we’ve created this magical group and people have a good time when they come in here.”

Piattini is located at 1403 Girard NE in Albuquerque. 505.792.1700. piattininm.com.

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A Taste of Life in New Mexico

JULY 2014

35

For the love of story by MIA CARBONE

I

DANCE

For JuLY

t’s a banner year for Aspen Santa Fe Ballet! On July 11 and 12, they bring an inspiring program to the Lensic: Square None, choreographed by Norbert de la Cruz III; Jiří Kylián’s Return to a Strange Land; and the company’s newest creation, The Heart(s)pace,

by Nicolo Fonte. (The Encore! performance is August 30 if they sell out before you get your tickets.) On July 18, Juan Siddi Flamenco will perform for the first time since announcing their groundbreaking partnership with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Jean-Phillipe Malaty, executive director of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, talks to Local Flavor about an exciting collaboration “that’s never before been done in the field of dance.” We can’t wait for the curtains to open.

Local Flavor: What was the vision behind the collaboration between Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and Juan Siddi Flamenco?

Photo: Morgan Smith

Jean-Phillipe Malaty: Myself and the artistic director, Tom Mossbrucker, being a little bit older and being in the business longer, remember how it is to start a dance company from scratch. We were advising Juan and helping out as friends, but there comes a point where one needs more help than just friendly advice. Juan’s company had been struggling for six years—not artistically [but in other ways]—so we dreamed up the idea of combining forces.

We are celebrating our 18th season. We have survived the recession—it took a lot of our focus and attention. This was the right time to take on another project—to take on Juan and relieve him of pay roll managing, fundraising, budgeting, producing. [The collaboration] is something that really came out organically. It really made sense; we were two great companies, and the opportunity presented itself to collaborate and share resources. We already share our company between two communities, Aspen and Santa Fe, so we are used to that. It’s who we are, collaboration.

We have the resources, knowledge and wealth of experience. It feels good to be in a position to share that.

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| Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe

LF: Will the collaboration benefit Aspen Santa Fe as well as Juan Siddi Flamenco?

Juan will have the regular season and expand to the wintertime. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has developed great relationships with theaters around the world. Our goal is for Juan to tour and be an ambassador for Santa Fe. There is a market [for flamenco] nationwide, and being from Santa Fe, it’s a very authentic product.

JP: We will benefit. It’s been a great stimulator and excitement for the staff—something new that’s never been done in the field of dance. There are no two companies who operate under the same management. We’re breaking the mold, finding new ways. The whole staff really got inspired.

Our board of directors was inspired to have a truly local project. There’s also a lot of cross-marketing with the ballet and flamenco audiences. We’re extending our community in supporting not only ballet dancers, but being able to do the same with flamenco. Being a flamenco dancer is much more difficult [in the sense that] finding employment is definitely a challenge. If we can bring our background and support into the flamenco community, it will be breaking the mold a little bit.

LF: Is there a relationship—beyond the one you’re forging—between flamenco and ballet?

JP: Zero, besides the fact that we share the common aesthetic of being more contemporary. Juan has great integrity, ownership in work, vibrancy and every member of the company has a strong identity, a chance to shine. There’s a similarity [with the ballet] there for sure.

LF: The collaboration is an off-stage one. Do you expect it will ever carry onto the stage?

JP: We want to keep the integrity of both companies and operate them in separate realms, but it will be great to be inspired by another artist on a daily basis. Juan rehearses in our space on St. Michael’s Drive, so there’s interaction with our ballet students. We share the same values.

I’m excited to see how we are going to be inspired.

LF: How do you think the collaboration will impact the dance scene—locally or more broadly—in the coming years?

JP: It will be a very unique model. If we succeed, it will be really exciting. Both dance companies are of great quality.

We would not have joined forces with just anyone else. [The collaboration] felt very aligned with what both companies do—having a more contemporary edge to them, being a little more forward looking. Juan has great integrity and the highest artistic standard—it’s a great fit for us. Hopefully

LF: Tell us about the July 11 and12 ballet and the August Encore! at the Lensic. Why did you choose to include these particular three plays in the same program?

JP: The way we choose the program, it’s very technical, sometimes we have no choice at all, it’s what we have available, what works. We usually try to always have commissioned work, because Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has developed a unique identity with the work we do. The work we have commissioned for our own company really reflects on our company; it shows our personality. We are doing two [commissioned works]: Square None, Norbert De La Cruz III’s first work for us, and the ninth that Nicolo Fonte’s done for us, The Heart(s)pace. We like that contrast. In the middle, we put an existing, non-commissioned piece, Return to a Strange Land, by Jiří Kylián, the most celebrated, famous choreographer of our time. It’s great to see a masterwork by a master choreographer next to the upcoming, next generation. It gives the program a historical context.

These are our only three performances in Santa Fe—August is exactly same as July. People really started to appreciate the second chance of seeing the company. I smile because they say, “I’ve seen it before.” But it’s live! So you haven’t seen it before. It could be a different cast. You could be in a different mood and have a different reaction.

Where you are sitting, you have a different angle. People do come back a couple of times.

Photo: Sharen Bradford

LF: The first Juan Siddi performance is on July 18 at the Lensic. Has the company performed at the Lensic before? Does the new venue impact the performance?

| The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

JP: They had one performance at the Lensic a couple years ago—they opened there before a tour. This will be a big change for Juan’s company.

It’s an intimate way to do flamenco, authentic. It’s a better venue for him [than the Maria Benitez Cabaret at the Lodge]. The Moorish architectural style of the Lensic will lend itself to flamenco. We’re excited! There will be 14 performers and a full theatrical production and lighting. The Lensic’s an easy stroll from the plaza—it’s easier for the tourists. And it’s our home.

+ Missed last month’s favorite?

Visit localflavormagazine.com to catch up on your reading.

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A Taste of Life in New Mexico

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Wants to Know! stor y by JOHN VOLLERTSEN

O

Photo: Gaelen Casey

ChefJohnny Vee

f all the personality characteristics I think a chef should have in order to make a real difference in a restaurant, spunk, pluck and enthusiasm are at the top of my list. Those traits, a great palate, confident use of salt and a certain savvy when it comes to customer relations and the media, and I give that culinarian an almost 100 percent chance of success. Even before I met or tasted the food of Chef Marc Quiñones— newly ensconced at Luminaria at the Inn and Spa at Loretto—I had heard about his spirit. One person at the Loretto remarked, “The guy’s a tiger in the kitchen.” That’s all I needed to hear. Bring on the food.

Chef Johnny Vee: You’ve had a quite a culinary journey—from being born in the Bronx, graduating with honors from Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale and cooking in Hawaii and California and then in the famed Napa Valley. What brought you to New Mexico?

Marc Quinoñes: It has definitely been quite the journey, indeed! Taking you back to when I was a kid, my mother Grace moved my sister and I out here so that we could spend quality time with my terminally ill grandfather, as well as to get us out of the inner city problems that the South Bronx presented at the time. Once I graduated high school, I returned to New York and started cooking literally all over Manhattan and Jersey before heading back out west to attend culinary school at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute [Le Cordon Bleu]. After school, I ping ponged around a few different states learning different styles of cooking and didn’t decide on settling down in New Mexico until I started chatting with my girlfriend (now wife) online during the Myspace days while I was down on Kona, the Big Island of Hawaii.

JV: Coming from a Puerto Rican heritage, do any of those flavors and dishes ever find their way onto your menus?

MQ: Yes, absolutely! I use many Puerto Rican marinades, seasonings and flavor profiles in a lot of my dishes. When you taste my chicken and say to yourself “OMG this is SOO delicious,” it’s because Puerto Rican flavor was behind the scenes, marinating that meat for hours before it hit the pan!

JV: You cooked at Bien Shur at the Sandia Resort in Albuquerque for four years. How different did you find the experience of working in a restaurant that is attached to a casino to be from your other cooking gigs?

MQ: There really is no difference at all. It means the most to me to be a chef of high character regardless of my circumstances. It doesn’t matter where I am. The commitment to delivering a fine dining experience to the guests is where my focus is. But if there were to be a difference, it is the understanding of the geographical variances of the diner’s palates and enhancing that experience through market research and dedication to my craft.

JV: If you could have anyone cook for you—living or dead—who would it be? And what would you ask to be on the menu?

MQ: My mother, Grace. No one on the planet cooks with the amount of love, passion and skill that she has. On the menu would be Puerto Rican-style fried chicken wings with rice and corn and a simple salad of green leaf lettuce with a garlicky vinaigrette. We call that alitas de pollo frito y arroz con maiz con una ensalada. Which in my mind, means Momma’s Love!

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JV: What’s your favorite go-to food that you prepare for yourself on your days off?

MQ: Anything heavily seasoned and fried! To be more specific, if you were to ask anyone who knows me well, they would tell you that my go-to food is fried chicken with rice and beans. That holds true.

JV: What was the most encouraging thing a chef mentor ever said to you? What was the most discouraging thing?

MQ: The most encouraging thing a chef has ever told me was that I can never say I’ve failed if I’ve never given up. The most discouraging thing a chef has ever told me was that this is a thankless industry. And I certainly disagree with that. As chefs, we are thanked daily for feeding people and putting smiles on their faces.

JV: Of the five taste sensations—hot, sweet, salty, sour and umami—which is your favorite? What dish do you make that most celebrates that taste?

MQ: Umami, for sure. There is nothing better than taking a bite of something and being smacked with a hint of sweet, sour, salty and bitter all at the same time. I do a sous vide young rabbit with vanilla bean-miso gnocchi, pickled radishes and a green chile ponzu. That’s the perfect dish to celebrate the umami sensation.

JV: What were the circumstances when you cooked for George W. Bush on Air Force One? What did you make?

MQ: The restaurant that I was working for at the time was notified that he would be in town for a few hours on a campaign trip or something like that and that they wanted us to cater lunch for the president and his staff. We were notified a week prior to his arrival, so we basically prepped everything, heated it up, and took it to the airport and onto the back of the plane and fed the president and his staff. I cannot publically say more than that but I can say that it was pretty cool and yes, I did get to meet the president and shake

his hand. One more little nugget that I will share with you is that we were required to prepare completely separate meals with different ingredients for the flight crew for safety and security reasons.

JV: In your eyes, what is the worse faux pas a waiter on your staff could make? How about the worse faux pas one of your cooks could do?

MQ: The absolute worst thing a waiter could do in my opinion is share a negative opinion about the food with a guest. The guests should be able to decide for themselves if they don’t like a particular dish. The worst thing a cook on my staff could do would be to change or tweak a part of one of my dishes when I wasn’t around to suit their own standards. It is extremely important to me that when I am not around my staff behaves exactly as they would when I am around.

JV: Does Santa Fe seem different than your living experience in Albuquerque? How? MQ: Very much so. The food culture in Santa Fe is just so rich.

Albuquerque is amazing and inspiring in its own ways, but the fact of the matter is they are both just different. But you can travel anywhere in this country and if you mention New Mexico people are going to immediately reference Santa Fe and its incredible dining scene. There’s some culinary giants out here and I am supremely honored to be cooking in the same town as them. It’s about adaptability, I need to be able to conform to the desires of the demographic that I am creating an unforgettable experience for.

JV: What dish on the Luminaria menu best represents you as a chef?

MQ: I still am brand new in the saddle up here and am in the process of developing all new menus for all of our outlets here at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, but my new dinner menu will be launching in mid-July and one of the dishes that is going to be on that menu is a refined and fun version of pork and beans—braised, and then pressed, Berkshire pork belly with an Anasazi bean ragout, fresh corn kernels and a harissa-sherry reduction.

That dish represents me for a few different reasons, but mainly because it has great depth, color, flavor and is intriguing, much like myself! On a more serious note, though, I grew up eating a lot of dishes with pork and beans and it’s a great feeling to be able to tap into those memories and create something special that can be well received by our diners at this high level of dining at Luminaria.

Purple Adobe Lavender Farm Food • Artisans • Music • Fun • Lavendar Crafts On the farm and throughout the valley Highway 84 in Abiquiu Follow the Purple Flags

Celebrate Lavender at the farm and festival

• Shop in the lavender store • Play in lavender craft making • Buy lavender from the Zen Nursery • Walk the Labyrinth • Stroll through the lavender fields • Buy fresh cut lavender right from the fields daily • Sit under the ancient cottonwood trees • Sip on the lavender tea from the new Lavender Tea House

Photo courtesy of Inn and Spa at Loretto

– serving scones, chocolates, teas, and lunch Visit booths of local artisans and musicians • • Lunch by The Lavender Tea House

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Chef Marc Quiñones

See you at the farm... where the healing begins Spend the day in Abiquiu and visit other participants of the festival including Abiquiu Inn, Ghost Ranch, Rising Moon Gallery, Mamacitas, and more. Just look for the purple flags!

Farm located between mile markers 210 & 211 on Hwy 84 in Abiquiu

www.purpleadobelavenderfarm.com

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SIPof Santa Fe

s t o r y b y K AT E G E R W I N photo by GAELEN CASEY

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Quinn Stephenson of Geronimo, Coyote Cafe and the Den

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Photos Courtesy of Lois Ellen Frank

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OVE over wine, it’s finally time to share your spotlight.

For years, wine has been the go-to beverage for elite dining establishments. Restaurants employ top dollar sommeliers who spend years studying wine and its nuances in order to properly pair the perfect Cabernet Sauvignon with your ribeye. Some restaurants even have cicerones, experts in the art of ale to make sure you get the IPA with the correct IBUs. But what about the bartender? Bartenders spend countless hours studying spirits, creating cocktails and learning techniques. They are up in the wee hours of the morning polishing bar tops and pulling floor mats. It’s tough on their knees, shoulders, wrists and especially their relationships with the “daywalkers.”

They always work on holidays, weekends and evenings. Heck— anytime the rest of the world isn’t working, chances are the bartender is. When you are starting your day, the bartender is just ending his.

But finally bartenders are starting to get credit for their creativity and hard work and the popularity of the cocktail is on the rise.

There has been a craft cocktail movement all over the world throughout the last decade.

In cities like London, Tokyo and New York, the cocktail scene is well-developed and the bartender’s reputation has returned to that of the pre-prohibition days, when bartenders were stars and some even made more money than the president of the United States.

The movement has spread and bartenders are now being given titles like “mixologist” or “cheftender” to better reflect the highly skilled profession.

I remember the first time I realized what an art form bartending was. For years, I studied wine. I was always looking for the right wine to pair with food—trying to decipher which wine from what region would have the right acidity level or which grape had the perfect aroma to compliment a dish. I was taking the creations of two other people, the chef and the winemaker, and

trying to make a match. One day, I was trying to find a pairing for a dish that was giving me some problems. I needed more acidity and was looking for more tropical fruit and I just couldn’t find the right wine. I also thought a little spice, like cardamom, would have been perfect. It dawned on me that I could actually create those flavors in a cocktail myself. A little caramelized pineapple, a homemade cardamom/star anise syrup, some fresh lemon juice, a dash of rum and BOOM! That day my focus shifted from wine to spirits and I never looked back.

Santa Fe has an underappreciated cocktail culture, with some of the best bartenders in the country concocting luscious libations every night. Quinn Stephenson is one of the most inspiring bartenders and a mentor to many in the community. He is the genius behind the award-winning bar programs at Coyote Café, Geronimo and the Den. Quinn designs “culinary cocktails” and believe me, just as much work goes into prepping, researching and creating his drinks as it does for a chef creating a menu. Quinn is known for using ground-breaking techniques in his beverage programs. He uses high tech kitchen tricks to create mind-blowing cocktails that are not only tasty, but some of the most visually stunning creations I have seen. Liquid nitrogen, which is cold enough to freeze alcohol (grown-up ice cream anyone?), foams, gels and even molecular gastronomy techniques like spherification can all be found on the drink menu at Coyote Café.

Just downstairs from Coyote Café is the Den, going on three years in operation. Quinn told me he “built the Den to showcase craft cocktails in a lounge atmosphere.” By late evening, the Den morphs into a nightclub atmosphere with DJs and people dancing while drinking Quinn’s Aphrodisiac Shot, an intentionally tart passion fruit lemon drop balanced with house-made vanilla cotton candy. Yep, he makes his own cotton candy. The man is simply marvelous.

Hotel bars used to be the bees knees.

They were respected drinking spots that were not filled only with passing tourists but socialites looking for a tipple. That reputation is returning and hotel bars are regaining their allure to locals. Secreto Lounge in the Hotel St. Francis is where you can find Chris Milligan, the Santa Fe Barman (santafebarman.com).

Part cocktail historian and part entertainer, he is a wealth of information and the perfect guy to go see when you want to take off your bar training wheels and start to get into the nitty-gritty of the cocktail world. For the past five years, Chris has been behind the stick at Secreto designing cocktails and educating guests on how to drink better. “Our vision is not just to serve drinks, but to give our guests a drink experience,” Chris explains. “Secreto is Santa Fe’s first and only bar that features an entire menu focused on local and organic ingredients and creating garden-to-glass cocktails. We change the menu four times a year to use the

fruits, herbs and veggies that are in season.”

The bar at Secreto is lined with jars of fresh fruit and herbs and looks like a booth at a farmers market. There are several offerings on the menu that are crafted with fresh and homemade ingredients. Chris also has a menu of classic offerings, each with a little information on the history of each cocktail, which is true to who Chris is as a bartender, always educating and keeping the guest wanting more.

Another hotel bar in Santa Fe offering a classic atmosphere is the bar at the Inn of the Anasazi. For the past eight years, James Reis has managed the bar and developed a program with a focus on the classics. Order a martini and you will get a real martini.

And the Manhattans, Negronis and Old Fashioneds are just like you would get in a hotel bar before prohibition took its toll on the industry. But Anasazi doesn’t just make classic cocktails, it has a signature cocktail menu which is a collaboration of all the bartenders there. “Each bartender is asked to contribute to the menu,” says James, “typically without much initial oversight.

We then bring our ideas together to make sure no duplication exists, and the drinks are tasted and refined. Ultimately, what sets it apart is this air of collaboration, people being encouraged to be creative. We are constantly purchasing new liquors that fit our profile—no cake vodka, no Red Bull— which also helps encourage creativity.” I absolutely love that James pulls in his staff to be a part of the menu development.

What better way to honor your staff and keep the creative juices flowing.

Another trend on the rise in the cocktail world is low-alcohol wine- and beer-based cocktails. They are a perfect way to enjoy imbibing whilst not getting too tipsy. Byron Rudolph is the sommelier at La Boca and has a knack for creating wine-, beer- and sherry-based cocktails specifically designed to complement Chef James Campbell Caruso’s Spanish tapas cuisine.

His knowledge of everything grape and his incredible palate allow him to select just the right low-alcohol sherries, which he uses in the place of the higher proof spirits typically used for cocktails, like vodka or whiskey.

Mont Marҫal Cava sparkling wine, Hidalgo Manzanilla Sherry, mint and grapefruit juice combine in the Sherrito, Bryon’s fun twist on a Mojito.

Santa Fe’s cocktail scene has all the bases covered––hotel bars, nightclubs and restaurant bars, all with different vibes for whatever your mood. You can venture out and find a fresh garden cocktail or something that resembles a lab experiment.

The one similarity in all of these bars is the passion, talent and creativity of the Santa Fe bartenders who create cocktails and smiles for their guests every day, holidays included.

+Still thirsty? Visit localflavormagazine.com for more stories on, images of and recipes featuring cocktails, beer and wine.

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StillHungry?

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or more than six decades Santa Fe has been celebrating its unique Spanish heritage with the nationally renowned story by MIA CARBONE week-long celebration known as Spanish Market. But for locals, all things Spanish are enjoyed and celebrated on a daily basis and no shop in town is as important to us as our very own Spanish Table––a cultural and culinary jewel that carries a unique array of Spanish ingredients, specialty cookware and colorful ceramics.

Manager Ana Enriquez enjoys working with the many local chefs who stop by for specialty ingredients as well as savvy home cooks. For our Still Hungry column this month, Ana offers up three classic Spanish recipes whose ingredients conjure the unique flavors of Spain: an easy-to-make fish in saffron sauce, a light, refreshing sangria and a classic summertime paella.

“Summer is the time to make paella,” Ana says, and for the past 12 years the Spanish Table has hosted an outdoor paella party during Spanish Market in celebration of its anniversary.

“We celebrate the anniversary of the store, we make a big paella outside, we show people how and we give it away.” (It will be held this year on Saturday, July 26th around 11 a.m. when Ana fires up the giant paella pan.) Paella, Ana says, is perfect on these hot summer days. “You can make it outside on the grill with friends, make sangria and enjoy the patio.” Plus, she adds, it’s a lot of fun. Whether you stop by the shop this summer for the paella party, for your own ingredients or for a cazuela to make Ana’s saffron fish, July is the Visit localflavormagazine.com for more stories, photos, recipes and time to celebrate an essential piece web features. Like us on and follow us on . of our local culture and get into the spirit of Spain.

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The Spanish Table Classic Paella Recipe Fish in Saffron Sauce Measurements are per serving. Use this list as a multiplication table.

5 threads saffron 2 Tablespoons olive oil—enough to completely cover bottom of the pan when it is cool (the oil will expand as it heats) 1 piece chicken, such as a thigh 1 clove garlic, finely chopped ¼ cup chopped onion ½ to 1 soft, Spanish-style chorizo about 4 ounces per person ½ cup uncooked Valencia rice or 1/3 cup bomba rice ½ teaspoon sweet or bittersweet pimentón ⅛ cup tomato, grated (cut in half, grate and discard the skin) 1 cup liquid per ½ cup rice, such as chicken stock, clam juice or water 2 shrimp and/or prawns 2-4 small clams and/or mussels Some vegetables: Red piquillo or morrón peppers cut in strips Peas, green beans and/or artichoke hearts Cooked garrofón beans from Valencia (alubias) (optional) Minced parsley for garnish Lemon wedges for garnish The order of cooking: Paella is cooked in a pan by adding ingredients progressively and allowing their flavors to merge and mingle and be absorbed into the rice. Ingredients are never removed once they are added. (Exception: When using a pan slightly beyond its capacity, I remove the chicken pieces and keep them warm until everything else is in the pan, and then I put them back on top where they can float on the surface, rising slightly above the rim of the pan.)

Toast saffron gently in a small pan. When aroma is released, add white wine.

Allow it to come to a near boil then remove from heat. Keep it warm until ready to use. Coat the bottom of paella pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add chicken and fry, turning, until golden brown. When chicken’s juice runs clear, add garlic and onions and sauté until translucent. Add chorizo and cook until heated through and begins to sweat fat. Add the rice and pimentón, stirring until well coated with oil (about one minute).

Add the grated tomato (you can just grate it directly into the paella pan). Add the liquid, stock or water and the saffron steeped in wine. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of pan, and adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Add the seafood. Add cooked beans or other pre-cooked vegetables you are using.

Twenty-five minutes after adding the liquid, check to see if the rice is done.

At this point, it is traditional to let the paella dormir—rest for 15 minutes while the cook has an aperitif. In Spain it is often loosely covered with a section of the daily newspaper (but not the section with the soccer scores). I set a sheet of aluminum foil over the paella without crimping the edges so it can breathe a little. Sprinkle with minced parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

To ensure proper cooking, I used to steam the clams in a separate pan, then add them to the paella with their nectar counting as part of the total liquid. Now, I just push them, hinge-side down, well into the paella as soon as the liquid approaches a boil.

Traditionally, paella is not stirred during the second half of the cooking time. This produces a caramelized layer of rice on the bottom of the pan, the socarrat, considered by many to be the best part. With a large pan, it is difficult to accomplish this on an American stove and you may be tempted to stir the paella occasionally. A better alternative is to either move the pan around on the burner(s) or to finish the paella by placing it in the oven for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking at 350º. Paella pans can also be used on a barbeque, over an open fire (the most traditional heat source) or on a counter-top grill.

A cazuela is great for cooking fish dishes because it goes from stovetop to oven to table. This is one of those recipes I do on weeknights when it is my turn to cook. The results exceed the effort by a country mile. All you have to remember is to pick up fish on your way home from work. The fillets of any firm fish that do not fall apart when cooked will work. I prefer halibut, but I have even done this recipe with salmon.

Serves 2 ¼ cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic Pinch of saffron 4 Tablespoons flour for dusting 1 pound firm fillets of a white fish that will not fall apart when cooked ½ cup dry white wine 6 white asparagus spears (optional) 1 Tablespoon minced parsley for garnish While oven is heating to 350º: Heat oil in a medium sized cazuela [Ana suggests using a clay cazuela] until haze forms.

Brown garlic, being careful it does not burn, but be sure it is golden brown as that will be the essential flavor in the sauce. Remove the garlic to mortar, add saffron and use pestle to grind to paste while the fish browns.

Dust fish with flour, shaking off excess. Fry in the oil the garlic was cooked in, turning when browned. When browned on both sides, remove to platter.

De-glaze cazuela with the wine, then add garlic-saffron paste from mortar.

Return fish to cazuela and place white asparagus spears along sides. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve.

The Spanish Table’s Classic Sangria This is a light, refreshing sangria with a lower alcohol content.

Makes 12 8-ounce glasses 1 lime 1 lemon 2 oranges 1 grapefruit 2 apples, cored 1 magnum (1½ liter) wine, red or white 1 can (12-ounce) lemon-lime or grapefruit soda Quarter the citrus fruit and put in a 2-liter pitcher. Crush it with a pestle.

Quarter and add apples and wine. Put in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve, add the soda. Pour into 8-ounce or larger sangria glasses filled with ice.

The Spanish Table is located at 109 North Guadalupe Street in Santa Fe. 505.986.0243. spanishtable.com. The 63rd Annual Traditional Spanish Market will be in full swing from July 21 to 27.

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Santa Fe Garden Club presents

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Visit unique private homes & gardens • Four homes each week • Luxury bus transportation • Pre-tour optional lunch $75 per tour By reservation only Westwind Travel: 505-984-0022 or terry@westwindtravel.net

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Visit Hotel Andaluz and enjoy Sunday brunch with our ‘Build Your Own Bloody Mary’ menu!

M-Th 4pm-11pm F&Sa 4pm-1am Sun 11am-4pm

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Happy Hour 4pm-6pm

For Reservations 505.923.9080

The Perfect Table for Lunch

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C. C. Filson Artifact Bag Co. Blundstone Jeremiah Oliberte

Lunch • Dinner • Bar

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Reservations 505.982.4353 653 Canyon Road compoundrestaurant.com

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235 Don Gaspar Suite 1

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Santa Fe

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505-992-1233

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photo: Kitty Leaken

Open 7 Days

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house of ancestors ~ michael ouellette ~ sparrow antiques dana waldon of the santa fe scout collection 1219 cerrillos road ~ suite 1 ~ santa fe across from Recollections 505.988.8899

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