Local Flavor November 2011

the

Fashion

issue

NOVEMBER 2011

Santa Fe - Albuquerque - Taos

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Artisanal Clothing for Santa Fe and Beyond

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by Chef Owner Steven Lemon

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Join us on

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beyond the ordinary…

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inside:

ON OUR COVER

Model Hannah Hoehl wearing a dress by Lily of the West Buzz

by Christie Chisholm | 08

What’s in, what’s out, what’s hot, what’s not … that’s the buzz!

Santa Fe Spice

by Tania Casselle | 11

Bring on the attitude. Santa Fe fashion gurus know what they want.

Big-City Stylin’

by Tania Casselle | 15

If you’re looking for an urban vibe, look no further than our very own Duke City. Just wait ’til you see what four top Albuquerque fashionistas have in store for you!

Persian Delight

by Christie Chisholm | 20

One of the hallmarks of a great city is its cultural and culinary diversity.

That point is deliciously proven in Albuquerque with the authentic Persian cooking of Mohammed Tafti.

On Our Cover: Lily of the West

by Elizabeth Tannen | 25

The stunning dress on the cover of our magazine was designed and created by Lily Falk. Never underestimate the magnitude of talent that quietly lives amongst us.

At the Table

by Chef Johnny Vee | 30

Join Chef Johnny Vee at the table with the daring trio who just opened Santa Fe’s newest restaurant, Tomme.

Sky’s the Limit

by Gail Snyder | 34

Our localflavor fashion report would not be complete without a few words from a genuine cowgirl who knows that when it comes to local fashion, the sky’s the limit.

Still Hungry?

If you were hoping for four recipes featuring leftover turkey, we’re not your magazine. Potatoes are the star of our Thanksgiving table—and there are never, ever any leftovers.

November 2011 ~ Publishers Patty & Peter Karlovitz Editor Patty Karlovitz Publisher’s Assistant Caitlin Richards Art Director Jasmine Quinsier

Cover photo: Kate Russell Advertising: Michelle Moreland 505.699.7369. Mary Brophy 505.231.3181 Prepress: Scott Edwards Ad Design: Alex Hanna Distribution: Southwest Circulation LocalFlavor 223 North Guadalupe #442, Santa Fe, NM 87501 Tel: 505.988.7560 Fax: 988.9663 E-mail: localflavor @earthlink.net Website: www.localflavormagazine.com localflavor welcomes new writers. Send writing samples to

localflavor@earthlink.net localflavor is published 11 times a year: Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec/Jan. Subscriptions $24 per year. Mail check to above 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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Photos: Gaelen Casey

by Caitlin Richards | 36

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Each November our fashion issue seems to get better and better. Of course, I’m more than a little prejudiced, but this is certainly our most stunning fashion cover: the gown, a creation of local couture designer Lily Falk; the model, a Santa Fe Community College student, Heather Hoehl; and the photographer, localflavor’s own Kate Russell. The

cover truly speaks to the range and depth of design talent, creativity and sophistication that is right here in New Mexico. And our fashion savvy does not begin and end with the high drama of haute couture. Our local retail buyers (some just back from market) and our fashion shop owners proudly walk down their own runways each day to bring the fashion world to New Mexico (and New Mexico to the fashion world). You will love the inside tips and fall trends from these eight fashionistas.

Just as November kicks off the glittering holiday season, it’s also the time to kick back and do some serious dining. For that, we take you to Santa Fe’s newest entry into the restaurant scene, Tomme. It’s the brainchild of the gutsy trio who brought us Max’s—Maria Renteria, Mark Connell and Brian Rood. This time they have developed a more casual, bistro-like spot with the same dedication to great food. Who else but our very own Chef Johnny Vee invites you to an intimate conversation ... at the table, of course.

Swinging down to Albuquerque, we enter the exotic world of Persian cuisine with the husband-and-wife team of Mohammad and Shahnaz Tafti. Because part of my family is Armenian, I know this cuisine from church dinners, noisy family holidays and recipes touchingly recited by grandmas who never fully learned English. Pars has that same genuine sense of place and taste. I have always felt that one of the marks of a great city was its cultural and ethnic diversity, so bravo, Albuquerque, for bringing this treasured cuisine from the other side of the world to our doorstep.

Of course, the November issue wouldn’t be complete without paying homage to every food lover’s favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. For our “Still Hungry” column, we went straight to the real star of the meal— potatoes—and asked four local chefs to share a favorite recipe. You may have leftover turkey on Friday, but you won’t have any leftover potatoes.

Guaranteed.

Happy Thanksgiving to our wonderful readers and advertisers. Your support allows us to do what we love.

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NOVEMBER 2011

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The ALBUQUERQUE

by Christie Chisholm

Albuquerque had a few minutes in the literary limelight last month when The New York Times printed a piece on things to do in the Duke City. From its highlighting of the chamber music series Church of Beethoven to the sweet, hand-kneaded empanadas at Gold Crown Panaderia, the article serves as a nice reminder of how good we’ve got it. If you haven’t seen it yet, google “36 Hours in Albuquerque.”

Working Classroom has put together a special event for Día de los Muertos.

Stop by the organization’s new Youth Arts Center to commemorate lives lost through El Pueblo en Venta: Altars to Victims of Human Trafficking. It’s Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m. 423 Atlantic SW, 505.242.9267, www.workingclassroom. org.

Creative types take heed: The second annual Albuquerque Symposium on the Creative Economy is coming to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (2401 12th Street NW) Friday, Nov. 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This year’s theme is Mind to Market: Protecting Your Intellectual Capital, and three internationally renowned keynotes speakers (Jim Barnham of Hubbard Broadcasting, ReelzChannel and KOBTV; writer, producer and publisher Alisa Valdez Rodriguez; and Catherine Casserly of Creative Commons) will take the stage to tell you how. The event will also feature two panels—Intellectual Property Primer and Originality & Ownership.

Tickets are $65 for Creative Albuquerque members and $85 for non-members, and you’ve got to get them in advance. Call 505.268.1920 or visit www.creativeabq. org.

Matt DiGregory knows how to open a restaurant. His other endeavors—the Range Cafés and the Standard Diner—are proof of that. So we have good reason to be excited about his latest culinary effort, Gregorio’s Italian Kitchen. As you can probably gather from the name, this place is unlike DiGregory’s other restaurants, which do diner food with a twist. Gregorio’s resides in the world of thin-crust pizzas swept from stone ovens, traditional pastas, and salads made from local and organic ingredients.

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contemporary indigenous dance company Dancing Earth at the Bioneers conference, then participated in the American Indian Mural project. Somehow in the midst of all that, he also recorded an album, which he says he’ll release soon. Keep an eye on Fragua’s projects through his website, www. fragua.tumblr.com.

A nice touch is a heated outdoor patio, complete with fireplace, so you can still enjoy the fresh air as we dip further into fall. Gregorio’s is a family-minded place, so there’s a separate kids’ menu, a “special activity package” for the little ones and an air of kitsch intended to make you smile.

4200 Wyoming NE, 505.323.7633.

After a successful inaugural year, the Los Ranchos Art Studio Tour is back Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5 and 6. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, visit the homes and studios of artists who live in the Los Ranchos area (and a handful who don’t). In addition to getting an insider’s view of the way the artists work, know that you’re contributing to a good cause, as a portion of the proceeds generated through any works sold will go to the Art Has a Heart Foundation.

Attendance itself is free. Just show up at the Los Ranchos Agri-Nature Center (4920 Rio Grande). www.losranchosarttour.com.

The tagline is “New Work, Old Traditions—Not Your Grandmother’s Music.” On Friday, Nov. 18, experience the sounds of four Native American classical composers when Chatter: A Chamber Ensemble performs Native Composers—Pushing the Boundaries.

The hour-long event will include Louis W. Ballard’s Kachina Dances for cello and piano, Celeste Lansing’s Pink Thunder for string quartet, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate’s Thunder Song for solo timpani and the world premiere of a new composition

by Raven Chacon. It all happens at The Kosmos (1715 Fifth Street NW) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 general and only $9 for people under 30 (yes, you read that right) and full-time students. www. chatterchamber.org.

| Louis Ballard Jaque Fragua, the local urban muralist we featured on the cover of our August issue [“On Native Ground: Jaque Fragua”], has been keeping busy. We got a note from Fragua telling us about his recent trip to California, where he performed with the

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| Titled "Occupied" by Jaque Fragua in collaboration with Spencer Keeton Cunningham P’tit Louis Bistro has done it again. Its second location has been open in Nob Hill for a couple months, and it is beautiful.

The Parisian-style eatery offers the same fantastic food as its original Downtown spot—such as dishes like moules frites (which includes, by the way, simply the best fries I’ve ever had), salade du roi louis (duck confit and fois gras shavings over a micro-greens salad) and le croque-monsieur (made with a béchamel that will titillate your taste buds). But the new space also includes lovely touches like French doors that open onto an outdoor patio. Welcome to your new favorite place. 3218 Silver SE, 505.314.1110, www.ptitlouisbistro.com.

The Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa, located on Santa Ana Pueblo, is doing something special for Thanksgiving this year. On Thanksgiving Day proper, the resort is presenting a Native American dance performance with dancers dressed in the traditional feathers, bells, jingles and fringes. There will also be bread baking with the outdoor huruna oven and a massive feast. The rest of the four-day weekend will be filled with hayrides along the bosque, pottery classes, a tree-lighting ceremony, gingerbread house–making and plenty of other performances. The resort is also offering reduced rates starting at $129 between Nov. 13 and 30. Reserve your space by calling 800.55.HYATT (800.554.9288). 1300 Tuyuna Trail, Santa Ana Pueblo, www.tamaya.hyatt.com.

If the Los Ranchos Studio Art Tour whets your appetite, you should be thrilled with this next bit of news. The Corrales Society of Artists is having its annual Holiday Art Fest from Friday, Nov. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 27. Approximately 40 artisans will have their works for sale at the three-day event. Come between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Look for it in the large, heated tent in from of the Corrales Recreational

Center (500 Jones). www.corralesartists. org.

While you’re getting all arty, stop by the first-ever Native Heritage Art Market at Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town.

Not only will you be able to admire and purchase works (including jewelry, pottery, paintings, sculpture and carvings) from well-regarded American Indian artists, you’ll also get to partake in artist demonstrations, cultural performances, collector workshops and youth activities.

Since the event is co-hosted by the Indian Arts and Crafts Association, all participating artists are enrolled in state or federally recognized tribes or certified as Indian artisans by and Indian tribe. The market takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 26; and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 27. Hotel Albuquerque is also offering a discounted rate of $79 for the weekend. To get the special rate, use the code IACA when booking. The event itself is absolutely free. 505.843.6300, www. hotelabq.com.

| Hotel Albuquerque Here’s a heads-up about an important December event, because we don’t want you to miss it. You don’t want to miss it, either. On Thursday, Dec. 1, the Nob Hill Holiday Shop & Stroll takes to the streets. Peruse your favorite shops and restaurants, many of which will feature sales and specials, from 5 to 10 p.m. Grab some cider or hot cocoa while you’re at it. Listen to some live music. Gaze nostalgically at the luminarias. Do it all on Central between Girard and Washington. www.rt66central.com.

SANTA FE The Santa Fe Harvest Festival has begun!

This month until Nov. 23, you can get discounts at restaurants and lodging locations, watch and participate in chef competitions and a mixology challenge, take cooking classes taught by area chefs, go to a food and wine tasting expo, and attend a gala dinner with celebrity chef judges. This event is a foodie’s paradise!

All you need is a pass. Most events only require a Gold Pass, which costs $35. To get into the Best of the Fest Gala Dinner and Grand Gourmet Food & Wine Expo, you’ll need the Red Pass, which costs $160. Here’s some news to make

| Charles Tichenor at Garbo’s They call it “Trash Fashion at Its Finest,” and they’re absolutely right. The Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival’s Trash Fashion & Costume Contest has grown over the 13 years it’s been in existence into one truly magnificent spectacle. The best part of the fashion show is that anyone can be a part of it (with one exception: Because the event has become so popular, only Santa Feans can participate in the teen and youth categories). Ceiling fans–cumheaddresses, vegetable steamers pieced together to create one hell of a suit of armor ... the possibilities can stretch as far as that ball of string you’ve been hoarding over the years. The show kicks off the weekend-long festival, which includes work from more than 50 artists using a minimum of 75 percent recycled materials to create their designs. There are juried exhibitions for youth and adults, and artists from as far away as Alaska will be there both to see a show and put one on.

The festival runs Nov. 11 through 13, from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

| Backstage at Trash Fashion

From Rainbirds to Rainbows. Doesn’t the title in and of itself make you want to want to know more? This installment in the Friends of the Wheelwright Museum Lecture Series, on Women Artists and Abstraction in the Southwest, digs into the history of indigenous women potters, painters and weavers and the ways in which they’ve worked with the abstract.

Art historian, writer, curator, filmmaker and lecturer (so, Renaissance woman) Barbara Tyner will lead the way. It’s Monday, Nov. 14, in the Wheelwright Museum Library. Refreshments will be provided at 2 p.m., and the lecture will begin at 2:30 p.m. Wheelwright friends get in for free; everyone else needs a mere $5. 704 Camino Lejo, 982.4636, www. wheelwright.org/friends.html.

Hot dog! Or I should say, Wow Dawg! The new little dog place that just opened in front of Target on Zafarano is getting quite a buzz. The fun and sassy interior matches their great hot dogs and sandwiches.

They also make a mean chile … and did I mention the chile cheese fries?

Dance. Three days of workshops, two performances, tons of vendors and a henna booth. The first annual Many Hands, Many Feet: A Dance Expo takes place throughout the Nov. 18 weekend.

Both local and international dancers and percussionists will lead workshops on Egyptian, Turkish, Flamenco, ATS, ITS, belly baile and even hula-hooping methods. The night of Friday, Nov. 18, will feature a dance party hafla at 7:30 p.m. with live music. If you just want to watch, the disciplines will all be rolled together in the Saturday, Nov. 19, gala performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to performances are $15 general and $5 for kids 12 and under.

Workshops range in price from $20 to $60. It all happens at El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe (555 Camino de la Familia), 992.0591, www.minaswirled.com.

Everyone knows Santa Fe is a destination city for art, culture and food. But you may not have known that it also boasts one of the most recognized destination hotels.

The Inn and Spa at Loretto just made the Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards for Top Hotels. Their savvy readers cast more than 8 million votes for their favorite places around the world and ranked the Inn no. 27 out of 200. (Santa Fe, by the way, was ranked no. 3 in the list of Top 10 U.S. Cities.) Whether you want to take a weekend to stay in one of

the inn’s lavish guest rooms and enjoy its galleries and garden, or simply spend a day at the spa, you’ve now got a fine excuse.

211 Old Santa Fe Trail, 866.582.1646, www.innatloretto.com.

Photo: Gabriella Marks

Rainbow Vision Santa Fe just got a treat. Every Friday from 6:30 to 9 p.m., one of Santa Fe’s favorite entertainers will take to the piano in Rainbow’s Silver Starlight Lounge. Charles Tichenor lives in the world of pop, Broadway and French chanson. Chef Leonard Trejo will also offer a weekly buffet. Plus, there’s no cover charge. 500 Rodeo, 428.7777, www. rainbowvisionprop.com.

Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Admission to the Art Market is $5 on Friday and $10 to the market and fashion show. The fashion show is on Friday at 7 p.m. sharp. On Saturday and Sunday, admission is free. Kids under 12 can get in free all weekend. El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe (555 Camino de la Familia), 992.0591, www.recyclesantafe.org.

| Kim Müller While we’re talking about Condé Nast love, in Traveler’s October issue, the magazine gave special mention to local restaurants in Santa Fe’s Hot New Tables. First up was the Supper Club at Real Food Nation. Traveler applauded Chef Kim Müller for her take on shrimp and grits, which—with blue corn, spicy chorizo and Padrón peppers from her farm—infused the dish with classic New Mexican flavor. 628 Old Las Vegas Hwy., 466.2440, www.realfoodnation.biz.

Photo: Gabriella Marks

you feel all warm and tingly: For every pass sold, $10 will be given to Cooking With Kids, an organization that works with elementary school kids to teach them about making and eating fresh and healthy foods. If you buy your pass on www.cookingwithkids.net, that amount increases to $15. The festival is filled with way too much stuff to list here, so visit www.santafeharvestfestival.com for all the juicy details.

| Xavier Grenet Also given some much-deserved attention was Azur. Traveler likes the way Chef Xavier Grenet takes his pick of different Mediterranean offerings and pairs them together. The magazine cited Grenet’s Moroccan-spiced trout stuffed with calamari and chard and served on Persian lime-laced wild rice. To be open less than six months and already receive this kind of national attention is quite a coup for the talented French team of Chef Grenet and Eric Lamalle. 428 Agua Fria, 992.2897, www.azursantafe.com.

style getaway, you can get them for $250 a night (this combo works for Wednesday/ Thursday or Thursday/Friday). In addition to the seriously slashed rates, Rancho de San Juan is also hosting a Thanksgiving Day dinner. At $75 a person, it includes a four-course meal. While the details of the meal are to be announced, fare from this award-winning restaurant is sure to sate your palate. (Note that tax, beverages and service charges aren’t included and that a 50 percent deposit is required unless you’re staying at the Rancho.) For directions and more details, call 753.4641 or visit www. ranchodesanjuan.com.

Another Thanksgiving option lies in a true Santa Fe tradition: picking up one of La Casa Sena’s To- Go meals on the big day. If you want to feast on gourmet fixings in the comfort of your own home but don’t want to spend days in the kitchen, this is your answer. For $149.95, you get a dinner that will feed eight to ten people (that’s a bargain). You have to place your order at least three days in advance, to be picked up between noon and 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 24. This year, you’ve got two menu options.

Behind door no. 1 there’s a 20-pound Chimayo red chile–glazed whole turkey, sage-corn stuffing, green chile–asadero whipped potatoes with green chile gravy, roasted calabacitas, balsamiccranberry sauce, house salad with a choice of house-made red chile ranch or roasted garlic vinaigrette, and either a house-made pumpkin or rhubarb pie.

Open door no. 2 and you’ve got achiote-roasted pork loin, herb–goat cheese polenta and roasted apple–pork gravy, along with the aforementioned calabacitas, cranberry sauce, salad and pie options. There. Don’t you wish it were Thanksgiving already? Call 988.9232 to reserve your dinner. Go get it at 125 E. Palace. www.lacasasena.com.

TAOS Live. It. Up. That’s all I can think when reading the details of El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa’s Serene Ski Escape package. For $919, the luxe Taos resort will give you two-day lift tickets for two, two nights of accommodations, hot toddies on arrival, $100 in credit at the on-site De La Tierra Restaurant and a 60-minute couple’s massage. Celebrate the cold in style. 317 Kit Carson, Taos, 888.213.4419, www.elmontesagrado.com

Since we’re already talking about luxury lodging, you should know about an impressive special Rancho de San Juan is offering on Thanksgiving Day. Instead of its usual $450 to $550 a night rate, on Nov. 24 the private country estate is offering rooms for $300. If you’d rather spend two nights at the Spanish hacienda-

A Taste of Life in New Mexico

NOVEMBER 2011

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Fine Wine Tastings Every Friday from 5 to 6:30 pm We have a fantastic selection of fine wine, craft beer, and select spirits.

Plus family staples, fruit, veggies, and...

Holiday Wine Gift Baskets!

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Agave Lounge. Santa Fe’s first true nightlife experience.

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Santa Fe s t o r y b y TA N I A C A S S E L L E photos by GAELEN CASEY

S

anta Fe style gurus gave us their fashion tips for the new season, and the jury is definitely in.

We’ve thrown away the concept of throwaway fashion in favor of a few wise buys that bring a new zing to the wardrobe. Mix it up and add spice to the on-trend pieces with your own personal style. As Jill Heppenheimer of Santa Fe Weaving Gallery says, “Women in Santa Fe are very confident. They didn’t get here by accident. Choosing to live in such an iconoclastic place, they also choose a look that’s emblematic of their confidence.” The big picture trend is for form-fitting silhouettes balanced with slouchy comfort, and it’s not | Santa Fe Weaving Gallery just tongue in chic to say that booties are kicking the catwalk...literally and figuratively. | Get It Together

| Santa Fe Weaving Gallery

| Talulah

| Ooh La La!

A Taste of Life in New Mexico

NOVEMBER 2011

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Santa Fe

Get It Together

Talulah

Talulah’s retro-style dresses are designed for curvy women. “And if you don’t have curves, they accentuate and give you curves,” says owner Angela Romero, observing that women with curves are sometimes afraid to show them off. “Once they see what a nicely fitting tailored dress looks like on, they totally have a change of heart.” Her best-selling dress is the Million Dollar Baby, a sexy little vintage-inspired number that would have looked perfectly at home on Marilyn Monroe. The below-the-knee strappy dress comes in red, black, or blue with white polka dots, with ruching around the waist and bust. It’s a dress to impress that suits every size from 0 to 14, and Romero suggests teaming it with platform high heels with peep toes. “It’s really easy to move in, comfortable, and we have a variety of little shrugs that can go over it too, if a woman doesn’t want bare arms.” A convertible dress by Elan International also flatters all figures. “You can wear it about ten different ways,” says Romero. “The top can be made into a halter, a strapless, a kimono sleeve ... and the price is right at about $89.” It adapts from day to evening, and is a no-brainer for travel. To make an entrance at holiday parties, Romero tips dresses in emerald green and purples. “Don’t be afraid to try some color. Jewel tones usually look good on every complexion.” For the morning after the party, chill out in black jeggings (jean leggings) from designer Affliction. “They’re cute, they fit great, they look great.”

129 West Water Street, Santa Fe. 505.983.6573.

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Boutique buyer Madeline Barbieri nominates a cape from Oblique as a way to give a fresh buzz to your wardrobe. The boiled wool and alpaca one-armed cape falls to just below the waist, in shades of oatmeal and gray. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s cozy, comfortable, warm … it’s fun!” A Nina Jacob boiled wool coat fastened with a large safety pin is comfy but with a classy and clean look. While Barbieri’s customers are not buying one-season wonders, they don’t mind splurging on items with a long closet life—and ones that they won’t see everyone else wearing. A cognac colored fitted velvet maxi dress by Elven Velvet fits that description for parties. When topped with a long black shrug it serves as an updated and feminine version of formal tails. Says Barbieri, “It’s a showstopper.” Tunics are still strong worn with leggings and they suit a curvier figure or someone more petite. Barbieri’s color pick? “Olive, olive and more olive! We’re very big into greens and the golds,” she says, pointing out an iridescent olive velvet shirt with a ruffle down the front. “It has a glistening texture and it’s scrumptious. It’s in garnet too.” Barbieri sees designers starting to show bell bottoms and flares for next spring, and lace will also return in blouses with a little camisole. The spotlight for spring is on mesh, in tanks worn over or under another top.

“Mesh is going to be big.

It’s a good investment for now to carry through spring.”

530 Montezuma Ave. (Sanbusco Center), Santa Fe. 505.983.4498. www. sanbusco.com/stores.

Santa Fe Weaving Gallery

Ooh La La!

Mercedee Shelton tends toward well-made designer pieces for her consignment store, which opened in March. “Not so much trendy as timeless,” says Shelton, singling out Givenchy, YSL, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and MaxMara as examples. For this season, she advises against big and boxy silhouettes. “Go for things that are very tailored, fitting close to the body. The only thing that is oversized is the slouchy look.” Slip a slouchy sweater over a pair of riding pants or skinny cords. “The knit long-sleeve mini dress is going to be big. Layer it with tights underneath, a motorcycle jacket or bomber, and booties or knee-high boots … great!” We’re in the right place for the new Southwest trend: Think Navajo-inspired print coats, and fringe leather purses. Another great trend for the season are tassels on accessories and loafers. “They’re bringing sexiness to the loafer by stacking it with a four inch heel,” says Shelton. A timeless bag is the best investment. “You don’t want a lot of stuff going on. I tend not to take things that are blingy, loaded up with florets or studs like this--it’s in and out so fast.” Got some mad money? Indulge in a little black dress, a cashmere coat or Shelton’s staple, the black blazer. “There are some amazing tailored cuts right now by Theory, Tahari and Doce & Gabbana--and Armani always does a great black blazer.” Armani jackets at Ooh La La! start around $100. Color-wise, reds are hot, and emerald green is Shelton’s favorite. “It’s really big for fall and winter, plus camel and oranges. But go for what makes you feel good. Don’t worry about ‘the’ color right now. Color is therapy, go for what makes you feel good, I know what colors pick me up. And, of course, who doesn’t feel great wearing cashmere?”

518 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe. 505.820.6433. www.oohlala-consignment.com.

One statement item immediately updates a wardrobe, and that’s what Jill Heppenheimer aims to provide as co-owner of the artisanal clothing gallery: “That big hit—a handbag, vest or jacket that says, ‘Here’s who I am.’” Top picks include colorful textured jackets and vests from Florida designer Diane Prekup, and Neo Di Roma neoprene handbags with rubbery spikes that look like sea urchins and come in black, red, grey or aubergine. “They’re very playful. We like to mix the familiar with the unexpected.” Blouses by Doshi, starting at $425, use the traditional Japanese shibori dye process. “It’s an ancient technique in a contemporary look, a distinctive thing that can be very casual or pretty dressy.” The bold geometric patterns on Margo Selby’s jackets are “very British, more cosmopolitan.” The London textile designer diversified into jackets at Santa Fe Weaving Gallery’s request. “She’s very hip. Her look crosses over from early 30-something to 70-something.” Even fans of neutrals like one hit of color in their outfit. “Lime green is still hanging out there!” says Heppenheimer. “It’s not as hot as it was for a number of years, but [it’s] becoming a basic in the wardrobe color wheel.” Reds, from rust to cherry, also hit the fashion moment, and so do pinks, which these days are less pastel and more hot pink. Fitted pants have stolen the runway from big floppy pants. “Women want to look like women,” says Heppenheimer. “They’re not wearing sweat suits. They’re wanting to look feminine and liking the suggestion of a waist again.” How do women achieve a shapely silhouette if it’s not their natural build?

“They want shaping, either in pin tucks or a princess line, to give definition if not a tight fit.”

124 - 1/2 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe. 505.982.1737. www.santafeweavinggallery. com. 505.292.6652.

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575-758-8866

organic, vegan, gluten free holiday pies ABQ 2201 Silver SE (corner of Silver & Yale) 505.262.2424 Mon-Sat 7am-9pm • Sunday 10am-8pm

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Santa Fe 1620 St. Michael’s Drive 505.988.9688 Mon-Sat 7am-9pm • Sunday 10am-8pm

www.worldvegetariancafe.com

Hey, Albuquerque, have breakfast with localflavor!

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Daily Grind at 412 Central SE Donut Mart at 1605 Juan Tabo NE, 4501 Montgomery NE, 1723 Lomas NE, and 3301 Coors NW Downtown Java Joe’s at 906 Park Ave SW Flying Star at Camino del Pueblo, Corrales Rd NW #A, 8000 San Pedro NE, Menaul Blvd NE, 4501 Juan Tabo NE, 3416 Central SE, Silver, and 4026 Rio Grande NW Friends Café at 200 3rd St NW Frontier at 2400 Central SE Green Café at 319 5th St SW Grove Market Café at 600 Central SE Range Café at 925 Camino del Pueblo, 4401 Wyoming NE, and 2200 Menaul NE Sadie’s at 6230 Fourth St NW and 15 Hotel Circle NE Satellite Coffee at 3513 Central NE and 1642 Alameda NW Sophia’s Place at 6313 Fourth St NW Winning Coffee at 111 Harvard SE

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STEAKHOUSE The Black Diamond Lounge

Cigar Patio VIP Bar

Albuquerque's ONLY Speakeasy!

Gourmet Sandwiches Carryout or Dine In Butchery featuring Vernon's Prime Beef!

Speciality Deli Meats and Cheeses Wine Boutique “PRIME could be the best sandwich shop in the Duke City!” Gil Garduno

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magazine.com

Big City s t o r y b y TA N I A C A S S E L L E photos by GAELEN CASEY

S

equins and bell bottoms—do we hear disco, baby? Fashion experts in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe tipped these two trends, but glam looks, updated with 21st century polish, are especially suited to the Duke City’s urban vibe. In color, there’s a new purple reign, and gray is still the cool neutral. Trend lovers with more dash than cash can find plenty of budget-stretching ways to spark up the wardrobe. For starters, get an immediate style injection with a pinch of pattern and texture. “Whether you’re conservative or a fashionista-out-there girl, there’s a level you can mix these patterns and textures that you’re comfortable with,” says Mariah Littauer from Gee Loretta! “For me, fashion is about stretching ourselves outside the box.” | Diva D’Luxe

| Diva D’Luxe

| Gee Loretta! | Gee Loretta!

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Big City Gee Loretta!

An unstructured sweater gives the best bang for your buck this winter, says buyer Mariah Littauer. “It looks great just casual on the weekend, or put it over a slim pencil skirt or fitted black dress.” Choose cashmere for luxe, or a material with a lower price point if you just want to wear the sweater this season and move on. “Black and gray are two colors that are trending, but designers are mixing it up,” she says. “There are tons of textures and pattern within that neutral palette.” Stripes are important in every direction, “but you might mix stripes with a polka dot scarf, or a cable knit sweater over something that has an animal print.” Sequins and embellished tops are fun— and not just for New Year’s Eve. Littauer suggests wearing a sparkle tank top with a tuxedo jacket for parties, or as a vest with a white blouse or fitted turtleneck beneath, or thrown over jeans for Saturday morning coffee. “It’s not a uniform you can only wear one way; give it new life.” With fashion’s passion for purple, Joseph Ribkoff ’s saturated purple coatdress is “a beautiful purple for any skin tone.” David Kahn denim offers a mid-rise jean that still has a fresher, younger look without being low-rise. Denim trends focus on the flare—“that ’70s influence, a full-on bell or even a little exaggerated boot cut--great on almost all body shapes,” elaborates Littauer. “A dark denim is always your safest bet, because it can be casual but you can make it dressy.”

10655 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Albuquerque. 505.292.6652. www.geeloretta.com.

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2 Time Couture

At first glance you wouldn’t guess that 2 Time Couture is a consignment boutique, and that’s owner Mildred Ramthun’s intention. “Our guideline is: current, in style right now, plus basic,” she says. How do you stay high fashion when buying gently used?

“Always mix your classic pieces with the trend. Take the trend that you like for the season and invest in that piece, and mix with what you have in the closet. You don’t have to spend that much money any more to upgrade from season to season.” Ramthun reckons the bootie trend will remain in vogue for a while. “Wear them with a dress and look funky and different.

They are to mid-calf or ankle, you can do any heels. A wedge, the chunky heel, is really big right now—and comfortable too.” Prints make an outfit pop. “A mix of prints is so interesting. Stripes with polka dots—that would be really cool. Just keep the colors the same.” Party it up with sequins and tights, “so you can have your normal cocktail dress and tights and mix up with a leather jacket, your little booties.” In demin, Ramthun’s new favorite is J Brand, for the great fit. “Everybody went crazy for the skinny jeans.

Now it’s more about the straight leg, but the ‘in’ item is the wide leg. Bell bottoms are coming back.” High-waisted styles are more dressy, although these aren’t the high waists of the ’70s, says Ramthun, “just a bit higher than the low waists where you can barely sit down.”

600 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque. 505.242.3600. www.shop2time.com.

Diva D’Luxe

To women convinced they can’t wear this winter’s on-trend gray, owner Denise Cordero-Lapetina says you just have to find the right tone, and choices range from pale heather to dark charcoal. Black knee-length pencil skirts are re-emerging, and Cordero-Lapetina likes the edginess of a Joseph Ribkoff pencil with faux leather piping down the side. She’s also loving the boot tight—a tight with a sock built in. (“Why didn’t we think of it before?”) Burn-out velvet dresses in vibrant colors from celeb fave Hale Bob are versatile and can be poshed up with heels and accessories or teamed with boots and a little jean jacket for running around town.

A lightweight trench coat works for all ages. Younger trendies cinch it at the waist over skin-tight leggings and ultra high heels. For a more conservative look tie the trench in the back to fall open nicely over pants or a pencil skirt. Diva D’Luxe trenches come in neutrals, green, purple, and silver metallic, with ruffles or other details. “Most women as they get older tend to think they need to get more conservative. I think that’s an idea women need to let go of. Get a bit edgy, a bit hip, because that’s what keeps them from looking matronly.”

Even the legging can be made age-appropriate: “Find the right one and the right way to wear it, with a tunic, duster, a great sweater, or under a shorter dress with a pair of boots.” Metallic gold packs a punch in accessories and embellishments. “Gold is a great way to stand out in New Mexico, because we all wear so much silver.”

7610 Menaul Blvd, NE, Albuquerque.

505.888.2667. www. yourdivastyle.com.

Toad Road

The Nob Hill store sells both men’s and women’s fashion, and co-owner Ryan Holler’s pick for men is a button-up Stone Rose shirt. The details are cool: perhaps a touch of plaid inside the collar, a paisley stripe down the back, or a fancy black button on one cuff and a regular button on the other. Lilac shirts are popular and can be worn with black or brown. “It’s hard to accessorize for men,” says Holler, “so work on the hat. Every man should have a good hat. A fedora can do a lot for a lot of different kinds of people.” The must-have for women? A pea coat. “It never goes out of style, and you can wear it with everything.” Holler cites a BB Dakota charcoal pea coat. Dresses in a Jackie O–style hit the right note this season, with a high collar but an open back. (“If you’re conservative in the front, you’ve got to be a little more risque in the back.”) BB Dakota and MM Couture also catch the mood. “We have a lot of the cowl neck.

It’s playful, and you don’t have to wear a necklace or accessorize as much as with a tube top or spaghetti strap. It works with different body types. On the bustier girl, it’s not too chesty, and if you’re not so busty, it won’t make you look like a stick.” Black is forever, and navy is also trending. So is stark white. “It’s no longer a no-no to wear white after Labor Day.” A beautiful white dress pairs well with silver or looks extra elegant with gold.

3503 Central Ave NE, Suite C, Albuquerque. 505.255.4212.

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We also carry over 20 varieties of keg beer

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800 Beer Choices 105 Single Malt Scotches 220 Types of Vodka 222 Tequilas

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Established 1981

• Temperature Controlled Wine Cellar • Wine Manager on Duty • We also carry over 20 varieties of keg beer •kokoman@cybermesa.com Wine tasting every Saturday 4pm - 7pm

505.455.2219

Hwy 84/285 • Pojoaque 12 miles North of Santa Fe celebrating 30 years in business

505.455.2219 • kokoman@cybermesa.com Hwy 84/285 • 34 Cities of Gold Rd., Pojoaque 87506 12 easy miles due North of Santa Fe

NOVEMBER 2011

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Presently Stocking: Over 3500 Wines 800 Beer Choices 105 Single Malt Scotches 220 Types of Vodka 222 Tequilas 136 Types of Rum

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Española

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Albertson’s 4950 Montgomery NE 2910 Juan Tabo NE 2801 Eubank NE 8100 Ventura NE 7101 Wyoming NE 112201 Academy NE Cost Plus 3301 Menaul NE La Montanita Co-op 3500 Central SE 2400 Rio Grande Placitas Supermarket 648 State Hwy 165 Smiths 4700 Tramway NE 8040 Academy NE 8100 Wyoming NE 5850 Eubank NE 4016 Louisiana NE Sunflower Market 10701 Corrales Rd NW 3A Talin 88 Louisiana Blvd. SE Whole Foods 5901 Wyoming Blvd NE 2103 Carlisle NE

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20% off at Luminaria & The Living Room

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where local farming and great food come together

Breakfast Lunch, Dinner Sunday Brunch 505-471-3800 | JoesSantaFe.com

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St Francis at Cerrillos in the Crossroads Center (still in Suite 105!)

Mon-Sat 10am-8pm (505) 984-1582

A Taste of Life in New Mexico

NOVEMBER 2011

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Persian

P

story by CHRISTIE CHISHOLM photos by GABRIELLA MARKS

ars Cuisine is a sort of culinary Persian and Mediterranean mecca, an oasis of lamb-laced moussaka and spiced falafel in the middle of the American Southwest. Although it’s unassuming from the street, sitting snuggly at the end of a strip mall, a walk through its front doors is a revelation.

Emerald-green, satiny striped curtains sift light from a wall of windows onto high-backed, ornately carved wooden chairs and crisp, white tablecloths. In the center of the dining room, cushioned floor seating surrounds a tall, murmuring fountain. Giant swathes of fabric drape from the ceiling and gather in the center, aiding in the sense that one is encompassed at all times by soft, nearly ethereal textiles. Go at the right time and find belly dancers undulating in the aisles. Wander onto the outdoor patio and partake in fruit-, molasses- or honey-imbued tobacco from towering hookahs.

Like any journey of self-discovery, though, Pars didn’t start out knowing exactly what it was. In fact, when Pars opened 27 years ago, it didn’t offer any Persian or Mediterranean dishes. Instead, it served Mexican.

Back then it was called Pars Diner (“Pars,” by the way, means “Persian” in Farsi) and it ran out of a food court in Montgomery Plaza, next to Del Norte High School. Husband-and-wife team Mohammad and Shahnaz Tafti opened the restaurant in 1984 with a third partner. The reasoning behind serving Mexican food was simple—the Taftis’ partner knew how to make it. The couple’s motive for opening the restaurant was also simple. Shahnaz’s father had owned a restaurant. Although she had never seen it (the restaurant was in India), she grew up hearing him talk about the business. When she and Mohammad found themselves in Albuquerque in need of second jobs, her first instinct was to open a restaurant, too. “At that time,” says Mohammad, “it was a matter of survival.”

With Mohammad teaching physical education at Our Lady of Fatima School and St. Charles Borromeo School and Shahnaz working as a specialist at SED Medical Laboratories, the two alternated shifts to keep Pars going. After a couple years, their partner dropped out. Slowly, Pars transformed. The business moved to a space above the food court and added some Greek items to the menu. Since it was right next to a high school, the Taftis also offered pizza. Eventually, they started serving one Persian item a week.

In the midst of Pars’ evolution, other things changed. Another reason the Taftis chose to serve Mexican food in the beginning was because, at the time, neither of them were cooks. Shahnaz learned to cook when Pars opened and has since become the creative force behind the restaurant’s menu (Mohammad runs the front-of-house operations).

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Despite growing up in Iran and having a father with a restaurant, she wasn’t taught how to make Persian food until she lived in Albuquerque. She learned from a Persian friend about her mother’s age. “I started to pay attention to how she cooked,” she says. “If I had a question, I would call her.”

Shahnaz fell in love with the art of cooking and baking, she says, especially figuring out how to make something. “When you’re interested in cooking, it doesn’t matter where you’re from,” she adds, referencing the fact that she enjoys working with other ethnic cuisines as well.

After 16 years in and above a food court, Pars moved to its current location at The !25 (a development off I-25 and Jefferson, close to the Century Rio theater complex) in 2001. The restaurant quadrupled in size, from 1,000 square feet to nearly 4,000. It was then that Pars found itself. Shahnaz crafted a menu made entirely of Persian and Mediterranean dishes—and a large one, at that, offering more than 100 items. Las Vegas hotel decorator Susan Kirkpatrick designed the restaurant’s lush, exotic interior as a favor. The Taftis hired belly dancers. Shahnaz quit her other job, and soon Mohammad followed suit. They renamed the business Pars Cuisine.

Pars’ new incarnation became an Albuquerque jewel, a place that serves authentic ethnic cuisine in a lavish yet somehow affordable setting. Perhaps some of its most unique dishes come in the form of Persian stews, such as the fesenjoon—sautéed walnuts in pomegranate sauce served with chicken and basmati rice (a vegetarian version is also available)—or the ghymeh—sautéed beef and split yellow peas cooked in tomato sauce and topped with shoestring potatoes. A customer favorite, says Mohammad, is the Mediterranean souvlaki—marinated chicken breast or lamb skewered and broiled over an open flame. Vegetarians have plenty of options on the menu as well, due in part to the fact that Shahnaz is vegetarian and has been since she was 10. She makes the carnivorous dishes by testing what she can—the sauce and non-meat elements—and getting others to judge the meat. With five other cooks who now work at Pars, there’s usually someone to get the tasting job done.

The “vegetarian specialty” embodies the best of what Pars has to offer herbivores, with spanakopita (spinach pie), hummus, the tenderest falafel this side of the Caspian Sea, dolmas, tabouli, Greek salad, pita bread and an assortment of homemade sauces. Some of Mohammad’s favorite vegetarian items are the house rice specialties, which change daily. “She makes the best rice,” he says, “with imported saffron. She’ll add cherries or barberries.”

The differences between the Persian and Mediterranean sides of Pars’ menu are subtle. Primarily, says Shahnaz, “Persian and Mediterranean are the same.”

Mohammad offers gyros as an example. “In Iran they’re called Turkish kababs,” he says, adding that many other dishes also carry over from one cuisine to the next, such as shish kababs, souvlaki, dolmas and baklava.

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Delight Baklava serves as model of how the cuisines differ, though. According to Mohammad, both Persian and Mediterranean cuisines have their own versions of the flaky dessert. “The Persian version uses rosewater and pistachios,” he says, while “the Greek uses walnuts and cinnamon.” Pars offers both kinds on its menu.

The main variations in cuisine come in the form of spices, says Shahnaz. “In our country, there’s a lot of saffron, cinnamon and cumin,” she says. “They use rosewater for desserts instead of vanilla.”

Shahnaz adds that the way she cooks and serves her food at Pars is the exact way she does it at home, and the way most Persian families do it.

“It’s like it’s from your own kitchen,” she says. Mohammad says the only exception is in the heat. “Some items are for New Mexico tastes. They’re spicier. But not like Indian heat,” he adds, laughing.

After nearly three decades in the restaurant business, Mohammad says his favorite part is still talking to customers. He’s become the face of Pars (“It’s a good thing and a bad thing,” he says, referencing the fact that customers are used to seeing him there and don’t like it when he’s absent) and acts as its information hub. “When people are interested in the culture and they come and ask questions, I appreciate it,” he says. “That makes me happy.”

Pars Cuisine is located at 4320 The 25 Way Suite 100 in Albuquerque.

505.345.5156. www.parscuisine.us.

| Mohammad Tafti

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Thanksgiving Dinner at La Posada

Kathleen Frank DAYLIGHT PASS II 48 x 72 inches Oil

La Posada practices The Art of Giving by donating a turkey to the Food Bank for every reservation made.

November 24th – $65 five-course dinner starting at 3pm LA

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Book online at Opentable.com • Reservations 505-954-9670 330 E. Palace Avenue, Santa Fe • laposadadesantafe.com

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+ spend $100 in our store = get a free bath! beginning november 1st, visit our spa store to shop for the holidays and, for every $100 you spend on retail items, receive a free pass to our communal or women’s bath.

de ta ils a t

www.ten thousand waves.com A Taste of Life in New Mexico

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Southern Fried Chicken

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Golden raisin, brown butter, Riesling, warm potato salad $20

Tagliolini Primavera

House Made Semolina Pasta, Local Eggplant, Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, Caponata, Pecorino foam $14

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Pacheco Park is home to some of Santa Fe’s most creative businesses who are leaders in design.

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403½ Guadalupe • Santa Fe • 505.984.9104 Open Tuesday-Saturday 5:30–9:30pm • maxssantafe.com

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Santa Fe Modern Home Santa Fe By Design Annie O’Carroll Accessory Annex Victoria Price FOUR Form + Function Center Santa Fe Ritual Hair Skin & Nails Momentum Physical Therapy TKO Advertising Local Flavor Trattel Tierra Concepts, Inc. D Maahs Construction Southwest Spanish Craftsmen

Call Us to View Spaces •Cutting Edge Design •Flexible Floor Plans •Sm. & Lg. Spaces Avail.

1512 Pacheco Street . Suite D206 . Santa Fe . New Mexico . 87505 Contact: Eric Faust | Eric@TierraConceptsSantaFe.com | 505.780.1159

On the Cover

s t o r y b y E L I Z A B E T H TA N N E N p h o t o s b y K AT E R U S S E L L

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o walk into Lily Falk’s Palace Avenue dress shop, Lily of the West, is to enter into a world of silk: long, satiny silk charmeuse gowns with delicate, floral designs; brightly colored dresses with layers of sheer chiffon; suits of thick velvet crepe with stunning leaf-life patterns.

of the

West

As the designer sits in her miniature-sized shop, wearing a bias-cut dress of her own design (in which she and her petite figure look totally stunning, by the way, though she insists the cut is flattering for all shapes), Lily talks about why it is that she works primarily in silks. And it’s clear that her reason explains not just her choice of fabrics but what draws her to fashion in the first place: It’s all about the way the clothes move.

Lily isn’t concerned so much with the way that the clothing looks on the mannequins or in the photos, but the way it drapes on a woman’s body, the way the clothing lives in the world.

“You have to realize there’s movement,” she says. “It’s not only what looks good standing still, but when they’re moving around.”

The vibrancy of the colors is also extremely important to Lily, which a quick glance around the shop makes evident. Her palette is broad and rich: bright reds and

| Model Hannah Hoehl A Taste of Life in New Mexico

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of the West deep maroons, emerald greens and mustard yellows, chocolate browns and rich purples. Her signature dress—the one featured on the shop’s postcard and on the homepage of her website—features a bouquet of color. A positively exquisite off-theshoulder gown with ruching down the center and a long train, the fabric has a dense floral pattern with varying shades of yellows, reds, pinks, blues and greens.

Lily describes her designs as romantic, classic, elegant and timeless, adding that many of her clients have been wearing the same looks for ten to twenty years.

You could absolutely see her dresses in some gorgeous British period piece, the heroine milling about a garden party in one of her extravagant gowns. But Lily isn’t interested in costume design.

She’d rather work with a real-life client to help her create the perfect dress for an occasion.

Lily has found joy in creating clothing since childhood. The oldest of eight children—her father was born in Germany, her mother the daughter of Swedish immigrants—the family moved around

quite a bit, from Chicago to Florida to Southern California. Her mother and grandmother would sew clothes for the children.

“That was part of the tradition,” Lily explains.

And she would also help out with her own clothes; she remembers taking two pieces she’d outgrown and putting them together to make one that fit.

When her birthday came around, she would ask her parents for a piece of fabric. As a girl, she also indulged in romantic fantasies about walking up marble staircases in princess gowns.

“Who knows where it came from,” she muses.

“I was just born this way. I’ve always been innately attracted to beauty; I see things other people don’t see.”

She started turning fashion into a living when she worked on a ranch near Telluride, where she made buckskin coats and shirts. “It was the opening of the West,” she explains. “Everyone wanted to be cowboys!” So she began with men’s shirts. But it wasn’t until she moved to Aspen a few years later, she says, that she truly learned “the high art of couture.”

| Lily Falk

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She got a job at an alterations store in Aspen working with clients who wore couture clothing, and this gave her the opportunity to examine how the clothing was made. “The craftsmanship is really different,” she explains, between a couture gown versus something sold in a department store.

“That’s how I learned the craft of delicate fabrics.”

(That’s also where she sold coats to John Denver and Cher, among other famous names.)

By the late ’80s, though, Lily moved to Sedona, where, in 1987, she opened the first Lily of the West store. The name is borrowed from the Irish folksong, sung by Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, but it also pays homage to the fact that Lily is a family name. Her grandmother was Lily and her mother Lillian.

She relocated to Santa Fe in 2000, when business was booming so heavily the only space she could find was in an office building off Palace (right behind her current storefront). Eventually she moved to a space on Marcy Street, and then to her present spot, where she says she gets better foot traffic.

While Lily estimates that a little less than half her business is done off the rack out of her store, the better part of her work is custom design.

“After all these years,” she says, “when a woman walks in, you know what kind of dress will work.” But still, there is much that Lily takes into consideration when someone comes in requesting a custom-made dress. She wants to know the details of the event—the theme, the crowd, the time of day. She wants to know the type of shoe the client intends to wear. (“The heel,” she sighs. “It makes such a difference.”) She cues in not just to body shape, but also to carriage. “An energy, a sense …” is how she puts it. And, of course, the budget.

Lily can spend as little as two weeks working on a dress and as much as a year. And in the end, seeing the client walk out satisfied makes it worth every minute. “When something fits and someone is happy it’s incredibly satisfying,” she says. “It’s like fulfilling a dream for someone.”

Many of her clients are women looking for gowns to wear to charity events. For a while, weddings became the dominant part of her business, and Lily developed a reputation as a designer for brides who wanted a “different” look. Weddings, though, have never been quite what Lily wanted to do. “It’s quite a scene,” she explains. “You almost have to be a therapist in understanding what the bride wants and getting them through it.”

So while the current economy certainly presents challenges, Lily is grateful for the local support—Santa Fe and Albuquerque women coming in for custom dresses—that’s helping her business stay afloat.

Some of the locals among Lily’s past clientele are familiar names: Valerie

Plame, for one, turned to Lily for all the dresses she wore while promoting the film Fair Game. And one of Lily’s proudest creations—a delicately beaded, high-collared, floor-length black gown proudly displayed in the back of the shop—was the dress that Alan Arkin’s wife, Suzanne Arkin, wore walking down the red carpet on Oscar night.

If she could design a dress for anyone, she wouldn’t object to working with an actual princess: Kate Middleton. “She has that naïveness to her,” Lily remarks. “She’s still so clean and fresh.”

But Lily’s love for her work has little to do with celebrity. She sees fashion as “a celebration of life, of the self, of beauty.” The clothes we wear have such a powerful impact on how we feel, she says: “The difference in how you feel in something that fits and feels really good versus something you just pulled out of the closet—it’s just completely different.” Of course, creating those perfectly fitting clothes is no simple task. When I ask Lily to name the most challenging aspect of her job, she exclaims, “Making it work!”

She compares her challenge to that of an engineer. “You have to take fabric and make it work for a three-dimensional object that moves and breathes!” she says. “It’s a very intensive process.” Fortunately for her clientele, it’s one that—over her many years designing and making clothes— Lily positively has mastered.

Lily of the West is located at 227 East Palace Avenue in Santa Fe. 505.982.5402. www.lilyofthewest.com.

A Taste of Life in New Mexico

NOVEMBER 2011

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29

A

at the table . .

s a longtime fan of Max’s restaurant, I was excited to hear that the team that runs the intimate Guadalupe district foodie haven was opening a second venture nearby. By the time I corroborated the rumor, barely a week later, the former Louie’s Corner Café was boasting a new sign, Tomme: a Restaurant. Initially, I wasn’t sure what the name referred to.

I surmised that perhaps, just as Tomme proprietress Maria Renteria prefers to go by the nickname Max, Tomme might be a pet name for her chef, Mark Connell. I called young Connell to get the scoop; he explained that tomme was, in fact, a cheese that hails from a French mountain region.

Connell then detailed the new project. It is a combined effort of Renteria, himself, and his kitchen cohort Brian Rood. Rood was a chef at Max’s during its early years when it opened in 2007. I had also been a fan of Rood’s culinary skills and was sad to hear, a year ago, that Max’s might not make it. Connell came to the rescue in the eleventh hour, became a working partner and saved the day. But Connell was put in charge of the menu, and at first it didn’t look like there was room

| 30

for Rood as well. Apart from the fact Rood is 6’7”, Connell had his own ideas for where he wanted to take the Max’s name.

Connell recognized the strength of keeping Rood on the team, and Rood liked Connell’s vision and stayed on as sous chef—two talents that support each other for a common goal. I felt Rood was a bigger man than I for not allowing ego and feelings to get in his way. (Methinks this Alabama boy puts his craft above all else.) The buzz around Max’s has remained consistently high. It is one of my must-try recommendations on a list that includes Coyote Café, Restaurant Martín, Geronimo, The Compound, 315, The Palace et al. I was curious to hear about the endeavor and intrigued to discover how Tomme was faring.

Coordinating three interviewees is more than three times as complicated as coordinating one. I was in the middle of a hectic schedule; Tomme was only two weeks old; and Monday was the only day the chefs had off. We set up lunch at The Palace (there was still so much of Joseph Wrede’s menu I wanted to try). As it turned out, crossed signals and un-received text messages made our meeting a bit like a Marx Brothers comedy sketch. Connell was at another restaurant, his phone dead; Renteria had to leave for an appointment shortly after Connell’s late arrival. Despite the confusion, I was happy to learn over lunch that all three are definitely on the same page with this new venture.

I started by determining the origins of the restaurant’s unusual name.

Connell: “I have always wanted to open a

Maria Renteria, Brian Rood, Johnny Vee and Mark Connell NOVEMBER 2011

magazine.com

cheese-centric restaurant, i.e., one where cheese is used in every dish. I think Tomme has been a name I have had in mind forever.”

Renteria: “I thought since the restaurant sits along the Santa Fe River, we might incorporate that theme into the name. I think I had Little River in my mind. But since the guys were going to be doing so much work on the project, I of course listened to their input.”

Rood: “I was thinking cerro-something would be cool, Spanish for hill. Since Santa Fe is in the mountains and Tomme is a great mountain cheese, it fits.”

I asked them to describe the concept.

Connell: “I call it a modern bistro menu.

Although I don’t like to use the word gastro-pub, in effect it is. Cool beers, simple food. Food that is carefully made in small batches, just like the Tomme cheese is.”

Renteria: “It’s a more approachable menu, price-wise and food-wise. I want to draw from the reputation of Max’s but encourage regulars to be familiar with these lesser prices. Each dish will still be carefully put together with the same attention to detail.”

Rood: “Plus, we can also offer our customers lunch. My landlord came in the first day for lunch.

I was impressed.”

Did the three think they were taking a big chance, opening a new business in this schizophrenic economy?

Renteria: “I was never worried. The location is phenomenal. I was approached by the previous

. . tomme owner that had Louie’s, and, in effect, she asked us to take over her business so she can do other things. We are working toward a partnership, but essentially she still owns the lease. When I thought about it, I realized that downtown restaurants rarely go out of business. Location is important.”

Connell: “I wasn’t afraid to take this on, no.

But I was concerned that the opening needed to be a smooth transition. I was worried about staff, but we have found some awesome cooks. I also had to consider the transition of losing Brian from Max’s, as he heads up the Tomme kitchen now.”

Brian: “The downtown dining community is an interesting one. Some people don’t ever get to the fringe, even though Max’s is only four blocks away. The foot traffic is a big plus.”

I asked how Tomme differs from Max’s.

Renteria: “Well, at Max’s we have those special occasion diners every night—Mom and Dad’s 50th wedding anniversary. We have to reserve those tables for the whole evening, and with only 30 seats it gets tricky. At Tomme, we have 55 seats, and with the more casual menu we can handle more diners. Some may spend only an hour there having a burger or whatever. At Max’s, clients need to be willing to stretch their imagination and palate.”

Connell: “I think we will raise the bar on what’s available for tourists that are walking around town; we’ll have some serious food to offer.”

Rood: “I think our customers at Max’s are very well traveled and really appreciate the quality of ingredients we use and how well the dishes are executed. The more causal visitors downtown will

story by CHEF JOHNNY VEE photos by GABRIELLA MARKS

be getting that, too, at Tomme. The great thing is, it allows us to have a much larger menu than at Max’s.”

I noted that it must be a challenge to serve the same quality food at a reduced price.

Connell: “Well, actually with planning it isn’t harder. For example, we have a fried chicken dish at Tomme that utilizes the thighs, while I use the breasts at Max’s. I still treat them the same: cut up the whole chicken and brine it first. Also, the sauces at Tomme will be simpler and easier to prepare, and the sides are simpler.”

Since both Connell and Rood had a hand in creating the menu, I asked how two chefs come up with one menu.

Connell: “Well, the Tomme project happened so fast. We said yes to it, and then we sat down and I said, ‘Ok, what are we doing?’ We all had input.

For example, one day at Max’s the pastry chef came in with an idea using cranberries, which I hate—” Rood: “I love them.”

Connell: “—but after trying it and tweaking it, it worked. We all collaborate on dishes.”

I asked for Rood’s thoughts on stepping down as original chef at Max’s.

Rood: “Maria came to me, and we had a sad meeting that she was going to have to change directions with the restaurant. Mark came along, and within a week she decided to go with his concept. I actually looked at working in other restaurants. I’m not ego-driven at all. I think my cooking was more Alice Waters’s style, but I liked what Mark (who worked for Thomas Keller briefly)

came up with and am excited to work with him.”

I noted that had I had recently been discussing with other chefs the pitfalls of handling customer criticism and wondered what the trio thought.

Renteria: “Well, it’s hard. One night a customer came in and said that a sauce was too salty, which I didn’t agree with. The next day, we tried the sauce again and I realized, ‘Wow, that is salty.’ I learned a valuable lesson to take every criticism seriously.”

Connell: “I love getting criticism. I walk around the dining room and really listen to what folks are saying.”

Rood: “The only thing I don’t like is when a customer says, ‘You should do that dish this way instead of the way you are doing it.’”

Do they follow reviews on the food blogs, like Yelp and Zagat?

Renteria: “Yes, I do occasionally check them.

And some of the national ones like Eater San Francisco. And, of course, I read every word Chef Johnny Vee writes.” (Love her!)

Connell: “I read the Open Table feedback every now and then, but I don’t take it too seriously.”

I asked the three what their ultimate business goal is. I found it interesting that although they work well together, they each have different visions of their future.

Renteria: “I think we will do one more venture together. There is a restaurant in New York that I love so much it would be my dream to do a version of that here.” (She was secretive as to the name.)

Connell: “Well, my first answer would be to do whatever it takes so I can be a ski bum. A few

A Taste of Life in New Mexico

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santa fe’s newest dining experiences

years ago, I would have said that someday I would like three places: a fine dining, a pizza place and a tapas joint. Whatever I do, it would always be about good food. I totally listen to my staff and take input from them. I might work with a cook that makes amazing Mexican or sushi, and that might lead to a new project.”

Rood: “I’d love a little bar/café on the beach in Majorca or a craft service food truck that rolls around town going to bars and clubs serving great food.”

Renteria had to head off. I asked the two talented chefs to confess a food sin that might surprise the readers. Comically, both guys answered in unison: “Frozen pizza.”

Connell: “Pizza is my favorite food in the entire world. Another thing I absolutely love and make all the time is Lipton Instant Chicken Noodle Soup poured over instant rice with broken up ramen noodles in it.”

Rood: “My favorite is Totino’s frozen pizza. It’s the crack of bad pizza.”

I was shocked and delighted to hear their frank answers and a little bit relieved Renteria wasn’t there to hear it, too.

A meal I enjoyed at Tomme’s a few days later was testimony to the potential for success this team has in store. The fried chicken with brown gravy and braised greens would make an Alabaman blush. My favorite dish, gougère puffs stuffed with braised short ribs and served with a crumble of bleu cheese, was simply decadent! The juicy Wagyu burger sports a homemade bun. I could go on, but suffice it to say: Look out Santa Fe, there’s a new team in town. And I don’t know about you, but I’d be willing to invest in any line of frozen pizzas this trio might hatch. -JV

Who: You What: Volunteer Where: St. Elizabeth Shelter When: Tuesdays or Fridays Why: To provide meals to

your homeless neighbors in need. Resource Center is moving in November to the old Pete’s Pets building on Cerrillos Road, and we need more volunteers to help prepare lunches.

www.steshelter.org

You can find out more by emailing volunteer@steshelter.org or calling Rosario at 505-982-6611.

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A Taste of Life in New Mexico

NOVEMBER 2011

33

Sky’s

the Limit

story by GAIL SNYDER

R

emember the movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore? Alice, played

by Ellen Burstyn, is trapped in a dead-end marriage; when her husband unexpectedly dies, she realizes there’s nothing stopping her now from resuming her aborted singing career. So she unloads the house, the furniture and most of the rest of their possessions, throws her 11-year-old son in the car and heads across the country for California.

But their money runs out halfway through the Southwest and, forced to put her plans on hold, she takes a job at Joe’s Diner until she can save enough in tips to get back out on the road.

I liked the movie, but what really riveted me back then wasn’t the stars or the plot—it was the setting. I remember watching Alice watch people when she first arrived; they were mingling on the plaza as they did errands, greeting each other with a friendly tip of the cowboy hat, looking each other in the eye. Suddenly, for the first time since ninth grade, I understood that even though this is one nation coast to coast, there’s a very different lifestyle going on in the East than in the West.

I grew up in the West. When my family was suddenly uprooted to make the move back East, I struggled for years trying to fit in. I thought it was my fault that I felt so alien there.

Now, I realized that it wasn’t my fault, or the East’s; it was just that the West was embedded in my bones. As I watched Alice look askance at this weird-to-her new part of the world, with its wide-open sky, its don’t-fence-me-in spacious expanse of land, its people sauntering and loping, leaning rather than rushing, I felt magnetized. Yearning to jump into the screen and embrace the slanting golden light, the people so easy to laugh, so comfortable in their skin, I knew that somehow, I had to get back.

It took me seven more years and a crazy, circuitous route, but I made it. I felt immediately at home in Santa Fe. I hadn’t taken the difference in clothes into account, though. I’d packed all my work clothes—knife-pleated slacks, dress coat, conservative skirts,

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pantyhose!—even though my boyfriend had warned me there weren’t so many jobs “like that” out here. Sure enough, those relics from my old life ended up shoved, disgruntled and humiliated, to the back of the closet.

A year or so later, flying home from a visit with my family, my boyfriend pointed out to me how easy it was to tell which passengers were from the West. And he was right. All you had to do was look at their clothes.

Western wear is not a fashion. It’s not a look. It never goes out of style. There’s no “wrong” way to wear it, and, because it borrows from a diversity of cultures, the sky—that vast ocean of brilliant blue overhead going on forever—is the limit.

Sure, there are the familiar classic elements. The cowboy boots. The hat. The embroidered-yoke shirt with snaps that they wear in rodeos, the silver and turquoise earrings, cuff and bangle bracelets. A long, velvet Navajo skirt. A pair of worn-in-just-right jeans. A man’s denim jacket.

Concho belts, bolo ties, Victorian shirts and lace insert blouses. Pendleton vests. Brightly colored flamenco skirts.

The fun’s in what you do with it. Play around! Stick your feet into your favorite worn and scuffed pair of boots, put on an old housedress and go out to hang a load of laundry; then come on back in, leave on the boots and pull off the dress. Pull on a sassy little short skirt, full and twirly, a couple layers of snug Ts, with an oversized denim jacket, sleeves rolled to the elbow, and you’re out the door. Going to a party? Pair a simple basic little black dress with your entire collection of silver bangles up both forearms. Groceries? Slide on long-legged jeans, faded, cuffed, your best hand-tooled boots peeking out, topped by a bulky hand-knit sweater, your hair pulled back in a ponytail under cowboy hat, aslant.

Grab the dog and the bags, you’re ready to go! Try denim skirts, long or short, worn with a crisp white men’s dress shirt, untucked and cinched at the waist with a concho. Top an antique lace blouse with a bolo tie.

Throw on a pair of leggings, a long, fancy rodeo shirt and a handful of chunky silver rings.

It’s not just a matter of appearance; it’s also a matter of comfort. This is why true Westerners seem so comfortable in their skin—their clothes are comfortably worn in, they slouch with their wearer. Don’t bother with a lot of makeup: The mid-afternoon slant of the sun brings a natural glow to your skin, accentuates your cheekbones, lights up your eyes. Being released from the whim of fashion and free instead to make up our own styles gives us a solid confidence, a sexy air of independence, self-reliance.

To us, this is not a costume; it’s a culture. Our culture. We seamlessly change into and out of these clothes, mixing them with more neutral “modern” wear, as a way of expressing our sense of belonging to this landscape and its ancestors. These clothes are indigenous to the West, our history, originating from life lived out under the sun and stars, into the wind. It’s a mixture not only of cultures but also of genders, a sort of ever so slightly sexily androgynous look. Over the years, certain icons have emerged as role models, pushing the envelope of Old West fashion, among them real-life cowgirls like Annie Oakley and her many gun-totin’ sisters, riding the range in their long skirts and fringed buckskin jackets.

Longtime Taoseña Millicent Rogers was famous for taking this Western no-holds-barred, never-the-same-combinations-twice slant on fashion and pushing it to the most fun extremes with her wildly creative propensity for mixing disparate Western elements that shouldn’t have gone together but, amazingly, did—and with panache.

Recently I overheard a woman in a shop laugh when someone asked her if she was from here. She looked as if she could’ve been, in her straw cowboy hat and casual jeans. “No, oh, my God, no!” she said, patting her hair defensively. “I just bought this hat to protect myself from the sun.

No, otherwise, I’d never—are you kidding? If I showed up in New York like this, I’d be laughed out of the room!”

So, OK, the Western look is not for everyone. And that’s fine—it’s not like we’re proselytizing or anything. Still, as I watched, I swear I saw that woman glance surreptitiously, and just a little wistfully, in the mirror at her saucily powerful self beneath the hat and give that self an admiring little smile as she wandered out the door.

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321 S. Guadalupe St. 820.7775 An exceptional collection of contemporary and vintage clothes and boots, including genuine pawn jewelry, an amazing collection of women’s belts, tooled purses, traditional flamenco dresses and skirts, velvet tops and Victorian skirts and shawls. A fun place to wander!

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A Taste of Life in New Mexico

NOVEMBER 2011

35

Still

“You taught me that people will do anything for a potato.”

story by CAITLIN RICHARDS

Empire of the Sun

A

few facts about the humble potato. It is the world’s fourth largest food crop, with around 5000 varieties grown.

It is used in distilling vodka, poteen, aquavit and—now, in New Mexico—gin. It is high in vitamin C. Potato starch is used in making textiles, papers and boards. Mr. Potato Head was born in 1952. There are several potato museums around the world and a Potato Hall of Fame in Canada. The average American eats 140 pounds of potatoes each year while the average European eats twice that many. Not surprising, potato chips, French fries and mashed potatoes head that list. The recipes below head our list--a Thanksgiving gift from four local chefs.

Fingerling Potato and Bulls-Horn Pepper Soup created by Chef Eric Hall of Fuego at La Posada “Potatoes are a staple people can’t live without,” says Chef Eric Hall. He also believes that they’re the comfort food we most often crave, “because they’re salty and delicious.” For this recipe (which will be featured on Fuego’s fall/ winter menu) Chef Hall gets his potatoes and bull’s horn peppers from Romero Farms. “I like working with fresh local produce, using what nature provides.”

Serves 6 1 pound fingerling potatoes, lightly scrubbed but not peeled 5-6 purple potatoes 1 whole bulb garlic, -roasted* 1 quart milk 3 Tablespoons olive oil 2 bunches green onions—use white part only; should yield ¾ cup chopped (half goes into the soup, half reserved for garnish) 1 bay leaf 1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped ½ cup basil leaves, julienned 4 Tablespoon pine puts, toasted ½ jalapeño, roasted and seeded (you can add a whole pepper if you like spice!)

5 small sweet red peppers, roasted, seeded and rough chopped (half for the soup, half for the garnish) ½ fresh lemon 1 Tablespoon salt Place two quarts of cold water and the white fingerling potatoes in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat slightly, so the pot continues to boil but not boil over. Let potatoes cook for about 40 minutes, until they are just soft. Remove 6 potatoes to slice for the garnish. Let the potatoes cool slightly and then slice with a fine edge knife in order to get a smooth slice. Let the remaining potatoes continue to cook for about 15 minutes (the potatoes should be very soft and falling apart), then remove from heat and strain the potatoes in a colander to remove excess moisture. Return potatoes to the pan, add the milk and set aside.

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NOVEMBER 2011

magazine.com

In a separate saucepan, repeat the same procedure with the purple potatoes (this is to ensure that the purple color does not bleed into the other ingredients), but pull all the potatoes out when they are just soft, about 40 minutes. Slice in the same manner as the white potatoes.

In a separate large saucepan over medium high heat, add 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil, and let it get just hot, but don’t let it smoke. Add the roasted garlic and half the green onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often so the onions do not get brown. Add this mixture into the pan with the potatoes and milk, along with half the red peppers, the bay leaf, jalapeño pepper and 2 Tablespoons of the pine nuts. Bring this mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat by half to bring it to a simmer.

Add 1 Tablespoon of salt and let the soup cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat, and let cool for about ten minutes. Stir the soup mixture and then carefully ladle the soup into a blender (do not fill the blender by more than half ) and blend until smooth. Pour the blended soup back into a clean saucepan; repeat this procedure until all the soup is blended. Once the soup is blended, add the juice of half a lemon and then adjust the seasoning by adding more salt if you wish.

In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add the remaining 1 Tablespoon oil and let it get hot. Add the remaining ingredients: the peppers, green onions, the sliced potatoes, basil and pine nuts. Let this sauté quickly, until just cooked and combined together.

Ladle the finished soup into six individual bowls, and place a small amount of the garnish on top of each bowl. Enjoy! *Roasted Garlic 1 bulb with the peel sliced in half along the equator In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and let it get hot. Place garlic in the pan in the oil, cut side down but off to one side, so the bulb is not over the direct heat of the burner. Let the bulb stay in this position and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the bulb and set aside, or you can store this in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.

La Posada is located at 330 E Palace Ave., Santa Fe, 505.986.0000, www. laposadadesantafe.com.

Autumn Potato Gratin created by Roland Richter of Joe’s Diner Potatoes “just make you feel good” says Chef Roland Richter. Add butter and salt and you can “eat them like a bucket of ice cream.” He says that right now at the farmers’ market there is an incredible variety, and though he suggests Yukon Gold for this recipe, don’t be afraid to experiment and try other varieties. He also likes to put several varieties together on a plate—German Butterball and purple fingerlings, for example. “The colors are spectacular, and the flavors are slightly different.” He suggests serving this autumn gratin with your turkey dinner, a glazed pork chop, beef tenderloin or roast duck.

Serves 8 1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, skin on, sliced about 1/8” thick 1 small butternut squash, peeled and sliced about 1/8’ thick 1 ripe pear 4 ounces goat cheese (he uses Old Windmill Dairy’s Herb & Garlic) 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese freshly ground pepper, salt and a pinch of nutmeg (very little nutmeg) Butter or oil the casserole dish and arrange in layers, half the onion, the sliced squash and seasoning, crumbled goat cheese, sliced pear and sliced potato.

Finish with the other half of the onion. Add stock and seasoning. Cover with parchment paper and seal with aluminum foil. Bake in a 350˚ oven for 50 minutes. Remove foil and parchment paper, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.

Joe’s is located at 2801 Rodeo Rd., A-5, Santa Fe, 505.471.3800, www. joessantafe.com.

Sweet Potato Hash created by Mike Von Blomberg of Lucia at Hotel Andaluz Chef Von Blomberg says that the smaller the potato the better the flavor, and when making mashed potatoes he is a skin-on advocate. What makes the potato such a comfort food? “Great flavor, and they are served with any classic American dish. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.” Chef Von Blomberg is also enthusiastic about the variety of potatoes available right now, sourcing from local farmers whenever possible to get all the different colors and flavors. He serves this hash with scallops or roast chicken, but says that it would also be a wonderful accompaniment to a Thanksgiving spread.

Serves 2

Celery Root and Potato Puree with Pancetta Lardons created by Pat Keene of Artichoke Café “What’s great about potatoes right now is that there are so many choices, and you can get them anywhere,” says Chef Keene. She loves that people are taking advantage of the unique potatoes that are available. “And they’re so easy to cook. Just wash them, add a little olive oil and salt and pepper, a little rosemary, and stick them in the oven.” When it comes to using russet potatoes, Chef Keene likes to make them interesting by adding another root vegetable, as in this recipe. She recommends serving this purée with grilled salmon or roast chicken, or a nice grilled aged rib-eye. When I tell her that my research says there are almost 5000 varieties of potatoes in the world she laughs. “We won’t be bored!”

2 medium celery roots (1¾ pounds), trimmed, peeled, cut into 1” cubes 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ¾” cubes (3 cups) 2 cups chicken broth 2 cups half and half 4 garlic cloves Bay leaf 2 fresh thyme sprigs 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 8 oz. pancetta, cut in ¼ cubes, browned in ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil until crisp (lardons) 1 teaspoon thyme leaves for garnish Combine celery root, potatoes, broth, bay leaf, thyme sprigs and garlic cloves in heavy large pot. Add enough water to cover. Sprinkle with salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer with lid slightly ajar until vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes.

Drain and return to pot. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir over medium heat to dry vegetables. Using a potato masher, mash vegetables until coarsely puréed. Mash in butter and half and half; season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle lardons on top.

Artichoke Café is located at 424 Central SE, Albuquerque, 505.243.0200, www. artichokecafe.com.

8 ounces baby sweet potatoes 2 ounces local candy onions ½ ounce diced pancetta 1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Slice the baby sweet potatoes on the bias and steam or boil until soft. Rough chop the onions and set aside. Fine dice the pancetta and render the fat in a sauté pan; once the oil is hot add all the ingredients, sauté until hot and season with salt and pepper.

Lucia is located at 125 Second St. NW, Albuquerque 505.923.9080, www. hotelandaluz.com.

A Taste of Life in New Mexico

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The Holidays Are Just Around The Corner...

Come celebrate Thanksgiving with us.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The Spanish Table carries fun Spanish ingredients to add flare to your Thanksgiving meal. Add a little diced chorizo in the stuffing.

Smoked paprika tastes great on the turkey and the potatoes, be they sweet or mashed. Cook and serve the entree and sides in terracotta clay cazuelas to help keep the food warm.

Join us on November 24th from 1-6pm for a 3 course Thanksgiving dinner. $39 for adults and $15 for kids.

We also carry paella pans, burners, rice, saffron Turkish bay leaf, dried chives, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon non-alcoholic Spanish cider, Spanish almond turron tagines, hand-rolled couscous, and cookbooks Manchego & other cheeses, membrillo olive oils, olives, caperberries Flamenco & Fado

The Spanish Table

For Reservations Call (505) 955-0765

109 N Guadalupe, Santa Fe, New Mexico Mon - Sat 10 am to 6 pm; Sun 11 am to 5 pm (505) 986-0243 www.spanishtable.com www.spanishtablewines.com

414 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 955-0765 | RioChamaSteakhouse.com

Start a Thanksgiving Tradition and Join Us November 24th

If customized travel were a five-star meal,

we’d be your master chef.

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All World TrAvel

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We make a world of difference in the way you experience travel.

Thanksgiving dinner served from 3-8pm on November 24, 2011.

Call for reservations or visit us online for complete details. we also offer THaNKsGIVING To Go.

Quantities are limited. Dinners will feed 8-10 people. Call for details.

125 East Palace, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 988-9232 | lacasasena.com

38

NOVEMBER 2011

magazine.com

A Virtuoso accredited travel professional offers the knowledge, experience and connections you expect from any of your trusted advisors. Put us to the test.

We’ll make your next travel experience one you’ll savor.

Contact All World Travel, Inc. www.awtravel.com (505) 294-5031

American Vintage Chan Luu Free People Frye Boots Joe’s Michael Stars Pete Ray-Ban Red Engine Velvet And...

The Best Of Contemporary Clothing for Women

Thanksgiving Dinner

Three-Course Prix Fixe ~ November 24 3–7pm Featuring Compound Classics & Seasonal Specialties

70 WEST MARCY STREET SANTA FE 505.982.1399 www.wearaboutssf.com

wearaboutssf@yahoo.com

Taste the New Southwest Inspired by Northern New Mexico and infused with local and organically sourced ingredients, Chef Charles Dale’s new menu blends a sense of balance, a sense of place with a sense of comfort to create a new twist on Contemporary American Cuisine.

The Compound Restaurant: A Family Tradition Reservations 982.4353

653 Canyon Road

compoundrestaurant.com

What Women Want...

A Fun & Feminine Place to Shop Johnny Was

Not Your Daughters Jeans

We welcome you to experience Chef Dale’s new menu or book your Thanksgiving Dinner at Terra restaurant.

Komarov

Accessories & much more for the Holidays

Full Bloom Boutique New Winter Hours for Terra restaurant: Tues thru Saturday 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

877.262.4666 198 State Road 592, Santa Fe encantadoresort.com

Open 7 Days • 505-988-9648 70 W Marcy St, Santa Fe

NOVEMBER 2011

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Buy your passes today and get in on all the action! www.santafeharvestfestival.com

The chefs are fired up... ...and fun is on the menu!

• Restaurant discounts & cooking classes begin November 1 • Chef and Bartender competitions begin November 5 • A portion of the proceeds go to Cooking with Kids • Passes on sale at all Whole Foods & Sunflower Farmers Markets • For more information or to buy passes visit www.santafeharvestfestival.com or www.cookingwithkids.net

And proudly backed by