Santa Fe Reporter, July 26, 2023

INSIDE

NEWS

7 DAYS, CLAYTOONZ AND THIS MODERN WORLD 6

COVER STORY 11

BEST OF SANTA FE 2023

Two rounds of SFR reader voting and 11 sections of local adoration later, our guide to all that makes our city special is back with several brand-new categories

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 13

BUSINESS SERVICES 21

CANNABIS 27

FOOD AND DRINK 31

HEALTH SERVICES 41

HOME SERVICES 47

KIDS 57

LOCAL LIVING 63

PERSONAL SERVICES 69

PETS 73

SHOPPING 77

Instagram: @sfreporter

CULTURE

SFR PICKS 83

Learn about opera access for Pueblo folks, get terrorized by top hats, RSVP yes to SFR's party and don't forget Traditional Spanish Market's youth booths are all cute

THE CALENDAR 84

OPERA 93

BOHEMIA RHAPSODY

SFO's production of Dvořák’s Rusalka takes a walk on the wild side

MOVIES 94

OPPENHEIMER REVIEW

Bomb daddy's epic tale unpacks critical history yet misses mark

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU

The journalists at the Santa Fe Reporter strive to help our community stay connected. We publish this free print edition and daily web updates. Can you help support our journalism mission? Learn more at sfreporter.com/friends

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

JULIE ANN GRIMM

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

ROBYN DESJARDINS

ART DIRECTOR

ANSON STEVENS-BOLLEN

CULTURE EDITOR

ALEX DE VORE

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

JULIA GOLDBERG

STAFF WRITERS

ANDY LYMAN

EVAN CHANDLER

MO CHARNOT

CALENDAR EDITOR

SIENA SOFIA BERGT

EDITORIAL INTERN

NOAH HALE

DIGITAL SERVICES MANAGER

BRIANNA KIRKLAND

CIRCULATION MANAGER ANDY BRAMBLE

OWNERSHIP

CITY OF ROSES NEWSPAPER CO.

PRINTER THE NEW MEXICAN

EDITORIAL DEPT: editor@sfreporter.com

Phone: (505) 988-5541

Mail: PO BOX 4910 SANTA FE, NM 87502

CULTURE EVENTS: calendar@sfreporter.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING: advertising@sfreporter.com

Cover illustration by Anson Stevens-Bollen artdirector@sfreporter.com www.SFReporter.com

CLASSIFIEDS: classy@sfreporter.com

THOUGH THE SANTA FE REPORTER IS FREE, PLEASE TAKE JUST ONE COPY. ANYONE REMOVING PAPERS IN BULK FROM OUR DISTRIBUTION POINTS WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW. SANTA FE REPORTER, ISSN #0744-477X, IS PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY, 52 WEEKS EACH YEAR. DIGITAL EDITIONS ARE FREE AT SFREPORTER.COM. CONTENTS © 2023 SANTA FE REPORTER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MATERIAL MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. association of alternative newsmedia

ELON MUSK CHANGING TWITTER NAME, LOGO TO “X.”

Well, that’s xtupid.

FORMER UNM ATHLETIC DIRECTOR PAUL KREBS ACQUITTED

Typical—jocks always get to do whatever they want.

US FOREST SERVICE ADMITS IT STARTED

CERRO PELADO FIRE

Agency’s slogan: Only we can prevent wildfires.

GEO SAYS LAB CLEANUP EFFORTS NEED IMPROVEMENT

Maybe someone should make a movie about this?

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN TESTIFIES TO LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ABOUT AI

And after a very nice fan used ChatGPT to complete Winds of Winter for him, too!

COUNTRY MUSIC CHUD JASON ALDEAN UNDER FIRE FOR NEW SONG AND VIDEO THAT SEEM TO PROMOTE VIOLENCE AGAINST PROTESTORS Also his hat looks bad and his face is xtupid.

READ IT ON SFREPORTER.COM

CITY OFFERS LOCAL SPOTS TO COOL DOWN

It’s that fun kind of dry heat where you need to hit a city-sanctioned place to not transform into a desiccated husk who breathes dust.

SAINT ARTHUR

Santero Arthur López debuts new work for local gallery just in time for Traditional Spanish Market.

WE ARE WAY MORE THAN WEDNESDAY HERE ARE A COUPLE OF ONLINE EXCLUSIVES:

STOODIS

Newly minted Skoden Ventures VC firm aims to help Indigenous, Black and Brown entrepreneurs.

Like Lady Liberty, Century Bank represents legacy, choice, longevity and freedom. We’re proud to be a symbol of strength for our community — and we have been since 1887.

Get a Healthy Start Back to School

Make sure your family stays healthy by keeping up-to-date with your health care appointments. We are your convenient resource for routine check-ups, immunizations, scheduling sports physicals or caring for you when you are sick or hurt.

Well-child visits, sports physicals and immunizations should be scheduled in advance.

Call (505) 913-DOCS (3627) to schedule your primary care appointment at one of our five locations today.

Adult & Family Care

465 St. Michael’s Dr., Suite 240 Santa Fe, NM 87505

Arroyo Chamiso Pediatrics

465 St. Michael’s Dr., Suite 200 Santa Fe, NM 87505

Entrada Contenta Health Center and Urgent Care 5501 Herrera Dr. Santa Fe, NM 87507

Family Medicine Center 2025 S. Galisteo St. Santa Fe, NM 87505

Pojoaque Primary Care

5 Petroglyph Circle, Suite A Pojoaque, NM 87506

MAX MYERS President/CEO

Community Event 2023 Program Schedule

The Presbyterian Health Park in Santa Fe. A better place for better health. Join

Class size is limited. Schedule subject to change depending on minimum participant enrollment.

THE SPROUTING KITCHEN COOKING CLASSES

• Learn how to eat more seasonally and sustainably while having fun.

• Wednesdays: August 16, September 20, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

• Sign up with our Santa Fe Community Health Worker at (505) 389-8002 or at prescommhealthclasses.com.

SANTA FE FARMERS’ MARKET DEL SUR

• Enjoy family-friendly activities, find locally grown fruits and vegetables, and meet farmers and artists.

• Tuesdays: August 1 - September 26, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• Additional farmers’ market events this season include Chef Showcase on August 15 and the Annual Santa Fe Public Schools Salsa Showcase on September 19.

• The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Del Sur is a partnership between Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center, Santa Fe Farmers’ Market and Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute.

Española Humane

Dear New Mexicans, Your generosity keeps our doors open to all the pets who need us most.

doors

The dollars you share provide free spay/neuter and lifesaving medical care to animals who often live in poverty.

Your vote of confidence means everything!

A million mews and woofs of gratitude from each and every one of us at Española Humane.

Thank You Santa Fe, for voting us Best Nonpro�t for Animals!

"Life, uh, finds a way." Though Jeff Goldblum’s oft-cited line from the masterpiece 1993 film Jurassic Park is nearly as classic as the dinos on this year’s Best of Santa Fe cover, it feels apt to bring back in this moment as the issue, our upcoming party and indeed the city itself comes back to life and full power following a number of admittedly subdued years.

This time, we’ve got plenty of new categories to peruse and ponder. You’ll find surprising wins and gasp-worthy upsets across

172 of them to be precise, all selected by our reader poll—all championing your favorite places, businesses, artists and much more. We’ll be celebrating the city’s favorite everything this 5 to 9 pm Friday, July 28 in the Railyard and we’ll have all the food, drink and music you can handle—including the Santa Fe Salutes tribute to Elton John. We’re all going to feel our best, too. Every year when this issue rolls around, we ask you who you love, so let us be clear about where our allegiances lie: We love you, Santa Fe.

WE’RE HONORED THANK YOU, SANTA FE!

Hoopes+Associates would like to thank all of those who made it possible for our work to be acknowledged as Best Architect in 2023’s Best of Santa Fe

Thank you to our clients and project team colleagues who have inspired us.

To all the contractors who have made our designs shine: Prull Custom Builders, Tierra Concepts, Frank Yardman Construction, James Casanova, Anthony Odai, Morrow Construction, Woods Builders.

To our current staff who consistently produce such excellent work: Andrea Caraballo, Associate, Alex Solorzano, Associate, Charles Rosenberg, Jerry Little, Diego Macias, Catherine Mahoney-Myron, Sarah Solander, Omid Mohseni Tousi, Kimberley Sweet, Doug Anderson.

To the interior designers and landscape architects who have added dimension to our projects: Paul Rau, Solange Serquis, Chandler Prewitt, Kendall McCumber, Rhonda Vaughan, Nicole Kuckly, Sandra Donner, Cindy Tafoya.

Sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to our ongoing success.

Photo: Robert Reck Photography Builder: Prull Custom

BEST ART COLLECTIVE

Meow Wolf Santa Fe

The Santa Fe-born arts corporation has expanded into locations across several states, but our readers still love the original flagship Meow Wolf in the old bowling alley. We get it—especially for people who like live music. You can still take your kids most days, too, plus there’s the impact on tourism, the local jobs angle, the way artists from around here can actually get paid for their work? Word.

1352 Rufina Circle (505) 395-6369

Santa Fe Artists Market

Ah, the democratization of art, that realm where a nonprofit can establish a jury, welcome countless artists over countless years to take part and then take over the Railyard on the regular with affordable stuff. Not bad!

Santa Fe Railyard, Market and Alcaldesa streets santafeartistsmarket.com

Wise Fool New Mexico

Our smart readers love Wise Fool’s one-stop-shop for acrobatics, aerials, burlesque and political activism. With classes for people of all ages and abilities, the circus arts come alive in Santa Fe year after year.

1131 Siler Road B (505) 992-2588

BEST BAND Nosotros

At this point, is it a surprise at all that this local band of Latin music lovers takes top prize? Nosotros tops this category each and every year, it seems, and it’s no fluke. We’re talking multiple albums, legions of fans, awards, a highly danceable live show and, frankly, a bunch of seriously nice musicians at the top of their game. Expect Latin sounds, but elements of jazz and rock, too.

nosotrosmusic.net

Santa Fe’s favorite stringed ensemble provides a stalwart presence. They’re just as comfortable taking over the Plaza Bandstand as they are a museum opening or local market. Find sounds from a variety of cultures but an obvious New Mexico bent.

lonepinon.com

JJ & the Hooligans

One of the hardest-working bands in local show business, this ferocious five-piece merges dance and rock covers with original elements and stone-cold fun, making a JJ show borderline annoyingly peppy no matter where your music allegiances lie.

jjandthehooligans.com

BEST BAR

Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery

“This is the second year in a row we’ve won, so it’s quite amazing,” says Tumbleroot co-founder Jason Fitzpatrick. “We opened a little over five years ago, and the whole idea was to try and create a space where Santa Fe could gather.” Oh, Tumbleroot has done that, both by serving up topnotch locally made drinks and by embracing just about every kind of music you could want—even punk and metal!

2791 Agua Fría St. (505) 303-3808

Del Charro

Just assume you’ll find Del Charro on this list of Santa Fe faves, particularly thanks to generous drinks, a cozy atmosphere, enclosed patio great for larger groups and an affordable bar menu. Plus, sports on the TV, fires in the winter and friendly service.

101 W. Alameda St., (505) 954-0320

Cowgirl BBQ

Between the live music, drink specials, servers who remember you and the pool room, Cowgirl is as locally legendary as it gets. Don’t sleep on the frozen strawberry margarita! Find plenty of beer and cocktails as well.

319 S. Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Lone Piñon

BEST COMIC

Carlos Medina

It’s actually glorious to have a puro nuevomexicano comedian out there winning hearts and making yuks, and Medina doesn’t take it for granted. “It feels awesome, and I’m grateful for everybody’s support!” he says. Watch for an upcoming video special, alongside projects with Meow Wolf and local casinos and at the Jean Cocteau Cinema, the venue where Medina cut his teeth and continues to make ‘em laugh. instagram.com/carlosmedina_comedy

Ricardo Caté

We already knew Caté had jokes, thanks to his ongoing Without Reservations comic strip. Seems he’s been able to transfer his eye and wit to the standup stage, too. Caté’s been performing a lot lately, so catch him when you can. instagram.com/ withoutreservationscartoon

Isabel Madley

We’ve seen Madley pack multiple shows in a single night, and there’s no denying her ability has grown in recent years. She’s an improv master, a champion of timing and a keen voice— all while reveling in good bad taste and tactful tastelessness.

isabelmadley.com

BEST DANCE COMPANY

NDI New Mexico

Santa Fe’s identity as an arts town most definitely includes dance. We’re kind of spoiled for choice here, actually, but your go-to outfit, dear readers, is that of the nonprofit National Dance Institute. Whether it’s teaching ‘em young, helping ‘em grow, providing opportunities for the future or even just filling the void after school, NDI keeps youths at the forefront and stokes a lifelong love of movement.

1140 Alto St., (505) 983-7646

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

This dance company is so nice it was named for cities twice—this one is no joke, Santa Fe. Dancers paused during the pandemic, but returned for all the athletic artistry you know and love.

Don’t miss the annual Nutcracker with Southwestern flair.

550 St. Michael’s Drive, (970) 925-7175

EmiArteFlamenco

New Mexico’s powerhouse flamenco performer Emily Grimm (aka La Emi) founded this outfit to not only help raise the next generation of flamenco lovers, but to keep its presence in Santa Fe alive and well. Mission accomplished, it seems.

3022 Cielo Court, Ste. C, (505) 660-9122

BEST DJ

Raashan Ahmad

This city loves MC, DJ and nonprofit exec Raashan Ahmad so much, it’s kind of hard to imagine the place before he arrived years ago. Whether it’s through his ongoing Love & Happiness parties around town or at various openings, galas or parties, his DJ prowess obviously presses the right buttons. “DJing is my happy place,” Ahmad tells SFR, “so it makes me feel good to know it makes others happy, too.”

raashanahmad.com

Dynamite Sol

Sol practically taught this city how to fall in love with DJs. Hip-hop, funk, soul, reggae, rock, mashups, mixes…Sol can do it all—and does. So, if you see the name on a flier or something? You won't regret making it happen.

facebook.com/sol.bentley

Your Boy Re-Flex

Felix Cordova, aka Re-Flex, knows just what you need to get the party started. That’s kind of why he’s become a self-described party facilitator. In other words: Ain’t no one gonna match his energy.

facebook.com/YourBoyReFlex

BEST DRAG PERFORMER

Brandi

Meet Ms. Brandi, easily the sweetest drag goddess you’d ever encounter and one who transcends the art form. “It feels a-fucking-mazing,” Brandi says of her win. “Brandi’s been around for 28 years, and y’know, the thing that keeps

me going is that I can help people.” Indeed. Brandi hosts parties, fundraisers, an ongoing drag brunch at the Jean Cocteau Cinema—and she looks hot as hell doing it all.

Coco Caliente

Ms. Caliente has not only been Miss Pride, she’s won our hearts over the years with flawless style and attitude. She’s the type of queen to make the straights feel weird and the queers feel proud. Here, here, Coco Caliente! Excelsior!

Rusty G. Nutz

Though drag king action is fairly new to Santa Fe audiences, Mr. Nutz joins the fray with that campy, glampy goodness we all want from our drag performers. Things are popping off lately in that scene; here’s hoping it continues.

BEST GALLERY

Blue Rain Gallery

When a Railyard gallery shows Erin Currier, Preston Singletary, Tony Abeyta and so many more big names, people notice. Our readers certainly do. “It’s always a nice affirmation and barometer for how we’re doing,” says Executive Director Denise Phetteplace. “This is our 30th anniversary year…a nice time for us to take inventory of things.” Blue Rain now has a location in Durango, Colorado, too, but Santa Fe had ‘em first and loves ‘em harder.

544 S. Guadalupe St. (505) 954-9902

form & concept gallery

The Guadalupe Street mainstay has shown notable artists from Nikesha Breeze and Fawn Moss, to Alex C. Clark, Tigre Mashaal-Lively and more. Don’t forget about the film panels, live music and other events.

435 S. Guadalupe St. (505) 780-8312

KEEP Contemporary

Your one-stop downtown spot for lowbrow, no-brow, pop, punk, illustration, fine art, sculpture and more. We’re talking Nico Salazar, Katie Kidd, Micah Wesley, Zienna Brunsted Stewart—the list goes on and on, and it is just so very dope.

142 Lincoln Ave., (505) 557-9574

ALEX DE VORE

Raashan Ahmad

BEST HAPPY HOUR Cowgirl BBQ

Every weekday from 3-6 pm, you’ll find a massive slate of Happy Hour deals at the ol’ C-Girl, including all draft beers and well drinks, plus wines by the glass, seasonal drinks and food. Wings, sliders, sweet potato fries, guac, chili, nachos and more? Uh, yes, sign us up to save money while we’re going nuts on that stuff. You might also find live music, plus those tasty house margs.

319 S. Guadalupe St., (505) 982-2565

Dinner For Two

Dinner For Two has become quite the hotspot in recent years, what with its comfy patio, DJ events and specials. For its daily Happy Hour from 4-6 pm, find crab cakes, sliders, a truffle and oyster risotto, cocktails, dessert and more.

106 N. Guadalupe St., (505) 820-2075

Del Charro

According to the bartender we spoke with, “It’s always Happy Hour” at Del Charro. That speaks volumes to the hotel bar and restaurant’s commitment to affordable pricing for those staying on a temporary basis and those who live here.

101 W. Alameda St., (505) 954-0320

BEST HOTEL BAR La Reina - El Rey Court

This minimalist and mezcal-forward watering hole ingratiated itself with the locals so suddenly and so well that many are quick to forget it’s actually attached to a hotel. Find clever cocktails and two patios, plus lounging, hanging, queer nights, live music, pizza from Tender Fire Kitchen and more, all from a toned-down and comfortable space that caters to locals while making things accessible to our city’s visitors.

1862 Cerrillos Road, (505) 982-1931

La Fiesta Lounge - La Fonda

If you’ve ever wanted to catch a killer New Mexican meal and/or beer and cocktails while engaging with popular live music in one of the most historic

buildings in the city, La Fiesta Lounge has you covered.

100 E. San Francisco St., (505) 982-5511

Secreto LoungeHotel St. Francis

Though the indoor environs of this classy downtown hotel bar have changed over the years, its staff’s commitment to upscale drinks, mixology and ambiance have not. Come for the drinks and comestibles; stay for the people watching and comfort.

210 Don Gaspar Ave., (505) 983-5700

BEST INSTAGRAM FEED @skisantafe

With nearly 40,000 followers and a mission to show the best our city’s ski resort has to offer, Ski Santa Fe's social media people have been on fire as far back as anyone can remember. Catch glimpses of the season when snow’s afoot, or just swoon over the mountain vistas during warmer months for hikes or the fall chair lift. Even those who don’t hit that powpow will find lots to love. It’s plain gorgeous here.

@505localfoodie

Santa Fe social media lovers often cite this account as a colorful glimpse into our small city’s big food offerings. If you weren’t hungry before you hit the page, you’ll most certainly be after you do. In fact, let’s get something to eat ASAP.

@sfgolondrinas

This account offers intimate looks at the myriad things going down at the living history museum that is El Rancho de las Golondrinas. We’re talkin’ festivals and tours, food stuff, live music, events, happenings and more.

BEST LATE NIGHT HANGOUT

Boxcar

By the time you’re reading this, Boxcar should be well into operations at its now Plaza-adjacent location. “We’ve been working hard,” says co-owner Tate Mruz, “and it has a real nice feel.” Mruz wants Boxcar to be the place the service industry folks hang out after work. Of course, any tourists or other locals who get in on the drinks and

massive menu are welcome, too. Boxcar is open 'til midnight most days.

133 W. Water St., (505) 988-7222

The Matador

Now in its 16th year of hot dive bar action, everybody’s favorite subterranean spot for no-frills drinks is still as strong as ever. All hail the regulars, for sure, and say hey to the badass bartenders for us.

116 W. San Francisco St. (505) 501-9799

Evangelo’s

Don’t bother calling yourself a local until you’ve bellied up to the bar at Nick Klonis’ joint just as your favorite cover band starts. Whatever you do, don’t ask for Bud, and don’t try to pay with a card. Be cool, man, God.

200 W. San Francisco St. evangeloscocktaillounge.com

BEST LECTURE SERIES

Santa Fe Institute

Santa Fe Institute’s big thinkers said goodbye to author Cormac McCarthy this year, but he’s just one of hundreds of people who make the organization tick. The theoretical research center is all about uncovering and understanding the complexity of our universe. As its website explains, free lectures range “from cutting-edge research insights to the nature of human creativity.” We feel smarter already.

1399 Hyde Park Road, (505) 984-8800

El Rancho de las Golondrinas

One of Santa Fe’s favorite museums orchestrates some of our voters’ very favorite speakers, with lectures taking place at the St. Francis Auditorium. If you’d like to learn, ponder or otherwise evolve, attending these talks can help.

334 Los Pinos Road, (505)471-2261

Lannan Foundation

Though this organization devoted to cultural freedom and diversity announced plans last year to close by 2032 and wrapped its "Readings and Conversations" series last year, most past programs are available online.

313 Read St., (505) 986-8160

COURTESY @SKISANTAFE / INSTAGRAM

BEST MARKET/ FESTIVAL

Santa Fe Farmers’ Market

Whereas a larger city might host the type of market that always features distance between growers and customers, Santa Fe’s intimate take on the freshest foods is all about community. You get to know the people behind the stalls and the satisfaction of knowing you’re going to eat something amazing. Take note of the market’s SNAP benefits, too, while you’re thinking about how many local chefs are devotees of this market.

1607 Paseo de Peralta, (505) 983-4098

Indian Market

What’s not to love about the largest gathering of Indigenous creatives in the world? In addition to the countless opportunities to expand your collection, think of the lectures, parties, panels and music organized by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. This year’s market runs Aug. 19-20 on and around the Plaza.

121 Sandoval St., Ste. 302 (505) 983-5220

International Folk Art Market

For the first time ever this year, the market for international artists left Museum Hill for the Railyard. The organization reports a great outcome and plans to use the location again.

620 Cerrillos Road, (505) 992-7600

BEST MC Wolfman Jack

A founding member of Santa Fe’s Outstanding Citizens Collective, Wolfman Jack (aka Dylan Delgado) tells SFR he didn’t expect to win this accolade. “I mean, it’s obviously a huge honor and I’ve been doing this for 19 years, so recognition feels great,” he explains. “I’m blessed to be with the Outstanding Citizens in a team that really gives back to the hip-hop community.” To learn more, hit up Outstanding Citizens Collective on bandcamp.com.

Prismatic Soul

A newer addition to the Outstanding Citizens, Prismatic Soul (aka Alexandria Hernandez) has one of the sickest flows going in hip-hop—in Santa Fe or any

place. Half of OCC offshoot duo Art of Rhyme, this woman needs to be in your playlists ASAP.

OG Willikers

Yet another OCC member to close out the MC category, Willikers is the beatmaker, the taskmaster, the driving force behind much of what the collective does. He’s got a dope style, too, and we regard him as kind of America’s sweetheart.

BEST MOVIE HOUSE

Violet Crown Cinema

Was there ever any doubt? This comfy megaplex screens the latest movies alongside short-run indies and classics, and has sweet beer and food menus.

“We’re so grateful to all the moviegoers who’ve supported Violet Crown so magnificently since we first opened,” says owner Bill Banowsky. “It’s what caused me to move here permanently…and it caused me to continue to invest my time and resources into the Railyard.”

1606 Alcaldesa St. (505) 216-5678

Jean Cocteau Cinema

Though George R.R. Martin’s theater has been more about live events lately, you can still catch one-offs and special screenings. Did y’all catch how it featured Jennifer’s Body, Nightmare on Elm Street 2 and The Babadook during Pride last month? Brilliant.

418 Montezuma Ave., (505) 466-5528

Lensic Performing Arts Center

How can a place that only plays a few movies a year keep making this list? We love the Lensic’s commitment to Santa Fe arts, so we’ll let it slide. Do you like the Banff Mountain Film Fest this much? You do?

211 W. San Francisco St., (505) 988-1234

BEST MUSEUM Museum of International Folk Art

With folklorist Charlie Lockwood coming on as the museum’s new executive director last May, there might not be a better time to re-learn why Santa Fe

loves MoIFA so hard. The still-running Yokai exhibit on Japanese demon lore can provide your first clues, as can Ghhúunayúkata/To Keep Them Warm: The Alaska Native Parka. Don’t forget about special events and lectures, too, plus regularly free access for locals.

706 Camino Lejo, (505) 476-1204

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

The monument to arguably the most famous woman artist of our time plans to build bigger digs soon, which means expanded focus and better action for both visitors and Santa Feans alike. Don’t sleep on the Abiquiú outpost.

217 Johnson St., (505) 946-1000

New Mexico History Museum

A cavalcade of items fills the state repository of history across roaming exhibits, pop-ups, special events and, right next door, the literal Palace of the Governors, where folks like Lew Wallace once helped shape our city and state.

113 Lincoln Ave., (505) 476-5200

BEST NONPROFIT FOR THE ARTS

El Rancho de las Golondrinas

The living history museum's aim includes preservation of traditional Spanish Colonial art. “It’s a testament to everything we do at Golondrinas that we’ve been able to consistently place in at least three categories,” says Director of Development Jackie Camborde. “It’s a testament to our fanbase, our staff and volunteers—to the people who just love El Rancho de las Golondrinas.”

334 Los Pinos Road, (505) 471-2261

Museum of International Folk Art

Let the capitalist gallerists and snooty academics worry about art as a commodity and/or prestige position for the privileged. The rest of us will be busy checking out cool shows that democratize the arts to beautiful results.

706 Camino Lejo, (505) 473-1204

Santa Fe Art Institute

Across numerous residencies, podcasts, initiatives and public engagement projects, the little nonprofit that still calls the Midtown Campus home has

TIRA HOWARD PHOTAGRAPHY

Santa Fe Playhouse

created a name for itself as one of the most vital and intriguing arts organizations around.

1600 St. Michael’s Drive, #31 (505) 424-5050

BEST OUTDOOR VENUE

Santa Fe Opera

The Santa Fe Opera’s Crosby Theater is an impossibly beautiful space that has impressed folks of all stripes with its open air stage and breathtaking terraces. If you’ve been, you know; if not, get on that ASAP. “We’re thrilled, we’re honored, we’re delighted,” says Opera General Director Robert K. Meya about the win. “There’s a mood here that’s so upbeat, so excited to be back doing what everyone loves to do.”

301 Opera Drive, (505) 986-5900

Santa Fe Railyard

The new Lensic360 program has a doozy of a summer season lined up for the public space, and with the breweries and coffee joints and ice cream parlors lining the streets, of course we love it so much we hold our Best of Santa Fe Party here on July 28. See you there! Market and Alcaldesa streets (505) 982-3373

Santa Fe Bandstand

The Plaza bandstand in the heart of the city provides space not just for public speaking and community gatherings, but for the fully free Summer Bandstand series, also from the Lensic360 people. Neat, right?

100 Old Santa Fe Trail

BEST PERFORMING ARTS VENUE

Lensic Performing Arts Center

“Obviously we feel like the Lensic is a jewel of the community, but we’re just happy this is a place people feel comfortable,” says Lensic Executive Director Joel Aalberts. “Everyone has a distinctive Lensic experience…and there is so much to come.” From shows like The Pixies and Weird Al, to John Waters, comedy, classical music, international superstars and more, we

might even say the Lensic stands at the height of its powers.

211 W. San Francisco St. (505) 988-1234

Santa Fe Opera

If it was good enough for RBG, it’s good enough for you. The Santa Fe Opera hadn’t even kicked off its 2023 season when it announced its 2024 shows. This year we've gloried in classics from Wagner to Puccini, plus lesser-performed works, and the city is gearing up for another world-class program next summer.

301 Opera Drive, (505) 986-5900

Meow Wolf Santa Fe

It’s not just about the bands and DJs in the concert space at Meow Wolf. Find performers roaming its hallowed halls every dang day, not to mention plenty of drag and other weirdo arts types.

1352 Rufina Circle, (505) 395-6369

BEST THEATER GROUP

Santa Fe Playhouse

Now more than a century old, the longest continually running theater west of the Mississippi has upped its game under the watchful eyes of Robyn Rikoon, Colin Hovde and Kent Kirkpatrick. “I mean, it feels great, man,” Rikoon, the Playhouse artistic director who recently directed the much-lauded Sweat, tells SFR. “We’ve been working super-hard on our practices and our product and… yeah, it just feels really good.”

142 E. De Vargas St., (505) 988-4262

Teatro Paraguas

A Midtown bastion for locally created theater, plus poetry and stuff for the kids, Paraguas provides an emphasis on accessibility, both in terms of physical space, but also language and opportunity. Brag about this program when you visit other places.

3205 Calle Marie, (505) 424-1601

New Mexico Actors Lab

Theater pro Robert Benedetti is behind this much-loved theater. It’s so important, in fact, that Hugh Jackman sent ‘em $15,000 earlier this year just to keep it real (not kidding). Clearly, they’re up to something good over there.

1213 Parkway Drive, (505) 395-6576

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BUSINESS SERVICES

BEST ACCOUNTANT Swain and Grieco

In a new category for this year’s poll, Santa Feans chose Swain and Grieco as their favorite accountants.

Michael Swain founded this firm in 1985, and partner Anthony Grieco joined in 2008. They treat their clientele as business partners and offer personalized strategies to meet all your financial needs. “We’re flattered and glad that people regard us so highly, and we hope we can continue to meet their expectations,” Swain says in a phone call.

2050 Botulph Road, Ste. A (505) 988-3770

Jordan, CPA, P.C.

Having money mishaps? Tobie Jordan founded her practice in 2006. Since then, she has offered a slew of invaluable services, including full-charge bookkeeping, credit card reconciliations, pesky tax matters and QuickBooks-related issues. Basically, she does it all.

4001 Office Court Drive, Ste. 401 (505) 473-2662

Jim Colombo, CPA

Jim Colombo has been a Santa Fean since 1990 and opened his own office in 2002. He specializes in tax matters related to individual returns, estates and trusts, and his small staff and full-service business model ensure personalized assistance.

1424 Paseo de Peralta (505) 983-9000

BEST AUTO DETAILING

Squeaky Clean Car Wash

That new-car sheen doesn’t last forever. Sooner or later, life happens: you scrape something, a crazy ex keys a door, things get spilled on the seats. There are, however, people at this car wash who will make you forget those things ever happened. Get a deep cleaning, exterior wax or seat scrub to restore your car to its former glory, inside and out. And who wouldn’t want a free car wash on their birthday?

3931 Cerrillos Road, (505) 474-4320

Eclipse Window Tinting & Auto Detailing

The Eclipse crew has been around for almost 30 years now and has been spiffing up rides and tinting windows all along. Still, you can expect them to make your car look brand new.

2217 Cerrillos Road (505) 438-1168

Eldorado Auto Detailing

Jaime Catalan and his team are friendly and dedicated to an honest attention to detail when it comes to your car, truck or van. This is the perfect choice for those who live in the Santa Fe suburb.

1 Caliente Road, Eldorado (505) 919-8043

BEST BODY SHOP Mena’s Coachworks

There’s a joy in seeing an old or otherwise clapped-out car restored to look brand new, even if you don’t consider yourself a car person. The I-CAR-trained technicians at Mena’s

will bring your European and domestic classics back to life with their high-quality paint jobs and body work. Don’t have a super-expensive supercar that needs to be fixed? They’ll work on that baby anyway, with all the same elite attention to detail.

3360 Lopez Lane (505) 471-9037

Top Gun Collision

While it might not be Maverick or Goose, you can rely on one of Top Gun’s certified technicians to refurbish your ride in a jiffy with their high-caliber workmanship, no matter the make and model.

31 Paseo de River (505) 471-0212

Muñoz Customs Paint & Body

The exterior of the shop puts off a cool old-school vibe, and Muñoz Customs has the skills to take just as much care of your fresh fenderbenders as well as they do with your ol’ reliable for a long-overdue pick-me-up.

1285 Clark Road (505) 570-0921

BEST CAR REPAIR

Mike’s Garage

Ray Griego and his team have topped the list once again at the auto shop named after Ray’s uncle. Their state-of-the-art equipment and dazzling reputation ensure they meet all of your Subaru needs in this city, which seems to run primarily on Foresters and Outbacks. Plus, fast and same-day service means you can skip the wait and join your Subaru brethren back on the road as soon as possible.

1501 Fifth St. (505) 983-6577

The Auto Angel

Gabriel Garcia is proof enough that angels are real. Not only does he collect donations for the Food Depot and host The Rusty Nuts on KSWV— he and his crew of master technicians will give your car that heavenly glow.

3140 Cerrillos Road (505) 424-3899

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Mena's Coachworks

KELLI JOHANSEN

BUSINESS SERVICES

Toy Auto Man

Japanese cars receive specialized service from the crew that has been in the Toyota and Lexus repair business for some time now, and to great success. Why not go to the experts?

4774 Airport Road, (505) 983-9463

BEST CAR WASH

Squeaky Clean Car Wash

After all the repairs and detailing, you might feel like your car needs that special final touch. Owner Jay Ritter and his team make sure your trip is worth it. With more than a dozen services included in packages with names like “Viva Las Vegas,” “Mountain of Love” and “Cloud Nine,” you (and your car) will leave this place feeling a little more fancy than usual.

3931 Cerrillos Road, (505) 474-4320

Speedy Shine Express Car Wash

This car wash’s name speaks for itself, we think. Quick and quality service is of supreme importance for the busybodies among us, and honestly, who isn’t one these days? We also think its car logo is cute.

3006 Cerrillos Road, (505) 405-1450

Oilstop Drive Thru Oil Change & Car Wash

Maybe you’ve been putting off these two minor yet very necessary car chores for longer than you’d like to admit. Why not get them done at the same time? Friendly staff is always a plus.

3561 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-2323

BEST COMMERCIAL CONTRACTOR

Sarcon Construction Corporation

Sarcon has been building up Santa Fe for as long as it’s been building its wonderful reputation as the locals’ choice contractor. With the Santa Fe Opera and The Food Depot listed as just a couple of many accomplishments on its résumé, working with this contractor is sure to satisfy your building needs with that same supe -

rior quality, whether you’re looking for custom designs, additions or renovations, residential or commercial.

2044 Galisteo St., Ste. 1 (505) 474-4700

R.L Lockwood Construction

Take a look at Lockwood’s website to see some of the many rustic modern, Santa Fe and Southwest Asian hybrid homes this firm has designed. They’re the kind of homes people would point at and say “wow” if they saw them.

406 Botulph Lane, (505) 982-1861

LM Construction & Mechanical

Whether commercial or residential, this firm specializes in remodels and offers a long list of services including some that you may not have already thought of, like repiping, restuccoing, staining, landscaping and mini split installations.

3225 Richards Lane, Ste. 2B (505) 988-4663

BEST COMPUTER AND IT SERVICES

Capitol Computer & Network Solutions

Modern technology comes with all sorts of arcane problems that only techy wizards can solve, like computers making garbage disposal sounds and flashing alarmingly bright colors. The team at Capitol has over 100 years of combined experience and is always ready to handle any technical problem. “We are proud and privileged to serve our community,” owner Stephen Resnick tells SFR.

1807 Second St., Ste. 100 (505) 216-1108

Dotfoil

Or you could have the pros come straight to you. Dotfoil offers at-home services, so you won’t even have to touch your scary-looking, poltergeistinfested computer until after it gets its high-tech exorcism from these experts.

851 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 954-9955

Santa Fe Computer Works

Small and locally owned for over 25 years means these technicians will pay extra close attention to your

computer problems, which in turn means your computer gone phut will be repaired faster than you can say “Error 404.”

1214 Camino Carlos Rey, Ste. 2 (505) 471-5211

BEST FINANCIAL ADVISOR

Del Norte Credit Union

What you do with your money is your business, but let’s be honest, there are some financial decisions where “winging it” won’t get you very far. The advisors at Del Norte are the community’s number-one choice for planning out retirement, wealth management and investing strategies, and from what we can tell, these folks do a pretty good job at it. They also do a good job at giving back, donating almost $100,000 last year.

3286 Cerrillos Road

510 N. Guadalupe St., Ste. A/B (505) 988-3628

State Employees

Credit Union

SECU offers specialized financial advice for all ranges of life, so whether you’re getting ready to buy a house, financing a car or planning

to retire, they can help you to take the next step.

813 St. Michael’s Drive 4920 Promenade Blvd. (505) 983-7328

Nusenda Credit Union

Santa Feans really like their credit unions. Secure excellent advice from these folks, especially about how to plan the perfect retirement. Now with three branches, including on the Southside, there’s a location convenient to everyone, everywhere.

1710 St. Michael’s Drive 502 N. Guadalupe St. 5621 Herrera Drive (505) 467-6000

BEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

Del Norte Credit Union

You won’t find much moneyrelated drama here. The positive effect that this bank has on the community is immediately apparent in its locally based outreach programs, grants and scholarships—making it feel less like a bank and more like a community-run initiative.

According to its website, DCNU is not about credit maximization but “improving lives while balancing longterm sustainability (earnings and net worth) with member, community, and regulatory requirements,” and that sounds pretty good to us.

3286 Cerrillos Road 510 N. Guadalupe St., Ste. A/B (505) 988-3628

State Employees Credit Union

You don’t have to be a state employee to access the good interest rates and member benefits at this credit union, and your membership means your hard-earned moolah is invested right back into your community.

813 St. Michael’s Drive 4920 Promenade Boulevard (505) 983-7328

Guadalupe Credit Union

GCU dates back to 1948, when it served the parishioners of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Santa Fe. They place an emphasis on financial empowerment and encourage members of all ages to ask any questions they may have.

3601 Mimbres Lane (505) 982-8942

BEST INSURANCE AGENT

Garrett Seawright (State Farm)

Pirate? Sea captain? No, he’s an extra tall insurance agent—second-generation, to be precise. But we still think Seawright is pretty cool. Go with the agent who will treat you like his own next-door neighbor. Friendly and local means you’ll be happy with your quote, so if it’s auto insurance, homeowner’s insurance or all the rest of the litany of insurances that you’re looking for, you only have to find his beacon-like white smile.

1441 Paseo de Peralta, Ste. C (505) 982-5433

James Armijo (State Farm)

Colleagues and competitors sweep this category, so just know that Armijo has to offer all the same State Farm insurance stuff and that same good-hearted service that’ll make you smile.

901 W. Alameda, (505) 982-4412

Bryan Doerner (State Farm)

We promise we’re not in cahoots with State Farm, it’s just that Doerner is another one of those local superstar agents who are ready to help you whenever you feel ready to drive safe.

1341 Pacheco St., (505) 930-5210

Capitol Computer & Network Solutions

BEST LODGING

La Fonda on the Plaza

This historic Harvey House is so famous that now it even has its own documentary. It’s the only hotel situated on the Plaza, which means guests get the best access to everything in town. Plus, the La Fiesta lounge, Bell Tower rooftop bar and an unforgettable breakfast burrito next to the fountain at La Plazuela are the real winners.

100 E. San Francisco St. (505) 982-5511

El Rey Court

This hotel on old Route 66 is eclectic in the best possible way: its Turquoise Trailer food truck, live music at La Reina bar and seasonally heated outdoor pool await the outgoing traveler. Pets are welcome!

1862 Cerrillos Road, (505) 982-1931

Hotel Santa Fe

These downtown suites have that distinct Santa Fe panache due largely to

the fact that this hotel is the only Native American-owned hotel in the whole city. Come for the food, stay for the spa.

1501 Paseo de Peralta (855) 825-9876

BEST MOVERS Delancey Street Moving School

It’s hard not to love a moving company that doubles as a self-help organization. The employees are all seeking out a better life after recovering from substance abuse or leaving prison, so they are serious about the "school" part. Proceeds go directly to the Delancey Street Foundation, which continues to support their recovery. “Our main focus is to bring stability into the lives of others,” manager Conner Patel tells SFR. Hwy. 94, Ohkay Owingeh (505) 852-4291

Two Men and a Truck

As maybe one of the most iconic tothe-point business names out there, these guys will simplify the moving process for you while treating you as

kindly as they would their own grandma (We’re not joking—look it up).

7537 Old Airport Road, Apt. B (505) 273-3628

Zen Movers

Does the thought of moving disrupt your inner flow whenever you close your eyes? Let these friendly local zen folk carry away all of your moving troubles so you can have that sweet, sweet peace of mind.

875 1, 2 W. San Mateo Road (505) 690-1995

BEST STORAGE FACILITY

A-1 Self Storage

You know how you start collecting things and they eventually explode into even bigger things? That doesn’t mean you have to get rid of them all. Rest easy that your precious overflow will be quite comfortable in one of A-1's five clean, safe and climate-controlled storage units in the area. This is the ninth win in a row for the excellent stor-

age facility that Santa Feans seem to count on.

1591 San Mateo Lane, (505) 983-8038

2000 Pinon St., (505) 988-2985

1311 Clark Road, (505) 471-8911

1224 Rodeo Road, (505) 474-0921

Santa Fe Self Storage

With three family-owned and -operated locations in the neighborhood, you don’t have to think twice about going to the one closest to you. Twentyfour-hour surveillance and coded gate entries provide top-tier security so you don’t have to worry.

1501 Third St., (505) 983-6600

3064 Agua Fría St., (505) 473-2222

7521 Old Airport Road, (505) 471-2004

Wilson Transfer & Storage

This company is almost 100 years old and started out with just two horses and two wagons. Fast-forward to today, and it is still dedicated to transporting your goods and keeping them safe for an affordable price.

1201 Siler Road (505) 471-6611

BEST TIRE SHOP

Big O Tires

This place will make you feel like getting new tires is an exclusive experience, thanks to its legendary crew. The Big O has been around long enough to have developed a little pocket of people who are picky about who does their tires, and with their many ongoing specials and free multi-point inspections, it isn’t too hard to see why.

3153 Cerrillos Road (505) 428-9800

Garcia Tire

Quality service doesn’t have to be far from home (We're guessing it would be difficult to get very far with a flat tire or missing a spare). This locally owned spot does world-class work. 5984 Airport Road, (505) 473-9715

Amigo Tire

Amigo has been in the business for more than 30 years, and that’s before most of your cars even had blueprints. Tires are their game, but they’re small enough to know friends by their names.

1901 Cerrillos Road (505) 984-0900

KELLI JOHANSEN

BEST BEVERAGE

Best Daze

Best Daze swept every category in the Cannabis section this year, including this new category. The family-owned company offers a decent selection of primarily lemonades because, according to co-owner Eli Goodman, the citric acid serves as a good preservative. But Best Daze also stocks horchata, teas and coffee quaffs. All beverages use nanoemulsion to ensure all of that THC goodness is consumed instead of sticking to the inside of the bottle in an oily mess.

820 Mercer St. 4641 Airport Road

7 Avenida Vista Grande, Ste. D1

128 W. Palace Ave. (505) 585-4937

Endo

Endo came out of the gates strong with its opening in 2022. It offers Karma brand lemonades, which include flavors such as lavender and prickly pear. Potency levels also range from 100mg per bottle to 300mg per bottle for medical cannabis patients.

2903 Agua Fría St. (505) 477-3636

Kure

Kure has three locations to choose from, one of which is a drive-thru. WYNK brand seltzers and potent bottles of Tiki Juice from Mountain Top Extracts are among beverages that helped land Kure on top.

220 N. Guadalupe St. (505) 930-5339

3354 Cerrillos Road (505) 471-4507

628 Old Las Vegas Hwy. (505) 466-6169

BEST BUDTENDER

Emilio Nava, Best Daze

Budtenders are the frontline experts for weed newbs and old-timers alike. Nava must be doing something right, because not only did he win first place, but he’s also moving

up in the ranks over at Best Daze. Within two years, he’s gone from budtender to store manager at the Airport Road spot to retail coordinator for all of the company’s stores, which makes things a little bittersweet for Nava fans.

820 Mercer St. 4641 Airport Road

7 Avenida Vista Grande, Ste. D1 128 W. Palace Ave. (505) 585-4937

Rush Clinger

Fruit of the Earth Organics

Clinger has been at the job for upwards of eight years and has a reputation for being uber-knowledgeable about all things plants, says owner Lyra Barron. “People come to him from all over because of all of his knowledge,” Barron says.

901 Early St., (505) 310-7917

Marcos Barela

High Desert Relief Managers at High Desert Relief describe Barela as charming and patient with customers who have questions. The Santa Fe local has been with the company for two

years and was instrumental in setting up its Santa Fe location.

5041 Main St., #102 (505) 750-0608

BEST CANNABIS PRODUCT

Best Daze

Not one to downplay the operation, Best Daze co-owner Eli Goodman is quick to deem the company’s flower “the best weed in Santa Fe.” He says growers put a lot of effort and care into making sure each strain has a unique flavor profile and “big, frosty buds.” The company also offers stubby “Dog Walkerz” prerolls to boot—perfect for COVID-safe sessions with one joint per mouth.

820 Mercer St. 4641 Airport Road

7 Avenida Vista Grande, Ste. D1 128 W. Palace Ave. (505) 585-4937

Endo

The folks over at Endo have been working diligently toward getting their own crops out on their shelves.

In the meantime, co-owner Ian Aarons has been focused on curating buds from local growers, such as Lava Leaf Organics out of Aztec.

2903 Agua Fría St., (505) 477-3636

Kure

This tri-location dispensary has a long list of strains from various growers to choose from. Find the familiar: Panama Red, Sundae Driver and OG Kush; or shop for unique varieties including Madrid Heirloom and Lemon Cheese Quake.

220 N. Guadalupe St. (505) 930-5339

3354 Cerrillos Road (505) 471-4507

628 Old Las Vegas Hwy. (505) 466-6169

BEST CBD PRODUCT

Best Daze

As CBD products fill the shelves of corporate pharmacies, companies such as Best Daze offer reassurances this stuff isn’t snake oil. The stores stock 1:1 CBD gummies, lotions,

Best Daze

KELLI JOHANSEN

salves and creams for fans of the entourage effect—or the tag team action CBD and THC do on the body. But shoppers can also find those same products with straight-up CBD for those who don’t want anything to do with THC.

820 Mercer St. 4641 Airport Road

7 Avenida Vista Grande, Ste. D1 128 W. Palace Ave. (505) 585-4937

Fruit of the Earth Natural Health

Sure, you can find some high quality CBD products at Fruit of Earth’s dispensary. But this shop also has a whole dang separate store for the true hemp heads. Looking for some CBD for your pets? They’ve got you covered.

909 Early St.(505) 820-0058

Kure

There’s clearly a trend here, since Kure has placed in numerous categories. The dispensary offers several different methods of CBD delivery, whether it be a drop of honey in your tea or a soothing cucumber mint topical.

220 N. Guadalupe St.,(505) 930-5339

3354 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-4507

628 Old Las Vegas Hwy. (505) 466-6169

BEST CBD SHOP

Best Daze

Technically, Best Daze sells way more than just CBD. But it should be evident by now that this business holds a place in many Santa Feans’ hearts since they swept every single category this year. Head honcho Eli Goodman says it’s thanks to the devoted customers and patients that Best Daze beat out the slew of non-weed shops in the City Different that sell only CBD products.

820 Mercer St. 4641 Airport Road

7 Avenida Vista Grande, Ste. D1

128 W. Palace Ave. (505) 585-4937

Fruit of the Earth Natural Health

Fruit of the Earth made sure to separate its CBD shop from its medical and recreational-use cannabis operation. Knowledgeable staff will help you find what you need, plus there’s a ton of other goods and gifts to shop for.

909 Early St., (505) 310-7917

Kure

Kure, obviously popular among read -

ers, also stocks a wide range of CBD products. The downtown and Eldorado locations have inviting waiting rooms, but if you need relief on the go, there’s also a Southside drive-thru spot.

220 N. Guadalupe St. (505) 930-5339

3354 Cerrillos Road (505) 471-4507

628 Old Las Vegas Hwy. (505) 466-6169

BEST DISPENSARY

Best Daze

The New Mexico cannabis veteran has four locations around town. It was one of the first shops on the Southside and now has a brand-new spot about a block from the Plaza. All locations are fully stocked and have knowledgeable staff behind the counter. Their lobbies are spacious, well-lit and inviting. We know dispensaries are popping up rapidly around town; we kind of like the idea that Best Daze is everywhere.

820 Mercer St. 4641 Airport Road

7 Avenida Vista Grande, Ste. D1

128 W. Palace Ave. (505) 585-4937

Fruit of the Earth Organics

Look for the bright green paint to find your way to Fruit of the Earth, with operations partitioned into different buildings. Medical patients have their own entrance to make things more welcoming. Check out the event space with a stage in the back.

901 Early St., (505) 310-7917

Endo

This family-run joint has a relaxed entryway, making things stress-free for newcomers. The owners put a lot of work into their computer system to make transactions easy and straightforward, whether you’re paying with a card or cash.

2903 Agua Fría St., (505) 477-3636

BEST EDIBLE

Best Daze

Best Daze has so many varieties and flavors, Willy Wonka himself would be impressed. Gummy flavors include huckleberry, pear and blood orange. Try the green chile taffy to keep that unique flavor train going. Shops also carry other confections such as krispy treats, brownies and cookies. Edibles usually have a well-earned reputation for taking forever to kick in, so the fastacting gummies are a welcome option.

820 Mercer St. 4641 Airport Road

7 Avenida Vista Grande, Ste. D1 128 W. Palace Ave. (505) 585-4937

Fruit of the Earth Organics

It wouldn’t be a New Mexico dispensary without the options over at Fruit of the Earth, such as red chile piñon chocolates and cactus jellies. This operation has a reputation for being picky about what goes into their products as well.

901 Early St., (505) 310-7917

Endo

Besides various types and flavors of gummies and chocolate, Endo also has Cheeba Chews, which are delicious little nuggets of, well, chewy goodness. If the smell and taste of fresh baked goodies is more of your jam, try the cookie dough.

2903 Agua Fría St., (505) 477-3636

FOOD & DRINK

BEST ARTISAN CHOCOLATE

Kakawa Chocolate House

Even in a category mostly associated with boxed chocolates (and this establishment’s truffles, caramels, dipped chiles and other assorted solid treats are as delicious as they are visually satisfying), we have to take a moment for the magic of Kakawa’s hot chocolate. With proprietor Bonnie Bennett’s attention to the sacred history of cacao ceremonies and a texture so thick you’ll think an entire chocolate bar was melted into your cup, these elixirs are unmissable.

1050 Paseo de Peralta

(505) 982-0388

851 W. San Mateo Road

(505) 930-5968

1300 Rufina Circle, Ste. A4 (505) 930-5460

Señor Murphy

Those walls of sparkling and sugardusted candy offerings are enough to overwhelm the kid inside all of us. So, take this advice: It’s all about the piñon, be it in brittle, fudge, rolls, toffees, chocolate-dipped tortugas or simply plain chile-dusted.

177 Paseo de Peralta, Ste. A (505) 780-5179

100 E. San Francisco St. (505) 982-0461

4250 Cerrillos Road (505) 467-8590

30 Buffalo Thunder Trail (505) 819-2151

Jornada Chocolates

The new chocolatiers on the Eldorado block have already won your hearts in a few short months with their white chocolate yuzu, 72% Peruvian truffles and gilded red chile treats—all served up alongside co-owner Betsy Barker’s cheerful ceramics.

7 Caliente Road, (505) 466-6915

BEST ASIAN RESTAURANT

Izanami

Not only is Izanami the undisputed Izakaya champion for its extensive sake offerings, shrimp tempura and

prime wagyu beef ishiyaki, cooked right at the table, we firmly believe that everyone driving up the mountain to visit Ten Thousand Waves secretly pretends they’re stepping into the world of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away as soon as those paper lanterns float into view. You know you’ve got some Chihiro fantasies to live out at the bathhouse.

21 Ten Thousand Waves Way (505) 982-9304

Paper Dosa

Paper Dosa continues to blow us away with its paper-thin quesadilla-like wraps, ranging from the traditional South Indian (roasted lentils and chutney) to the thoroughly local (jack, cheddar and New Mexico chile).

551 W. Cordova Road, (505) 930-5521

Jinja Bar & Bistro

In addition to offering some of the most mouthwatering Singapore noodles we’ve ever encountered (rice noodles topped with char sui barbecue pork, bell peppers, sprouts, egg and crunchy peanuts),

Jinja’s just one of those places that always feels welcoming.

510 N. Guadalupe St., (505) 982-4321

BEST BBQ

The Ranch House

What would we do without Josh Baum's chile and honey-glazed ribs to remind us that we needn’t travel to a red state to experience the joys of properly smoked red meat? And don’t let the upscale feel fool you: Those thick, drippy sauces will have you animalistically diving into your plate in true two-handed BBQ fashion in no time. Use some of the cornbread to wipe yourself clean, and stride out with pride.

2571 Cristo’s Road, (505) 424-8900

Cowgirl BBQ

The C-girl isn’t just a bar, or a barbecue joint. It’s an institution—and one that’s currently celebrating its 30th year of bringing deservedly beloved branding iron barbecue chicken and butternut squash casse -

role to the good people of Santa Fe.

319 S. Guadalupe St., (505) 982-2565

Whole Hog Cafe

For many of us who grew up under Whole Hog’s barbecue tutelage, that volcano sauce kept exclusively at the counter for the bravest of heart (and tongue) became a rite of passage into the painful delights of adult BBQ fandom.

320 S. Guadalupe St., (505) 474-3375

BEST BREAD

Sage Bakehouse

If you haven’t yet joined the extensive ranks of the Sage Bakehouse fan club, you need only step inside and inhale that uniquely comforting smell of heating ovens and curing dough to become a convert. Sage’s loaves are the chewy, moist, airy delights that so many highaltitude Southwest bakers aspire to in vain, and whatever magic their bakers use to make their bread rise so beautifully, we’re all lucky to benefit from it.

535 Cerrillos Road, (505) 820-7243

The Bread Shop

KELLI JOHANSEN

Chocolate Maven

In addition to offering what we maintain is hands-down the best challah commercially available in Santa Fe, Chocolate Maven’s country oat and wheat loaf is a textural delight for all those who crave a little chewiness in their morning toast.

821 W. San Mateo Road (505) 984-1980

The Bread Shop

We loaf an underdog story, and the Bread Shop’s speedy rise through the bakery ranks warms our hearts like one of their freshly baked sesame seed mini baguettes. And for grain geeks, the spelt flour used here offers an extra bonus.

1703 Lena St., (505) 230-8421

BEST BREAKFAST

Clafoutis

If the abundant offerings of omelets, croques, crepes and (of course) French toast aren’t enough to tempt you to start your day here, just think of the combined delight and horror you’ll glean trying to pronounce “clafouti” before your first caffeine of the day. To be honest, we still don’t even know which syllable gets the emphasis. We just kinda mutter our way through, switch it up each time and hope nobody’s listening too carefully.

333 W. Cordova Road (505) 988-1809

The Pantry OG

Oh man, speaking of French toast—if you haven’t yet allowed yourself to wallow in the sugary joy of The Pantry’s famous cream cheese-stuffed and berry compote-drizzled version, consider this your sign from the universe to try this or a classic New Mexican breakfast.

1820 Cerrillos Road (505) 986-0022

Tia Sophia’s

Wherever you stand on the story of the breakfast burrito’s origins, anywhere with such a direct claim to the iconic local fast breaker’s lineage is pretty synonymous with this category. It’s all about the potato-to-egg ratio, people.

210 W. San Francisco St. (505) 983-9880

BEST BURGER

Santa Fe Bite

A true Santa Fe resurrection story, new owners Armando Rivas and Angela Mason carry on the storied lineage of the original Bobcat Bite, where Chef Ahmed Obo’s unrelated Jambo Bobcat Bite reimagines and twists that much-missed haunt’s offerings.

Santa Fe Bite is, thus, the only spot in town to get the green chile-drenched burger so widely beloved that GQ once named it #12 on a list of “The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die.”

1616 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 428-0328

Shake Foundation

We know we’re here to talk about regular ol’ burgers, but Shake Foundation’s New Mexico shepherd’s lamb burger is good enough to make the most Shake Shack-obsessed city slickers sing the praises of our local response to that overrated chain.

631 Cerrillos Road (505) 988-8992

Second Street Brewery

For the uninitiated, the crowning glory of Second Street’s Original Alien Burger isn’t the melty relleno, or even the gorgeous dusting of blue corn, but the queso made with the house’s own stout.

1607 Paseo de Peralta, (505) 989-3278 2920 Rufina St., (505) 954-1068

BEST CAKES

The Chocolate Maven

Fellow carrot cake lovers, rejoice: This is a cake shop that truly caters to our veggie-fueled birthday desires. If the appeal of that moist, spice-heavy flavor somehow isn’t your jam (and if so, who hurt you?), the chocolate raspberry torte or tiramisu or tres leches should do the trick. But seriously, we’re obsessed with that thick layer of perfectly piped cream cheese frosting dusted with crushed walnuts topping their beautiful carrot-based confection.

821 W. San Mateo Road (505) 984-1980

Angel’s

Bakery

You all know by now that we go hard for this spot’s cinnamon rolls. So it’s no surprise that the rest of the town is wild for the cake-making talents of Martha Dominguez and the whole family-run team, too.

4350 Airport Road (505) 557-6156

Mille

Some occasions are simply too important for any American cake to suffice. Enter Mille—a café and bakery so supremely French, its namesake is a pâtisserie co-owner Marcel Remillieux’s grandparents owned in Corsica. Bon sang!

451 W. Alameda St. (505) 930-5492

BEST CATERING COMPANY

Walter Burke Catering

If you’ve ever been to a local wedding, conference or fundraiser with waiters so attentive they seemed to miraculously appear the moment you started jealously eyeing your neighbor’s peanut chicken skewer, those black-clad angels were almost certainly from Walter Burke Catering. Don’t get us wrong— the extensive and customizable menu offerings ranging from boxed lunches to full buffets are reliably delicious. But it’s the kind and tireless people serving the food who really shine.

1209 Calle de Commercio (505) 473-9600

KELLI JOHANSEN

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

YouthWorks

Speaking of the folks serving the food, YouthWorks’ chef Roo and consulting chef David Sundberg bring social justice to the kitchen, training local youth for culinary careers and offering certification programs while whipping up some widely touted Frito pies.

1505 Llano St., (505) 989-1855

What the Truck

Known particularly for their work feeding the stereotypically picky palates of on-set film industry personnel, the folks at What the Truck offer a full spectrum of casual to highfalutin’ fare, ranging from soft taco bars to European breakfast quiches.

7855 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 795-6651

BEST CHEF

Ahmed Obo - Jambo Cafe

The presence of the aforementioned and James Beard-nominated chef Obo is possibly the top culinary reason to be proud of being a Santa Fean. Obo has been making exquisitely cooked and truly nourishing dishes accessible to those of us without fancy restaurant money for 14 years now, and he’s won Best Chef among SFR readers for a sizable portion of that time. Taste his oxtail stew or cinnamon-dusted plantains to understand why.

2010 Cerrillos Road (505) 473-1269

Martín RiosRestaurant Martin

That’s right, jabronis—Santa Fe has multiple James Beard nominees currently killin’ it in the kitchen. Dive into some sous vide wagyu beef cheek followed by a “soft chocolate cylinder” that must be seen to be believed, and you’ll know why.

526 Galisteo St. (505) 820-0919

Fernando

Olea - Sazon

We have a winner! 2022's James Beard winner for Best Chef of the Southwest is the master of a mole recipe so complex and rich, there’s a mural on one wall of Sazon illustrating all of its dozens of ingredients.

221 Shelby St., (505) 983-8604

BEST COCKTAILS

Coyote Cantina

Let’s all raise our glasses to toast the City Different—which, in this case, means a refreshing blend of cranberries slowly macerated in vodka and orange liqueur before being shaken with a dash of citrus to create an elixir as fresh and tangy as the equally colorful sunset so easily watchable from that widely coveted rooftop. That is, if you can sneak, charm or elbow your way to an available al fresco table.

132 W. Water St. (505) 983-1615

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

In a shakeup from previous years, Tumbleroot bursts into a new Best of Santa Fe category with a slew of classic cocktails, powered by their own locally distilled liquors. An old-fashioned just hits differently when made with blue corn bourbon.

2791 Agua Fría St. (505) 303-3808

Santa Fe Spirits

For anyone out there who shares our twin obsessions with Southwest kitsch and gory flicks, we have to take this opportunity to shout out the Blood and Sand—Colkegan, apple brandy, orange, cherry cordial and sweet vermouth.

308 Read St. (505) 780-5906

7505 Mallard Way, Unit I (505) 467-8892

BEST COFFEE

Iconik

Particularly now that the new Red location has opened up on Cerrillos with its wall of live plants, natural light and abundant parking, Iconik offers some of the most reliable hangout spots around town—fuelled by delightfully potent espresso and excellent chai.

1600 Lena St., (505) 428-0996

314 S. Guadalupe St., (505) 428-0996

1366 Cerrillos Road, (505) 428-0669

Ohori’s

Ohori’s coffee is so foundational around the SFR offices that when we try to think of coffee as, like, an abstract Platonic ideal, the taste of Ohori’s classic dark roast comes to mind. Even writing about it makes our energy levels start to perk up a little bit. What we’re getting at is that this place brews something special. And, to many of us around town, it signifies more than just coffee.

505 Cerrillos Road, Ste. 103 (505) 982-9692

1098 ½ S. Saint Francis Drive (505) 982-9692

Java Joe’s

We love a local option for drivethrough coffee, and Java Joe’s Rodeo Road location is a savior during quick cross-town trips when caffeine supplies are running dangerously low. Plus a Southside location on Siler? Java Joe’s, you have our hearts.

2801 Rodeo Road, (505) 474-5282

1248 Siler Road, (505) 930-5763

BEST CROISSANTS

Clafoutis

The croissant represents the very best of oven-fresh goodness. It’s a multi-layered miracle of paper-thin dough carefully separated by pats of butter, which melt away into the folds as the croissant bakes. Plus, they're kind of a rite of passage for pastry chefs learning their craft, and the flaky, satin-soft triangles of bliss on offer at Clafoutis are downright divine. We recommend an accompanying latte into which bites of croissant can be spooned.

333 W. Cordova Road, (505) 988-1809

The Chocolate Maven

Are you picking up on the Maven love yet? If the multiple listings above weren’t enough to entice you straight to their door already, let us assure you that their croissant dough is delicate beyond your wildest dreams.

821 W. San Mateo Road (505) 984-1980

Mille

Mais bien sur, of course the French café would make the list of the town’s best

French pastries! It is as quintessential as a good Edith Piaf soundtrack and a night of vigorous lovemaking with, how you say, your tri-tined lover.

451 W. Alameda St., (505) 930-5492

BEST DESSERT

The Chocolate Maven

My goodness, Chocolate Maven! With such an extensive selection of desserts—from colonial cherry pies to Piccadilly lemon snap cookies and peanut butter fudge brownies purchasable by the bag—there really is a sweet offering for everyone. But from the number of times we’ve typed “Maven” now, we’re beginning to feel a bit like that scene in Being John Malkovich where Malkovich walks into a restaurant and all the diners are also him. Maven maven. Maven?...Maven.

821 W. San Mateo Road (505) 984-1980

Clafoutis

We often find ourselves slipping into a sugary torpor while wandering along the Clafoutis counters and trying to order. There are so many innovations on wheat and sugar with mysterious names waiting to be sampled, from tropéziennes to kougloff.

333 W. Cordova Road, (505) 988-1809

Dolina Bakery & Cafe

The classic cakes and pies on Dolina’s menu are uniformly delicious, but the most exciting treats here are the Eastern European specialties you just won’t find anywhere else—such as Dobos torte (a Hungarian sponge cake) and makos dios poppyseed cake.

402 N. Guadalupe St., (505) 982-9394

BEST FERMENTED FOOD OR DRINK

Rowley Farmhouse Ales

So, here’s the great thing about the fermented category as a whole: You can enjoy the buzz of humankind’s oldest high while feeling secure in the knowledge that your gut biome is benefitting from your desire to party. What a win-win, right? This holds especially true at Rowley, whose ales

offer the hoppy flavors your college self still craves through a microflora-friendly mixed-culture fermentation process your tummy will appreciate.

1405 Maclovia St., (505) 428-0719

HoneyMoon Brewery

Oh, HoneyMoon. Writing this entry makes us a little teary-eyed because your taproom has closed, but we rejoice in the knowledge that your kombucha brews are still bouncing around various shelves in the Santa Fe area. honeymoonbrewery.com (505) 303-3139

Barrio Brinery

Calling all lovers of the pickle juice jar swig and late night dill munching—Barrio Brinery offers the typical pickles you adore alongside locally flavored specialties such as the hot and spicy pickle with garlic and red chile.

1413 B W. Alameda St., (505) 699-9812

BEST FINE DINING

Geronimo

Geronimo achieves a near-impossible combination of mind- (and palate-) boggling gourmet food and genuinely welcoming atmosphere. We’re not sure if it’s the warm lighting, the supremely squishy chairs or just the charming staff, but there’s nowhere else in town where you can munch on wagyu beef carpaccio and tellicherry rubbed elk tenderloin while feeling as comfortable as you might in an old friend’s living room. Never change, Geronimo. We like you just as you are.

724 Canyon Road, (505) 982-1500

The Compound

Home to Santa Fe’s definitive schnitzel and the de facto favorite restaurant of much of Santa Fe’s most well-heeled Canyon Road strolling crowd, The Compound is a staple for anyone looking to recreate a “reservations at Dorsia” vibe.

653 Canyon Road, (505) 982-4353

Coyote Cafe & Rooftop Cantina

We’ve already sung the praises of Coyote Cafe’s cocktails. Now cast your eyes toward the food portion of the

menu and marvel over the likes of diver scallops (in this desert?) served over mascarpone arborio rice with passionfruit butter sauce.

132 W. Water St. (505) 983-1615

BEST FOOD TRUCK

Fusion Tacos

It’s no wonder Fusion has basically become the unofficial food truck of Santa Fe. The expanding franchise has carved out a niche that attracts two of our town’s most diametrically opposed

audiences—health food aficionados and fans of fast Mexican food. And if you’re overwhelmed by the options, just make sure you pick at least one item with birria (be it in the form of a quesadilla, pizza or birria-topped ramen cup).

5984 Airport Road, (505) 501-3677

502 Old Santa Fe Trail, (505) 316-2583 35 Fire Place, (505) 603-0665 4250 Cerrillos Road, (505) 303-3875

El Chile Toreado

Whether you’re a barbacoa boi or a buche (spicy pork stomach) bitch, you know you’re in good hands under the aegis of that iconic mustache/jalapeño logo at this James

Beard-nominated food truck. And with fresh-grilled veggie filling available too, your meatless mates are equally welcome.

807 Early St. (505) 500-0033

Craft Donuts

Take this as a reminder that sweet tooths are just as deserving of love and wheeled nosh purveyors as their more savory cousins in snacking. If Craft Donuts’ cinnamon roll donut doesn’t tempt you, why not build your own beignet?

502 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 490-9171

BEST FROZEN TREAT

La Lecheria

We never thought a dairy product would be such a strong source of our New Mexico pride until La Lecheria came along and opened our eyes to the possibilities—which include Java Joe’s coffee ice cream (delightfully intense and available year-round) and such seasonal flavor specialties as prickly pear margarita, avocado sorbet, butterscotch miso and sweet corn cones. Do you really need us to tell you to imagine the milkshake opportunities these offerings entail?

500 Market St., #110 (505) 428-0077

Paleta Bar

This regional franchise offers a whole suite of droolworthy Mexican-style fruit- or cream-based popsicles dipped in and topped with bonus goodies of your choice—think along the lines of crushed Fruity Pebbles or drizzles of powdered chile and chamoy.

2442 Cerrillos Road (505) 467-8137

Frogurt

Let’s get real for a moment here. There’s a specific puppy love that knows no better backdrop than a self-serve frozen yogurt parlor, and Frogurt’s constantly rotating flavor offerings hit just the right note.

2801 Rodeo Road, Ste. B-11 (505) 474-6336

JOY GODFREY

El Chile Toreado

BEST GLUTEN FREE

Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen

Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen is an obvious choice as the first restaurant to win in this brand-new category. After all, it boasts not only a full “greens and grains” menu section, powered almost entirely by brown rice—it also specializes in lunchtime paleo wraps (check out that Japchae Korean glass noodle stir fry) and yucca root flatbread pizzas in the evening, so delectable you won’t even notice the gluten is gone.

1512 Pacheco St., Building B (505) 795-7383

Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Café

Annapurna’s offers the kind of glutenfree fare we like best—hearty, grainfilled recipes that were never meant to contain wheat in the first place. Nourish those doshas with basmati bowls and quinoa medleys perfected with an eye to the ayurvedic.

1620 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 988-9688

Revolution Bakery

If, on the other hand, you’re a former gluten eater now craving the bakery treats you used to devour, Revolution has you covered with mock rye loaves, cookies, coffee cake and croissants, all baked without a trace of wheat flour.

418 Cerrillos Road (505) 346-2669

BEST INTERNATIONAL CUISINE

Paper Dosa

This does seem like a pretty perfect category for capturing the unique magic of Paper Dosa, doesn’t it? It’s not just a matter of mixing delicious South Asian street food classics like Chennai fried chicken and kale and onion pakora (essentially a form of onion rings) with local chile-fuelled fare—you’ll also find hints of Italian and more generally European influences hidden among the likes of the white truffle masala or caprese dosas.

551 W. Cordova Road (505) 930-5521

Izanami

If you’ve been a traditionalist in your trips up the mountain and stuck to more strictly Japanese offerings, you’re missing out on a full spectrum of continentally infused delicacies such as strawberry pavlova, shiso croquettes and asparagus wrapped with jamon.

21 Ten Thousand Waves Way (505) 982-9304

India House

Oh, India House. We’re here to sing the praises of your more innovative menu choices, in this case less a matter of combining different countries’ specialties than of creating culinary bridges between India’s vastly different Northern and Southern traditions.

2501 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-2651

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Piccolino

Piccolino offers a down-to-earth, palpably friendly variety of pasta worship (more Italian American than

Old World) that just can’t be found anywhere else in town, with classic checkered tablecloths perfect for concealing the sauce you’ll undoubtedly end up spilling on yourself before the meal is over. And those portions! We dream of the personal ceramic boats in which each bubbling, cheese-drenched helping of lasagna is so generously served up.

2890 Agua Fría St. (505) 471-1480

Andiamo!

In addition to having one of the most enjoyable names to write(!), Andiamo! boasts deliciously faithful renditions of traditional Italian classics, such as spaghetti aglio e olio with shrimp, penne with house-made lamb sausage and linguine puttanesca!

322 Garfield St. (505) 995-9595

Sassella

Chef Cristian Pontiggia isn’t just a born and raised Lombardy native—he’s so intensely Italian, he was even recognized by the country’s government as a Master Chef. One bite of his gorgeously shadowy squid ink pasta is enough to show you why.

225 Johnson St. (505) 982-6734

BEST LOCAL DISTILLERY

Santa Fe Spirits

Here’s the thing about that famous Colkegan whiskey: The folks at Santa Fe Spirits use mesquite instead of the more traditional peat to smoke the barley, leading to a distinctly Southwest vibe. No wonder it’s utilized in locally themed cocktails across town; that particular blend of flavors could only be the result of a true Englishman (Colin Keegan) moving to the high desert and seeking to combine the flavor profiles of two drastically different homelands.

308 Read St. (505) 780-5906

7505 Mallard Way, Unit I (505) 467-8892

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

Known particularly for its clear liquors, Tumbleroot boasts products so pure, they kept many of us stocked in locally produced hand sanitizer during those

Santa Fe Brewing Co.

first terrifying months of pandemic scarcity. Thanks for keeping us both tipsy and germ-free, Tumbleroot!

2791 Agua Fría St. (505) 303-3808

As Above, So Below Distillery (Altar Spirits)

The Railyard distillery might have gone through a recent name change, but the Crowley-infused ritualistic aesthetic powering its potent vodka, gin and aperitivo liqueurs keeps going just as strong as ever, thanks to Caley Shoemaker, co-founder and master distiller.

545 Camino de la Familia (505) 916-8596

BEST LOCALLY BREWED BEER

Santa Fe Brewing Co.

Is there any can more iconically Santa Fe than the SFBC’s classic yellow and red zia offering? While we’re especially partial to the All Ripe line of summery hard ciders (the strawberry is the perfect reward after an Aspen Vista hike), there’s really no way to go wrong here, whether you prefer the Chicken Killer barley wine, the Cholla Fizz seltzer or the classic NMX standard. Pop that local tab with pride.

35 Fire Place, (505) 424-3333

510 Galisteo St., (505) 780-8648

7 Caliente Road, Eldorado (505) 466-6938

Second Street Brewery

While we’re still mourning the loss of the OG Second Street location, we all ought to celebrate the Rufina Taproom for its quick rise to become one of the primary local music venues in the area—alongside its award-winning brown ale.

1607 Paseo de Peralta, Ste. 10 (505) 989-3278

2920 Rufina St. (505) 954-1068

Rowley Farmhouse Ales

Don’t you want to brag that your brew was prepared by a literal chemist?

Enter John Rowley and his scientifically perfected line of wild culture fermented stouts, IPAs, pale ales and ciders. All hail American-grown Chinook hops.

1405 Maclovia St. (505) 428-0719

BEST NEW MEXICAN RESTAURANT

La Choza

If you really need us to tell you about the top-notch local cuisine at La Choza, you’re either not from around here or haven’t braved the parking lot recently. In either case, let us remind you that all the hype is real. It’s not about fancy twists or innovative ingredients—it’s about taking time to perfect the simplest elements, from posole tender enough to melt on the spoon to perfectly seasoned pinto beans.

905 Alarid St. (505) 982-0909

Tomasita’s

With the Vladem Contemporary art museum almost finished across the street, Tomasita’s stands to become even busier than ever. So take this summer as an opportunity to gorge yourself on sopaipillas dipped in locally sourced honey before the September museum opening.

500 S. Guadalupe St. (505) 983-5721

The Shed

The chile is called Shed Red for a reason, and we say that as firm green chile supporters almost anywhere else. Get thee to a smothered blue corn enchilada plate with red already, and taste the magic for yourself.

113½ E. Palace Ave. (505) 982-9030

BEST NEW MEXICO WINERY

Gruet

Those rose gold labels are ubiquitous across town for good reason. Gruet guru Cyril Tanazacq draws on the winemaking experience of hundreds of years of monastery monks, combined with 25 vintages of Gruet’s own practice, for his Méthode Champenoise bottles, ranging from vintage sparkling options (the 2016 Grand Rosé Cuvée Danielle is a personal fave) to barrel select chardonnays. Honestly, there’s no reason to order from out of state when you could go with Gruet.

210 Don Gaspar Ave., (505) 989-9463

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Black Mesa Winery

Velarde is known as an apple-growing region, but its grapes are just as juicy. And with its canned wines (Rio Grande Red, Whitewater White, Roaming Rosé and Chile Sangria), Black Mesa is a favorite among local outdoorsy drinkers.

1502 Hwy. 68, Velarde, (505) 852-2820

Vivác Winery

Run by brothers Jesse and Chris Padberg and their wives Michele and Liliana, Vivác takes inspiration from both Old World wineries and early exposure to Chilean bottles for remarkably highaltitude concoctions ranging from summery rosés to full-bodied diavolos.

2075 Hwy. 68, Dixon, (505) 579-4441

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Dumpling Cafe

Santa Fe has spoken, and our collective favorite new spot to chow down comes

with an abundance of noodle and wonton soups, bibimbap bowls and steamed and fried dumplings aromatic enough to bring relief to even the worst juniper allergy sufferers. But anyone who has read our Restaurant and Bar Directory will know that our obsession will remain with the soup buns, until we master a more graceful way to eat them or scald ourselves trying.

500 Sandoval St., (505) 780-5890

Restoration Pizza

What’s better than a post-movie pizza, right? A post-movie pizza topped with either a selection of locally themed toppings (we love the meatball-centric bosque pie) or a monthly specialty blend (past innovations have included a mouthwatering Korean BBQ pie).

1607 Alcaldesa St., Ste. B (505) 557-6672

Catch Santa Fe Poke

Chef Dakota Weiss created Catch Poke to shift the way folks think about fast

food. It's the entirely gluten-free, surreally fresh raw fish delivery system you didn’t know you were craving—with a splash of local green chile keeping things New Mexico true.

101 W. Marcy St., (505) 303-3653

BEST PATIO Harry’s Roadhouse

One of the primary attractions of a roadhouse is the opportunity for weary travelers to enjoy some fresh air (even if said journeyers only came from 15 minutes away), and the sun-dappled patio at Harry’s doesn’t disappoint. Far enough from the highway to avoid the worst of its noise and high enough to watch the sunset spread over Eldorado, it’s the ideal place for exclaiming about the beauty of our hometown to your fellow diners.

96 B Old Las Vegas Hwy. (505) 989-4629

La Casa Sena

As if the surprising oasis of La Casa Sena’s greenery-filled garden tucked in the crowded heart of downtown weren’t enough to entice on its own, the live jazz music drifting through the courtyard is more than enough to do the trick.

125 E. Palace Ave., (505) 988-9232

Santacafé

Given that giant and particularly stately apricot tree presiding over the patio, al fresco dining at Santacafé feels less like a meal at a fancy restaurant than a picnic in an old friend’s garden—with all the nostalgic relaxation that entails.

231 Washington Ave., (505) 984-1788

BEST PIZZA Back Road Pizza

We’ll tell you the secret behind Piper Kapin’s pies. That uniquely flavorful thin crust so key to Back Road’s offerings isn’t just rolled to within an eighth of an inch of its life, it’s also dusted with coarse cornmeal, giving each bite just the slightest hint of crunch beneath generous layers of tangy sauce and cheese. We could eat our weight in garlic knots. Plus, the upstairs pool table remains a beloved hangout spot.

1807 Second St., Ste. 1(505) 955-9055

Il Vicino

It might be part of a small regional chain, but while sitting on Il Vicino’s patio and testing the tensile strength of its mozzarella cheese, it’s easy to feel like the only people in the world enjoying this upscale comfort food.

321 W. San Francisco St. (505) 986-8700

Pizza Centro

We love a restaurant that shows the Southside some love, and with Pizza Centro’s Hell’s Kitchen pie (sausage, eggplant, green chile, jalapeño, red pepper, feta and mozzarella) available on both sides of town, there’s no excuse not to chow down.

418 Cerrillos Road, (505) 988-8825

3470 Zafarano Drive, Ste. D (505) 471-6200

5 Colina Drive, Eldorado (505) 471-1111

Dumpling Cafe

BEST STEAK

The Bull Ring

A longtime favorite of local politicians and their ilk, dinner at The Bull Ring lets you live it up like a true Fiesta Melodrama villain (top hat, curly mustache and damsel tied to railroad tracks optional) as you sip an elderflower martini and savor that gorgeously marbled rib-eye. Even without any legislative gossip to share, you’re sure to leave feeling like an authentic bigwig from all the attention the waitstaff lavishes on you.

150 Washington Ave., (505) 983-3328

Rio Chama Prime Steakhouse

Find pianist Doug Montgomery on-site Sundays and Mondays 6-9 pm at this locale next door to the Roundhouse. He's played for multiple presidents and will no doubt make a fine addition to the fat steaks about to land on your plate.

414 Old Santa Fe Trail, (505) 955-0765

Market Steer Steakhouse

In addition to those exquisitely selected beef cuts (we’re particular fans of the prime flat iron), Market Steer offers up sinfully gooey green chile risotto and a crab Oscar buttery enough to make Lucille Bluth leave her husband.

210 Don Gaspar Ave., (505) 992-6354

BEST TEA

The Teahouse

Richard Freeman's Canyon Road treasure found loyal patrons who experienced his joy for hospitality. Freeman died suddenly just before press time, but newly appointed restaurant manager Monica Walsh says "he was really excited to receive this recognition," and asked that we dedicate this award to him. Long live the longest list of beverage choices in the city, where there’s a leaf for everyone. And don’t forget a freshly baked muffin or scone for dipping purposes—especially in the summer, when the associated berries are ripe.

821 Canyon Road, (505) 992-0972

Opuntia

Opuntia isn’t just home to drag bingo, sweeping Railyard views and beautiful plants—it’s also your top purveyor of imagisticaly named blends such as the Iron Goddess of Mercy, Rooibos Ocean of Wisdom and Maiden’s Ecstasy Puerh. Hot!

1607 Alcaldesa St., (505) 780-5796

Artful Tea

Beyond the truly jaw-dropping display of teapots and kettles, Artful Tea stands out as one of the very few storefronts in town to sell Cota Navajo tea—an Indigenous beverage used medicinally for centuries and harvested from local plants.

101 W. Marcy St., Ste. 4 (505) 795-7724

BEST VEGETARIAN

Jambo Cafe

It’s so easy to get caught up in talking about chef Ahmed Obo’s phenomenal meat offerings that we often forget to pay proper homage to his mastery of veggie-based dishes. And his isn’t the kind of vegetarian food that depends on replacing animal products with soybased imitations of the same; we’re talking aromatic East African lentil stew, curry encrusted pistachio goat cheese salads and hummus sandwiches with habanero papaya dressing to die for.

2010 Cerrillos Road, (505) 473-1269

Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen

Don’t think for a second that vegetarian health food can’t still be rich and comforting. Take one look at that vegan chile relleno with quinoa, mushrooms, zucchini and cashew-based “cheese,” and you’ll be filled with gustatory glee.

1512 Pacheco St., Building B (505) 795-7383

Paper Dosa

Even as meat eaters, we’d take the chewy, savory delight of paneer (Indian farmer’s cheese) over chicken any day of the week. And with Paper Dosa’s eminently transportable dosa options, there’s no better way to eat veggies on the run.

551 W. Cordova Road (505) 930-5521

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BEST ACUPUNCTURIST

Mountain Spirit Integrative Medicine

Mountain Spirit’s integrative approach to acupuncture dates back thousands of years to ancient Eastern practices meant to stimulate energy levels in the body. The team of six highly trained professionals at Mountain Spirit bring those practices to patients through traditional modes of acupuncture. “We are blessed to have such a dynamic team of practitioners and grateful that they provide so much for our community,” owner Dr. Brandon Taylor, D.O.M., tells SFR.

303 Paseo de Peralta (505) 988-2449

Ancient Wisdom

Healing Arts

Drs. Jacob Wilcox and Nayelli Navarro combine Eastern philosophy and years of professional experience to provide patients with excellent care through classical acupuncture. According to their website, they treat just about every kind of discomfort, whether physical or emotional.

1301 S. St. Francis Drive, Ste. C (505) 210-2781

Piñon Community

Acupuncture

Drs. Jonathan Gimbel and Melissa Brock practice a gentler mode of acupuncture known as Japanese Meridian Therapy, which Gimbel learned from teachers while living in Japan. You’ll enjoy reclining in one of their zero-gravity chairs and benefit from pain-free expertise.

1642 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 633-4192

BEST ALTERNATIVE HEALING

Mountain Spirit Integrative Medicine

Lest you think the folks at Mountain Spirit only offer acupuncture,

let it be known that they provide the same excellent care through alternative treatments such as homeopathy, occupational therapy, herbal consultations and functional medicine. These folks also provide specialized and holistic care for women, offering annual exams and prenatal/postnatal massages. Even more, Mountain Spirit’s locally- and LGBTQ-owned status and wide acceptance of health care coverage elevates it to a whole other level of excellence.

303 Paseo de Peralta (505) 988-2449

High Desert Healthcare & Massage

Barbara Urioste-Lopez and her sisters Georgia and Susan took charge of High Desert this June and plan to continue offering affordable pokes as the business has since 1992. High Desert’s seven treatment rooms ensure quality, personalized care for all bodytype modalities.

644 Paseo de Peralta

5 Caliente Road, Building 2, Ste. D (505) 984-8830

Piñon Community Acupuncture

Looking for something more than acupuncture? Afraid of needles? Piñon Community Acupuncture also offers Chinese herbal treatments prescribed according to patient needs, in addition to invigorating tai chi classes for all levels of experience led by Dr. Jonathan Gimbel.

1642 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 633-4192

BEST CHIROPRACTOR

Connerly Chiropractic

Your backbone suffers a lot in our age of the bent-over-thedesk work week and the couchcontortions of the Netflix binge, but Dr. John Connerly knows just how to fix it. By using natural, integrative methods like electric stimulation and ultrasound treatments, he and his team will work to improve your neck and back health so you can recover from built-up stress and

musculoskeletal injuries. “We’re honored to be recognized once again,” Connerly tells SFR.

1982 Plaza del Sur Drive, #A (505) 988-9017

Winds of Choice

Who you choose to pop the crippling pain out of your back matters. Don’t worry—Dr. Wendy Carter is as knowledgeable about your spine (and bees and chickens) as she is joyful, which is to say very.

2948 Richards Ave. (505) 424-9114

Back to Health Wellness

Dr. Chaz Schatzle and his team turn chiropractic adjustments into a full-service, body-wide renovation. He offers back, neck and headache treatment as well as more general treatments for sports and auto injuries, all supplemented by nutritional recommendations made just for you.

1651 Galisteo St., Ste. 12 (505) 467-8999

Ancient Wisdom Healing Arts

KELLI JOHANSEN

BEST DENTAL PRACTICE

Milagro Dental

Gone are the days of dreading the dentist. Milagro Dental makes your visit painless, and we’re not just talking about your teeth: an extensive list of cleaning, cosmetic and crowning services means you won’t have to go anywhere else. “It’s such an honor to again be recognized for the work we do each and every day to help people achieve their best oral health with cutting-edge dentistry and compassionate care,” Dr. Kasha Ujda tells SFR.

2019 Galisteo St., Ste. L2 (505) 982-9222

Santa Fe Modern Dentistry

Welcome to the future of your teeth— with Modern Dentistry’s state-of-theart tooth technology and multitalented team of dental professionals, you’ll have access to exceptional general and cosmetic dental services as soon as you need them with same-day service and weekend appointments.

3569 Zafarano Drive (505) 986-8000

Eldorado Dental

Eldorado Dental has offered comfortable and professional orthodontic care for more than 30 years. You can relax with a cup of tea or coffee before your appointment in their cozy reception area and leave with a clean, toothy smile.

1 Caliente Road, Ste. E, (505) 466-0999

BEST FITNESS CLASSES Genoveva Chavez Community Center

Whether you’re an experienced athlete or only just beginning your fitness journey, the Genoveva Chavez Community Center invites everyone to join a fitness class. Strength and fitness, Zumba, HIIT and spin classes will sculpt your body the way you want in a friendly and motivating environment. The city’s popular Southside community center also offers a fitness boot camp to push your body to the next level. See its calendar, too—there’s always something new.

3221 Rodeo Road, (505) 955-4075

Santa Fe Community College

Enjoy the 124,000 square feet at Santa Fe Community College’s fitness facility any way you want. Learn a thing or two while you’re there in one of the facility’s fitness classes such as tai chi or yoga.

6401 Richards Ave., (505) 428-1000

Defined Fitness

Get ready for a “Hot Curl Summer” at Defined Fitness. You can work with a personal trainer for individualized training or join in on one of many group fitness classes. Aqua yoga? Power cycling? Get pumped.

3320 Cerrillos Road, (505) 438-3000

BEST HEALTH CARE

CHRISTUS St. Vincent

The first St. Vincent hospital in Santa Fe began serving patients in 1865, and today it’s part of a vast regional health care program that reaches much of north-central New Mexico with access to 39 services and lines of specialty care, including the flagship

on St. Michael’s Drive—all staffed by experienced medical professionals. CHRISTUS provides access to pain management, diagnostics, sleep care, pediatrics, cancer care and more.

455 St. Michael’s Drive, (505) 913-3361

Presbyterian Healthcare Services

The doctors, nurses, techs and supporting staff at Presbyterian are all firmly rooted in the community, offering numerous health resources online in addition to emergency services, a birthing unit and array of imaging technologies. We salute Presbyterian’s extensive female reproductive health services.

4801 Beckner Road, (505) 772-1234

Southwest Care

Southwest Care was founded in 1996 to help those living with HIV/AIDS and has since expanded its care to include pediatrics and women’s health services. Its mission is to provide evidencebased, thoughtful, compassionate and whole-person care to everyone.

901 W. Alameda St. 649 Harkle Road, Ste. E (505) 955-9454

BEST HOME CARE Ambercare

For the first time in our reader poll, we asked Santa Feans to choose their favorite home care. Ambercare, a member of the Addus Family of Companies, was founded in Belen in 1984 and has since become the largest home health care provider in the state. “We feel blessed to be able to serve the citizens of Santa Fe,” Director of Clinical Services Brittania Garcia tells SFR. 550 D St. Michael’s Drive (505) 982-4098

Presbyterian Healthcare Services

Presbyterian offers at-home care for those who are unable to leave the house or feel more comfortable there. Its services include hospice care, palliative care, respite care and even therapy services such as occupational and speech therapy.

4801 Beckner Road (505) 772-1234

COURTESY GENOVEVA CHAVEZ COMMUNITY CENTER

Genoveva Chavez Community Center

Nurses with Heart

The nurses at Nurses with Heart promise to offer you or your loved ones 24/7 care from the comfort of home-sweethome. They’ll help with daily activities as well as serve as medical advocates, ensuring patients receive appropriate attention.

1596 Pacheco St., Ste. 109 (505) 424-9099

BEST MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

Solace Sexual Assault Services

Solace has served as a refuge and support center for victims of sexual assault, stalking, sex trafficking and other forms of sexual violence for over 50 years. Every member at Solace is extensively trained to provide victims with sensitive, responsive care and to help foster a sense of tranquility, always giving specialized care for those who need it. We cannot overstate just how

important these heavenly human beings are to supporting our community.

6601 Valentine Way (505) 988-1951

Serna Solutions

Serna Solutions has offered non-confrontational clinical counseling services to families, couples and individuals since 2003. According to its website, therapists combine evidence-based practices with humanistic and insightoriented techniques to empower people to reach their goals.

4001 Office Court Drive, Ste. 201 (505) 207-8929

The Life Link

The Life Link helps hungry, homeless and displaced individuals find job opportunities and emergency assistance through federal funding, grants and private donations. These folks also offer invaluable substance abuse support and human trafficking aftercare.

2325 Cerrillos Road (505) 438-0010

BEST NONPROFIT FOR HEALTH

CHRISTUS St. Vincent

Did we forget to mention that CHRISTUS St. Vincent is also a nonprofit?

Defined in its own mission statement as “a Catholic health ministry,” the organization pledges to invest directly into community health and well-being. According to its website, CHRISTUS foundations “partner with families, individuals and businesses to connect community outreach missions together to create exemplary healthcare” and are “fighting to rid the world of poverty and income inequality, caring for illness and chronic disease.”

455 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 913-3361

La Familia Health

La Familia guarantees health care as a human right. The organization has evolved from just two rooms run com -

pletely by volunteers into four locations serving a staggering one out of 10 Santa Feans, regardless of income, insurance or legal status.

1035 Alto St.

2145 Caja del Oro Grant Road (505) 982-4425

Presbyterian Healthcare Services

Presbyterian is the product of an openhanded legacy that goes back to the words of Marion K. Van (“Mrs. Van”) Devanter, one of the founders: “If we can help, we should.” Stewardship and charity are the core of its mission. 4801 Beckner Road, (505) 772-1234

BEST PHYSICAL THERAPY

CHRISTUS St. Vincent

This one should sound familiar by now. That’s because the folks at CHRISTUS St. Vincent wear many hats, and physi-

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cal therapy is one of them. Experts will put your body in shape for peak performance, athlete or not, and with there being a specialist for every breakable body part, you can target your rehab with the best practices. They’ll also help you get strong to make sure those injuries don’t happen in the first place.

2968 Rodeo Park Drive W., Ste. 100 (505) 913-5100

Therapy Solutions

The team at Therapy Solutions might seem extra friendly because, well, they really are. They were all friends before they became coworkers, and you’ll fit right in with them (and feel better) if you have a good sense of humor.

333 W. Cordova Road (505) 984-9101

CorePhysio

Drs. Frank Hatch and Sean Horner promote a climate of wellness and prevention and examine all patients thoroughly so they can receive personalized care. Their Feldenkrais Method and yoga and qigong classes are sure to strengthen your mind and body.

1850 Calle Medico, Ste. H (505) 983-2673

BEST PILATES STUDIO

Pilates Santa Fe

Owner Ray Kurshals has been doing this whole pilates thing ever since the ‘70s in New York City, where he learned from the best, so he’s basically one of the OGs. His studio contains up-to-date equipment for a strengthflexibility combo to give you pain-free body movement and psychological detoxification. “All of us at Pilates Santa Fe want to thank our exceptionally hard working, dedicated and loyal clients and friends,” Kurshals tells SFR. 839 Paseo de Peralta, (505) 995-9700

PilatesBodies

Pilates is all about flexibility, so it makes sense that PilatesBodies offers all kinds of classes according to your needs. Go alone, bring a friend or join a group where you can all feel the burn together.

3 Caliente Road, #4 (505) 466-3380

Rise Pilates

The instructors at Rise Pilates understand that your body has its own special needs and takes different cues. It’s why they blend yoga, dance, tai chi and kickboxing into their practices so your body can express itself authentically.

1213 Luisa St., (917) 202-5162

BEST SMALL GYM Santa Fe Community College

Fitness Director Herman Garcia tells SFR this facility at Santa Fe Community College is a “hidden gem” (no pun intended, we think), and even though it's not all that small, this gym should get the attention it deserves. The staff here form a tight-knit community that knows its members on a first-name basis and strives to maintain a clean, operational and educational environment for everyone who comes here.

(Don’t forget about fitness classes.)

6401 Richards Ave., (505) 428-1000

Santa Fe Health & Fitness

The trainers at Santa Fe Health & Fitness understand that knowing what exercises are best for your body can be challenging, which is why they carefully observe your movement and consider your comments to help you create an effective, personalized fitness program.

2008 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 795-7742

Miller Gym

With a clientele as young as 12 and as old as 87, the Miller Gym reflects the diverse levels of fitness that exist in our community. This gym offers general conditioning and personalized weightlifting training with a pro who has broken records.

1583 Pacheco St. (505) 986-0432

BEST URGENT CARE

Railyard Urgent Care

Your broken finger or weird rash can sort of wait, but not really. That’s what urgent care is for, those non-

emergency emergencies that happen at the worst possible times. Our readers say Railyard Urgent Care should be your go-to. The staff will help you get out of there as soon as possible, while offering you convenient and affordable service. The clinic also offers vaccinations, so you don’t eventually wind up there when everyone is spreading the flu.

831 S. St. Francis Drive (505) 501-7791

Presbyterian Healthcare Services

When you’re in need of attention for a boo-boo, the centrally located urgent care clinic from Pres is an excellent choice. Give your body a same-day scheduled inspection or walk right in. (Closed on Sundays.)

454 St. Michael’s Drive (505)-303-5000

CHRISTUS St. Vincent

It shouldn’t surprise you that an urgent care provider backed up by one of the oldest hospitals in the area is one of the first places you should consider when you’re hurt. Broken bones on Monday through Friday? You know where to go.

5501 Herrera Drive, (505) 913-3233

BEST WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICES

Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood holds claim as the largest provider of sex education in the nation and one of the leading providers offering accessible, affordable health care to women. And in this post-Roe world, its services are even more valuable for New Mexicans and visitors in need of abortion services, emergency medical care, contraceptives, STD treatments and primary care. Reminder: The nonprofit that also provides for the uninsured relies on community financial support, too.

730 St. Michael’s Drive, Ste. 4B (505) 982-3684

CHRISTUS St. Vincent

Of course CHRISTUS St. Vincent is on this list, too. Find select women’s health services including midwifery, screenings and gynecological appoint-

ments for every stage of life through this mission-oriented Catholic ministry nonprofit.

1622 Galisteo St., #200 (505) 984-0303

Southwest Care

Southwest’s holistic and whole-person health care services address general and specialized women’s health needs, and with their expert referrals, a sliding- scale cost system and Gender Equity Medicine clinic, it’s a safe place you can really trust.

901 W. Alameda St. 649 Harkle Road, Ste. E (505) 955-9454

BEST YOGA STUDIO

YogaSource

The excellent instructors at YogaSource stand head and shoulders above the crowd in a city with a high per-capita ratio of yoga studios. Amp your knowledge and deepen your practice with in-person and live online classes. YogaSource also offers advanced workshops, yoga and meditation retreats and even an instructor training series. Having so many different options to learn at all levels of yoga experience makes YogaSource so outstanding.

901 W. San Mateo Road (505) 982-0990

Santa Fe Community Yoga Center

The city’s only nonprofit yoga studio, Santa Fe Community Yoga Center provides a conveniently located and welcoming space for centering and growth, with classes easily identified for desired intensity as mild, medium and spicy.

826 Camino de Monte Rey, Ste. B1 (505) 820-9363

Breathe Santa Fe

The instructors at Breathe emphasize ahimsa, non-violence, in all their business and personal relationships, creating an immensely caring and mindful space in this studio. Here you’ll find group and private classes, retreats, professional training and a digital library of pre-recorded classes.

826 Camino de Monte Rey, Ste. A5 (505) 954-1034

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Annie O’Carroll

Interior Design

Santa Fe, New Mexico

“Interpreting your dreams and wishes into the home you’ve always wanted”

“Thank you to the Santa Fe community for voting me the #1 Interior Designer in Santa Fe, New Mexico”.

I have been assisting full-time & part-time residents of Santa Fe to live more beautifully and comfortably, whether they are building a new home, renovating an existing home, downsizing or furnishing.”

HOME SERVICES

BEST ALTERATIONS

Alterations & More

Laura Hermosillo’s family business brings three generations of alteration specialists to your projects. And business has been booming, she reports, noting a recent workshop expansion. “It is with immense satisfaction that I recall starting this venture with two domestic sewing machines and one sewing machine from my personal collection. Today, I am proud to declare that we possess 29 industrial sewing machines and 27 sewing machines from my cherished collection,” she tells SFR.

2864 Cerrillos Road

(505) 424-9216

Martinizing GreenEarth Dry Cleaning Express Alterations

Why not have these professionals fix up your duds at the same time they’re removing your grubby grub? And by “express alterations,” they mean, “hems while you wait.” Walk right in to one of four spots.

1091 St. Francis Drive, (505) 982-8603

400 N. Guadalupe St., (505) 988-2455

913 Old Pecos Trail, (505) 982-9259

2801 Rodeo Road, (505) 473-4396

Santa Fe Seamstress

Maria Pinales has 25 years of experience as a seamstress and six at the helm of her own shop, where she specializes in wedding dresses, tailoring and fabricating new items. She extends her thanks to all those who have supported the business.

418 Cerrillos Road

(505) 983-8483

BEST ARCHITECT Hoopes + Associates Architects

“Blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors is a hallmark of Hoopes and Associates. We are inviting residents into the landscape while providing a sense of enclosure and protection,” writes principal

architect Craig Hoopes. He and his colleagues count more than three decades in luxury home design and innovative solutions to organizational challenges such as performing/ assembly spaces, sacred spaces and what he calls “modern commercial spaces designed for end-users.” We couldn’t say it better.

333 Montezuma Ave., Ste. 200 (505) 986-1010

High Desert Architecture

Principal Architect Ramón Gabriel Martinez leads a talented team at High Desert— a rare one-stop-shop architect/supervisor setup that leads clients through real estate transactions in finding the right lot and then builds the home, too.

255 Staab St., (505) 363-6234

Spears Horn Architects

The firm run by principals Beverley Spears, FAIA, and James Horn, AIA, specializes in sustainable

approaches to schools, commercial and institutional facilities, plus residential design, landscape architecture and historic preservation.

1334 Pacheco St., (505) 983-6966

BEST ART FRAME SHOP

Frontier Frames

Serving artists and collectors with frames since 1973, this Midtown favorite always comes out on top.

Owner Billy Peterson, who took over in 2009, says he’s “tickled to death” about the ongoing show of support and chalks it up to the shop’s reputation, consistency, reasonable prices and excellent staff.

“We’re very fortunate that most of our business is repeat customers and referrals,” he tells SFR.

2008 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 473-1901

Justin’s Frame Designs

Justin Sachs counts more than three decades as a framer and two as the head of his own shop, a place that prides itself on offering highly customizable frames for art and mirrors, including specific finishes that interior designers crave.

1221 Flagman Way, Ste. A2 (505) 955-1911

Fine Art Framers

Owner William Schmidt is an artist who strives to spread the beauty of art and framework, and who has more than 35 years of experience in the field. And it’s not just for canvas. A recent project beautifully mounted an antique silk robe.

1415 W. Alameda St. (505) 982-4397

Justin's Frame Designs

KELLI JOHANSEN

BEST CHIMNEY SWEEP

Casey’s Top Hat Chimney Sweeps

Richard Rice and his crew of chimney sweeps specialize in rooftop singing and dancing numbers. Just kidding! They’re longtime pros who are super serious about fire safety, offering services in a 70-mile radius around Santa Fe. And it’s so much more than sweeping; the business performs chimney repairs from small cracks to major fireplace rebuilds and chimney relines, as well as troubleshooting for problem fireplaces or woodstoves.

7921 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 989-5775

Bailey’s Chimney Sweep

Both high-tech and old school at the same time, Bailey’s will make videos and photographs of the inside of every chimney it sweeps, plus workers do other roof-related work such as tree trimming and gutter cleaning, along with important home details such as dryer vent services.

(505) 988-2771

K.C. Wester

K.C. Wester founded Clean Sweep in Santa Fe in 1979, and today, customers and SFR readers know he’s doing solid business with the eponymous moniker to keep your clothes dryer running efficiently and your home safe from dangerous soot buildup.

7 Avenida Vista Grande (505) 466-3337

BEST COUNTERTOPS

Sherpa Stone

Smooth out your home’s rough edges with natural stone surfaces such as quartzite, soapstone, granite, marble, travertine and limestone, under the guidance of experienced owners Ngima Sherpa and Patricia Garcia. Or perhaps engineered wonders are more your style? Find Dekton, Silestone, Caesarstone, Pental and Quantum Stone, Aria Stone and Neolith here. While readers picked this biz for countertops, it also specializes in backsplashes, bathroom vanities, shower surrounds, miters, integral sinks, feature walls and fireplaces.

2356 Fox Road, Bldg. B, Ste. 400 (505) 473-2273

Counter Intelligence

SFR’s HQ is just a stone’s throw away from Counter Intelligence, a family business located in Pacheco Park that boasts particularly impressive kitchen remodels. The Herreras count almost four decades in fine cabinetry design and construction.

1512 Pacheco St., Ste. C204 (505) 988-4007

New Mexico Granite Builders

Using materials from Arizona Stone, the professionals at kitchen design and remodel will have your prep space looking pristine. Want more rock? The business provides interior and exterior options that will make your heart roll.

1344 Jorgensen Lane, Unit C (505) 629-7404

BEST DRY CLEANING SERVICE

Martinizing GreenEarth Dry Cleaning

Keep your formal and business attire looking its best with the service our readers say deserves kudos in this department. Four locations reach every corner of the city, and operators promise they’ve developed best practices for minimizing the environmental impact of dry cleaning with an odor-free process, too. Ask for same-day service at the St. Francis shop. As you might have read earlier, this business also offers high-rated quick alterations.

1091 St. Francis Drive, (505) 982-8603 400 N. Guadalupe St., (505) 988-2455 913 Old Pecos Trail, (505) 982-9259 2801 Rodeo Road, (505) 473-4396

La Unica

Conveniently located in Midtown on the Cerrillos corridor, La Unica has been performing the secret art of dry cleaning for decades, keeping folks tidy and dapper. It’s washing, but it’s not wet? Will miracles never cease?

647 Cerrillos Road, (505) 983-1182

Park Avenue

This low-cost cleaner maintains its popularity with reliable next-day service and an economy-of-scale partnership in Albuquerque. Get regular

Sherpa Stone

laundry service and alterations when you need them, all from a team that cares about service.

720 St. Michael’s Drive, Ste. K (505) 438-2524

BEST ELECTRICIAN Gorman Lightning Protection & Electric

Brothers Don and Jay Gorman have worked together off and on ever since their childhood days of delivering the Santa Fe Reporter on their bikes. Don started the electrical contracting business in 1997, and Jay joined him in 2000. “We have been super fortunate and have a very busy year,” Jay tells SFR as he celebrates another year in first place. The company has about 15 employees doing not just electrical work, but also lightning protection and solar installations.

325 Palomino St. (505) 560-2696

Busy Bee Electric

New research produced last year found that a swarm of honeybees can create as much electricity as a thunderstorm. Bees really are busy. And we presume Busy Bee follows its namesake, keeping the buzzing to a minimum, of course.

(505) 470-5198

Miguel’s Electric

Miguel’s makes another repeat appearance in the Best Electrician category, demonstrating how loyal customers can make all the difference when it comes to the A-list of service providers for Santa Fe, Taos, Los Alamos, Albuquerque and many towns in between since 2008.

PO Box 6667

(505) 501-0736

BEST FLOORING Old Wood

The New Mexico History Museum mounted a show this year called With the Grain that highlights art with wood. We think the homes and offices that use Old Wood are worthy of similar awe. Products include very wide planks, end grain wood blocks and architectural elements inspired by art,

the design community, modern forest science and natural creativity. The business keeps an “eye to what was and what will be classic, enduring, and of course, beautiful.”

505 Cerrillos Road #207

(505) 989-9663

Discount Carpet Warehouse

Whether you are looking for remnants or planning a renovation of a large space, look no further than the reliable warehouse. This business offers not just sales, but expert installation of all the top lines (Shaw, Mohawk, Dixie Home, DMI Wools, to name a few), too.

3212 Richards Lane, Ste. B (505) 471-3454

Santa Fe Flooring Pros

Husband and wife Mario and Laura Guerrero established the business just last October. They work with a small team of installers on new and historic projects all over Northern New Mexico, largely using Bona products. (505) 913-0854

BEST HOMEBUILDER

Tierra Concepts

Three partners—brothers Erik and Kurt Faust, and their friend Keith Gorges— have worked together in the homebuilding business for more than 30 years. (Fun fact: The brothers met the other at an Ultimate Frisbee match.) The Santa Fe Home Builders Association has awarded the firm its Grand Hacienda prize an unprecedented eight times, two of them back to back, last year and the year before. Repeat Best of Santa Fe wins reflect the same values: High quality and head-turning beauty.

1512 Pacheco St., Ste. D206 (505) 989-8484

Homewise

The typical developments from this nonprofit org include both marketrate and affordable homes, with current projects on the market such as La Camino Crossing, Oshara and Desert Sage that showcase energy efficiency, live/work options and walkable concepts.

1301 Siler Road, Bldg. D (505) 983-9473

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Zachary & Sons

Zachary Shultz started off in the industry shoveling sand for his grandad, and now, he’s passing the torch to his sons Josh and Aaron—part of the firm foundation of this family-driven home construction business that is a regular on the Best of Santa Fe list.

218 Camino La Tierra, (505) 982-7768

BEST INTERIOR DESIGN

Annie O’Carroll Interior Design

Annie O’Carroll established her Santa Fe firm in 1997 and has been creating warm and inviting indoor spaces since long before that. She has been assisting the full-time and part-time residents of the city in living more beautifully and comfortably, whether they are building a new home, renovating an existing home, downsizing or furnishing, she tells SFR. “I work with local architects, builders and craftspeople to bring the best Santa Fe offers.”

1512 Pacheco St., Ste. A104 (505) 983-7055

Violante & Rochford

Tap into the aesthetic of principals

Paul Rochford and Michael Violante, a married couple who have brought their style to luxury interiors for more than two decades by working with custom manufacturers and antique and art dealers.

401 Paseo de Peralta, (505) 983-3912

Samuel Design Group

Lisa Samuel brings her Santa Fe roots to every project, serving clients throughout the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest and California. She holds credentials as both a member of the American Society of Interior Designers and a Certified Aging in Place Specialist.

607 Cerrillos Road, (505) 820-0239

BEST LANDSCAPING COMPANY

Desert Rose Landscaping

Have you seen what the roses in Santa Fe do during the month of June? What

HOME SERVICES

a bunch of show-offs. Whether you want a few iceberg floribunda or a whole yard full of Queen Elizabeths and Ingrid Bergmans, Desert Rose Landscaping won’t disappoint. Plus, these experts and owner Phil Madrid know how to create an outdoor environment that is light on water and heavy on color. Then, they’ll help you maintain it.

1336 Acequia Borrada, (505) 471-6403

McCumber Fine Gardens

The section of median along Paseo de Peralta downtown adopted by McCumber should have its own category for Best Median. Given that example, there’s no doubting the proper use of the adjective “fine” in this case.

86 Old Las Vegas Hwy. (505) 820-0837

The Raincatcher

Just like the name implies, The Raincatcher wants to make the most of water falling from the sky. Get help with design and installation of any size of systems, plus cisterns above and below ground, drip irrigation, erosion control, graywater recycling and more.

1925 Aspen Drive, Ste. 102A (505) 501-4407

BEST LIGHTING

Dahl Lighting Showroom

Make an appointment, and step into the Midtown showroom for a dazzling array of brightness from 60 manufacturers and expert guidance from the longtime illumination professionals at the best-known name in Santa Fe for lighting. Presenting ideas for homes and businesses with renovations or new construction in the works, Dahl seeks to inspire from wall and ceiling fixtures to desk lamps, floor lighting, vanities and landscape features.

1000 Siler Park Lane, Ste. A (505) 471-7272

La Luz

Artistic styles ranging from handblown glass to pendants situate La Luz in a special place among lighting sourcing. Find the signature piece that can transform the dining room or foyer with a modern glow, or line an outdoor passage with unique approaches to paths and steps.

1512 Pacheco St., Ste. C203 (505) 954-1149

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We're more than just a dry cleaner:

Dry Cleaning

Shirt Laundry

Leather & Suede Cleaning

Household Items

Wedding Gown Cleaning

Wash & Fold

Express Alterations

Same Day Service

Film & Entertainment/Costumes

Vacation Rentals Cleaning

Fire, Smoke & Water Restoration

FREE Pickup & Delivery in Designated Areas

(Schedule today at 505-316-6089)

Allbright & Lockwood

Allbright & Lockwood’s vast selection of fixtures for designers, architects and do-it-yourselfers includes an abundance of lighting, but also tile and other home touches. Local specialists are passionate about lighting your art collection, what they call “the jewelry of your home.”

322 Montezuma Ave.

(505) 986-1715

BEST MORTGAGE LENDER

Del Norte Credit Union

High home prices and low inventory in Santa Fe create an intense market for buyers, so having a first-rate mortgage lender in your back pocket makes sense. Del Norte commits to all those credit union sensibilities and works hard to minimize hassle, whether it’s your first home or a downsize. Repeat first-place wins in this Best of Santa Fe category show it has

earned the trust of our readers— and that’s priceless.

3286 Cerrillos Road

510 N. Guadalupe St., Ste. A/B (505) 988-3628

State Employees Credit Union

You don’t have to be a state employee to take advantage of the customer service and low rates from the State Employees Credit Union, and you don’t have to be a real estate genius to turn to local professionals for help with financing.

813 St. Michael’s Drive

4920 Promenade Blvd., (505) 983-7328

Homewise

Not merely a developer, this nonprofit also functions as a lender for homeowners across the region with a mission to “help create successful homeowners and strengthen neighborhoods so that individuals and families can improve their long-term financial well-being and quality of life.”

1301 Siler Road, Bldg. D, (505) 983-9473

BEST PEST CONTROL

Bugman Pest Control, Inc.

Faster than a speeding cockroach. More powerful than a swarm of fleas. Able to leap tall termites in a single bound. It’s Bugman! In this case, Roman Valdez has gone by that nickname for his long career in pest control, and the company he founded proudly performs as a repeat Best of Santa Fe winner, providing service in Santa Fe, Pecos, Los Alamos, Espanola, White Rock, Taos and Albuquerque.

2873 Trades West Road (505) 455-3832

Critter Control

Whether you’ve got a major mouse problem or a tiny ant infestation, tap into the experts at Critter Control. They’ve also got plans for addressing larger animal issues such as raccoons, squirrels, bats and more.

(505) 544-4988

Plunkett’s Pest Control

Receive advanced, specialized analysis from the company’s “Masters of the Bug Kingdom” by filling out an online bug ID form. It’s just the beginning of the supreme service to keep up the boundaries for your home and business.

866-327-8177

BEST PLUMBING COMPANY

Aranda’s Plumbing, Heating and Supply

When it comes to crowning Santa Fe’s plumbing royalty, there’s no question the Arandas are the ruling dynasty. Readers consistently place this homegrown business at the top in the Best of Santa Fe poll, reinforcing its solid reputation from seven generations of supply and service. Whether you’re putting up the mayday for an emergency repair or you’ve got a careful plan for a new project, Aranda’s can help.

600 Cortez St., #1012, (505) 983-7391

TLC Plumbing, HVAC & Electrical

Tender loving care is just what you need when the hot water heater is spraying water all over the kitchen at 2 am. Don’t worry, TLC promises to take your call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

2532 Camino Entrada (505) 471-0119

Rich Duran Plumbing & Heating

Residential, industrial and commercial plumbing jobs connect to superior heating and cooling services, all under one roof. Santa Fean Rich Duran and company have been at it since 1994, with loads of experience.

1400 Boylan Lane (505) 992-0306

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY

Barker Realty

The Santa Fe Association of Realtors rolled out its second-quarter housing

Brian McPartlon Roofing

statistics right around the time our Best of Santa Fe issue was heading to press. The median price of a single-family home in the city limits increased another 1.6% to $604,500 this quarter. Available homes on the market make about a 2.6-month supply. Not great at math? Get help making sense of the equations with the team at Barker.

530 S. Guadalupe St. (505) 982-9836

Santa Fe Properties

A large team of experienced brokers awaits your big plans to buy and sell for your home or business. The independent firm handles a wide price range, from Casa Solana Stamm homes to sprawling ranch spreads.

1000 Paseo de Peralta (505) 982-4466

Red or Green Properties

Chantelle Chavez-Leyba says she’s proud to work alongside her husband Jerome and their 23-year-old daughter in their family partnership with Keller Williams. The team focuses on Santa Fe and the surrounding area and especially enjoys working with firsttime homebuyers.

130 Lincoln Ave., Ste. K (505) 795-9028

BEST ROOFING COMPANY

Brian McPartlon Roofing

One name rises to the top of mind over and over when it comes to Santa Fe’s best roofers. There might be a lot of vowels in Brian’s last name, but readers know how to pronounce “quality service” and “reliability.” Founded in 1985 by brothers Brian and Kevin McPartlon, who followed in their father’s footsteps, the company has earned and sustained local trust for replacement, restoration and maintenance.

39 Bisbee Court, Unit 7 (505) 982-6256

Mike Lopez Roofing

Here’s another name that rolls off the tongue and through the downspout: Mike Lopez knows roofing in Santa Fe. Long-lasting relationships come from the way he treats

customers like family—and that’s who you want watching the very roof over your head.

3000 Agua Fría St., (505) 982-8262

Santa Fe Stucco & Roofing

CEO Francis McPartlon carries on his family roofing tradition with his own business (he’s Kevin’s son). And if you’ve ever tried to get a roofer fast, you know Santa Fe benefits from having as many of these craftsmen as possible.

3600 Cerrillos Road, Ste. 101 (505) 690-6215

BEST SOLAR ENERGY COMPANY

Positive Energy Solar

Let’s face it, as solar energy moves closer to the mainstream marketplace, the sheer volume of solar installers can be enough to send a consumer into heatstroke. Stay cool; Positive Energy Solar is the top name in sun-powered energy for Northern New Mexico, and it offers total-system warranties with every project. This certified B Corp has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the cause, performing commercial and residential services since 1997.

3209 Richards Lane (505) 424-1112

New Mexico Solar

Choosing this employee-owned company means working with professionals reaching the entire state and El Paso, too. With over 5,550 installations under their proverbial belts since 2015, there are few places the sun doesn’t seem to shine.

3831 Singer Blvd. NE, Albuquerque (505) 415-6172

Sol Luna Solar

How many businesses use Dixon as their main headquarters? The small-town charm is one of the many reasons our readers depend on Sol Luna Solar. What’s more: The company’s mission includes increasing the number of solar car charging stations in New Mexico.

56 Hwy. 65, Dixon (505) 455-8875

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COLOR ME DINO

SFR readers choose the Best of Santa Fe winners every year, so we thought we'd also let you choose the perfect color scheme for this year's cover art. Share your version with the hashtag #BOSF23 on Instagram or send it to alex@sfreporter.com

BEST CHILDREN’S STORE

Doodlet’s

Clearly a favorite amongst readers, Doodlet’s has been crushing it since 1955. So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that this quirky downtown shop once again took first place. Its large collection of toys and books make it a great reprieve for weary youngsters who have been dragged around the Plaza. If you’re looking for fresh copies of Everybody Poops or The Gas We Pass for your favorite whippersnapper, Doodlet’s has you covered.

120 Don Gaspar Ave., (505) 983-3771

Indigo Baby

Parents know the trouble with buying clothes for the little ones online. Does it fit? Will it withstand the rough-and-tumble play? That’s where Indigo Baby comes in. The store makes a point of offering comfortable kid digs that look good and last.

185 Paseo de Peralta, (505) 954-4000

Moon Rabbit Toys

Don’t sleep on this one, tucked away in the Plaza Mercado. There’s plenty of fun for kids of all ages (or kids at heart) for endless play with the slew of toys and games Moon Rabbit has on hand.

112 W. San Francisco St., #202 (505) 982-9373

BEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Wood Gormley

One of six public elementary schools in the downtown area, Wood Gormley offers a whole bunch of afterschool clubs for tykes. Family involvement is another selling point, which school administration credits to the 2017 Blue Ribbon School award Wood Gormley won. Besides basketball, swimming and cheer programs, the school also boasts an outdoor garden to help young ones learn about environmental science and the world around them.

141 E. Booth St., (505) 467-4800

Piñon Elementary

All of Santa Fe’s elementary schools should take a bow, but this Southside school offers a whole slew of activities to keep kids engaged and excited to learn, including a long list of afterschool programs such as robotics and book clubs.

2921 Camino de Los Caballos (505) 467-1600

Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences

Small classes and curriculum aimed at creating a cooperative learning environment, with a focus on individual strengths and weaknesses, are just two reasons readers like this school. Kids who go here really know what it means to be part of a community.

5912 Jaguar Drive, (505) 438-8585

BEST HIGH SCHOOL Santa Fe High School

The oldest public high school in the City Different, Santa Fe High offers culinary arts and a hospitality learning academy, which seems fitting

for the city. Students can also take classes in the engineering and computer science or arts and humanities academy, not to mention the long list of after-school activities. Santa Fe High counts at least two former mayors and current City Manager John Blair as some of its notable alumni.

2100 Yucca St. (505) 467-2400

Academy for Technology and the Classics

One of the early charter schools in Santa Fe, the academy is all about college prep. The school’s handson approach aims to create bonds between students and faculty, with everyone eating lunch together in their classrooms.

74 A Van Nu Po, (505) 473-4282

St. Michael’s High School

Established more than a century ago, the private Catholic school boasts Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham as one of its grads. The school’s mission is to teach students “in the spirit of faith and academic excellence.”

100 Siringo Road (505) 983-7353

BEST KID’S CLOTHING

Double Take

Let’s face it: Baby and kid gear gets expensive. Luckily, Santa Fe parents have Double Take as an option for good-quality second-hand clothes for both the kiddos and expecting parents. The downtown consignment store makes a great addition to your weekend shopping trip. The double benefit (pun intended) of the consignment store is that they’ll help you sell those maternity clothes in decent condition when you don’t need them anymore.

320 Aztec St., (505) 989-8886

Indigo Baby

Considering readers choose Indigo Baby for all-around kids’ stuff, it shouldn’t come as a surprise folks love it for its clothes offerings. Find organic cottons and other intentional choices with art and comfort in mind.

185 Paseo de Peralta, (505) 954-4000

Merry Go Round

This shop right near the Plaza is filled to the brim with cute, Santa Fe-cen -

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Merry Go Round

KELLI JOHANSEN

tric shirts that are perfect gifts for the tots close to your heart, but miles away. The store also stocks plenty of just flat-out stylish threads for the little ones.

150 Washington Ave., #104 (505) 988-5422

BEST KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

Cowgirl BBQ

It’s no wonder this downtown landmark has repeatedly emerged as a reader favorite. The outdoor seating alone makes this a great spot for mess-prone munchkins, but there’s also a cool little designated play area for fidgety small fries. The kids’ menu has offerings to fill the tummies of picky eaters (chicken tenders, corndogs and burgers) and those with more refined palates (salmon strips, brisket and BBQ ribs).

319 S. Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Pantry Dos

Carrying on the legacy of the original Pantry, the owners of Pantry Dos plopped the new location close enough to the Genoveva Chavez Community Center to

serve as a great stop after a hard swim or a day of ice skating.

20 White Feather, (505) 365-2859

Plaza Cafe Southside

If your little ones are ready to eat like humans, try this Southside spot. They’ve got a menu board with some basic rules for being in public, so you can point to it, shrug your shoulders and tell the kids, “Them’s the rules.”

3466 Zafarano Drive (505) 424-0755

BEST KID’S DENTAL PRACTICE

Dentistry for Kids

Even adults can dread going to the dentist. But Dentistry for Kids has things down to a science. The arcade games and general kid aesthetic make this place more fun and less scary for the littles. Plus, why not start things off right when it comes to dental health so they don’t become a nervous ball of energy when you mention the dentist?

1439 S. St. Francis Drive 6640 Cerrillos Rd., Ste. E, (505) 473-5437

Just for Grins

The aesthetic of this Midtown office is just right for kids. Docs here offer dental care with little stress or anxiety. “The kids are spoken to directly whenever possible and their comfort is always checked on,” one online reviewer writes.

490B W. Zia Road, (505) 428-7878

Adventure Dental

These folks know what it takes to put kids at ease before they’re ready for a checkup. Adventure is not just in the name, but also how they do things. The office even has a list of adventure-themed code words for the usually scary stuff.

2027 Cerrillos Road, (505) 930-7948

BEST MIDDLE SCHOOL

Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences

The School for the Arts & Sciences homes in on the idea that “12-14 year olds are at a pivotal stage,” and the curriculum aims to foster students’ curiosity of the world around them. After-school programs offer activities like tabletop role-playing games (attention: bards, clerics and rangers), live

action role playing, chess and art—making that often awkward part of life that much easier.

5912 Jaguar Drive (505) 438-8585

Academy for Technology and the Classics

As we mentioned earlier, the academy focuses on college prep for high schoolers. Those high academic standards are the same for their middle schoolers. Whereas the older kids are required to take advanced placement classes, the pre-teens are expected to take pre-AP classes.

74 A Van Nu Po (505) 473-4282

Turquoise Trail Charter School

This off-the-beaten-path school boasts smaller class sizes and student-led initiatives. Turquoise Trail decided to keep virtual schooling an option after COVID rocked the worlds of, well, everyone, but especially students.

13A San Marcos Loop (505) 986-4000

BEST NONPROFIT FOR YOUTH

Santa Fe Children’s Museum

You better pack a lunch if you’re taking the munchkins here—they’ll want to stay all day. Find masterfully curated exhibits that will interest kids of all ages (and probably their chaperones, too). Check out the water play section, where kids will unwittingly learn while also having a blast. The teensiest of the brood can have a go at the toddler area, while the creative of the group creates a masterpiece with Lego blocks.

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

Girls Inc.

Who runs the world? This local branch of the national organization has been focused on mentoring young girls in the Santa Fe area since 1956. Its goal is to help them grow into strong, smart and bold individuals.

301 Hillside Ave., (505) 982-2042

YouthWorks

YouthWorks helps hundreds of disadvantaged youth succeed, from improved grades at school to job training. The

SHELBY WYATT

Santa Fe Children’s Museum

organization’s programs include learning about sustainable agriculture, community stewardship and paths to vocational trades. They’ve even got a teen-staffed food truck!

1505 Llano St., (505) 989-1855

BEST ORTHODONTIC PRACTICE

Dentistry for Kids

Those of us with kids who need braces know the level of stress that brings the whole family. The folks at Dentistry for Kids know the importance of nipping these things in the bud. They focus on ages under 16 so problems get better before they get worse. Because major dental work can get costly, Dentistry for Kids also offers financing and accepts major insurance. Did we mention the arcade games?

1439 S. St Francis Drive 6640 Cerrillos Rd., Ste. E (505) 473-5437

Darmitzel Orthodontics

Dr. Stephen Darmitzel’s centrally located practice has been around since 2013. The website has everything you need to ramp up to your first visit, including before-and-after pictures.

125A Siringo Road, (505) 982-6656

SUCCESS Smiles

Based in Albuquerque, Dr. Lilly Padilla’s SUCCESS also has a location off St. Michael’s Drive. She knows about dental visit anxiety from a bad experience as a child and now strives to put her young patients at ease.

400 Kiva Court, Ste. A (505) 569-6639

BEST PEDIATRIC PRACTICE

CHRISTUS St. Vincent

The extensive services at this Santa Fe mainstay are pretty well known. Its website makes for easy connection with the general practitioner or specialist you need. Pros offer well-rounded services for anxiety treatment, which seems especially important after the past few years. Their goal is to create a trusting relationship with their patients and patients’ parents. Parents trust one of

the city’s biggest health care names with their smallest children.

5501 Herrera Drive, (505) 946-3233

465 St. Michael’s Drive, Ste. 200 (505) 913-4901

2590 Camino Entrada, (505) 946-3233

Presbyterian Health Services

Presbyterian’s growing presence in Santa Fe is particularly noticeable on the Southside, where its pediatric care center treats both physical and behavioral symptoms. The primary care physicians at Presbyterian offer wellness checks, as well as physicals required for school and sports.

4801 Beckner Road, Ste. 1600 (505) 772-2000

Southwest Care

Started almost 30 years ago as a treatment center for HIV/AIDS, Southwest Care has since expanded its services. A small, bilingual team takes a “wholeperson approach” to make sure everyone gets the specific care they need.

901 W. Alameda St., (505) 955-9454

BEST PRESCHOOL

Garcia Street Club

Garcia Street Club, near downtown, boasts that it’s the oldest one of its kind in Santa Fe—and it’s been in the same location for 75 years. The school uses play-based learning to prepare for elementary school. Its philosophy that a child’s environment is a “third teacher” means the kids get outside and get dirty whenever they have a chance. Those outside trips sometimes also include exploring the neighborhood and nearby acequias.

569 Garcia St., (505) 983-9512

Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences

Readers seem to like the School for the Arts & Sciences’ middle and high school programs, so it makes sense the preschool gets high marks too. Teachers use a curriculum based on the Reggio Emilia approach, which focuses on student-led learning and building relationships.

5912 Jaguar Drive, (505) 438-8585

Nye Early Childhood Center

As part of the Santa Fe Public School system, Nye focuses on preparing kids

YOU, SANTA FE!

KIDS

for elementary school and makes special education a priority. The school strives to make sure kids of all learning abilities are on equal footing when they start kindergarten.

3160 Agua Fría St., (505) 467-4600

BEST SUMMER PROGRAM FOR YOUTH

Reunity Resources

This community farm offers ample learning opportunities for grown-ups but also starts ‘em young over there. Kids who participate in Reunity’s Farm Camp get some true hands-on experience with sustainable farming. The kiddos have a chance to learn about pollination, fermentation and composting through their daily activities. Older kids can take part in counselor training too. The camp also offers scholarships for families that need them.

1829 San Ysidro Crossing, (505) 393-1196

Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences

For those keeping score: Santa Feans like the School for the Arts & Sciences preschool, middle school and high school programs. Rounding out the list are the school’s summer programs.

5912 Jaguar Drive, (505) 438-8585

Candyman Strings & Things

Sure, Candyman Strings & Things has private and group music lessons. But the store also has a bunch of other activities to keep young minds active. How about the free, all-ages continuous drum circle each day in the summer? Where was that when we were kids?

851 St. Michael's Drive, (505) 983-5906

BEST YOUTH ARTS PROGRAM

NDI - New Mexico

We challenge readers to name anything that’s more wholesome than kids truly dancing like no one’s watching. The overused cliche aside, NDI offers dance programs for ages 3-18. NDI also reaches kids in schools to do what would enrage that town in Footloose —get kids dancing. Summer break is nearly over at this point, but

keep NDI's summer classes in mind for next year.

1140 Alto St., (505) 983-7646

Wise Fool New Mexico

Were we the only ones who dreamed of running away and joining the circus as children? You don’t have to worry about Wise Fool pulling up stakes with your kids in tow, but the littles will probably come away with some pretty wicked circus skills.

1131 Siler Road, Ste. B (505) 992-2588

Santa Fe Youth Symphony

The youth symphony actually offers so much more than classical music. Think mariachi and jazz programs and more. Of course, everyone has to start somewhere, so the youth symphony also offers classes for beginners in 4th grade and up. 422 Medico Lane, (505) 672-5565

BEST YOUTH FITNESS PROGRAM

NDI - New Mexico

Work hard, do your best, never give up and be healthy. Those philosophies from the National Dance Institute of New Mexico would serve everyone well. You have to be in decent shape to get your groove on, after all. The institute’s HIP to be Fit program is part of all dance classes as a way to improve stamina and thus improve performances. The organization also helps train classroom teachers to encourage movement in their daily lessons.

1140 Alto St., (505) 983-7646

Santa Fe Climbing Center

Many parents know what it’s like when it seems like their antsy kids are climbing up the walls. The Santa Fe Climbing Center encourages kids to climb walls through its after-school and summer programs. Experienced climbers can also join the competitive youth team.

3008 Cielo Court, (505) 986-8944

Wise Fool New Mexico

It makes sense that fitness is an important part of circus arts. Classes offer fitness for those kids who might not be as keen on competitive sports.

1131 Siler Road, Suite B (505) 992-2588

BEST BUSINESS: CERRILLOS ROAD

Beck & Bulow

When Santa Feans need a butcher, they visit the shop that Tony Beck and JP Bulow built. “We want to give a huge shout-out to our amazing customers for crowning us the best business on Cerrillos Road,” they say in a joint statement, adding that they’ve expanded their selection to include specialty meats and seafood. “Thank you for being part of our journey, and we can’t wait to bring you even more goodness.”

1934 Cerrillos Road (505) 428-6827

Del Norte Credit Union

Where do you take your bucks when you want to keep them safe and secure locally? Del Norte. This ain’t your mama’s faceless mega-bank of yesteryear—it’s a credit union. And if you don’t know the difference, it’s time to learn.

3286 Cerrillos Road (505) 455-5528

Century Bank

Find local and long-lasting banking services from people in the community who actually care what happens to the people who live here. There’s little wonder Century has so many branches and customers.

4062 Cerrillos Road (505) 995-1200

BEST BUSINESS: DOWNTOWN

Collected Works

Independent bookstores are doing so much better in a post-Amazon world than anyone thought possible. Collected Works, for example, has remained such an iconic and adored local institution for decades now. “We’re doing very nicely, thank you,” says longtime owner Dorothy Massey, who also has a message for the fans about the accolade: “It’s the highlight of my day, my week—if not my year.”

202 Galisteo St., (505) 988-4226

Doodlet’s

If ever you’ve needed a gift for a brainy kid, a dorky dad, a sentimental pal or anyone in-between, Doodlets has had your back since 1955. The products range from science stuff and silly fun to kitschy, cute and beyond.

120 Don Gaspar Ave. (505) 983-3771

La Fonda on the Plaza

Did you know the historic downtown hotel hit its 100th birthday in 2022?

That’s a lot of years of service. Still, for our money, the best parts have more to do with food at La Plazuela or the French Pastry Shop. You’ll find a killer bar with live music too!

100 E. San Francisco St. (505) 982-5511

BEST BUSINESS: ELDORADO

Café Fina

Owner/chef Murphy O’Brien has built quite the paradise just off I-25 on the outskirts of the Eldorado subdivision.

So lauded, in fact, is O’Brien’s menu that SFR even recently declared that it’s just about perfect. Go for the brunchy/ lunchy daytime service or to-go only dinners; stay devoted for the sweet treats, bakery case and coffee from Aroma. You might just find the best pie you’ve ever tasted in your life—we sure did.

624 Old Las Vegas Highway (505) 466-3886

Santa Fe Brewing Co.

Santa Fe’s oldest and biggest microbrewery isn’t so micro anymore, and it turns 35 this year! Owner Brian Lock has expanded everything, from the flagship HQ outside town to the downtown Brake Room tasting outpost, and, popularly, it seems, the Eldo Taphouse.

7 Caliente Road (505) 466-6938

Jornada Chocolates

Should you find yourself in Eldorado and looking to beat that sweet tooth with something upscale and artisancore, this new spot has already found a top place in our hearts.

7 Caliente Road (505) 466-6915

BEST BUSINESS: RAILYARD/GUADALUPE DISTRICT

Santa Fe Farmers’ Market

Not only is our local Farmers’ Market the type of place that lures everyone from chefs and home cooks to foodies, coffee fanatics and chile lovers, it has numerous community-minded programs on offer. The CSA alone would be worth it for bags of fresh food, but SNAP users can double their dollars with ease while knowing they’ll get the best-quality food available. See the goods on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

1607 Paseo de Peralta (505) 983-4098

Violet Crown Cinema

Someplace between the cushy seats, the surprisingly good food, and the borderline ludicrous number of beers on tap, it hits you that going to the movies has never been quite so comfortable or tasty. We’ll take the Sour Patch Kids, thanks.

1606 Alcaldesa St. (505) 216-5678

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Beck & Bulow

KELLI JOHANSEN

FS2 Supply Co.

This locally owned clothier embraces all things New Mexico—and Santa Fe—in its designs across the board. From tees and loungewear, to warmer items, hats, kid’s stuff, onesies and more, slapping on something from FS2 proves you’re all about keeping it local.

500 Market St., Ste. 108 (505) 920-4356

BEST BUSINESS: RUFINA/SILER DISTRICT

Big Jo True Value Hardware

2023 marks 40 years of business on Siler Road for Big Jo, according to owner Rick C De Baca, who chalks the win up to quality products and his crew’s outstanding customer service. “I mean, we’ve received statewide and national awards for our service,” he tells SFR. “We have the best crew, and there’s always somebody waiting for you up at the front, but we also appreciate [the customer] loyalty.”

1311 Siler Road (505) 473-2255

Meow Wolf

This now-powerhouse arts company proves there’s a market for weirdos just looking to experience different forms of creativity. And though new locations will pop up in other states, Santa Fe will always be home base.

1352 Rufina Circle (505) 395-6369

Second Street Brewery Rufina Taproom

Though locals will tell you that losing the OG Second Street on its namesake street still stings, the live music, cozy patio, consistent menu and stellar beers of the now-largest iteration of the company softens the blow with ease.

2920 Rufina St. (505) 954-1068

BEST BUSINESS: SOUTHSIDE

Plaza

Café Southside

It’s no small victory for a restaurant to take top honors in a category not specifi-

cally dedicated to food, but the Southside location of Santa Fe’s enduring Plaza Café has the juice to make it happen year after year. Find New Mexican favorites throughout the day, plus the first local eatery to serve up the Impossible Burger (others do it now, too, but the Plaza came first). Oh! And don’t sleep on the pie.

3466 Zafarano Drive (505) 424-0755

Newman’s Nursery

In a city with a number of top-notch nurseries, Newman’s stands out with its weekly specials, local love and knowledgeable staff. In short, if you want to beautify your surroundings, this is a great place to start.

7501 Cerrillos Road (505) 471-8642

The Cat

Thrifting remains one of the best ways to find hidden treasures, ranging from decor and housewares to the weirdest clothing items, unexpected furniture and so forth. When your purchase supports the Santa Fe Animal Shelter as it does at The Cat, all the better.

3546 Zafarano Drive, (505) 780-8975

BEST BUSINESS: ST. MICHAEL’S DRIVE/ TRIANGLE DISTRICT

The Candyman Strings & Things

A shop for musical instruments doesn’t stay open for 54 years without working its way into the hearts of the community, and that’s precisely what The Candyman has done. “Obviously it’s such an honor to get those banners and hang them up in the store,” owner Rand Cook, who has been with the store for 33 years, tells SFR. “[My wife and coowner] Cindy and I and the entire staff are so completely humbled.”

851 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 983-5906

Botwin Eye Group/Oculus Optical

It might take a minute to get your eye exam with these longtime local pros, but it just speaks to the level of trust its doctors and locals share. Once you know what’s up, you can get some sweet frames too.

444 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 438-2020

Anthony’s Grill

Everyone loves the Asian fusion cuisine available at Anthony’s, but in a way that almost borders on obsessive. To put it bluntly, try it once, and you’ll probably become a convert for life. Mongolian, Vietnamese, Chinese— they do it all.

1622 St. Michael’s Drive, (505) 365-2932

BEST BUSINESS: WESTSIDE/ALAMEDA/ AGUA FRÍA

La Montañita Co-op

You don’t need to be a member to reap the benefits of La Montañita’s alwaysfresh and organic products, but it doesn’t hurt. Pro tip? Grab a generously huge breakfast burrito on your way to work for a bit of that New Mexican taste, but remember you’ll also find the best veggies and fruit, not to mention a robust selection of vitamins, meats and more. Plus, gifts and flowers too.

913 W. Alameda St., (505) 984-2852

KELLI JOHANSEN

La Montañita Co-op

Plants of the Southwest

Where to go when you want to mindfully source native or desert-adaptive plants, seeds, grasses, shrubs, cactuses and so much more? If you want it pretty without water waste, start here.

3095 Agua Fría St. (505) 438-8888

Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery

Locally made beers and spirits intersect with a cavernous events space that has proven indispensable since it opened five years ago. Where would punk, metal, DJs and hip-hop be without Tumbleroot? Nowhere.

2791 Agua Fría St. (505) 393-5135

BEST ECO-FRIENDLY BUSINESS

Agua Fría Nursery

Of course it’s wonderful to see the top prize go to the Pennington family, who have owned the business since 1975 and put a special emphasis on plants that do well in New Mexico. “We are blessed to have the hardest-working people around, and our customers are the best,” says family member Shane, son of originators Bob and Jenni. “We are simultaneously thrilled and humbled by people's votes. Thank you, thank you!”

1409 Agua Fría St. (505) 983-4831

Reunity Resources

This community-minded nonprofit farm not only grows some of the best stuff, it hosts concerts and comedy, provides a free pantry for folks in need, and teaches anyone interested how to get down on the farm in style.

1829 San Isidro Crossing (505) 393-1196

Soap & Supply

Soap is non-negotiable at this point, but that doesn’t mean you can’t embrace this local company and its zero-waste mission to refill rather than buy and rebuy single-use plastic. So long, nightmare labyrinth of synthetic materials!

1925 Rosina St., Unit A (505) 772-0644

BEST EMPLOYER

The Food Depot

Though Santa Fe nonprofit The Food Depot does amazing things with more than 70 partner orgs and across nine New Mexico counties, there might be an ulterior motive to its workers’ love of helping hungry people—it feels great to help. “How could you not love working for a place where you get to make a difference in people’s lives every single day?” queries Deputy Director Jill Dixon. “It’s incredibly joyful—the kind of thing that makes stress melt away.”

1222 Siler Road A, (505) 471-1633

CHRISTUS St. Vincent

One of Santa Fe’s largest employers also happens to be a local favorite when it comes to places to work. Our lives inevitably bring us back around to the hospital; isn’t it better to have happy people working there?

455 St. Michael’s Drive, (505) 913-3361

Solace Sexual Assault Services

Though the prevailing hope is that you need never to engage with Solace’s many services and counselors, it’s still nice to know there are people dedicated to being there for survivors of sexual violence, stalking and even trafficking.

6601 Valentine Way, (505) 988-1951

BEST NEW BOOK BY A NEW MEXICO AUTHOR

Silver Box by Natachee Momaday Gray

Though the local poet only just released her first semi-autobiographical compendium of writings last April, it has clearly already made an impact on local readers with its wry wit and vulnerable storytelling. “I continue to be in awe of how the release of this silly book of poetry has changed my life and given me wings,” Momaday Gray tells SFR. “It was such a long labor of love…I am overwhelmed by the love it has received.”

finishinglinepress.com

Hit the Road by Zélie Pollon

The author/journalist lays out a roadmap for badass moms who want to traipse

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LOCAL LIVING

the globe with their kiddos, from remote work, schooling, making friends, emergencies and much more. There’s even an audio version from Audible for when you do hit the road. medium.com/@zpollon

Bella: Collector of Cuentos by Carmen Baca

Baca merges YA fantasy with a bit of Pan’s Labyrinth oddity and beloved New Mexico folklore for the tale of a teen who comes into her own after discovering a world hidden to most other humans. Fun and factual? Sold! somosenescrito.com/bella.html

BEST NEW BUSINESS

Los Poblanos Farm Shop

Norte

While downtown tourists can peruse the many home and kitchen items at the northern outpost of the Albuquerquebased farm brand, locals will find lots to drink and taste while they hang on the patio at the corner of Washington and Marcy. Pro tip: Get a box of the goat milk caramels in the shop, then sip fancy lemonade in the seating area.

201 W. Washington Ave., (505) 808-1713

Santa Fe Play

Kids love being outside, but it’s not always doable, especially in winter. Enter Santa Fe Play, an indoor playground with bounce houses, climbing structures and flooring so soft even the most fretful parent can breathe easy.

19 Plaza La Prensa, (505) 819-3749

Pie Projects Gallery

True story—we don’t think there’s been a single show at new-ish contempo gallery Pie Projects since it opened in 2021 that hasn’t made the SFR culture team gasp once we’ve seen the images. OK, so it’s not new new—it still rules.

924 B Shoofly St. (505) 372-7681

BEST NONPROFIT

The Food Depot

The universal cause of helping folks get

fed is business as usual for The Food Depot, who work across nine counties in New Mexico. “It feels good to be recognized for what we do best,” says Deputy Director Jill Dixon, who adds that everyone at the nonprofit, from the volunteers to the admin staff, is more fired up than ever to help New Mexicans in need. They handed out roughly 10 million pounds of food last year!

1222 Siler Road A (505) 471-1633

Kitchen Angels

Hungry New Mexicans might not be able to make it out of the house to an organization that offers food, and that’s where Kitchen Angels comes in—by delivering prepared food to the homebound among us.

1222 Siler Road (505) 471-7780

Esperanza Shelter

This indispensable local organization helps survivors of violence and abuse take the first steps toward reclaiming their lives and moving forward across a wide array of services. “Violence does not have to follow you into the future,” reads the website. Amen.

3130 Rufina St. (505) 474-5536

BEST NONPROFIT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

The Santa Fe Botanical Garden has only really been open for 10 years, but is so woven into the fabric of Santa Fe’s existence that it feels like it’s always been here. Now with its three planned phases on Musuem Hill completed, the garden is a magical cross-section of the flora that makes our region so lovely. The garden offers a plethora of education and conservation programs.

725 Camino Lejo (505) 471-9103

Reunity Resources

In addition to its farmy goodness, Reunity’s compost collection program is unmatched in town, as is its commitment to sustainable agriculture, feeding folks and education.

1829 San Isidro Crossing (505) 393-1196

Santa Fe Watershed Association

With water being one of the most valuable commodities in the region, this org dedicated to the protection and revitalization of the Santa Fe River is just about as important as it gets.

1413 Second St., #3, (505) 820-1696

BEST OUTDOOR TRAIL

Galisteo Basin Preserve

If you head a mere 14 miles outside town, you’ll find it—that beautifully preserved 10,000-ish acres where the views stretch as far as the eye can see, thanks to the Commonweal Conservancy, which is undertaking a $350,000 stewardship campaign. The Galisteo Basin Preserve is a must for outdoorsy types, or even the indoor kids who just need a little beauty.

Astral Valley Road galisteobasinpreserve.com

Aspen Vista

Heck, yeah, that’s a great name for this rocky but doable 6-mile trail that wends its way to the most gorgeous conglom-

eration of aspens in the area—maybe the whole dang world. Can you believe we live near that?

Hyde Park Road

Dale Ball Trails

They say the classics never go out of style, and the enduring popularity of the Dale Ball Trails pretty much proves that. Can you call yourself a local if you’ve never trekked this network?

Entrances at Hyde Park Road and Upper Canyon Road

BEST PARK

Railyard Park Conservancy

Once a big fat plot of nothing, the Railyard Park has become a well-loved and central bit of land that plays host to playing children, art markets, music and festival events and, as of this year, the International Folk Art Market. Visitors may climb on boulders, sit in the human-sized bird nest or peep at the community garden. It’s a nice stroll, too, on summer evenings.

805 Early St., 204B (505) 316-3596

Harvey Cornell Rose Park

Who knew this park was named after a guy named Harvey? Not us. To be fair, though, we know it as the place where people do tai chi and slacklining, LARPing and picnicking; it’s where they literally smell the roses.

1320 Galisteo Parkway

Fort Marcy Park

Santa Fe loves Fort Marcy for the annual burning of Zozobra for sure, but its health facilities, pool and pleasant walking trail encircle an inviting park for anyone looking to get outside a bit.

490 Bishops Lodge Road (505) 955-2500

BEST PLACE TO WORK

The Food Depot

You voted it the best employer, but it sounds like the day-to-day work culture at Santa Fe’s most excellent food bank is also a winner. As Deputy Director Jill Dixon said in a previous listing, it’s about helping people. Having a purpose and

making a difference? Always cool. Volunteer work is work too, and this place depends on that part of its labor force for certain.

1222 Siler Road A, (505) 471-1633

CHRISTUS St. Vincent

Speaking of making a difference, the hospital is where it all happens, and its workers from admin to the ER floor apparently love being there. That’s kind of what you want in health care workers.

455 St. Michael’s Drive, (505) 913-3361

The Candyman Strings & Things

Maybe you’ve noticed the people who work at the Candyman tend to stay there for years and years? Oh, the discounts on instruments and amps and accessories can’t hurt, but we think this one is ultimately about being a part of something.

851 St. Michael’s Drive, (505) 983-5906

BEST SENIOR LIVING

The Montecito

From independent and assisted living to good food, homey interiors and plenty of activities and amenities—live music, even—this resort-style senior living facility has been at the top of this category for years running. The Montecito even has state-of-the-art memory care, room for pets and the Garbo’s Restaurant on its 15-acre campus.

500 Rodeo Road, (505) 428-7777

El Castillo/La Secoya

This one’s the type of assisted living facility that looks and feels more like a home, and with multiple floor plans to choose from and sweeping Santa Fe views, residents kind of have it all within striking distance of the downtown Santa Fe highlights.

250 E. Alameda St., (505) 988-2877

Kingston Residence of Santa Fe

This Southside elder living facility boasts more space than you might think, plus a location conveniently nearby shopping, dining and more. Programs include a chess club, guided museum tours and plenty more, plus bilingual workers.

2400 Legacy Court (505) 471-2400

KELLI JOHANSEN

Fort Marcy Park

NM Gas Company (NMGC)'s planned Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant, just three miles from a school and two miles from Double Eagle Airport and Petroglyph National Monument, is not worth the risk to the health and safety of Rio Rancho, Bernalillo County and surrounding communities.

As planned, LNG, derived from fracked methane gas and chilled to -260ºF, could be liquefied, stored and regasified at the plant for injection into NMGC's existing distribution pipelines and for transport by tanker trucks throughout the state. Health and safety risks include:

Physical danger from the ignition of leaking gas forming a low-lying vapor cloud that drifts until it hits an ignition source — even simple static electricity — and ignites an inferno. Depending upon wind and topography, such methane clouds can extend for miles.

LNG fires are extremely difficult to control and cannot be extinguished with water. Firefighters require special training and equipment to control the flames.

Proposed LNG tanker trucks will endanger New Mexico drivers and communities throughout the state.

Impacts from boil-off gas and other necessary intermittent venting could increase cumulative emissions and further exacerbate existing air quality issues in Rio Rancho and Albuquerque.

These dangers are not hypothetical. Even if safety procedures and technology are robust, accidents, leaks and explosions at LNG storage facilities and involving LNG tanker trucks have resulted in numerous fatalities, fires, widespread evacuations of communities in the US and around the world, and property damage in the hundreds of millions.

And the proposed facility is not cost effective. The $180M or more that could be charged to ratepayers to build the plant will cost each NMGC customer at least $3 per month for the next 30 years and will not reduce exposure to price volatility. The capacity of the plant - less than half the contracted capacity from the current supplier in Texas - means more gas will have to be purchased on the volatile swing market where gas prices fluctuate dramatically.

Now is not the time to build new infrastructure that makes decarbonization more difficult!

LEARN MORE AND TAKE ACTION TO TELL THE PUBLIC REGULATION COMMISSION TO OPPOSE THIS DANGEROUS PLAN AT HTTP://NEWENERGYECONOMY.ORG/LNG

BEST AESTHETIC TREATMENT

Mountain Spirit Integrative Medicine

Crank up the volume on Sophie’s “Faceshopping” (RIP, dear Sophie), and get ready for some self-customization. Likely the most beloved of Mountain Spirit’s range of dermal offerings are SkinPen collagen induction micro needling treatments (for the uninitiated, that entails using a bunch of very tiny, FDA-approved needles to activate the body’s own collagen production in response to injury), but you’ll also find a bevy of acupuncture treatments, botanical facials and more from these self-care experts.

303 Paseo de Peralta (505) 988-2449

Glow - House of Beauty and Pain

We love honesty in advertising, and nobody’s more upfront about aesthetic treatments than Glow (who also would win an award for Most Metal Business Name if that were a category). Microblade away in the serenity of an optional private room.

3600 Cerrillos Road, Ste. 504A/B (505) 471-1008

Ageless Aesthetics

Particular experts in wielding needles (with treatments ranging in nature from subdermal vitamin therapy to line-smoothing injectables), the folks at Ageless are also your best bet for earlobe enhancement—an option which has given us a whole new source of dysmorphia!

546 Harkle Road, Ste. A (505) 473-7546

BEST BARBER

The Center Barber

Owners Velma and Jude Vigil (descendants of founders Ramon and Aurora Vigil) are the keepers of more than 69 years of family hair-shearing expertise. Having seen Santa Fe through everything from beehives to buzzcuts in that

time, there’s pretty much no cut they can’t execute—but why not go old school and try a straight razor shave? You'll love the classic look and feel of the shop.

503 W. Cordova Road, (505) 982-1020 931 W. Alameda St., (505) 983-9816

Klean Cut Kenny

The eponymous Kenny Tapia is beloved for two reasons: his utterly pristine men’s cuts and his generosity with his time. A regular volunteer at fundraiser cutting events for children’s cancer, he’s a true gentleman’s barber with a heart of gold.

3600 Cerrillos Road, Ste. 404A (505) 920-2864

Santa Fe Barber Company

Dust Parker and Cohdi Harrell aren’t just the Southside’s prime providers of classic cuts and straight razor head shaves—they also offer free dreadlock consultations, which is a notable blessing in a town with too few experts on Black hair textures.

2882 Trades West Road, Ste. 1A (505) 557-6421

BEST FACIAL

Ageless Aesthetics

We love a good sheet facial and like to consider ourselves amateur moisturizer connoisseurs, but Ageless boasts an array of facial options we hadn’t even heard of anywhere else. Sure, you can be an OG and go with the Ageless Classic (steam, exfoliation, massage, personalized mask and vitamins)—but why not explore that utterly mysterious onyx laser facial or the futuristically named Glo'Facial by Geneo (which uses both ultrasound and radio frequency technology)?

546 Harkle Road, Ste. A (505) 473-7546

Glow - House of Beauty and Pain

Owner Jonelle Duvall doesn’t just know how to pick a killer name—she also pioneered Santa Fe’s primary Facial Bar. Whether you’re more of a five-layer flower bomb peel person or a microchanneling mama, you’re sure to leave looking illuminated.

3600 Cerrillos Road, Ste. 504A/B (505) 471-1008

Alkemesta

We love to support a WOC-owned business with our self-care spending, and Alkemesta’s Anayensi Olivas has us beautifully covered for everything from LED light therapy (certain clear-skinned SFR staffers swear by its power) to enzyme peels.

1210 Luisa St., Ste. 12A (505) 900-1474

BEST HAIR SALON

The Color Bar

While Color Bar has been placing in the top three of Best of Santa Fe for years, this win is a testament to the hard work owner Nikki Martinez and her team have put into tinting and trimming our locks for over 10 years now. And with its particularly queer-friendly atmosphere—the site highlights Color Bar’s commitment to “providing our LGBTQ+ community with identity expression/exploration through hair”—there truly is a barber’s chair for everybody here.

21 Bisbee Court, Ste. H (505) 310-4903

The Center Barber

KELLI JOHANSEN

Prizm Salon

Anyone who has experimented with redbased hair dye will tell you how hard it is to maintain. But take one look at the gorgeous fuchsia and intense purple filling Prizm’s gallery, and you’ll know your hues are in expert hands.

4056 Cerrillos Road, Ste. C2 (505) 920-0387

Guys & Dolls Salon

If you are a lass/And your blonde’s turned to brass/You can bet that they’ll fix it at Guys & Dolls—but it also specializes in highlights, balayage, trims and just about everything else a lady needs to maintain her locks.

1587 Pacheco St. (505) 984-2887

BEST MASSAGE Ten Thousand

Waves

Let’s get real for a second here: A good massage is never just about the actual

bodywork. It’s about the atmosphere, the sense of specialness that comes with doing something just for yourself. And there’s simply nowhere in town that captures that feeling of utter escape from life’s chaos quite like Ten Thousand Waves. Watch the koi or enjoy the public bath while you wait for your session, and you’ll start slipping into a different world.

21 Ten Thousand Waves Way (505) 982-9304

Ojo Santa Fe

Speaking of otherworldliness—are we the only ones who think Ojo Santa Fe’s round tubs overlooking the natural water features of La Cienaga look a little like portals? Take a dip before your massage, and see where they lead you.

242 Los Pinos Road (877) 977-8212

High Desert Healthcare & Massage

Swedish massage is the name of the game here, which, for those who’ve not yet experienced its magic, takes a much

gentler approach than deep tissue. That makes it your best bet for full-body relaxation (as opposed to muscle readjustment).

644 Paseo de Peralta (505) 984-8830

BEST NAIL SALON Serenity Salon

Not to get on our soap box, but the fact that nail adornment tends to be discussed as an indulgence rather than an art always struck us a little bit fishy. It’s a form of creative expression requiring intense skill and dexterity with a brush—and the maestras at Serenity give it the respect it deserves. Don’t let the lack of internet presence lead you astray: These folks have so many repeat customers for good reason.

4056 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-2106

Hannah’s Healthy Nails

Remember what we were saying about the atmosphere being as important

as the massage? That holds true for manicures as well, and the coziness of Hannah’s is a world away from the clinical atmosphere and chemical smells we fear from salons.

501 Franklin Ave., (505) 603-0464

Skinplicity

Santa

Fe Lash and Beauty Bar

We have two words for those who yearn for manicures that last longer than, like, four days before chipping—BioSculpture Gel. It’s a specialty at the Lash and Beauty Bar and holds strong for at least two weeks.

1012 Marquez Place, Unit 101 (505) 988-8923

BEST SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

Ageless Aesthetics

Thank goodness the days of the snail goop skin care fad seem to be behind us, and we can instead talk about such intriguing dermal treats as papaya enzyme cleansers, tinted medical sunscreens (woah) and marine extract moisturizers that will leave you feeling as hydrated as the Little Mermaid swimming through a kelp forest. There’s a whole new world of cuttingedge skin care out there—and Ageless Aesthetics offers the opportunity to sample it all.

546 Harkle Road, Ste. A (505) 473-7546

Skinplicity

Stocking brands such as Éminence Organic Skincare (a Hungarian company focusing on botanical ingredients) and Environ (which produces science-centric products intended to deliver vitamins directly to skin), Skinplicity cuts the unnecessary additives and gets straight to skin healing.

2019 Galisteo St., Ste. J2 (505) 660-6350

Eldorado Skin Care

Treat yourself to a miniature shopping vacation, and browse your way through Eldorado Skin Care’s broad selection of products chosen specifically to target the unique challenges associated with our windy and ultra-dry high desert climate.

5 Caliente Road, #4, Eldorado (505) 795-8891

JOHANSEN

BEST SPA

Ten Thousand Waves

If you thought we were done raving about Santa Fe’s slice of Studio Ghibli-level enchantment, think again. Ten Thousand Waves doesn’t just have the aforementioned steaming tubs, mountain views and Izakaya dining. We maintain that even the animals around the spa act a little differently. Keep an eye out for a black cat that’s a dead ringer for Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service winding around the bathhouse, and tell us you don’t feel the magic.

21 Ten Thousand Waves Way (505) 982-9304

Ojo Santa Fe

A spa at an actual spring site just hits differently. You might not be yourself dipping directly in the natural water, but with it almost close enough to touch from your tub, you really get the best of both worlds.

242 Los Pinos Road (877) 977-8212

Ageless Aesthetics

Even with all its already-discussed accolades this year, we still have so much left to tell you about Ageless’ myriad spa offerings—including laser hair and tattoo removal, laser skin resurfacing and even red vein laser removal. So many lasers.

546 Harkle Road, Ste. A (505) 473-7546

BEST TATTOO SHOP

The Dungeon Tattoo & Piercing

Much like its heavily tatted staff and client base, The Dungeon may be tough in appearance, but it’s got an immensely soft and sweet core. As the reigning tattoo (and piercing) champions around town for so many years we’ve pretty much lost count, they could easily have developed a too-cool-for-you attitude towards ink newcomers. Instead, they treat each new client as a member of the tattooed family—with all the respect and warmth that entails.

1632 Cerrillos Road (505) 983-8262

Four Star Tattoo

If you take a peek inside the SFR offices, you’ll see so many Four Star tattoos on staffers’ bodies that we basically constitute a walking Four Star Instagram feed. From ‘50s-influenced sailor styles to intricate line work, these folks can ink it all.

825 Topeka St. (505) 984-9131

Dawn’s Custom Tattoo

Getting tattooed is an intimate experience—and plenty of AFAB folks feel more comfortable working with a femme artist. Proprietor Dawn Purnell offers a perfect answer with more than 20 years of experience and countless raves to vouch for her skills.

1100 Hickox St. (505) 986-0002

BEST WAXING

Waxing the City

You should know by now that SFR loves a good punny headline, so Waxing the City already gets a few points in our book on name alone. But that humor also points to one of the business’s best features: Its relaxed and laid-back attitude helps you to embrace the silliness associated with paying someone to rip your body hair out, thereby offering levity in the midst of an experience that can otherwise be intimidating for newcomers.

4386 Rodeo Road (505) 474-2994

Sherry’s Sugar Shack

Oh Sherry, thank you for making the infamous Brazilian more accessible to newbies through your kind-hearted First Brazilian Bikini Guide. Putting a friendly face to the process and walking us through best prep practices goes such a long way. Plus, we like your name, too.

1850 Calle Medico, Ste. F (505) 226-4478

Prizm Salon

That’s right, these folks aren’t just experts in trimming hair—they’re happy to help you remove it all as well. Whether you’re looking for a lil’ landing strip or just a brief bikini wax, your follicles will be treated fabulously.

4056 Cerrillos Road, Ste. C2 (505) 920-0387

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BEST DOG TRAINING

No-No FiFi Dog Training & Pet Concierge

No-No FiFi creates a welcoming space for you and your dog to strengthen your bond and correct bad behavior. Owner Shelley Bachicha believes that every first consultation should be free, money- and stress-wise, and from there, her expertise and foundational “Basic 7" rules will transform your naughty dog into a well-behaved gentle-pet. “I am very excited to be recognized by the community and to work with their dogs,” Bachicha tells SFR.

(505) 795-6315

A Matte r of Manners

A Matter of Manners uses science-based positive reinforcement training to effectively fix behavior issues and never resorts to using fear or coercion that would otherwise only harm your dog. amatterofmannersdogtraining.com

Paws Plaza

The list of services at Paws Plaza will help you meet your specific training goals. Focused classes directly address problems such as potty training, jumping and leash manners, while other services include puppy socialization and even teaching novice tricks.

1416 Fourth St., (505) 820-7529

BEST NONPROFIT FOR ANIMALS

Española Humane Society

Northern New Mexico animal lovers benefit tremendously from Española Humane, which doesn’t draw boundary lines when caring for furry friends. The nonprofit makes adoptions convenient, with adoptable pets already spayed/neutered, age-appropriately vaccinated and more. The shelter remains

committed to curbing animal overpopulation in the region with free spay/neuter for more than 6,500 pets annually and free vaccination clinics throughout the community—living up to its slogan of more love per paw.

108 Hamm Parkway, Española (505) 753-8662

Santa Fe Animal Shelter

More than a safe place for animals, the Santa Fe Animal Shelter provides a community park that offers walking trails, play yards and dog parks. New programs include “Community Assistance for Santa Fe Animals,” which provides help with pet food and vet care costs.

100 Caja Del Río Road (505) 983-4309

Street Homeless Animal Project

The compassionate folks at the Street Homeless Animal Project work closely with Smith Veterinary Hospital and the Santa Fe Animal Shelter to help people experiencing homelessness and

their companion animals with supplies and services.

1000 Cordova Place, #34 (505) 501-4933

BEST PET DAYCARE

Santa Fe Tails

This 18,000-square-foot facility will give your dog plenty of room to run around and meet new friends while you’re away. The staff also pays special attention to your dog’s individual needs so that Fido can find a group of paw pals that best matches his personality and energy level. “We’re all here for the dogs, and it feels good to be recognized once again,” says manager Micah Sandoval.

2109 Warner Circle (505) 820-0731

Zoomies Dog Daycare & Resort

You won’t find any cages here, so your dog will be enjoying uninterrupted recess. This daycare will treat your fur baby like a part of

the family the same way they’ve been doing for 13 years.

513A Camino De Los Marquez (505) 954-1473

Paws Plaza

At Paws Plaza, your dog will be pampered by top-notch staff and have plenty of entertainment, like an agility course and a yard—a plaza, if you will—to mingle with the other four-legged guests.

1416 Fourth St., (505) 820-7529

BEST PET GROOMING

Barks & Bubbles

Grooming your dog requires breed-specific special attention and care. The coat, temperament, size and age are among different factors that have to be considered. Avoid the hassle of knotted hair by bringing your mud-lover to the professionals at Barks & Bubbles, where your dog will be bathed and groomed from head to

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No-No FiFi Dog Training & Pet Concierge

SHELBY WYATT

paw. After a good wash, ear cleaning and nail clipping, find your pet prancing prim and proper.

1311 Calle Nava, (505) 820-2275

Turquoise Tails

The full-service option at Turquoise Tails is an all-inclusive tidy-up that will bathe, brush, blow dry and toothbrush your fur baby on demand. You can also ask the staff for a breed-specific haircut and a de-shedding as an extra touch.

1624 Cerrillos Road (505) 930-5909

Zoomies Dog Daycare & Resort

You can expect the same highquality attention that Zoomies gives to its furry overnight guests in its grooming services. One-onone grooming services and doggy destress sessions get the jobs done while doggo remains relaxed.

513A Camino de Los Marquez (505) 954-1473

BEST PET STORE

Teca Tu

Teca Tu has been making tails wag for over 25 years now, thanks to its outstanding stock of pet apparel, gourmet treats and any kind of pet accessory you could possibly imagine. With things like doggy beer, puppy ice cream and handbaked “Lollipups,” you’ll almost certainly find something unique for your pooch. Your cat will also love you forever for getting those catnip sardines and scratch ‘n’ scrapes. Did we already mention the doggy beer?

DeVargas Center 165 Paseo de Peralta (505) 982-9374

Critters and Me

The one-stop shop for all your pet food and supplies, you can get everything you need for your dog, cat, bird or even your horse. Take advantage of their self-service pet wash station. (No horses, please)

1403 Agua Fría St. (505) 982-5040

Eldorado Country Pet & Wild Bird

The store features general canine and items for avian needs, but it also offers products for your more specific needs, like bird feeders and bird baths for backyard avians and shampoos and healthy chews for the pooch.

7 Avenida Vista Grande, Ste. B-5 (505) 466-1270

BEST VETERINARIAN Smith Veterinary Hospital

The veterinarians here have provided locals with excellent care since 1946, when Dr. Ed Smith founded the hospital on the outskirts of town. Now near one of the busiest intersections in Santa Fe, its conveniently located walk-in clinic is committed to giving your pets responsive care and medication from a fully stocked pharmacy. “We just try to do our best to help the community,” Jessica Archuleta, practice manager, says.

600 Alta Vista St. (505) 539-1093

Gruda Veterinary Hospital

Gruda ensures that your furry friend has access to state-of-the-art services such as dentistry, endoscopy, ultrasounds and laser therapy. The informative (and honestly kind of fun) interactive pet feature and pet library on its website are just bonuses.

9 Rumble Road (505) 471-4400

Clare Eddy Thaw Animal Hospital

This full-service pet clinic is owned and operated by the Santa Fe Humane Society, and 100% of the proceeds go towards helping injured or homeless pets. Plus, it offers a sliding scale for incomequalified clients.

100 Caja del Río Road (505) 983-2755

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BEST BIKE SHOP Broken Spoke

“We’ve got what I think is a pretty no-brainer philosophy,” Broken Spoke owner Mike Chapman says of his shop’s win, “which is to be nice to people.” Bicycling comes with so much information, and Chapman says many bike shops have trained customers to feel judged by the brands they ride or the questions they ask. “The goal from the get-go was to create an inclusive environment,” Chapman adds. “Nobody’s going to be judged.”

1426 Cerrillos Road, (505) 992-3102

rob

and charlie’s

We’re comfortable calling rob and charlie’s iconic, and for many Santa Feans, it’s been a go-to shop for sales and service since as far back as they can remember. You can score a skateboard over there, too.

1632 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 471-9119

Mellow Velo

From new and used products to a helpful staff full of folks who love biking as much as you do, the shop that David Bell built has remained a consistently popular Plaza-adjacent stop for locals looking to up their bicycle game.

132 E. Marcy St. (505) 982-8986

BEST BOOKSTORE

Collected Works Bookstore and Coffeehouse

“It isn’t just us,” Collected Works owner Dorothy Massey explains. “Collected Works, which happens to be the oldest and biggest and, we think, best, is part of a literary community. There are 18 bookstores in Santa Fe currently functioning, and I think it’s a positive sign of extraordinary support.” Indeed, Collected Works has been an inextricably Santa Fean institution for 43 years through readings, stocked shelves, special orders and a nice cup of mud. It’s a cool hang, too.

202 Galisteo St. (505) 988-4226

Garcia Street Books

What it lacks in shop size, Garcia Street Books more than makes up with personal customer service, odds and ends you won’t find elsewhere, an excellent returning customer program and extremely friendly staff. The store even stocks comics such as Tintin and Asterix!

376 Garcia St., Ste. B, (505) 986-0151

op.cit. books

This one’s for the browsers who long to experience the tactile sensation of books—the smells and sights that come from searching the racks and piles for that perfect lesser-known tome or newly released bestseller. Make a day of it. Go wild.

DeVargas Center, 157 Paseo de Peralta (505) 428-0321

BEST CAR DEALER

Honda Subaru of Santa Fe OK, so Hondas are universally agreed to be a long-lasting and reliable brand, while Subarus somehow became the official car of Santa Fe—this place has what you need, then. Perhaps it’s about driving up the mountain for your

next ski excursion or simply surviving the endless waves of potholes and construction that all drivers encounter. Whatever your reasons, SFR’s readers say this place is tops.

7511 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-7007

Toyota of Santa Fe

This Midtown beacon of automotive glory spans a healthy chunk of St. Michael’s Drive as a one-stop shop for new and used cars, mechanic work and more. It’s also conveniently located no matter where in town you hang your hat. The moral? If you like Toyotas, you will like Toyota of Santa Fe.

1601 St. Michael’s Drive, (505) 395-2996

Great Little Cars

This locally owned lot has been slingin’ used cars since 1995 and places regularly in the Best of Santa Fe polls. Maybe it’s the online shopping or the confidence that you’ll get a fair trade or deal? The locals love ‘em!

500 W Cordova Road, (505) 992-8122

BEST CONSIGNMENT Double Take

For those keeping track, this marks

another first-place win for the longlived downtown thrift, consignment and lovingly used clothing shop that takes up a whole block on Guadalupe and Aztec streets. From everyday fits to vintage and new, cowboy clothes and even the kind of items you could wear to a formal event, the curation at Double Take is top-notch.

320 Aztec St., (505) 989-8886

The Raven

Do you collect shiny things, too? The Raven's treasure trove is all about beautifying your world, from home decor, furniture, lighting and beyond. Put together a statement room, gussy up your apartment or happily funkify your surroundings.

1225 Cerrillos Road, (505) 988-4775

Stephen’s A Consignment Gallery

Perhaps one of the more storied shops in our fair burg, Stephen’s keeps on trucking along with items that land across the affordability spectrum and a dedication to cool stuff. Furniture, timepieces, homewares, ephemera, estate sales and more—if you want it, they probably have it.

2701 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-0802

The Raven

KELLI JOHANSEN

BEST COOKING STORE

Las Cosas Kitchen Shoppe

We’ve all been in a position wherein a melon baller would have saved our lives, and here’s where to find one. Thank the Walker family, who own the place and provide upscale brands and fancy coffee gear, but also affordable items and kitchen gadgets, plus classes with chef Johnny Vee and, at last count, nearly a solid decade of first-place wins.

DeVargas Center, 181 Paseo de Peralta (505) 988-3394

Kitchenality

The shop run by nonprofit Kitchen Angels levels the playing field in almost all ways—price among them—while also boasting kitchen items, books and more you might not find at shops that just sell new products. Plus, there’s the benefit of helping out an org that feeds our homebound neighbors.

1222 Siler Road, (505) 471-7780

Santa Fe School of Cooking

Oh, the school has classes, for sure, but also the tools, books and online presence to turn your budding interest in the culinary arts into a full-blown passion. Or maybe you just want to eat? SFSC offers tours, special events and even live jazz.

125 N. Guadalupe St., (505) 983-4511

BEST CRAFT STORE Artisan

If you’re into making art for business or pleasure, chances are you’ll find yourself in Artisan sooner or later. Whatever your preferred media, they’ve got you covered, as they have since 1975. You’ll also find classes and special events, plus a frequent shopper rewards program, special deals and a staff that understands that for Santa Fe to remain an art town, everybody has to start someplace. Oh, and say hi to their snake, Delphino. Dude’s famous!

2601 Cerrillos Road, (505) 954-4179

Santa Fe Quilting

Shelves here feature bolts and bolts of the best fabrics for the serious quilters in the city and those just dipping in their toes. Looking for batiks in a range of colors?

A print with chile peppers? Santa Fe Quilting has both, and lots more.

3018-A Cielo Court, (505) 473-3747

Looking Glass Yarn and Gifts

Fiber artists have exploded in popularity in recent years—not that they weren’t always around—and that means a rush on yarn like you wouldn’t believe. For Santa Fe yarn faithful, Looking Glass has the goods in more styles and colors than you can begin to imagine.

1807 Second St., #2, (505) 995-9649

BEST FLORAL SHOP

Barton’s Flowers

Owners Kristin Sargent and Justin Svetnicka take the top prize again this year, and we think we know why: They’re nice people, yeah, but they embody the idea that local is better through custom design that the big guys just can’t match. 1-800-FLOWERS? More like 1-800 reasons to ditch the faceless flower corporatocracy for people you can develop a relationship with. All that’s left is to impress the giftee with gorgeous arrangements.

1722 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 982-9731

Amanda’s Flowers

We’ve heard the term “floral sculpture” thrown around by people discussing Amanda’s, and that just goes to show their experienced florists are on a whole other level.

1610 St. Michael’s Drive (505) 473-9212

Artichokes & Pomegranates

While the name actually makes us kind of hungry, this shop’s farmer-direct mission makes for beautiful (and technically edible, in some cases) designs that can do anything from setting the vibe at a wedding to brightening someone’s day.

We love how long these arrangements can stay alive, too.

418 Cerrillos Road (505) 820-0044

BEST GARDEN SUPPLIES

Agua Fría Nursery

Things don’t last in Santa Fe if they don’t get the vibe, which makes this stalwart nursery from the Pennington family a real winner. Since 1975, Agua Fría has been committed to zshushing up yards and homes of any size, and its employees help locals do that with a special emphasis on perennials, shrubs and succulents that can thrive in the weird Santa Fe soil.

1409 Agua Fría St. (505) 983-4831

Payne’s Nurseries

Make the most of your yard or garden with a trip to one (or both) of the Payne’s locations. Step into the greenhouse or cruise the famed soil yard to ask the nice staff about what to do.

304 Camino Alire, (505) 988-8011

715 St. Michael’s Drive, (505) 988-9626

Newman’s Nursery

The green thumbs can go wild at Newman’s, whether they need some accent plants or a tree that will live long and prosper. Enjoy that nursery smell and plot out your next project with these longtime locals. We're pretty sure they can help the black thumbs, too.

7501 Cerrillos Road (505) 471-8642

BEST GIFT STORE

Doodlet’s

Longtime fan Lisa Young took over this downtown shop full of kitsch, brick-abrack and toys and such in 2010, but she’s kept the best parts—the tonguein-cheek, the oddly fun, the intriguingly educational items that simply scream, “Buy this for someone you love!” We like the folk art offerings at Doodlet's but would be lying if we said we hadn’t bought the odd action figure, experiment, ornament, knick-knack or, in one case, a pen that revealed a naked lady when you flipped it over.

120 Don Gaspar Ave. (505) 983-3771

The Ark Bookstore

The Ark Bookstore

Namaste, seekers and shoppers. The Ark Bookstore has candles, crystals, incense, blank journals and other gift ideas. Find books for self-help or spirituality and, on Wednesdays and Fridays, tarot readers with intuitive answers.

133 Romero St., (505) 988-3709

Hecho a Mano

Though galleriest Frank Rose expanded his empire to Palace Avenue with his Hecho Gallery space, he’s still killing it over on Canyon Road with prints, ceramics, jewelry and special shows featuring printmakers, illustrators, painters and so on. We even bought a dope Frida Kahlo tee at Hecho a Mano once.

830 Canyon Road, (505) 916-1341

BEST GROCERY STORE

La Montañita Co-op

True story, we’ve taken to picking up pre-made breakfast burritos from La Montañita any morning we can get it together, and they’re amazing. Think of them like a microcosm of the store itself, too: local food made well and worth the itty-bitty premium that comes from the unmatched level of quality. Visit the coop for killer veggies and fruit, too, or even just a nice frosty drink on a hot day. Don’t forget the vitamins!

913 W. Alameda St., (505) 984-2852

Kaune’s Neighborhood Market

An old-fashioned neighborhood grocer with new-school aesthetics and a topnotch butchery means Kaune’s is the perfect spot to swing by for a nice bit of fruit or specialty item. It still smells the same in there, too, which for old-school Santa Feans really means something.

511 Old Santa Fe Trail, (505) 982-2629

El Paisano

Paisano has a shiny and new ultra-mart on the Southside now, but its original location down Cerrillos Road remains a puro Santa Fe staple for Mexican foods, Latin fare, quality meats, cooking gear and, in case you didn’t know, piñatas. The taquería inside is amazing, too.

3140 Cerrillos Road, #D (505) 424-9105

BEST HARDWARE STORE

Big Jo True Value Hardware

Owner Rick C de Baca has presided over this locals' favorite hardware shop for 40 years and attributes his longevity to his hardworking staff. Check out the years of Best of Santa Fe banners on the wall. Of course, picking up that hardware item you need without further lining the pockets of the chains feels nice, too, and summertime heralds hot dog guy Armando Pacheco in the parking lot and the occasional community bake sale.

1311 Siler Road (505) 473-2255

Ace Hardware of Santa Fe

Everything you need for that home/ electrical/automotive project under one roof, plus a knowledgeable staff with whom you may schedule an appointment to gain some extra perspective. It’s right there in Midtown, too, which means easy access.

2006 Cerrillos Road, Ste. 1 (505) 424-9343

Eldorado True Value

Our Eldorado neighbors don’t even have to drive to town for hardware items, but this iteration of the True Value brand also boasts stuff for chickens (a real hot button issue out there) and a staff that just wants to help you finish whatever project you’ve taken on.

7 Caliente Road, Eldorado (505) 466-6522

BEST INTERIOR HOME STORE The Raven

We’ve seen workers outside shuffling about the furniture, antiques and other beautiful pieces at The Raven, and they’ve induced daydreams about how we can create fancy and fun spaces. Owner Kateryna VanHeisch says she has fit something like 20,000 square feet of goods into an 11,000-square-foot space on Cerrillos Road, and it doesn’t matter where your budget lands, if you just really need some piece to decorate your life.

1225 Cerrillos Road (505) 988-4775

ON NEXT PAGE

SHOPPING

Metamorphosis

Home staging and interior design? Dang, the minds at Metamorphosis must have a real eye for beautifying the world. Seek inspiration on themes that range from Southwestern flair and classic sophistication to funky spaces, desert oases and whatever else they can dream up.

3005 S. St. Francis Drive, Unit 2A (505) 471-3900

La Casa Fina

Head downtown to start your journey to a glorious new life of antique and consignment furnishings and homewares. La Casa Fina’s name says it all, really, and owner Seva Khalsa is prepared to show you the good stuff, from foreign wares and that excellent accent piece to the kind of door that will make your friends green with envy.

312 Sandoval St. (505) 780-5298

BEST JEWELRY STORE

Santa Fe Goldworks

David Griego continues to top this list with his specialty custom designs and homage to Northern New Mexico—and he’s been wowing jewelry aficionados since 1972. If you’re looking for a showstopper featuring diamonds, turquoise, coral, opal…well, it’s a long list, and each piece seems more beautiful than the last. Even better? Griego’s Plaza shop is one of those places that keeps Santa Fe feeling local. Don’t you just love a hometownhero-does-good story?

60 E. San Francisco St., Ste. 218 (505) 983-4562

James Kallas Jewelers

From diamonds to gold, silver, turquoise and so much more, James Kallas has more than two decades of experience when it comes to working with the finer things. Find repair or customization; find the kind of items to seal that proposal or get you out of the doghouse. At the very least, consider treating yourself.

2801 Rodeo Road, Ste. B10 (505) 986-1955

Reflective Jewelry

With the words “radically ethical” lighting up this local shop’s mission, you can be certain you’re not only getting a stunning piece for any occasion, but you’re doing so in a way that doesn’t hurt people. Where your jewelry comes from is something worth knowing, and the folks at Reflective take that seriously.

912 Baca St., (505) 988-7393

BEST MEN’S CLOTHING

Red River Mercantile

Dudes of the world can’t always find fashionable items with ease, but downtown Santa Fe’s Red River Mercantile takes the trials and tribulations out of the equation. A destination experience for many styles and budgets, men who care can find clothing for everyday wear, special occasions, work, parties—you name it. If ever you’ve wondered how to up your sartorial game, this is a great place to start.

235 Don Gaspar Ave., (505) 992-1233

Corsini

The sort of elegant menswear you’ll find at Corsini more than answers how the

shop has managed to stay afloat just off the Plaza all these year. This one’s a mainstay, folks, which obviously means it has built a trusting clientele through its quality inventory and practices. Don't look for a website, just get here to look good.

107 W. San Francisco St., (505) 820-2300

Parts Unknown

The Parts Unknown slogan about the shop being a fashion adventure rings pretty true as far as we can tell. This one’s for the fellas who want to keep it casual but still totally fly. Whether that means boots or hats or even just an upscale shirt is up to you—you’ll have to begin your adventure to hash it out.

123 W. San Francisco St., (505) 983-9298

BEST OPTICAL SHOP

Botwin Eye Group | Oculus

We dare you to take to your social media accounts in search of a local optical shop without all your friends and acquaintances mentioning Botwin. Not only can you get your eyeball health checked out through this local biz, you can find rare, fashionable and sometimes artsy frames to go with that new prescription. If you spend much of your time in glasses, shouldn’t you think about how you’re going to look? Don’t worry, though. They’ve got you.

125 W. Water St., (505) 982-2020 444 St. Michael’s Drive, (505) 438-2020

Eye Associates of New Mexico

If it’s custom eyewear you need from a business you know is local, Eye Associates has the goods. Finding the perfect frames is no easy feat, but with a staggering selection of products and a helpful

staff who just wants you to look your best, you’re bound to find something.

2947 Rodeo Park Drive, (505) 983-6613 Ojo

Optique

This one’s for the artsy, the bold, the adventurous. Ojo’s the shop you visit when you’re ready to take things up a notch, or even if you just want a fancy new pair of glasses for special occasions. Don’t think about it too hard, though; go ahead and splurge. Live a little.

125 Lincoln Ave., Ste. 114, (505) 988-4444

BEST OUTDOOR

Santa Fe Trail Outfitters

Have you arrived at the Plaza with a plan to gear up for a nature experience in Santa Fe? Need to prepare for your next global excursion? Nick and Audrey Salazar launched the business after the pandemic and have loyal patrons for their top outdoor brands including SmartWool, Cotopaxi, Prana, Hydroflask and Oakley. Regular donors to The Food Depot, the Salazars believe in giving back.

110 W. San Francisco St., (505) 470-3573

Alpine Sports

Whether you’re looking for a new pair of ski boots so you can make better turns or need a tuneup for your old skis, Alpine is the place to start. It’s been specializing in camping, climbing and winter sports apparel for 50 years.

541 W. Cordova, (505) 983-5155

Atalaya Outfitters

Consigned outdoor gear can save the

pocketbook and maybe a little bit of the planet too. Atalaya Outfitters started as an online-only affair but branched out to an in-person shop rapidly. It’s open not just for shopping, but for unloading your gently used stuff as well.

142 Daniel St., (505) 819-3615

BEST SHOE STORE

On Your Feet

You know when you hit that point where you’re suddenly thinking Danskos would be a good idea? Looking for cute rubber rain boots? Enter On Your Feet, as legendary as a local shoe store can be. They stock more than comfy shoes, too, though, such as cool socks (we bought a shark pair!), laces, hats and bags, plus regular sales with good deals.

DeVargas Center, 189 Paseo de Peralta (505) 780-8997

328 S. Guadalupe St. (505) 983-3900

The Running Hub

Joggers, sprinters and distance runners are just as welcome here as those who seek everyday sneaker comfort. Step in style with this shop specifically designed for those who like putting one foot in front of the other at a decent pace.

1100 Don Diego Ave., (505) 820-2523

Goler Fine Imported Shoes

For the stylish, the fashionable, the people who like to make a statement with every piece of their attire. Goler’s inventory is second to none when it comes to something artful, fun or bold.

125 E. Palace Ave., (505) 982-0924

BEST WESTERN WEAR

Double Take

While it can be fun to scour a thrift shop for special items, Double Take’s curated take on gently used clothing, jewelry, hats, footwear and so much more takes care of the heavy lifting for you. Western shirts with snaps? Leather belts with fancy buckles? Check and check.

320 Aztec St., (505) 989-8886

Parts Unknown

Think well-fitting Scully leather jackets and skirts that have a Western vibe but don’t scream cowgirl drag. Or, if you’re down with cosplay (even just on your feet), here’s where you can score glitzy pointy boots by Old Gringo.

123 W. San Francisco St., (505) 983-9298

Kowboyz

Though the days of hipsters in Western wear seems to have abated some, there’s

still a market out there for snap-button Wranglers with cool patterns and cooler accouterments (gold thread, anyone?). Bonus? Kowboyz is crazy affordable and also fun for gifts.

345 W. Manhattan Ave., (505) 984-1256

BEST WOMEN’S CLOTHING

Double Take

Who doesn’t love a good vintage piece or carefully selected coat/pair of shoes/ shirt/etc.? Double Take’s employees have an eye for the best stuff, so you can be sure you’re in good hands when throwing together that ensemble. Did we mention the Western wear, boots, belts and accessories? And everything’s updated pretty much always, so go wild.

320 Aztec St. (505) 989-8886

Sign of the Pampered Maiden

One deserves to be pampered from time to time, and this downright iconic local shop knows what to do to make that happen. She’s still downtown, and still here for you—you’re gonna look good, we know that.

209 Galisteo St. (505) 982-5948

WearAbouts

A contemporary boutique for the discerning Santa Fe lady, WearAbouts has helped you wear it about since 1986. Shops don’t generally stay open for so many years without good products and good service, right? Right. Go browse.

101 W. Marcy St., Ste. 3 (505) 982-1399

Atalaya Outfitters

KELLI JOHANSEN

WE’RE THE BEST AROUND

Ah, it’s that wonderful time of the year when your old pals at SFR compile about a bazillion votes to determine who, what and where your favorite things might be. That’s right, nerds—Best of Santa Fe is here. But it’s more than an issue, more than a feeling. Not only will you find SFR staffers and various winners taking over the Railyard on Friday, July 28 to party and celebrate how hard folks love things around here, the annual Santa Fe Salutes show will dig into the works of Elton freaking John. Taking into account he’s only been releasing music a few years longer than SFR has been publishing newspapers, we’re considering this a clash of titans. We’re also gonna drink a bunch of beers and meet cool people and generally bask in the warm glow of Santa Fe at its most lovey-dovey. (Alex De Vore)

Best of Santa Fe/Santa Fe Salutes Elton John

Tribute: 5-9 pm Friday, July 28. Free. Santa Fe Railyard Market and Alcaldesa streets, sfreporter.com

THEATER THU/27-SAT/29

MURDER MOST MUSICAL

One mustn’t ever forget to adhere to decorum, lest one be found wanting in the eyes of one’s countrymen. And yet, as circumstances most foul but potentially prosperous arise, to whom or what do we owe our kindnesses or even our manners? Aye, there’s the rub! To wit, Edwardian England, whereupon the young and lowly Monty Navarro learns he is ninth in line for the absurd riches of the D’Ysquith family fortune and the Earldom of Highhurst. How, then, might a young man alter his fortune for the better? Subterfuge! Women! Epithets! Musical murder! The Santa Fe Playhouse brings Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak’s Tonywinning 2013 show A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder to the small stage under director Rebecca Aparicio for a few laughs and a hell of a lot of foppish peril. It’s top hats all-around, lads and lasses, and one actor taking on eight roles—death to all who would stand in Monty’s way! (ADV)

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder: 7:30 pm Thursday, July 27-Saturday, July 29 2 pm Saturday, July 29. $15-$50. Santa Fe Playhouse 142 E De Vargas St., (505) 988-4262

EVENT SAT/29-SUN/30

SANTERO FE

It’s a year of change for Santa Fe’s major summer art markets, between the International Folk Art Market’s move to the Railyard and Traditional Spanish Market’s partnership with the Atrisco Heritage Foundation after 70 years under the auspices of the Spanish Colonial Arts Society. But novel leadership aside, the unique joy of Spanish Market lies in the sense of continuity that comes from seeing the next generation of santeros, straw appliqué artists, jewelers and more showcasing their work alongside established culture keepers like Felix López, Vicente Telles and many more. Nuevomexicanismo runs as deep as our acequias, and it’s especially close to the surface during Spanish Market. (Siena

Sofia Bergt)

Traditional Spanish Market: 8 am-5 pm Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30. Free Santa Fe Plaza, 100 Old Santa Fe Trail, (505) 836-0306

Celebrating Pueblos & the Santa Fe Opera

A new documentary traces the past and looks to the future of a Northern New Mexico collaboration

Five years ago, another dramatic version of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life brought renewed attention to New Mexico’s nuclear legacy: composer John Adams’ opera Dr. Atomic

In a 2018 interview with SFR as he mounted the Santa Fe Opera’s production, librettist and stage director Peter Sellars spoke of his concerns about creating art from an event that caused such devastation and the quest to ensure the show acknowledged the people from New Mexico whose lives were changed by the events of 1945.

Corn dancers from San Ildefonso, Santa Clara Pueblo and Tesuque Pueblos danced for audiences before and after the performances—Angelynn Martinez from San Ildefonso Pueblo (pictured above) among them.

“My most favorite memory of Doctor Atomic was just hanging out in the little music room,” she says in a statement. “Being on stage and knowing that hundreds of eyes are just on you. Just being Tewa, dancing, praying is just who I am. I love my culture so much.”

The pueblos’ Dr. Atomic collaboration sparked the formation of the Pueblo Opera Cultural Council—an initiative that dovetailed well with the Pueblo Opera Program, which has brought

more than 100,000 children and families from New Mexico’s 23 Sovereign Nations to the Santa Fe Opera since its creation in 1973. To commemorate its 50-year-anniversary, the Pueblo Opera Council produced, in collaboration with the Santa Fe Opera, the documentary film The Pueblo Opera Program: And What Could Be Next, directed by Beverly R. Singer (Santa Clara Pueblo).

“Fifty years is probably a second and a half, but it’s also a time a child grows up and becomes an adult and leader of a community,” Sellars says in a statement.

The film highlights the key players in the program’s history, but also looks ahead. “It has been a delightful and enriching opportunity as a filmmaker from Santa Clara Pueblo to direct this film that opens a new chapter in the culturally versatile stories that Indigenous Peoples have to share,” Singer says.

(Julia Goldberg)

THE PUEBLO OPERA PROGRAM: AND WHAT COULD BE NEXT 4 pm Sunday, July 30 Free, but ticketed reservation required Lensic Performing Arts Center 211 W. San Francisco St., 505-988-1234 lensic.org/events/pueblo-opera-program

OPERA/FILM SUN/30

ATRISCOHERITAGEFOUNDATION.ORG

C. STANLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

ANSON STEVENS-BOLLEN

THE CALENDAR

EVENTS

ALL THINGS YARN

Want to see your event listed here?

We’d love to hear from you Send notices via email to calendar@sfreporter.com.

Make sure you include all the pertinent details such as location, time, price and so forth. It helps us out greatly.

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WED/26

BOOKS/LECTURES

ARTIST IN CONVERSATION:

JUDY TUWALETSTIWA AND PUBLISHER DAVID CHICKEY

Pie Projects

924B Shoofly St. (505) 372-7681

The artist joins her monograph collaborator for a chat.

5-6 pm, free

AUTHOR NIGHT

Iconik Coffee Roasters (Original) 1600 Lena St. (505) 428-0996

More of an open mic than a meet-and-greet, local writers of all stripes are invited to share work aloud.

6-8 pm, free

DANCE

ENTREFLAMENCO SUMMER

SEASON

El Flamenco Cabaret

135 W Palace Ave. (505) 209-1302

Director Antonio Granjero's company performs.

7:30 pm, $25-$48

LA EMI 2023 FLAMENCO

SERIES

The Lodge at Santa Fe 750 N St. Francis Drive (505) 992-5800

The New Mexican flamenco diva takes the stage.

7:15 pm, $25-$55

La Farge Library 1730 Llano St., (505) 820-0292

Collectively count stitches to your heart's content.

5:30-7:30 pm, free

CHESS AT THE MALL

DeVargas Center

564 N Guadalupe St. (505) 983-4671

Informal chess games.

10 am-1 pm, free

LEISURELY BIKE RIDE

Fort Marcy Park

490 Washington Ave. (505) 955-2500

Thrice-weekly instructor-led bike rides through the city.

10-11 am, $5

OPEN MIC COMEDY

Chile Line Brewery

204 N Guadalupe St. (505) 982-8474

Wayward Comedy invites you to the stage—go make 'em laugh.

8 pm, free

OPEN MIC WEDNESDAYS

Tumbleroot Pottery Pub

135 W. Palace Ave. (505) 982-4711

Local talent, booze and clay.

7-10 pm, free

SUMMER FAMILY ART MAKING

New Mexico Museum of Art

107 W Palace Ave. (505) 476-5072

Creative time for kiddos in the courtyard.

10 am-noon, free

SUMMER READING CLUB

Vista Grande Public Library

14 Avenida Torreon, Eldorado (505) 466-7323

Drop off the little ones (grades

3 and under) for literary time.

1-3 pm, free

TOUR THE MANSION

New Mexico Governor's Mansion

One Mansion Drive (505) 476-2800

Enjoy a docent-led tour of the governor's digs. Noon, free

WEE WEDNESDAYS

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

Kiddos enjoy pirate-themed stories before building portholes.

10:30-11:30 am, free

WRITER'S DEN

Beastly Books

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 395-2628

A shared writing session and mini-workshop.

5-6:30 pm, free

FOOD

MAS CHILE POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fría St (505) 393-5135

Capsaicin and chill.

4-10 pm, free

MUSIC

ANA MARIE MARTINEZ AND CRAIG TERRY RECITAL

St. Francis Auditorium

107 W Palace Ave. (505) 476-5072

Presented by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

Noon, $35-$40

INSTRUMENTAL JAZZ JAM

Club Legato

125 E Palace Ave. (505) 988-9232

BYOB: Bring your own bassoon.

6-9 pm, free

JOHN FRANCIS & THE POOR CLARES

El Rey Court

1862 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-1931

Storytelling folk.

8 pm, free

MENDELSSOHN AND CHAUSSON

St. Francis Auditorium

107 W Palace Ave. (505) 476-5072

Presented by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

6 pm, $40-$80

STRINGS IN THE WOODS

Dale Ball Trails

Upper Canyon Road and Cerro Gordo Road (505) 955-6977

A nature walk with live violin from Will Taylor.

7:30-9 pm, $50

TERRY DIERS

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

R&B, funk and country.

4-6 pm, free

TORMENTA REY Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Swamp blues and jazz noir with support from Westin McDowell.

7:30 pm, $10

WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOLKS

Second Street Brewery

(Rufina Taproom)

2920 Rufina St. (505) 954-1068

Acoustic tunes from The Banded Geckos.

6-9 pm, free

OPERA

RUSALKA

Santa Fe Opera 301 Opera Drive, (505) 986-5900

A Freudian Little Mermaid

8:30 pm, $50-$366

WORKSHOP

AERIAL FABRIC WITH LISA Wise Fool New Mexico 1131 Siler Road, (505) 992-2588 Learn how to foot lock, drop and pose with the best of 'em. 5:30-7 pm, $23-$28

ARTS ALIVE!

Museum of International Folk Art 706 Camino Lejo, (505) 476-1204

Gather inspiration from the ongoing Ghhúunayúkata/ To Keep Them Warm exhibit before crafting your own doll.  10 am-2 pm, free

Angel Oloshove shares irridescent abstractions of lived experience in Emotional Landscapes, opening this week at form & concept.

THU/27

ART OPENINGS

MASTERS OF TRADITIONAL SPANISH MARKET

True West Gallery

130 Lincoln Ave (505) 982-0055

Jewelry, retablos, straw applique and weavings.

5-8 pm, free

DANCE

ECSTATIC DANCE

Railyard Performance Center

1611 Paseo de Peralta

A DJ'd movement sesh. Email hello@EmbodyDanceSantaFe. com for more info.

6:30 pm, $15

ENTREFLAMENCO

SUMMER SEASON

El Flamenco Cabaret

135 W Palace Ave. (505) 209-1302

Spanish guest performers abound.

7:30 pm, $25-$48

INTRO TO SOCIAL DANCE

Dance Station

947-B W Alameda St. (505) 989-9788

Drop-in classes on a rotating variety of dance forms. On the menu this week is salsa.

6:45-7:30 pm, $15

LA EMI 2023 FLAMENCO

SERIES

The Lodge at Santa Fe 750 N St. Francis Drive (505) 992-5800

Expect appearances from the likes of Vicente Griego, Eloy Aguilar, Daniel Azcarate, Eloy Cito Gonzales and more.

7:15 pm, $25-$55

EVENTS

CHESS AT THE MALL

DeVargas Center

564 N Guadalupe St. (505) 983-4671

Informal chess.

10 am-1 pm, free

FREE AURA HEALING CLINIC

Nancy Rodriguez

Community Center

1 Prairie Dog Loop

(505) 992-9876

Drop by for a first come, first served energy tune-up.

5:30-6:30 pm, free

GEEKS WHO DRINK

Social Kitchen & Bar

725 Cerrillos Road

(505) 982-5952

Don't call it trivia.

7 pm, free

SEEDS & SPROUTS

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

Little ones greet many-legged guests from the Santa Fe Reptile and Bug Museum.

10:30-11:30 am, free

WATER CONSERVATION

DEPARTMENT PUBLIC

INPUT SESSION

Santa Fe Public Library Southside

6599 Jaguar Drive (505) 955-2820

Share your thoughts on local water use policies.

5:30-7:30 pm, free

FOOD

FLIGHT NIGHT

Santa Fe Spirits

Downtown Tasting Room

308 Read St., (505) 780-5906

Sample four mini cocktails.

3-10pm, free

SUSHI POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fría St. (505) 393-5135

Seafood fresh off the plane.

5-8 pm, free

MUSIC

BILL HEARNE

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Americana and honky-tonk.

4-6 pm, free

BOB MAUS

Bourbon Grill

104 Old Las Vegas Hwy. (505) 984-8000

Piano and voice.

5-7 pm, free

DAVID ROBINSON

Cerrillos Farmers Market

15B First Street, Los Cerrillos (505) 474-9326

Country rock and Americana.

4-7 pm, free

OPEN MIC WITH STEPHEN

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Go perform—it's with Stephen!

7 pm, free

PAT MALONE

TerraCotta Wine Bistro

304 Johnson St., (505) 989-1166

Solo jazz guitar.

6-8 pm, free

ROBBY BEASLEY

ORCHESTRA

Club Legato

125 E Palace Ave. (505) 988-9232

Trumpet-centric jazz.

6-9 pm, free

STRINGS IN THE WOODS

Dale Ball Trails

Upper Canyon Road and Cerro Gordo Road (505) 955-6977

Violins and vistas.

7:30-9 pm, $50

SUNSET SERENADE

Sky Railway

410 S Guadalupe St. (844) 743-3759

All rails and cocktails.  7 pm, $109-$129

TESSA VIOLET

Meow Wolf

1352 Rufina Circle (505) 395-6369

Indie pop with support from Frances Forever.

8 pm, $25

THE ECSTASIES ABOVE

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis

131 Cathedral Place

(505) 982-5619

Vocal and string renditions of Handel and Tarik O’Regan's titular Poe adaptation.

7:30 pm, $20-$100

THE MONTVALES

El Rey Court

1862 Cerrillos Road

(505) 982-1931

Banjo-driven tunes.

8-10 pm, free

THIRD ANNUAL SAVE THE UGLY MUSIC FESTIVAL

Reunity Resources

1829 San Ysidro Crossing

(505) 393-1196

Food, raffles, clothing swaps, live music and more benefitting local nonprofit we.grow.eco.

6-10 pm, $5-$15

ZOLTAN FEJERVARI PIANO

RECITAL

St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art

107 W Palace Ave.

(505) 476-5072

Brahms, Schubert and Janáček. Presented by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

Noon, $35-$40

THEATER

A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER

Santa Fe Playhouse

142 E De Vargas St.

(505) 988-4262

A farce drawn from the same source (Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal) as Kind Hearts and Coronets. (See SFR Picks, page 83)

7:30-10 pm, $15-$75

SHAKESPEARE IN THE GARDEN: MUCH ADO

ABOUT NOTHING

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo

(505) 471-9103

It's about time we reclaim Beatrice and Benedick from Joss Whedon's sweaty hands.

6:45-9:30 pm, $40-$55

ZERO

Center for Contemporary Arts

1050 Old Pecos Trail

(505) 982-1338

Exodus Ensemble's AI-centric adaptation of Elmer Rice’s The Adding Machine. 18+, please.

7:45 pm, by donation

WORKSHOP

BEGINNER FABRIC WITH KRISTEN

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road, (505) 992-2588

Let the folks at Wise Fool get you off your feet.

5:30-7 pm, $23-$28

HATHA YOGA

Four Seasons Rancho Encantado

198 NM-592

(505) 946-5700

Gentle yoga with a focus on breath work.

10:30-11:30 am, $18-$90

THURSDAY MORNING

WHEEL

Paseo Pottery

1273 Calle de Comercio

(505) 988-7687

Practice shaping spinning clay.

10 am-noon, $70

TRAPEZE AND LYRA WITH LISA

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road, (505) 992-2588

Float through the air with the greatest of ease.

5:30-7 pm, $23-$28

YOGA WITH MAURA

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo, (505) 471-9103

Twist yourself up to unwind among the foliage.

8-9 am, $20-$25

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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FRI/28

ART OPENINGS

CHAW EI THEIN (OPENING)

form & concept

435 S Guadalupe St. (505) 216-1256

Multimedia works exploring Myanmar's Civil Disobedience Movement.

5-7 pm, free

DUHON JAMES (OPENING)

Hecho a Mano

830 Canyon Road, (505) 916-1341

Diné patterns meet alien iconography.   5-7 pm, free

ELIAS RIVERA (RECEPTION)

LewAllen Galleries

1613 Paseo de Peralta (505) 988-3250

Colorful depictions of Indigenous communities.

5-7 pm, free

EMOTIONAL LANDSCAPES (OPENING)

form & concept

435 S Guadalupe St. (505) 216-1256

Abstract, opalescent ceramic sculptures by Angel Oloshove.

5-7 pm, free

ED SANDOVAL (OPENING)

Canyon Road Contemporary Art

622 Canyon Road, (505) 983-0433

New Mexico landscapes in oil.

5-7 pm, free

FIBROUS OTHERWORLDS (OPENING)

Santa Fe Farmers' Market

1607 Paseo De Peralta (505) 670-5854

Work at the boundaries of fiber-based art.

5-7 pm, free

HUNG LIU (OPENING)

Turner Carroll Gallery

725 Canyon Road, (505) 986-9800

Selected portraits from the revolutionary late painter.

5-7 pm, free

JEAN RICHARDSON (OPENING)

Ventana Fine Art 403

403 Canyon Road (505) 303-3999

Abstracted equine images.

4-6 pm, free

JOHN NIETO (RECEPTION)

LewAllen Galleries

1613 Paseo de Peralta (505) 988-3250

Chromatic Indigenous portraiture and a free doc screening on the artist.

5-7 pm, free

KINDRED (OPENING)

King Galleries

130 Lincoln Ave., #D (480) 440-3912

Santero Arthur Lopez' animal sculptures

4-6 pm, free

MICHAEL POST, HEINER THIEL AND PETER WEBER (OPENING)

Charlotte Jackson Fine Art 554 S Guadalupe St. (505) 989-8688

Highly textured sculpture.

5-7 pm, free

ROBERT RIVERA (OPENING)

Sorrel Sky Gallery

125 W Palace Ave. (505) 501-6555

A showcase of gourd art.

5-7 pm, free

STORIES TO TELL (OPENING)

Ventana Fine Art

400 Canyon Road (505) 983-8815

New Mexican landscapes by Natasha Isenhour and symbolic sculptures by Rebecca Tobey.

4-6 pm, free

WESTERN MASTERS: BILLY SCHENCK & DENNIS ZIEMIENSKI (OPENING)

Blue Rain Gallery

544 S Guadalupe St. (505) 954-9902

Cowboy iconography on canvas.

5-7 pm, free

BOOKS/LECTURES

PATROCINIO BARELA

New Mexico Museum of Art

107 W Palace Ave. (505) 476-5072

A discussion of the santero carver who took design inspiration rom the carving process.

5:30-6:30 pm, free

READINGS WITH THE DECK OF MIRRORS

Artistic License Gallery

7 Ave Vista Grande, #D7 (505) 920-0997

The artist behind the new oracle deck of the same name offers interpretations of the cards.

5-7 pm, free

DANCE

ENTREFLAMENCO SUMMER SEASON

El Flamenco Cabaret

135 W Palace Ave. (505) 209-1302

Featuring Angel Muñoz and Charo Espino.

7:30 pm, $25-$48

LA EMI 2023 FLAMENCO SERIES

The Lodge at Santa Fe

750 N St. Francis Drive (505) 992-5800

Homegrown flamenco.

7:15 pm, $25-$55

PERFORMANCE SANTA

FE PRESENTS: STARS OF AMERICAN BALLET I

Lensic Performing Arts Center

211 W San Francisco St. (505) 988-1234

Daniel Ulbricht brings the best of his company.

7:30 pm, $40-$125

EVENTS

ART WALKING TOUR

New Mexico Museum of Art

107 W Palace Ave.

(505) 476-5072

Museum docents guide an art and architecture-centric tour.

10 am, $20

AURA PHOTOS AND SOUND HEALING

Dragonfly Transformations

129 W San Francisco St., Ste. E (505) 652-7633

Human atmospheres like having their pictures taken, too.

5-7 pm, free

BEST OF SANTA FE BLOCK PARTY

Farmers' Market Pavilion

1607 Paseo de Peralta (505) 988-5541

Live music, food trucks, freebies, games, SFR T-shirts, booths and beyond with your SFR buddies.

(See SFR Picks, page 83)

5-9 pm, free

CHESS AT THE MALL

DeVargas Center

564 N Guadalupe St. (505) 983-4671

Play timed or untimed.

10 am-1 pm, free

CRASH KARAOKE

Chile Line Brewery

204 N Guadalupe St. (505) 982-8474

Who doesn't love the sound of drunken strangers singing?

9 pm-1 am, free

FINE ART FRIDAYS

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

Wee art makers expand their visual palettes with a "compatible color pairing project."

2-4 pm, free

LEISURELY BIKE RIDE

Fort Marcy Park

490 Washington Ave. (505) 955-2500

Free for members of the City of Santa Fe recreation centers.

10-11 am, $5

MAKE AND BELIEVE TIME

Rainbow Rainbow at Meow Wolf

1352 Rufina Circle (505) 395-6369

Story time and art projects.

10 am, free

MINIATURES PAINTING

Beastly Books

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 395-2628

Gather to paint game figurines.

4-6:30 pm, free

PUBLIC GARDEN TOUR

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo, (505) 471-9103

Floral fawning.

10 am, $12

VÁMONOS WALKS:

WALK WITH OUR ELDERS

Mary Esther Gonzales

Senior Center

1121 Alto St., (505) 814-6669

Communally mosey along the Santa Fe River Trail.

10 am, free

WALKING HISTORY TOUR

School for Advanced Research

660 Garcia St., (505) 954-7213

Check out the 1920s estate turned artist residency center.

10-11:30 am, $15

FILM

A NIGHT OF CONCERT

PARKING LOT VIDEOS

No Name Cinema

2013 Pinon St., nonamecinema.org

One short and one doc feature from the parking lots of performances past.

7:30 pm, $5-$15 suggested

DINNER AND A MOVIE:

THE BIRDCAGE

Jean Cocteau Cinema

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528

A woman is said to be worth her weight in hens. And a man's wealth is measured by the size of his cock.

6 pm, $45

FEMME FATALE FRIDAYS

Beastly Books

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 395-2628

Worship the femme-centric fantasy of Xena, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and beyond.

11 am-7 pm, free

ROMAN HOLIDAY

Jean Cocteau Cinema

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528

Audrey (Hepburn, of course) is basically just a human gelato cone in this one. What's not to love?

2 pm, $5

FOOD

PLANTITA VEGAN BAKERY

PIZZA NIGHT

Plantita Vegan Bakery 1704 Lena St. Unit B4, (505) 603-0897

Vegan mozzarella cheese, meatless Italian sausage and fresh red sauce. Need we say more?

5-7 pm, free

MUSIC CHARLES TICHENOR

CABARET

Los Magueyes Mexican Restaurant

31 Burro Alley, (505) 992-0304

Vocals and piano.

6 pm, free

DEAR DOCTOR

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Americana and folk.

5 pm, free

GLORIETA PINES

Reunity Resources

1829 San Ysidro Crossing (505) 393-1196

Southwestern Americana.

7-9 pm, $10

J5TH AND THE 77 RIDERS

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Traditional country twangs.

8 pm, free

KIMBERLY MARSHALL

First Presbyterian Church

208 Grant Ave., (505) 982-8544

Organ renditions of Bach, Purcell, Mendelssohn and more.

5:30 pm, free

PAT MALONE

Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi

113 Washington Ave. (505) 988-3030

Solo jazz guitar.

5-7 pm, free

RED WANTING BLUE

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery 2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Indie rock from Athens, Ohio. Presented by Lensic360.

7:30 pm, $20

ROBERT FOX JAZZ TRIO

Club Legato

125 E Palace Ave. (505) 988-9232

A jazz extravaganza.

6-9 pm, free

SANTA FE SALUTES:

ELTON JOHN Railyard Plaza Market and Alcaldesa streets (505) 982-3373

Hear covers of the Rocket Man's best while hanging with us at the Best Of party (you wouldn't ditch our invite, would you?). Presented by Lensic360.

(See SFR Picks, page 83)  7 pm, free

SERENATA FLAMENCA

Sky Railway

410 S Guadalupe St.

(844) 743-3759

Flamenco on a moving train.

7 pm, $109

STRINGS IN THE WOODS

Dale Ball Trails

Upper Canyon Road and Cerro Gordo Road

(505) 955-6977

Featuring Will Taylor on violin.

7:30-9 pm, $50

THE STRANGE

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St.

(505) 982-2565

Local rock 'n' roll.

8 pm, free

THE TUDORS AND THE MEDICI

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

131 Cathedral Place

(505) 982-5619

Sixteen Desert Chorale singers and period instruments.

7:30 pm, $10-$100

IL:LO

Meow Wolf

1352 Rufina Circle

(505) 395-6369

Dance and electronic with support from DJ Melanie Moore.

10 pm, $20

OPERA

PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE

Santa Fe Opera

301 Opera Drive, (505) 986-5900

Netia Jones directs Debussy's dreamy tale of love triangles.

8:30 am, $50-$336

THEATER

A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER

Santa Fe Playhouse

142 E De Vargas St. (505) 988-4262

An Edwardian musical farce. (See SFR Picks, page 83)

7:30-10 pm, $15-$75

SHAKESPEARE IN THE GARDEN: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo (505) 471-9103

Are you more of a Beatrice, a Benedick or a Borachio?

6:45-9:30 pm, $40-$55

THE CALENDAR

WORKSHOP

DROP-IN WATERCOLOR

La Farge Library

1730 Llano St., (505) 820-0292

Take advantage of the library's painting supplies.

2-4 pm, free

FRIDAY MORNING HANDBUILDING

Paseo Pottery

1273 Calle de Comercio (505) 988-7687

No wheels here—it's all about pinch, coil and slab techniques.

10 am-12:30 pm, $70

SOMATIC BREATHWORK COMMUNITY EVENT

Santa Fe Community Yoga Center

826 Camino de Monte Rey (505) 820-9363

A trauma-informed breath exploration.

7-8:30 pm, $33

TIE DYE PROGRAM

Santa Fe Public Library

Main Branch

145 Washington Ave. (505) 955-6780

Bring your hue-less garments; the library's got colors covered.

2-4 pm, free

YOUTH AERIALS WITH KRISTEN

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road, (505) 992-2588

Young folks explore trapeze, lyra, fabric and rope.

5-6 pm, $19-$24

SAT/29

ART OPENINGS

DOUG JONES, KAREN THEISEN AND ANDREW JOHNSON (OPENING)

Tierra Mar Gallery

225 Canyon Road, #16 (505) 372-7081

Functional art, abstract sculpture and archival prints of cacti.

4-7 pm, free

I-CHING GROUP ART SHOW (CLOSING RECEPTION)

Eye on the Mountain Art Gallery 222 Delgado St., (928) 308-0319

More than 20 artists close out their show inspired by the Chinese divination system with snacks and live music.

5-8 pm, free

KATE BREAKEY (OPENING)

photo-eye Gallery

1300 Rufina Circle, Ste. A3 (505) 988-5152

Photographs and orotones.

4-6 pm, free MERIDEL RUBENSTEIN (OPENING)

Muñoz Waxman Gallery

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 982-1338

Selected nuclear imagery on film, presented in conjunction with Oppenheimer

4:30-6:30 pm, free

ROBERT RIVERA (POP-UP AND DEMONSTRATIONS)

Sorrel Sky Gallery

125 W Palace Ave. (505) 501-6555

The gourd artist shares his process.

10 am-3 pm, free

THE SANTA FE ARTISTS MARKET

Santa Fe Railyard Market and Alcaldesa streets (505) 982-3373

An outdoor juried art market featuring pottery, jewelry, painting and more.

9 am-2 pm, free

BOOKS/LECTURES

ACCESSING CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE

Santa Fe Public Library Southside

6599 Jaguar Drive (505) 955-2820

Learn about available resources from the state's Early Childhood Education Department.

1 pm, free

TOM HUGHES: TOURING

NEW MEXICO'S FOOD HISTORY

Travel Bug Coffee Shop

839 Paseo de Peralta (505) 992-0418

The author of Eats New Mexico discusses studying 15,000 years of New Mexican cuisine.

5 pm, free

DANCE

ENTREFLAMENCO SUMMER

SEASON

El Flamenco Cabaret

135 W Palace Ave. (505) 209-1302

The flamenco continues.

7:30 pm, $25-$48

LA EMI 2023 FLAMENCO SERIES

The Lodge at Santa Fe 750 N St. Francis Drive (505) 992-5800

Go for the local pride, stay for the guest performers

7:15 pm, $25-$55

PERFORMANCE SANTA

FE PRESENTS: STARS OF AMERICAN BALLET II

Lensic Performing Arts Center

211 W San Francisco St. (505) 988-1234

One more night of nationallylauded ballet.

7:30 pm, $40-$125

EVENTS

ALL TOGETHER SHAKESPEARE

Vista Grande Public Library

14 Avenida Torreon, Eldorado (505) 466-7323

Young guests from the Upstart Crows Shakespeare company perform scenes before demonstrating stage fighting techniques.

6:30 pm, free CHESS AT THE MALL

DeVargas Center

564 N Guadalupe St. (505) 983-4671

So much chess this week!

10 am-1 pm, free CONSTITUENT CONVERSATIONS

Reunity Resources

1829 San Ysidro Crossing (505) 393-1196

County Commissioner Anna Hansen holds office hours.

10 am-noon, free FREE KIDS' SINGALONG

Audubon Center & Sanctuary

1800 Canyon Road (505) 983-4609

Sarah-Jane from Queen Bee Music Association leads music games.

10:30-11:15 am, free GRAND OPENING OF HIGH DESERT BAR AND CAFE

The Mystic Santa Fe 2810 Cerrillos Road (505) 471-7663

The new boutique motel on the block launches its new beverage purveyor with a party featuring DJ SPOOLIUS.

6-10 pm, free

KARAOKE WITH CAKE

Cake’s Cafe

227 Galisteo St., (505) 303-4880

The Crash karaoke keeps comin'.

7-11 pm, free

KINGDOM: OUT OF THIS WORLD!

Jean Cocteau Cinema

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528

An alien-themed drag show supporting the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society

7-10 pm, $30-$70

LA TIENDA FLEA

La Tienda at Eldorado

7 Caliente Road

So many yard sale finds.

8 am, free

PUBLIC GARDEN TOUR

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo, (505) 471-9103

Tour leaders show off their floral faves.

10 am, $12

SAND PLAY SATURDAY

Railyard Park

740 Cerrillos Road (505) 316-3596

Kids expand creative cognition through sand, water, toys—and, apparently, kitchen utensils.

10 am-noon, free

SCIENCE SATURDAYS

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

A second opportunity for kids to meet Wade Harrell's slithery friends from the Santa Fe Reptile & Bug Museum.

2-4 pm, free

SPEAKEASY EXPRESS

Sky Railway

410 S Guadalupe St. (844) 743-3759

Pretend it's prohibition times.

7 pm, $109

SUMMER SPRAY DOWNS

SWAN Park

Jaguar Drive and Hwy. 599

The Fire Department swings by with hoses to help cut the heat.

11 am, free

TRADITIONAL SPANISH MARKET

Santa Fe Plaza

100 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 836-0306

The second of the city's three major summer art markets.

(See SFR Picks, page 83) 8 am-5 pm, free

WATER CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT PUBLIC INPUT

SESSION

Santa Fe Public Library Southside

6599 Jaguar Drive (505) 955-2820

Share your opinions with folks from Save Water Santa Fe.  3:30-5:30 pm, free

FILM

POINT BREAK

Jean Cocteau Cinema

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528

Will Keanu Reeves' Johnny Utah choose the law or his surfer lady?  2 pm, $5

SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS

Beastly Books

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 395-2628

Nostalgic cartoons and cereal all day. Pajamas encouraged.  11 am-7 pm, free

FOOD

PLANTITA VEGAN BAKERY

Reunity Resources

1829 San Ysidro Crossing (505) 393-1196

Vegan cherry hand pies, cinnamon rolls and more. 9 am-1 pm, free

SANTA FE FARMERS' SATURDAY MARKET

Farmers' Market Pavilion

1607 Paseo de Peralta (505) 983-7726

A prodigious amount of produce.

8 am-1 pm, free

MUSIC

BACH SONATAS

St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art 107 W Palace Ave. (505) 476-5072

Featuring cellist Zlatomir Fung and pianist Zoltán Fejérvári. Presented by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.  5 pm, $47-$60

BOB MAUS

Inn & Spa at Loretto

211 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 988-5531

Blues and soul classics.  6-9 pm, free

CONTINUED ON PAGE 89

BORN TWINS

Second Street Brewery (Rufina Taproom)

2920 Rufina St., (505) 954-1068

Analog indie with opener Sable.

8 pm, free

CHARLES TICHENOR

CABARET

Los Magueyes Mexican

Restaurant

31 Burro Alley, (505) 992-0304

Vocals and piano.

6 pm, free

CURRY SPRINGER DUO

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Acoustic rock 'n' roll.

1 pm, free

FREDDIE SCHWARTZ

Ahmyo Wine Garden & Patio

652 Canyon Road (505) 428-0090

Classic rock.

2-5 pm, free

IRON CHIWAWA

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Albuquerque-based rock 'n' roll.

3 pm, free

JAZZ ON THE PATIO

Palace Prime

142 W Palace Ave. (505) 919-9935

Featuring the vocals of Loveless Johnson III.

5:30-7:30 pm, free

MARKETMUSIC

Sanbusco Market Center

500 Montezuma Ave.

(505) 837-4951

Severall Friends presents a series of biweekly baroque concerts paired with Farmers' Market-appropriate food talks.

Noon-1 pm, $20 suggested

NACHA MENDEZ Y SUS

SALSEROS SANTASTICOS

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Salsa with a nine-piece band. Proceeds benefit the Nacha Mendez Music Scholarship.

8 pm, $25

OPERATION REWIND

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Recognizable rock covers.

8 pm, free

REPURPOSED VIBE

Paxton's Taproom

109 N Guadalupe St. (505) 982-1290

Electro-acoustic covers.

7-9 pm, free

ROBERT FOX JAZZ TRIO

Club Legato

125 E Palace Ave.

(505) 988-9232

Jazz on jazz on jazz.

6-9 pm, free

ROUND MOUNTAIN

Paradiso

903 Early St., (505) 577-5248

Contemporary roots music.

7:30-9:45 pm, $25

STRINGS IN THE WOODS

Dale Ball Trails

Upper Canyon Road and Cerro Gordo Road

(505) 955-6977

A serenaded stroll.

7:30-9 pm, $50

SUNSET SERENADE

Sky Railway

410 S Guadalupe St. (844) 743-3759

All rails and cocktails.

7 pm, $109-$129

THE AMERICAN IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

131 Cathedral Place (505) 982-5619

The Desert Chorale and pianist

Nathan Salazar perform works by immigrant composers.

7:30 pm, $20-$100

THE RON CROWDER BAND

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Rock 'n' soul '60s-style tunes.

8 pm, free

THERE MUST BE OTHER

NAMES FOR THE RIVER

SITE Santa Fe

1606 Paseo de Peralta (505) 989-1199

A musical composition based on streamflow data from the river known today as the Rio Grande.

7 pm, free

OPERA

ORFEO

Santa Fe Opera

301 Opera Drive, (505) 986-5900

Yuval Sharon directs the underworld romance.

8:30 pm, $50-$366

THEATER

A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER

Santa Fe Playhouse

142 E De Vargas St.

(505) 988-4262

A murderous musical. (See SFR Picks, page 83)

2 pm, 7:30 pm, $15-$75

SHAKESPEARE IN THE GARDEN: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo

(505) 471-9103

A truly old school war of the sexes.

6:45-9:30 pm, $40-$55

WORKSHOP

CULTIVATING INNER

WISDOM THROUGH THE POWER OF CRYSTAL ENERGY

Prana Blessings

1925 Rosina St.

(505) 772-0171

Pick up on the vibes that quartz in your living room is giving off.

12-1:30 pm, $25

KAULA TANTRA YOGA

Bicentennial Alto Park

1121 Alto St., 87501

Ecstatic dance, savasana and chakra-centric healing.

4-5:45 pm, $20-$45

PRANAYAMA SHAKTI

YOGA

Four Seasons Rancho Encantado

198 NM-592, (505) 946-5700

Elementally-focused yoga designed to open (and, apparently, strengthen) chakras.

10:30-11:30 am, $18-$90

SUN/30

ART OPENINGS

RAILYARD ARTISAN

MARKET

Farmers' Market Pavilion

1607 Paseo de Peralta (505) 983-7726

Buy fine art and crafts directly from local creators.

10 am-3 pm, free

BOOKS/LECTURES

BIOART AND GENDER IN THE AMERICAS

SITE Santa Fe

1606 Paseo de Peralta (505) 989-1199

FEMeeting and SciARt Santa Fe LASER present a conversation between Leena Lee, Cecilia Vica, Carol Padberg and Suzanne Anker.

11 am, free

DANCE

ENTREFLAMENCO SUMMER

SEASON

El Flamenco Cabaret

135 W Palace Ave. (505) 209-1302

Director Antonio Granjero's flamenco company.

7:30 pm, $25-$48

LA EMI 2023 FLAMENCO

SERIES

The Lodge at Santa Fe

750 N St. Francis Drive (505) 992-5800

The New Mexican flamenco diva takes the stage.

1:15 pm, $25-$55

EVENTS

CHESS AT THE MALL

DeVargas Center

564 N Guadalupe St. (505) 983-4671

Checkmate that king.

10 am-1 pm, free

DIVINE NATURE ORACLE

Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen

1512 Pacheco St. (505) 795-7383

Greg Spalenka celebrates his new oracle deck with culinary treats, a multimedia presentation, hypnotism sessions and more. Attendees receive a deck.

7-9 pm, $65

JOE HAYES

Reunity Resources

1829 San Ysidro Crossing (505) 393-1196

Al fresco Southwestern tales.

7 pm, free

A NIGHT OF UNITY & HOPE:

PRESENTED BY WISE FOOL & THE CARAVAN

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road, (505) 992-2588

Music, circus, dance, spoken word and poetry to benefit Wise Fool.

6-9 pm, $10-$35 sliding scale

OPEN MIC JAZZ

Chile Line Brewery

204 N Guadalupe St. (505) 982-8474

Bring your Billie Holiday or Chet Baker dreams to life.

5-7 pm, free

PUBLIC GARDEN TOUR

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo, (505) 471-9103 Stop and smell the flowers.

10 am, $12

QUEER & TRANS FAMILY

PICNIC

Reunity Resources

1829 San Ysidro Crossing (505) 393-1196

Families with at least one queer member are invited to enjoy toy swaps, a food truck and more 11 am-2 pm, free

SUMMER SUNDAYS

HAPPY HOUR

Tumbleroot Pottery Pub

135 W. Palace Ave. (505) 982-4711

In addition to typical drink discounts, expect price cuts on clay and live jazz from 1-3 pm.  11 am-4 pm, free

TRADITIONAL SPANISH MARKET

Santa Fe Plaza

100 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 836-0306

Now under the leadership of the Atrisco Heritage Foundation, the showcase of Spanish Colonial art returns for its 71st year. (See SFR Picks, page 83) 8 am-5 pm, free

FILM

POINT BREAK

Jean Cocteau Cinema 418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528

It's basic dog psychology.   1 pm, 7 pm, $5

ROMAN HOLIDAY

Jean Cocteau Cinema 418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528

Gregory Peck's jawline at its most chiseled.  4 pm, $5

THE PUEBLO OPERA PROGRAM

The Lensic Performing Arts Center 211 W San Francisco St. (505) 988-1234

The Santa Fe Opera presents a doc on its titular program.  (See SFR Picks, page 83) 4 pm, free

MUSIC

'SAL GOOD SUNDAYS

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery 2791 Agua Fria St., (505) 393-5135

Close out your weekend with DJs Dmonic and Dynamite Sol.  5:30-9:30 pm, free

BEETHOVEN SEPTET

St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art 107 W Palace Ave. (505) 476-5072

Presented by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.  6 pm, $73-$100

BILL HEARNE

La Fonda on the Plaza 100 E San Francisco St. (505) 982-5511

Americana and honky-tonk. 6:30-9 pm, free

CW AYON

Mine Shaft Tavern 2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Old school blues.  3 pm, free

CHILLHOUSE WITH HILLARY SMITH

Cowgirl 319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Jazz and blues.  Noon-3 pm, free

Battlefield bonds on canvas in Hung Liu's "Comrade in Arms," from Memory and Revolution, opening this week at Turner Carroll Gallery.

TURNER CARROLL GALLERY

DJ CHRISTINA SWILLEY

El Rey Court

1862 Cerrillos Road

(505) 982-1931

Vintage vinyl dance hits.

7-9 pm, free

DOUG MONTGOMERY

Rio Chama Steakhouse

414 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 955-0765

Expert piano

6 pm, free

FESTIVAL OF SONG:

SAMANTHA HANKEY AND HUW MONTAGUE RENDALL

Scottish Rite Center

463 Paseo de Peralta (505) 982-4414

The stars of Pelléas et Mélisande perform in a smaller space.

4 pm, $45-$95

JIM ALMAND

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Singer-songwriter.  1 pm, free

JOHNNY LLOYD

The Hollar

2849 NM Hwy 14, Madrid (505) 471-2841

Old school Americana.  Noon-2 pm, free

OPEN AND UNPLUGGED

ACOUSTIC JAM

Eldorado Community Center

1 Hacienda Loop, Eldorado (505) 466-4248

Calling all strummers, pickers, singers and listeners.

4-6 pm, free

SUNDAY JAZZ

New York on Catron

420 Catron St., (505) 982-8900

Bagels and upright bass with Louis Levin et. al.

11 am-1:30 pm, free

SUNDAY SWING

Second Street Brewery (Rufina Taproom)

2920 Rufina St., (505) 954-1068

Bop to the Bryan Bakevich Trio.

1-4 pm, free

THE ECSTASIES ABOVE

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

131 Cathedral Place (505) 982-5619

Vocal and string performances of Handel and beyond.

4 pm, $20-$100

THEATER SHAKESPEARE IN THE GARDEN: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo, (505) 471-9103

Shakes-bros before hos.

6:45-9:30 pm, $40-$55

SPACEMOB AND THE QUEST FOR THE NEVERENDING NUG

Paradiso

903 Early St., (505) 577-5248

A hip-hop stoner musical.

2-4:30 pm, $10-$20

WORKSHOP ACTIVATE: YOGA POP-UP

FaraHNHeight Fine Art

54 1/2 E San Francisco St., #4 (575) 751-4278

Stretch out in a gallery. Novel!

6-7:15 pm, $18

ART CHURCH Move Studio

901 W San Mateo Road (505) 660-8503

Today's artist gathering focuses on self expression.

10 am-12:30 pm, $35-$45

BELLYREENA BELLY DANCE

Move Studio

901 W San Mateo Road (505) 670-4386

Classic and fusion techniques.

1-2 pm, $15

INTRODUCTION TO ZEN

Mountain Cloud Zen Center

7241 Old Santa Fe Trail

Basics of simply sitting.

10-11:15 am, free

KAULA TANTRA YOGA

Bicentennial Alto Park

1121 Alto St.

Ecstatic dance, savasana and chakra-centric healing.

8-9:45 am, $20-$45

KIDS' CREATIVE MOVEMENT

Reunity Resources

1829 San Ysidro Crossing (505) 393-1196

Tamara Bates helps little ones express through movement.

10-10:45 am, $25 for five classes

LASER CUTTER BADGE

MAKE Santa Fe

2879 All Trades Road (505) 819-3502

Cut and etch almost anything.

10 am-2 pm, free

SUNDAY YOGA IN THE PARK

Bicentennial Alto Park

1121 Alto St.

Vinyasa yoga flow.

10 am, $15

SUNDAYS WITH GESHE LA

Thubten Norbu Ling

Buddhist Center

130 Rabbit Road, (505) 660-7056

Geshe Sherab discusses Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment

10 am, free

MON/31

BOOKS/LECTURES

JOHN HAWORTH

Hotel Santa Fe

1501 Paseo de Peralta (505) 982-1200

The museum exec discusses his work uplifting Indigenous art. Presented by Southwest Seminars.

6 pm, $20

INSTRUCTOR IMAGE

PRESENTATIONS

Santa Fe Prep Auditorium

1101 Camino de Cruz

Santa Fe Workshops instructors

Kate Breakey, Mary Swanson and Susan Grant discuss their own work behind the lens.

8 pm, free

EVENTS

CHESS AT THE MALL

DeVargas Center

564 N Guadalupe St. (505) 983-4671

Chessed out yet?

10 am-1 pm, free

CHESS AT THE MOVIES

Violet Crown Cinema

1606 Alcaldesa St. (505) 216-5678

If not, we can keep going.

6-9 pm, free

JULESWORK FOLLIES: END OF MONTHLY #30 bit.ly/3PDWARW

The cat-loving virtual variety show returns.

5 pm, free

LEISURELY BIKE RIDE

Fort Marcy Park

490 Washington Ave.

(505) 955-2500

Bicycle! Bicycle!

10-11 am, $5

OPEN MIC WITH CAKE

Cake’s Cafe

227 Galisteo St., (505) 303-4880

All mediums welcome.

5:30-8 pm, free

FILM

VIDEO LIBRARY CLUB

Jean Cocteau Cinema

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528

Lisa from Video Library picks a film from her shelves to share on the big screen.

6:30 pm, free

MUSIC

BEETHOVEN SEPTET

St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art 107 W Palace Ave. (505) 476-5072

Expect a titch of Tchaikovsky as well. Presented by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

6 pm, $73-$100

BILL HEARNE

La Fonda on the Plaza

100 E San Francisco St. (505) 982-5511

Americana and honky-tonk.

6:30-9 pm, free

DOUG MONTGOMERY

Rio Chama Steakhouse

414 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 955-0765

Ivories will be tickled.

6 pm, free

LUCY BARNA & THE LEVIATHANS

Santa Fe Plaza

100 Old Santa Fe Trail lensic360.org

Folk with support from Zephania Stringfield. Presented by Lensic360.

6 pm, free

QUEER NIGHT

El Rey Court

1862 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-1931

An LGBTQ-centric evening with a portion of sales going to to the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico.

5-11 pm, free

RANDOLPH MULKEY

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Blues-rock originals.

4 pm, free

SANTA FE FLOWDOWN

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Jazz, hip-hop and beyond.

7 pm-1 am, free

OPERA

THE FLYING DUTCHMAN

Santa Fe Opera

301 Opera Drive, (505) 986-5900

Wagner's saga of doomed love.

8 pm, $50-$366

WORKSHOP

PRANAYAMA SHAKTI YOGA

Four Seasons Rancho Encantado

198 NM-592, (505) 946-5700

Elementally-focused yoga.

5:30-6:30 pm, $18-$90

YOGA WITH MAURA

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo, (505) 471-9103

Twist yourself up to unwind.

7-8 pm, $20-$25

TUE/1

BOOKS/LECTURES

PLANTING YOUR FALL

GARDEN

Santa Fe Public Library Southside

6599 Jaguar Drive (505) 955-2820

Learn about the new season and grab plantable goodies from the Santa Fe Seed Library.

5:30-7:30 pm, free

EVENTS

GEEKS WHO DRINK

Santa Fe Brewing Company

35 Fire Place, (505) 424-3333

Don't trivialize this pursuit.

7 pm, free

OPEN MIC POETRY AND MUSIC

Chile Line Brewery

204 N Guadalupe St. (505) 982-8474

Be a modern-day bard.

8 pm, free

SANTA FE FARMERS’

MARKET INSTITUTE TOURS

Santa Fe Railyard Market and Alcaldesa streets (505) 982-3373

Breakfast and a market tour.

9 am, free

TOPPA TOP REGGAE

TUESDAYS KICK OFF

Boxcar

133 W Water St., (505) 988-7222

Celebrate the sports bar's new digs with reggae, dancehall, Afrobeats and remixes from DJ Selectah DeeCee.

8 pm-1:30 am, free

FOOD

SANTA FE FARMERS' DEL SUR MARKET

Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center 4801 Beckner Road (505) 983-4098

Fresh produce for the Southside. 3-6 pm, free

MUSIC

D HENRY FENTON Cowgirl 319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Americana and folk-pop.  4-6 pm, free

JUHO POHJONEN PIANO RECITAL

St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art 107 W Palace Ave. (505) 476-5072

Mozart and Ravel. Presented by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.  12 pm, $35-$40

KALETA & THE SUPER YAMBA

Santa Fe Plaza

100 Old Santa Fe Trail Brooklyn Afro-funk with support from Squirrelhead. Presented by Lensic360.  6 pm, free

OPERA

TOSCA

Santa Fe Opera 301 Opera Drive, (505) 986-5900 Puccini's political drama.  8 pm, $50-$366

WORKSHOP

HATHA YOGA

Four Seasons Rancho Encantado 198 NM-592 (505) 946-5700

Gentle yoga with a focus on breath work.  10:30-11:30 am, $18-$90

Mermaid, Interrupted

BY JULIA GOLDBERG @votergirl

In his 1976 book The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, Bruno Bettelheim draws a link between psychoanalysis and fairy tales, arguing—and name-checking Sigmund Freud, who argued fairy tales provide an entryway into the unconscious mind—that psychoanalysis helps people accept life’s challenges without giving up, while fairy tales show children “a struggle against severe difficulties in life is unavoidable, is an intrinsic part of human existence.”

In his SFO debut, Director Sir David Pountney’s production of Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka embraces fairy tale as psychological exploration by re-envisioning it, as SFO says in its press materials, as “a Freudian fairy tale set in a psychiatric hospital in Vienna.” Scenic designer Leslie Travers realizes this vision with an all-white set filled with cabinets of curiosities and horrors, while still maintaining core elemental facets such as the lake—in which Rusalka splashes on one side of the stage—and the tree where she sings the opera’s most famous aria, “Song to the Moon,” (albeit one made of chairs).

The story is simple enough and familiar: A mermaid-type creature (Rusalka means water nymph in Czech) falls in love with a human prince. She confesses to her father Vodnik, the Spirit of the Lake—bass James Creswell, wonderful in the role—that she wishes to become human so she can be with the prince, (a winsome tenor Robert Watson). Though unhappy to hear it, Vodnik sends Rusalka to Ježibaba (Czech for witch), who creates a potion to transform the sea nymph into a human woman, but also inflicts her with muteness and warns if the prince stops loving her, she will be cursed and eventually cause his death. The prince does indeed betray her, complaining she’s silent and cold. He takes up with a warm and passionate foreign princess, causing Rusalka great anguish. The fate about which Ježibaba warned Rusalka comes to pass, though the latter clings to her love for the prince, even though he’s cost her everything.

The opera’s libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil takes cues from a variety of sources—

primarily Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué’s novella Undine. As documented in myriad places, Dvořák cared about preserving Czech fairy tales and myths—he also wrote four symphonic poems based on Czech folk tales. Rusalka, though not his only opera, is certainly the only one for which he is known (and one that brought him accolades during his lifetime, particularly from his Czech

SFO’s production of Dvořák’s Rusalka interprets a classic fairy-tale swimmingly

homeland of Bohemia). The opera premiered in Prague in 1901 and came late to the United States: 1975. In the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s 2017 podcast on Rusalka, lecturer and musicologist Naomi Barrettara attributes that late arrival to the opera’s 19th-century Wagnerian elements (and also breaks down each character’s leitmotif by instrument) during a time in which interest was more atuned to 20th-century composition. This year’s

production is the first time the Santa Fe Opera has mounted Rusalka, and it’s certainly worth the wait. Highlights include soprano Ailyn Pérez in the title role with a riveting performance, sung beautifully throughout, which captures both the otherworldly nature of her character, as well as the very human-female jeopardy explored in this production.

Mythic lake and forest creatures scamper throughout the opera’s three acts—terrific performances from several of this season’s apprentices. The ever-moving sets bring forth new delights and heebie-jeebies throughout the evening. Most notably in the latter category: Ježibaba’s table of horrors as she sings “Čury mury fuk” (translation: abracadabra)—a frighteningly wonderful performance by mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis in her SFO debut—while preparing Rusalka’s potion. Set, costumes and lighting throughout the night provide an ongoing Rorschach test of sorts, with the white walls emphasizing the blood on Rusalka’s white gown, vivifying her new humanity; the red gown worn by the foreign princess (soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams in her feisty SFO debut) highlighting her sensual power; and Lighting Designer Malcolm Rippeth’s elemental use of color throughout the night summoning the unseen forest. Conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya drove the orchestra with high energy, matching each creative choice on stage—and there were many—note for note.

Is Rusalka really a sea nymph or a young girl in an institution struggling with the demands of life and society? Is the lake really a lake or just a metaphor for her unconscious mind? Is Vodnik actually the Spirit of that lake or just a fellow inmate in a green sweater? Hard to say. Sometimes an opera is just an opera. This one is both a musical and visual feast.

RUSALKA BY ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK

LIBRETTO BY JAROSLAV KVAPIL SUNG IN CZECH

8:30 pm, July 26; 8 pm Aug. 4, 8, 17, 22 $40-$380, plus fees; $15 standing room

First-time NM residents are eligible for a 40% discount; call the box office in advance: (505) 986-5900 or (800) 280-4654. Day-of discounts available for students, seniors and military via the box office by phone or in person.

ABOVE: Rusalka scenic design by Leslie Travers, photo by Curtis Brown for the Santa Fe Opera. BELOW: Left to Right; Raehann Bryce-Davis (Ježibaba), Ailyn Pérez (Rusalka).

Oppenheimer Review

BY JULIE ANN GRIMM editor@sfreporter.com

Most New Mexicans who viewed Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer had a head start on other moviegoers. Whether they had read the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer or had learned about the state’s role in the birth of atomic war in grade school, they also carry other connections to the enduring legacy of the story.

That didn’t make the epic retelling less epic. In fact, the insider knowledge makes the three-hour drama feel more dramatic to local viewers.

Nolan’s script adapted from American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin unfolds as three storylines: Oppenheimer’s rise to become director of the nation’s new secret weapons lab and the subsequent removal of his security clearance; the birth of the bomb itself from the chalkboard to Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the end of World War II; and one-time Atomic Energy Commission Director Lewis Strauss (played by an age-appropriate and riveting Robert Downey Jr.) as the story’s true villain with a tangled timeline.

Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) disappears into J. Robert Oppenheimer, delivering a performance that captures the fresh and frantic graduate student in the pre-war days all the way through to the ghoulish, battered “father of the atomic bomb” phase as he undergoes a Red Scare beat-down of his reputation.

Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson’s original score triumphs in its emotional gravity, relating the delicate dissonance of discovery, the swelling chords of inertia and the confounding clash of political and moral conflict. Nolan also puts the strategic absence of sound to work on two occasions (we’ll let you guess which ones).

The hopscotch through time can be confounding, though expert costuming and makeup help sync the logic, as do shifts between black and white and color photography. The sheer number of characters in the story has a tendency to overwhelm. Many of the men on the screen are never identified, and other characters’ names and significance only reveal themselves toward the conclusion of the story.

Matt Damon plays Gen. Leslie Groves, who offers somewhat of a foil to Oppenheimer as his military counterpart in the project. Damon’s smirky delivery of one-liners comprises some of the only short moments of humor in the script,

but even though he’s ever-present in most of the movie, there’s also little room for development of Groves’ individual motivation.

Women take a decidedly backseat role in this version of the story. Emily Blunt has a few powerful moments as Oppenheimer’s troubled and alcohol-dependent wife Kitty, especially in her testimony before the secret kangaroo court known as the Gray Board. But Nolan’s choices around how much Jean Tatlock appears in the script and onscreen don’t quite add up. Oppenheimer’s enemies use Tatlock, an alsotroubled early love interest and member of the Communist party, to help make the case against him. It’s a pity the majority of Florence Pugh’s screen time depicts Tatlock as nude and/or neurotic. Kai and Sherwin’s book portrays both women as troubled, but doesn’t attempt to draw such a tidy bow on their disparate relationships with Oppenheimer or cast them as antagonists the way Nolan does.

The film acknowledges New Mexico’s role in the project but doesn’t offer a true sense of place. Oppenheimer had visited Northern New Mexico often in his teen and early adult years, which led to his advocating for Los Alamos as the location for the lab. Nolan smartly filmed on-location, even using some existing lab facilities and the iconic Fuller Lodge and having characters ride horses through the sagebrush with Cerro Pedernal in the background. The script, however, contains little mention of the contributions locals made to the project and no mention or even allusion to the vast ongoing environmental damage wrought by the Manhattan Project and the people who suffered and died from radiation poisoning due to the secret Trinity test detonation near Alamogordo and activities at the lab.

Even the attempts to explain how Oppenheimer reacted to the death and destruction in Japan and the terror of the inevitable arms race feels diminished under the number of minutes the film devotes instead to men in suits wielding political power. And the nods to human

suffering aren’t overt, they’re quick hallucinations of a ghastly awareness that success meant destruction, or they’re flashes of light against Oppenheimer’s face as he turns away from images of bomb damage.

Could there have been fewer esoteric sizzles and sparkles to depict Oppenheimer’s mind? Less time with explosions and mesmerizing flames blooming across the screen? Shorter sequences of debate and cross-examination in laboratories, board rooms and even the oval office? Certainly. Yet, the story of why and how the United States developed the atomic bomb is itself more than complex, and Nolan’s film takes an admirable stab at unpacking the overlooked historical tick-tock. While Oppenheimer amassed a team of scientists to undertake the mission as Nazi Germany blitzkrieged across Europe, Hitler had long surrendered by the time the weapon was ready and the US instead used it against Japan, by most accounts as a way to convince Russia to stay in its lane.

In tandem, while Oppenheimer was hailed a hero for his leadership role in developing the world’s most destructive weapon, the same national government rapidly recoiled and cast aspersions on his character when it removed his security clearance. It’s puzzling, however, why the closing credits fail to reveal the posthumous reversal of that decision late last year.

One can hardly contemplate media coverage of director and writer Nolan without encountering the word “complex,” and that word rises to the mind repeatedly in any analysis of Oppenheimer Though his widely acclaimed 2017 Dunkirk notably focused on a short period of time, the story of the atomic bomb and the political fallout for its architect takes on a decades-long arc. And the story continues.

by Nolan

Bomb daddy’s epic tale unpacks critical history yet misses mark

OPPENENHEIMER

by Matt Jones

“Must

SOMEBODY’S FOOL by Richard Russo Hardcover, Fiction, $29.00

RAISING LAZARUS by Beth Macy Softcover, Non-Fiction, $19.99

PSYCHICS

MIND BODY SPIRIT

Rob Brezsny Week of July 26th

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are about to read a thunderbolt of sublime prophecies. It’s guaranteed to nurture the genius in your soul’s underground cave. Are you ready? 1. Your higher self will prod you to compose a bold prayer in which you ask for stuff you thought you weren’t supposed to ask for. 2. Your higher self will know what to do to enhance your love life by at least 20 percent, possibly more. 3. Your higher self will give you extra access to creativity and imaginative powers, enabling you to make two practical improvements in your life.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In 1991, John Kilcullen began publishing books with “for Dummies” in the title: for example, Sex for Dummies, Time Management for Dummies, Personal Finance for Dummies, and my favorite, Stress Management for Dummies. There are now over 300 books in this series. They aren’t truly for stupid people, of course. They’re designed to be robust introductions to interesting and useful subjects. I invite you to emulate Kilcullen’s mindset, Taurus. Be innocent, curious, and eager to learn. Adopt a beginner’s mind that’s receptive to being educated and influenced. (If you want to know more, go here: tinyurl.com/ TruthForDummies)

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I could be converted to a religion of grass,” says Indigenous author Louise Erdrich in her book Heart of the Land. “Sink deep roots. Conserve water. Respect and nourish your neighbors. Such are the tenets. As for practice—grow lush in order to be devoured or caressed, stiffen in sweet elegance, invent startling seeds. Connect underground. Provide. Provide. Be lovely and do no harm.” I advocate a similar approach to life for you Geminis in the coming weeks. Be earthy, sensual, and lush. (PS: Erdrich is a Gemini.)

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I hereby appoint myself as your temporary social director. My first action is to let you know that from an astrological perspective, the next nine months will be an excellent time to expand and deepen your network of connections and your web of allies. I invite you to cultivate a vigorous grapevine that keeps you up-to-date about the latest trends affecting your work and play. Refine your gossip skills. Be friendlier than you’ve ever been. Are you the best ally and collaborator you could possibly be? If not, make that one of your assignments.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): There are two kinds of holidays: those created by humans and those arising from the relationship between the sun and earth. In the former category are various independence days: July 4 in the US, July 1 in Canada, July 14 in France, and June 2 in Italy. Japan observes Foundation Day on February 11. Among the second kind of holiday is Lammas on August 1, a pagan festival that in the Northern Hemisphere marks the halfway point between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. In pre-industrial cultures, Lammas celebrated the grain harvest and featured outpourings of gratitude for the crops that provide essential food. Modern revelers give thanks for not only the grain, but all the nourishing bounties provided by the sun’s and earth’s collaborations. I believe you Leos are smart to make Lammas one of your main holidays. What’s ready to be harvested in your world. What are your prime sources of gratitude?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): For many of us, a disposal company regularly comes to our homes to haul away the garbage we have generated. Wouldn’t it be great if there was also a reliable service that purged our minds and hearts of the psychic gunk that naturally accumulates? Psychotherapists provide this blessing for some of us, and I know people who derive similar benefits from spiritual rituals. Getting drunk or intoxicated may work, too, although those states often generate their own dreck. With these thoughts in mind, Virgo, meditate on how you might cleanse your soul with a steady, ennobling practice. Now is an excellent time to establish or deepen this tradition.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I’m wondering if there is a beloved person to whom you could say these words by Rumi: “You are the sky my spirit circles in, the love inside love, the resurrection-place.” If you have no such an ally, Libra, the coming months will be a favorable time to attract them into your life. If there is such a companion, I hope you will share Rumi’s lyrics with them, then go further. Say the words Leonard Cohen spoke: “When I’m with you, I want to be the kind of hero I wanted to be when I was seven years old.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your theme for the coming weeks is “pleasurable gooseflesh.” I expect and hope you’ll experience it in abundance. You need it and deserve it! Editor Corrie Evanoff describes “pleasurable gooseflesh” as “the primal response we experience when something suddenly violates our expectations in a good way.” It can also be called “frisson”—a French word meaning “a sudden feeling or sensation of excitement, emotion, or thrill.” One way this joy may occur is when we listen to a playlist of songs sequenced in unpredictable ways—say Mozart followed by Johnny Cash, then Edit Piaf, Led Zeppelin, Blondie, Queen, Luciano Pavarotti, and Yellow Magic Orchestra. Here’s your homework: Imagine three ways you can stimulate pleasurable gooseflesh and frisson, then go out and make them happen.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Fire rests by changing,” wrote ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. In accordance with astrological omens, I ask you to meditate on that riddle. Here are some preliminary thoughts: The flames rising from a burning substance are always moving, always active, never the same shape. Yet they comprise the same fire. As long as they keep shifting and dancing, they are alive and vital. If they stop changing, they die out and disappear. The fire needs to keep changing to thrive! Dear Sagittarius, here’s your assignment: Be like the fire; rest by changing.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): There’s ample scientific evidence that smelling cucumbers can diminish feelings of claustrophobia. For example, some people become anxious when they are crammed inside a narrow metal tube to get an MRI. But numerous imaging facilities have reduced that discomfort with the help of cucumber oil applied to cotton pads and brought into proximity to patients’ noses. I would love it if there were also natural ways to help you break free of any and all claustrophobic situations, Capricorn. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to hone and practice the arts of liberation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone,” said Aquarian author Gertrude B. Stein. She was often quirky and even downright weird, but as you can see, she also had a heartful attitude about her alliances. Stein delivered another pithy quote that revealed her tender approach to relationships. She said that love requires a skillful audacity about sharing one’s inner world. I hope you will put these two gems of advice at the center of your attention, Aquarius. You are ready for a strong, sustained dose of deeply expressive interpersonal action.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): According to the International Center for Academic Integrity, 95 percent of high school students acknowledge they have participated in academic cheating. We can conclude that just one of 20 students have never cheated—a percentage that probably matches how many non-cheaters there are in every area of life. I mention this because I believe it’s a favorable time to atone for any deceptions you have engaged in, whether in school or elsewhere. I’m not necessarily urging you to confess, but I encourage you to make amends and corrections to the extent you can. Also: Have a long talk with yourself about what you can learn from your past cons and swindles.

Homework: What single good change would set in motion a cascade of further good changes?

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