The Gorge Bar and Grill

LOCALLY RENOWNED FOR GOOD FOOD.

Closed Sunday & Monday | Tuesday - Saturday 12 - 7:30 | thegorgebarandgrill.com

BOTTLESHOP + BITES

Around town you may have seen new structures arise: medley has “bungalows,” self-enclosed pods fitted even with doorbell buzzers to reach your waiter. At Doc Martin’s they’ve expanded by adding more tables and chairs past the first set of cobblestone seating, past the lush garden, where you’re likely to get the micro-green garnish to your entree, you will find “The Grove” nestled in a verdant courtyard surrounded by trees and a tiny flower bed dedicated to former Taos jazz master, Frank Morgan.

Here you can escape the heat. If the company you keep is boring there’s always the humorous statuette on a stone bench willing to oblige you. In this new setting one can reliably delight in the rooted menu Nité’s been dishing out long before the pandemic. There’s the unusual Mexican delicacy known as Huitlacoche, a fungal growth found on corn. It’s complexity and earthiness rivals that of truffles. This is transformed into a rich molé which forms a tiny pool for sautéed trumpet mushrooms to bathe in.

In the season to come he’s looking forward to making a local golden beet tartare dish with quail egg yolks on top. The cuisine is going lean, clean and green. Don’t worry the burgers, relleños and enchiladas will never leave. It’s in tune thematically with the land. A good portion of the food is either on-site such as radishes and tomatillos or sourced within the area such as lamb from Des Montes. It’s also adjusting to a different pathway. Veering from dense beefy dishes to lighter, healthier and earthier (in the fullest sense of the word) meals. He’s even going so far as making his own vinegars. Capsulating his philosophy, Nité chimed in, “If I can shake the farmer’s hands I consider that local.” •