Dining Out Winter/Spring 2024

“Best NewMexico” Mexico” “BestBurger Burger ininNew USA Today

USA Today

“Best & Best Happy Hour” "BestBurger Burger & Happy Hour" Taos News

Taos News

Fresh Ground Burgers Daily NM Craft Beers Dog-Friendly Patio

Hormone & Antibiotic-Free GOURMET BURGERS & SALADS

NM Craft Beers PATIO - DINING ROOM - DRIVE THRU HAPPY HOUR Protein4 Bowls - 6 pm DAILY 758-8484 5starburgers.com

1032 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur

GOURMET BURGERS

ENTREES - SANDWICHES - SALADS 2

CHARLES COLLINS GALLERY “A TAOS MASTER” ... MILLICENT ROGERS MUSEUM

“Heart of Texas” 24” x 30“ oil and gold leaf on canvas , Ric Farley

“Imagine Mountain”, 16”x 20” acrylic on canas, Mary Jo Hatch

“Circle Of Life”, 16”x 20“ Timothy Bunn

oil on canvas Kevin Collins

“Drain Chain Icicle” photo by Brian Hudzik

“Ice form 8”, 8”x 16” acrylic on board, Robert Ross

Sandy Maestas New Mexico clay bottle

“Water Woman”, 13 1/2” bronze sculpture, David Mayes

“London”, 30”x 33” acrylic on canvas, Jill Collins

Most Awarded Artist in the History of Taos Fall Arts Festival Taos Plaza • charlescollinsgallery.com • 575-758-2309 DINING OUT

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CHARLES COLLINS GALLERY “A TAOS MASTER” ... MILLICENT ROGERS MUSEUM

“Einstein Mastermind” Bronze Charles Collins

Da Vinci three piece bronze separated showing da Vinci the artist and scientist and the Mona Lisa

Brother of the Trees, mixed media oil on canvas by Charles Collins

Sister of the Moon, 24 x 30 mixed media oil on canvas by Charles Collins

When trees dream, Nocturne, oil on canvas by Charles Collins

“Da Vinci Mastermind” Bronze three-quarter front view Charles Collins

Christ Appearing to the Artist, mixed media oil on canvas by Charles Collins

Tapestry of Time, 36 x 48 mixed oil on canvas by Charles Collins

Most Awarded Artist in the History of Taos Fall Arts Festival Taos Plaza • charlescollinsgallery.com • 575-758-2309 TAOSMENUS.COM

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BY HAVEN LINDSEY

Palettes

INTRODUCES A NEW CHEF WITH ALL NEW CULINARY COLORS

”

L IA M D EBONIS/ TAO S N EWS

My first step is all about consistency,” Peterson explained, as I enjoyed a tasting menu he had prepared. “ The street tacos you’re eating are a good example. The shrimp and meat are spiced to bring out the flavors.

I need those spices to be consistent every day, every meal. ”

W hen Alex Born, food and beverage director at the Don Fernando Hotel, needed a new chef for Palettes, the hotel’s restaurant, the natural problem-solver went to work.

The Fort Collins, Colo. native knew his hometown had more restaurants per capita than most U.S. cities of similar size.

He also knew a talented chef from that culinary-rich town who — as fate would have it — happened to be available.

Within a short amount of time, Jacob Peterson had relocated

to Taos and was introduced as the executive chef at Palettes.

The hotel, which had been closed for a time, reopened in 2018 after undergoing a grant-backed renovation.

Now, with the creative and charismatic chef Peterson at the helm, Palettes is undergoing its own resurgence. With an eye for detail and a vision for the future, Peterson, like every great chef, understands big success usually lies in the smallest of details.

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Consistency means that traditional recipes are documented, something Jacob learned early on. Food was an integral part of his upbringing as he watched his Polish mom prepare age-old recipes. “It seems like every other building in Fort Collins is a restaurant and I’ve always been drawn to the culinary world — but I started out as a dishwasher in a restaurant.” His modest beginnings serve him well as he runs a kitchen knowing he’s worked in every position.

25 Palettes introduces a new chef

A fter polishing off a mouthwatering bacon-wrapped jalapeno popper with three blended cheeses and just the right amount of spice, we switched gears to discuss another addition to the Palettes experience. In addition to the farm-fresh, locally sourced breakfast and dinner menu, there is an all-new bakery. As we shared a bear claw, I knew many Taoseños would recognize the familiar flavor-filled but not-too-sweet pastry.

Valerie Keeney, former owner of the Bear Claw Café, and Steven Hunt are providing baked goods made from scratch daily which include a variety of cakes, pies, muffins and cookies. The banana foster chocolate muffins and cinnamon rolls with mascarpone frosting are popular, but the bear claws sell out the quickest.

The Born–Peterson combination of impassioned ideas

and culinary wizardry has quickly infiltrated the banquet and events schedule. “We recently hosted Abe’s 100th birthday bash,” commented Born, of the generations of family members and friends who gathered for Jose Abel Garcia’s centennial. Additionally, there is now a weekly Comedy Night with Chad Riden and regular events hosted by the Lions Club, Taos Networking Lunch, the Chamber of Commerce, and other business and community-related organizations.

As I moved to the “fill the to-go box phase,” I asked what was on the horizon.

“There is so much potential and it’s all beginning to unfold,” replied Born, responding to a pinging phone that was underscoring the reality of his response. “Good things are coming,” echoed Peterson.

Sitting beneath ornate, Turkish lamps, with cozy touches in the restaurant and bar area, Palettes feels a little like home and a little like a vacation — and definitely the best of both. The restaurant is open seven days a week. Breakfast is served from 6-11 a.m., and dinner is served from 4:30-10 p.m.

Happy Hour runs daily from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and includes an easy-to-remember 5-6-7 drink menu. Five-dollar drafts, six-dollar glasses of wine, and seven-dollar well drinks. Craft cocktails will soon be offered.

COU RT ESY PHOTOS DINING OUT

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HEALTHY AND MODERN 317 Kit Carso n R oa d, Ta os | 8 5 5 - 8 4 6 - 8 2 6 7 | E l Mo n t e S a g r a d o . c o m

TAOSMENUS.COM

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103 East Plaza, Taos • parcht.com • 575.758.1994 TAOSMENUS.COM

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James Crowther III LAMBERT’S OF TAOS

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Three Chefs: Distinct takes on Taos cuisine

Samantha Brody BYZANTIUM KITCHEN & BAZAAR

WI L L HOOPER / TAOS NEWS

C

arrots from Jessica at Feral Farms.

Onions and poblanos from Doug at Rio Lucero Farms. The pork from down past Albuquerque who Byzantium’s owner, Samantha Brody, will drive the distance to pick up.

For Brody, cuisine — whether vegetable or meat — starts in the soil.

“Luckily all my friends are farmers,” says Brody, 34, who thinks local food — sometimes even kale from her own garden — is as Taos as you can get. Brody sources with the seasons, like how

the first peoples of the land ate.

In early November, it’s ribs on ribs. A short rib lathered in red chile and mole, served with local butternut squash, and with “ribs” of spiced-then-fried sweet corn from the bushel Brody bought off her Pueblo friend.

The corn was prepared in the old way: the cob boiled then sun-dried, which preserves the corn until you’re ready to boil it back to life.

For winter, the alwayspasture-fed, super-marbled, limited-cut beef from El Prado’s Appleseed Farms will

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pair with an orange sauce, switching it up from the basil sauce Brody used until the last of that crop froze.

Also: pork chops with either a brandy cream sauce or a cafe-made five-spice hoisin sauce.

Lately, Brody’s been going crazy with apples from local orchards, sweetening them into pie. A perfect match for the handmade vanilla or butter pecan ice cream, which Brody delicious-izes with her own chicken eggs, De Smet Dairy’s (Albuquerque) raw milk, and nuts from down south N.M. 34

Breakfast ~ served GOLDEN PINON all day

Breakfast & lunch restaurant by Jaime Saenz Ramirez.

88 NM-150, El Prado, NM 87529 (575) 776-3202 TAOSMENUS.COM

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Three Chefs: Distinct takes on Taos cuisine

Kevin Sousa THE STAKEOUT

ZOË ZIMM ER M AN/FOR T HE TAOS NEWS

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p at The Stakeout, chef Kevin Sousa can smell the sage and piñon everywhere. It surrounds the white adobe event space and restaurant nestled on the south end’s rolling mesa.

With a love for learning the land around him and foraging big in Sousa’s heart since he was a Boy Scout, the team started collecting sage and chamisa and other native plants to incorporate into a seven-course menu for a special dinner at the ever-hip

event space/restaurant this past September.

Sousa caught the chamisa right in that stretch before it starts to stink. He then dehydrated the plant. Followed by pulverizing it in a coffee mill with granulated sugar. The turnout? Chamisa meringue chards served with a Japanese sweet custard and a sageblossom-syrup-soaked piñon praline.

Sousa (nominated for several James Beard culinary awards) wants to transfer more of that fancy feel into

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the winter casual fine dining menu, a turn from the summer’s BBQ platters. A fixed selection of entrees like: pork belly stewed posole with winter crop vegetables, thyme and rosemary; and a duck breast and confit leg Anasazi bean cassoulet. (Those beans sourced from up the high road at Old Gem Farms, a go-to resource for Sousa.)

For dessert? Paired with a marquise au chocolat?

You betcha. Those sparkly crunchy chamisa meringue shards.

Pollo Borachon

French Toast

Breakfast & Lunch Wednesday - Sunday 8AM - 2PM

E AD & EM HAI C A

M HO

O D ICE OC SP OT C H

Breakfast served all day

BE E WI R NE

French Bread, Croissants & Pastries are made fresh daily Full menu at www.GutizTaos.com

812B Paseo del Pueblo Norte - Taos - (575) 758 -1226 DINING OUT

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TAKE OUT

(575) 751 - 0474 www.HunanTaos.com DINING AREA AVAILABLE FOR TAKE OUT CUSTOMERS

Lunch Specials

From 11am - 8 pm Served with Soup, Rice, Egg roll

1023 Paseo del Pueblo Sur next to Storyteller Theater Closed Tuesdays

SOME OF OUR POPULAR DINNER ENTREES: ALL ENTREES SERVED WITH STEAMED OR FRIED RICE

SEAFOOD BIRD’S NEST Lobster, scallops, shrimp, crab and fish filet, sauteed in a delightful white wine sauce. Served in a flour basket.

VOLCANO SHRIMP HOT! Dipped in a light tempura batter, then combined with ginger, crushed red peppers and scallions. Garnished over a bed of steamed broccoli.

IMPERIAL SHRIMP Crispy Shrimp in a light tempura batter, glazed with sweet ginger sauce.

Garnished over a bed of broccoli. Gotta try it!

BLACK PEPPER SHRIMP Succulent tiger shrimp stir-fried with diced sweet onions, peppers, and a touch of black pepper. Garnished with steamed broccoli.

SPRING ROLL (2) Vegetarian egg roll.

POT STICKERS (6) Pan-fried dumplings with ground meat and vegetables.

HOT & SOUR SOUP HOT! Spicy chicken broth with pork, bean curd and bamboo shoots.

DRAGON PHOENIX SOUP Subtle flavors of chicken and crab compliment each other delicately.

GENERAL TSO’S TOFU Vegetarian “General Tso’s Chicken” TA CHIEN GAI Sliced chicken with broccoli, snow peas, carrots, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, etc. Sauteed in a spicy brown sauce.

PEKING ROAST DUCK Roast boneless duck. Served with pancakes, scallions and Hoisin sauce.

• LEMON CHICKEN • • TERIYAKI CHICKEN • • GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN • • MOO-SHOO DUCK • PEPPER STEAK Beef tenderloin sauteed with fresh green peppers and onions in a brown sauce.

GINGER LAMB Sliced lamb sauteed with sweet spicy ginger in a brown sauce.

Garnished with steamed broccoli.

ROYAL SHRIMP Shrimp with snow pea pods, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, broccoli, carrot and mushrooms in a wine sauce.

SESAME SHRIMP Lightly battered shrimp glazed with a sweet, spicy brown sauce.

Sprinkled with sesame seeds.

• STIR-FRIED RICE • PAN-FRIED NOODLES • • LO MEIN • SWEET & SOUR • • VEGETABLE ENTREES • Subject to change without notice.

TAOSMENUS.COM

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ELEMENTS ELEVATES

Angel Fire

BY JEANS PINEDA

E

lements, a fine dining venue on the second floor of the Angel Fire Country Club, is a fine place to replenish nutrients lost in the process of playing 18 holes on their PGA Championship-caliber course. While a golfer may desire to score subpar, they will find the food at Elements to be much greater than par. The Texas

French Dipper, a simple trifecta of wagyu, Swiss and horseradish sauce sandwiched between a hoagie roll hits all the dopamine nodes a person can possess.

statement, as the resort has always prized top-tier beef with Greg Allen as both the owner of the ski resort and of a wagyu ranch called A Bar N Ranch.

“If you’re looking for the best steak in Northern New Mexico, you know you wanna come to Elements,” said Angel Fire Country Club Manager Cody Sorensen. There’s no lie in that

Aside from having entree options that would make an obligate carnivore salivate — for instance, the 32-ounce “Big Chief” Tomahawk steak that serves a party of four — Sorensen promotes Elements as an all-around fine dining experience.

“We consider ourselves the best restaurant here in Angel Fire and it’s our goal to bring an authentic dining experience that represents the Northern New Mexico and Rocky Mountain area.”

Sorensen built up his front-ofhouse credentials in highly-touted Los Angeles restaurants such as Fig and Olive and Cecconi’s. All it took for him to be an Angel Fire mainstay was a million-dollar view of

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PHOTOS BY JEANS PINEDA

Wheeler Peak and a golf course that speaks for itself.

While Elements is a no-brainer in the summertime, when the winter comes and blankets the greens, Elements retains their elevated fare for snowshoers, Nordic skiers and families partaking in the snow play hill.

Instead of waiting to ride the ski lifts or trying to avoid the chaotic nature of skiers and snowboarders learning how to make proper turns for the first time on the mountain resort, there’s always the option of taking the scenic route and opting for the Nordic Center which offers over 12km of groomed, classic and skate crosscountry ski trails. Once your loop is over, you’ll be within reach of the cozy interior of Elements, which boasts a large fireplace and panoramic windows.

Full-bodied reds help in the endeavor to stay warm. Elements has a tradition of winning awards for its wine list (notably by Wine Spectator from the years 2013-2017) and Sorenson has kept that tradition alive by winning the best wine list of Colfax County, according to Tidbits magazine.

With filet mignon and rich cabernets on the menu, Elements can appear highbrow, but Sorensen insists the restaurant can and will accommodate guests that walk in without a suit and tie.

“We are a fine dining restaurant but, that being said, we are casual. We understand people are on vacation, so you don’t need to wear a suit or a tie or a dinner jacket.”

Elements is open five days a week from 4-9 p.m. and closed on Sundays and Mondays.

In addition to decadent wines, they are making sure not to neglect fine spirits. “My bar manager has created some really unique, authentic cocktails,” said Sorensen.

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ELEMENTS 100 Country Club Dr, Angel Fire 575-377-3055 angelfireresort.com/ dining-2/elements