Passion Palate of the

Sazón’s stunning Princesa dessert made of egg custard (natilla), layers of light pastry, assorted berries, and piñon nuts.

Santa Fe magical from the start, and then found a passion for cooking, especially when he recalled the food of his Mexican childhood. “My mum, sister, and aunt were all really good cooks and they sent me their own traditional recipes. Back then people had time to cook, and they created great food at home.”

He refers to this deeply rooted Mexican family cuisine as alta cosina Mexicana, now offered at fancy restaurants in Mexico City. Different from Tex-Mex and New Mexican food, Olea’s alta cosina Mexicana introduced diners to gourmet mole sauce, salsa that sits as a condiment in the middle of table, and other authentic Mexican dishes such as chiles en Nogada, a recipe from the city of Puebla. Made with nuts, it is reminiscent of Lebanese cuisine.

Olea opened Sazón in 2015 on the south side of downtown. The multilevel adobe-style building is adorned with bronze horse sculptures by Siri Hollander outside. Inside, large, bright, and romantic paintings by contemporary Mexican artists cover the walls. The restaurant was an immediate success. “People were starting to pay attention to Mexican culture,” recalls Olea. “It was a perfect time to open.”

Sazón’s true magic is in the food, which has evolved as Olea practices his personal alchemy on classic Mexican recipes from his family. Though he has had no formal training as a chef, his instincts rarely fail him. To the spices he gets from Mexico, he adds others from around the world. The results are the original recipes for which he’s famous, like his ever-popular stuffed zucchini blossoms. “Something whispers to me,” he says. “I think in flavors. Sometimes I dream recipes. It is all very natural, very easy.”

He makes a point of visiting each table to welcome and advise the diners, a custom common in fine European restaurants. “It’s important to connect with people on a personal level,” he says. “I like them to feel like dinner guests, instead of just customers.”

People have offered him the chance to open restaurants in other places, but Olea isn’t interested. “Santa Fe is a special town, which has really been amazing for me,” he says. “Anywhere else, I wouldn’t have been able to be inspired and to blossom as I have here. It has been my home now for the past 33 years, and I’m just so glad that Santa Fe wanted me to be here.” R