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Archive for November 2023

Hot Pot Longo

Nov29

Restaurant: Longo Seafood Restaurant [1, 2, 3]

Location: 7540 Garvey Ave, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 280-8188

Date: March 30, 2023

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Great Meal, Good Deal

I’ve been to Longo MANY times, both for lunch and dinner, but one of our friends who knows the owner set up this special off menu hot pot dinner — normally they don’t have hot pot at all.

Longo is on Garvey right next to the Longo Toyota. Lol.

It’s one of these big formal Cantonese places.

Tanks with live seafood.

Our private room.

Peanuts (with sugar underneath).

Chicken Feet. Yarom has to order them whenever he can.

Cucumbers with a spicy bean paste / oil.

Yarom and the owner.
The owner hung out with us for a bit — she was supposed to actually eat with us, but her kid needed her at home — still, she did bring us a 2012 Unico as a “substitute!”

Tonight’s dinner centered around Longo’s off menu special hot pot.. Each of us had one of these individual pots.

Here is the mild but delicious broth.

The main dipping sauce was this spicy garlic soy.

It could be “juiced up” with garlic, chilies, green onions etc.

Geoduck. Both parts of the giant clam were served raw and could be eaten either as sashimi or dipped in the hot pot to be cooked. I tried the body both ways, but the neck seemed much better cooked. It was pretty delicious this way.

King Crab. We had an entire live king crab who was hacked up into parts. These were cooked in the hot pot for 2-3 minutes and then became extremely juicy and delicious. Could have used some garlic paste too.

Red Rock Cod. This delicious fish was also served raw and was cooked in the pot where it was moist and delicious.

Glass or rice noodles were also served on this platter.

Deep Fried Cod. The head of the cod was hacked up and deep fried. It tasted like Longo’s usual clam neck fry and was delicious.

Scallop. Whole scallops were cooked in the pot and also delicious.

Silken Tofu. This soft tofu was awesome. I must have cooked about 5-6 of these in my pot.

Carby Veggies. Some kind of yams and taro. I didn’t bother with.

Greens. Two kinds of greens, incudling an endive-like thing.

Pork Meat Balls. These were basically sui mai innards that had to be cooked for 10 minutes. They were pretty awesome.

A5 Wagyu Beef. Supposedly. But in any case, it was fatty wagyu and really delicious when briefly cooked — incredibly soft and melt in your mouth.

Velveted Beef. Thicker, but also tender and delicious when cooked. Perhaps more “beefy” flavor than the wagyu.

Cantonese Roast Duck. Juicy.

Fried Squab. Super delicious with crispy skin and very dark rich meat.

Macau Style Pork Belly. Piggy with nice crispy skin. Good stuff.

Sliced Pig Leg. Yep, Yarom couldn’t resist another marinated foot. But the full slices were pretty tasty.

Beef. Just a meh beef. Not bad, but not exciting.

New Flavor — Cherry Bakewell Tart Gelato — While watching every episode of the Great British Baking Show I was introduced to the Bakewell Tart, which I liked it enough to make a gelato — Sicilian Noto Romano Almond Custard Base is layered with house-made Honey Almond Graham Crackers and Cherry Preserves. For extra fun I made an Almond Icing and glazed the Grahams with it in the traditional pattern (first time trying it) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Sicily #Almond #Cherry #GrahamCracker #BakewellTart #tart #bakewell #jam #icing

Strawberry Margarita Sorbetto! — like a frozen cocktail — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Strawberries from Avignon, blended with fresh lime, Reposado Tequila and Cointreau –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #strawberry #Margarita #cocktail #Tequila #Cointreau

Chinese Baklava?

Chinese Sweet Bean Soup.

Overall, it was nice to have a bit of a “different” Longo experience and this was a super fun night. This was some of the best hot pot I’ve had. It was different than the super spicy ones, but the broth wasn’t bland like the typical pork or bone broths. Basically it really worked with the ultra fresh seafood. Lots of fun and very tasty.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese cuisine, Gelato, hot pot, Longo, SGV, Wine

Eating Santa Fe – La Fonda

Nov26

Restaurant: La Fonda on the Plaza

Location: 100 E San Francisco St, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 982-5511

Date: March 23-28, 2023

Cuisine: Breakfast and more

Rating: Tasty for hotel breakfast

We stayed at this lovely hotel on the square.

The restaurant was in this gorgeous high ceiling room.

The breakfast menu.

Local Granola Parfait with Seasonal Berries.

Buttermilk pancakes.

Pancakes with Strawberries.

Eggs.

Avocado Toast with Bacon, Arugula, and Egg.

Mushroom Omelet.

Omelet.

Trout and Eggs and Potatoes and Hollandaise.

Fancy Gin & Tonic.

Tableside Guacamole.

Pretty solid. Chips were heavy, however.

Chilie con Queso. This was the way I like it.

Simple Pasta.

French Fries.

Not a bad hotel cafe.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Breakfast, Eating Santa Fe, Hotel, La Fonda, New Mexico, Santa Fe

Eating Sante Fe – Sazón

Nov24

Restaurant: Sazón

Location: 221 Shelby St, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 983-8604

Date: March 28, 2023

Cuisine: Elevated Latin American

Rating: Best restaurant in Santa Fe

We saved the best for last during our lengthy Santa Fe trip.

Originally from Mexico City, Chef Fernando Olea, , Best Chef of the Southwest 2022 James Beard Award Winner, has been enthralling diners in Santa Fe since 1991 with his unique interpretation of contemporary and traditional Mexican dishes. Chef Olea creates sophisticated flavors using Old Mexico’s indigenous and culinary traditions alongside ingredients from around the world. His menu is deliberately small, featuring fresh and locally sourced produce and meats when possible. Nothing evokes the mystery of Mexican cuisine more than mole, a regional dish from the heart of the country. The origin of Mexican mole is mysterious. Some say it was an Aztec delicacy served to the Spanish conquistadors. Others say 16th century Hispanic nuns created it. We’re not sure of the origin, nor can the original recipe be defined! In Old Mexico each cook has their unique mole recipe often handed down generation by generation. Mole is a sauce of complex flavors that usually includes toasted and ground spices, seeds, nuts, chocolate and chile. Many mole recipes contain more than thirty ingredients and some recipes have five varieties of chile alone.

Moles can be defined by their color such as rojo, verde, and negro; the town they are from such as Puebla, Oaxaca, Michoacan; and social class, such as pobres and ricos. Chef Olea is delighted to share his moles that include his “New Mexican Mole” that he created to commemorate Santa Fe’s 400 year anniversary in 2009. The large mural in the main dining room, painted and presented to Chef Olea by Federico Leon De La Vega, a well known artist from Mexico City, illustrates all of the ingredients found in this mole.

Very cool decor.

Mole tasting with 5 moles, sweet black and apricot at the front, moving to tangy green and then two spicy red ones.

Specials.

The main menu.

La Nueva. Xicaru 102 Mezcal, Agave, Angostura Bitters, Lemon Twist.

Maracuya. Silver Tequila, Passion Fruit Purée, Ancho Reyes Ancho, Red Chile Salt.

Manhattan Goes Latin. Knob Creek Rye Whiskey, Carpano Antica Vermouth, Orange and Aztec Bitters, Luxardo Cherry, Orange Twist.

Ensalada De la Casa. baby spinach / mango / cotija cheese / white onion / bacon (omitted here) / cilantro vinaigrette.

Special Crab, Poblano, and Sweet Cream Soup. Pretty incredible actually. Stupendous.

Floes de Calabasa. Stuffed zucchini blossoms with Gruyere, goat and Asadero cheeses, lightly battered. Served over mixed greens. Delicious. Quite sweet actually, but awesome.

Pulpo. Octopus sauteed in olive oil with pork belly and Thai chili. Served with crostini’s. Pretty much like octopus in spicy garlic chili oil.

Azteca. yellow fin tuna crudité / avocado / cucumber / spicy tacuba sauce / crispy corn chips.

Kid’s quesadilla.

Berenjena. stuffed eggplant. zucchini / corn / tomato / gruyère cheese.

Pechuga de Pato. Duck breast with apricot mole served with sweet yams with fried rice noodles and beet chips.

Pechuga de Pato. Duck breast with apricot mole and brussels sprouts. Quite nice.

The dessert menu.

Special of Rubharb Crumble. Not bad at all.

Dulce Sinfonía. Chef Olea’s signature dessert. A masterpiece of flavors and textures. A very strange mix of avocado ice cream, beet sauce, and some other flavors. Not really my favorite, but interesting.

Volcán de Chocolate. For true chocolate lovers! Decadent chocolate cake served with a lava flow of yet more chocolate. They weren’t lying, it was awesome.

Whipped cream, with and without a pork chocolate (not kidding).

Overall, Sazon was pretty awesome. It had this high end artsy/fancy vibe which was tres santa fe and the service was very good — a touch haughty — but excellent and attentive. They almost rolled their eyes at some of our LA dietary restrictions (the vegetarians and keto). The inclusion of lard and chicken stock in nearly everything was a touch of a challenge for the vegetarian. But the food was innovative and extremely tasty, as were the cocktails. I wish I had known about the degustation menu, but I think you had to do it manually in advance by the phone.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Eating Santa Fe, Latin American cuisine, Mexican cuisine, mezcal, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Sazon

Eating Santa Fe – The Shed

Nov22

Restaurant: The Shed Restaurant

Location: 113 1/2 E Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 982-9030

Date: March 28, 2023

Cuisine: Tex Mex – sorta

Rating: overrated

The Shed, a dining institution since 1953 is located on Palace Avenue just east of the plaza. Look for the small, vividly colored wooden sign that marks the entrance. The restaurant occupies nine quiet rooms behind Prince Patio, a sunny brick and flagstone courtyard shaded by trumpet vines and adorned with roses in the summer. Customers can downshift a couple of centuries and have one of the more satisfying experiences Santa Fe has to offer.

They offer locals and visitors alike (according to their site) a time tested taste of the best that Northern New Mexico has to offer both in cuisine and hospitality. We are a family owned and operated business now under the management of the 3rd generation of Carswells. Visitors and locals returning to Santa Fe don’t feel like they have arrived in Santa Fe until they have tasted the Shed chile once again.

The menu.

Definitely a charming interior.

The lunch menu.

Cappuccino.

Shed Corn Chowder. Chicken, green chile, carrots, milk & spices, topped with blue corn tortilla strips & parsley.

Shed Sliders. Two red chile pulled pork sliders served on toasted buns, topped with fresh cabbage slaw & salsa de aguacate. Served with fresh local pickles from Barrio Brinery.

Kid’s cheese quesadilla.

Huevos Rancheros. Two eggs any-style, served with blue corn tortillas, cheddar cheese, red or green chile and a side of beans, garnished with lettuce. Sauces were on the side. My mom did not like this at all — maybe because it wasn’t what she expected.

More Huevos Rancheros, but stripped down to be totally vegetarian.

Carne Adovada Plate. Tender, slow-roasted lean pork, marinated in a blend of red chile, garlic and oregano, served with a blue corn, red chile, cheddar cheese & onion enchilada, a side of beans and posole, and garnished with lettuce & tomato. The enchilada was very good. The meat was fine, although better with some queso on top. The posole was kinda interesting, although needed some green chile sauce to spice it up.

another Carne Adovada Plate, this time also with beans.

Queso. A blend of our famous green chile and house cheeses. I used this tiny tiny side to liven up the other dishes.

Overall, I thought the Shed very overrated. It was super crowded with 1-2 hour lines most of the time. No reservations. We got in by going at opening (11am) on Tuesday and didn’t have to wait. But while it was decent American Mexican, it was nothing special.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Breakfast, Eating Santa Fe, Mexican cuisine, Santa Fe, The Shed

Eating Sante Fe – La Boca

Nov20

Restaurant: La Boca

Location: 72 W Marcy St, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 982-3433

Date: March 27, 2023

Cuisine: Spanish Tapas

Rating: Pretty good tapas

Trying to mix up our styles while in Santa Fe.

La boca is more or less classic/modern Spanish tapas.

Busy interior.

The menu.

Some Albarino to start.

DRUNKEN GOAT CHEESE. With Marcona almonds + rosemary. Very nice tangy medium cheese.

OLIVES + ALMONDS. Marcona almonds with pimentón, Sangria olives + oil cured black olives.

MANCHEGO WITH MEMBRILLO. Always hard not to love cheese with “jam”.

LOMO IBERÍCO. With membrillo, tomatoes, black olives + rosemary. Very thin cured meat.

ROASTED BEET SALAD. Arugula, coriander, crushed Marcona almonds + Greek yogurt. Nice salad.

BOQUERONES. With pan con tomate. The boquerones were small and not as vinegary as I like, but still good.

Priorat for red.

ALCACHOFAS. Grilled Roman artichokes with Queso de Cabra, orange zest + mint. Very nice and tender.

PATATAS BRAVAS. Romero Farms fingerling potatoes, spicy sherry vinegar, garlic + roasted garlic aioli. This dish varies a lot. This version wasn’t spicy at all. The aioli was good though and the potatoes were quite salty (which was tasty).

CROQUETAS DE JAMÓN. Traditional fried Béchamel croquetas with Jamón Serrano. Ham was subtle but they were tasty.

GAMBAS AL AJILLO. Sautéed shrimp, garlic, white wine, butter + chile de árbol. This sauce had more color than this often does in spain but these were delicious — and begged for bread.

BAGUETTE. Sage Bakehouse sourdough baguette with extra virgin olive. oil.

SEARED YELLOWFIN TUNA. Sweet pea salmorejo, + crispy Jamón Serrano.

GRILLED EGGPLANT. With melted Manchego, capers + saffron honey. Very nice, pretty much like a Scaloppine Saltimbocca.

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS. Caramelized onion – Oloroso pan sauce, Yukon Gold mash + fried sage. Fairly bland, like “pot roast.”

CHICHARRONES DE ANDALUZ. Fried pork belly, cumin, sea salt, lemon + harissa. Very crispy!

PAELLA CLASSICA. Saffron rice, chicken, chorizo, mussels, shrimp, roasted red bell peppers + English peas. Very tasty with good proteins. Rice itself was very moist and there was lots of it. But there wasn’t the crispy rice thing going on that great paella should have.

VEGETABLE PAELLA. Saffron rice, kale, mushrooms, artichokes, roasted red bell peppers + English peas.

The dessert menu — we were stuffed.

Overall, La Boca was a pretty solid tapas bar. Probably better than most/all of the current LA offerings in a “mostly traditional” arena. Not every dish was perfect, but they did have a big menu of pretty much all the classics and bunch of variants and execution was somewhere between good and really good for most dishes. Atmosphere was packed and lively.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Eating Sante Fe, La boca, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Spanish Cuisine, Tapas

Eating Taos – Azteca

Nov18

Restaurant: Azteca Mexican Grill

Location: 122 Dona Luz St, Taos, NM 87571. (575) 758-3251

Date: March 27, 2023

Cuisine: Mexican American

Rating: Meh

A quick stop at this Toas Mexican.

It was actually one of the best rated (on Yelp) places in this not-so-impressive town. Overall, the place was quite meh.

The menu.

Nice thin chips.

Solid quacamole and salsa.

Fairly lame Ceasar Salad.

Salad with grilled chicken.

Kid’s quesadilla and fries.

Two very poor carne asada tacos with beans and rice.

Chiles Rellenos. 2 chile poblanos, stuffed with monterey jack cheese, covered with an egg batter, smothered in traditional mole, served with pinot beans, rice, and garnish.

Mar Y Tierra. Arrachera steak, shrimp, bacon, onions, red peppers, green peppers, monterey jack cheese, with rice and pinto beans on the side, garnish, and sour cream.

I subbed the rice and beans for veggies.

Overall, for the best rated (on Yelp) place in this not-so-impressive town, the place was quite meh.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Azteca, Eating Sante Fe, Mexican cuisine, New Mexico, Taos

Eating Sante Fe – Estavan

Nov16

Restaurant: Estevan Restaurante

Location: Hotel Chimayo. 125 Washington Ave #2016, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 930-5363

Date: March 26, 2023

Cuisine: Southwestern

Rating: Petty good, but not amazing

Night 4 in Sante Fe brought yet another Southwestern place.

Estevan is located inside the Hotel Chimayo, right in the heart of town.

Cutesy decor.

The Menu.

Special Salad.

Special Soup.

CHILE RELLENO. Anaheim Green Chile filled with mushroom duxelle and served with a garlic pinto-bean demi-glace. Really great. Nice pepper with a bit of heat and a pleasant mushroom center. The sauce was delicious.

Some burg.

Basic Pasta.

BOLOGNESE PASTA. Slow-cooked and prepared from pork shoulder, pancetta, and tomatoes, served with tagliatelle pasta.

Special Fish.

Potatoes and Spinach.

QUAIL. Two grilled quail in a Red Chile Juniper demi-glace. Served with sauteed fingerling poatoes and Farmers Market Vegetables.

Special Lamb Loin with Potatoes and Veggies. Quite tasty but very rare!

Lamb loin but with no potatoes.

Dessert Menu.

Ice Cream and Seasonal Fruit.

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE. The ultimate dessert. Made with a river of warm chocolate, inside of a delicate chocolate cake, tempered and served with creme fraiche. Not that much ooze.

TRES LECHES. A traditional New Mexican moist cake, made with three milks and served with strawberry icing, Too good. Too sweet!

Overall, pretty tasty. Presentation is a touch rustic, but service was awesome and execution very solid. Overall style was fairly 90s. The room was cozy and attractive with a nice wood-fire smell.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Eating Santa Fe, Estavan, Santa Fe, Southwestern

Eating Sante Fe – Pasqual’s

Nov14

Restaurant: Cafe Pasqual’s

Location: 121 Don Gaspar Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (800) 722-7672

Date: March 26, 2023

Cuisine: Southwestern Cafe

Rating: Still great

This is another place I ate at almost 30 years earlier.

It’s got the cute adobe vibe.

And the bright colors.

The menu.

Apple Juice.

Cappuccino.

LINDA’S “GRANOLA BOWL” ~ Organic Berries / Banana / Pomegranate / Navel Orange / Apple / Organic Greek Yogurt.

Scrambled Eggs.

GRIDDLED POLENTA ~ Green Chile-Flecked Polenta / Sauteed Chorizo / Roasted Corn / Red Chile / Two Eggs. Not much polenta, but a lot of corn under the eggs.

Whole-wheat CHEESE QUESADILLA.

HUEVOS BARBACOA ~ Marinated Oven-Roasted, Slow-Cooked Beef Cheeks / Roasted Tomato-Jalapeño Salsa /
Two Eggs / Organic Corn Tortillas / Black Beans / Cotija Cheese. Nice and beefy.

Bacon.

CHILE RELLENO CON HUEVOS ~ Organic Anaheim Chile / Omelette-style / Asadero Queso / Black Beans / Tomato Rostizada Salsa / Two Eggs sunny-side up. Delicious!

Chorizo. Perfect on the releno.

A second releno, but with beans.

Overall, still a ton of flavor at Pasquals.

I had to keep getting up to let people — and the server — into this table behind!

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Eating Santa Fe, Pasquals, Santa Fe, Southwestern Cuisine

Eating Santa Fe – Sassella

Nov12

Restaurant: Sassella Restaurant

Location: 225 Johnson St, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 982-6734

Date: March 25, 2023

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Good

Sure we had a lot of Southwestern in Santa Fe, but we had to get at least “some” Italian in.

A fairly formal traditional space. Like the real venetian masks.

The menu.

Bread, including those Italian donut-shaped bread sticks.

EVOO.

Amarone — very young amarone.

Composizione di Pere. Sliced Singo golden pear, Meredith Farms sheep and goat cheese, artichoke, caramel bits, encapsulated fruit pearls, mint, pistachios, aged balsamic.

Ceasar a Modo Mio. Romaine, parmesan crisp, focaccia crostini, white anchovies, capers, tonnato dressing.

Eggplant Parmigiana. Eggplant in pastella, Italian bread crumbs, marinara, parmesan, mozzarella, basil pesto.

Le Tre Polpette. Veal and wagyu beef meatballs prepared three ways, spicy and sweet marinara. Not ure what was the exact difference between the balls other than keft to right ascending crispiness. They were good though.

Limone e Gamberi. Capellini pasta, shrimp, clams, white wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, mint, pistachio, capers, Sassella EVOO.

Pasta Pomodoro.

White Seabass. Seabass, rösti potato, Mediterranean tomato sauce with preserved lemon and capers,
aged balsamic reduction.

Scaloppine. Wild boar scaloppine, marsala demi-glace, cream, artichoke, prosciutto wrapped asparagus. Very tasty and tender with a great reduction sauce.

Osso Buco Milanese. Braised veal shank, mirepoix, risotto alla Milanese, gremolata. Less fatty than a normal OB, but nice.

We skipped dessert.

Overall, a surprisingly elegant and sophisticated Italian. Very good execution. Style is a bit deconstructed and slightly modern.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Eating Santa Fe, Italian Cusine, pasta, Santa Fe, Sassella

Eating Santa Fe – Museum Hill Cafe

Nov10

Restaurant: Museum Hill Cafe

Location: 710 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87505. (505) 984-8900

Date: March 25, 2023

Cuisine: Cafe

Rating: Solid

The dining room.

The menu.

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich. provolone, pesto, roasted red pepper. Served with salad.

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich. provolone, pesto, roasted red pepper. Served with SSweet Potato Fries..

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich. provolone, pesto, roasted red pepper. Served with Fries.

Shrimp Stuffed Poblano. grilled shrimp, cheese, pico, rice (subbed out for veggies), and greens. Not bad at all for low carb.

Texas French Toast. Batter-dipped French bread, applewood bacon (omited), greens, and fruit.

Open Faced Bistro Steak Sandwich, tomato, mayo, mustard, feta, vinaigrette w/ Sweet Potato Fries.

Solid and interesting cafe fare.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Eating Santa Fe, lunch, Museum Hills Cafe, Quick Eats, Santa Fe

Eating Santa Fe – Burrito Co

Nov08

Restaurant: The Burrito Company

Location: 111 Washington Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 982-4453

Date: March 24, 2023

Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Rating: It was

I normally wouldn’t cover this sort of place, but it’s a useful part of the Americana travelog.

Cute enough and right in the center of downtown.

And they have pepper door handles.

Le menu.

Cobb Salad.

Cheese Quesadilla.

Chicken Burrito.

Veggie Burrito — aka bean burrito.

Chicken stuffed Sopapilla covered in chilis, sour cream, cheese alongside rice and beans.

Another goopy Tex-Mex dish.

I think you can see from the pictures what was going on here.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burrito Co, Eating Santa Fe, Mexican cuisine, Santa Fe, Tex-Mex

Eating Santa Fe – Geronimo

Nov06

Restaurant: Geronimo

Location: 724 Canyon Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 982-1500

Date: March 23, 2023

Cuisine: 1980s Haute Cuisine

Rating: Tasty, if old fashioned

For our first meal in Santa Fe it was off to a classic. The building is 250 years old and the restaurant is several decades.

Warm and inviting, the elegant “Borrego House” was built by Geronimo Lopez in 1756. Thick adobe walls, kiva fireplaces and wood beams surround.

Geronimo has a very nice 80s-90s nice restaurant feel with a straightforward 2 course ala carte menu. It’s been awhile since I te with this format and it’s kind of a fun throwback.

The cozy table.

The menu.

A plum spritz.

Bread, including Jalapeño Cheddar buns and slightly spicy crisps.

Butter.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. Sweet Corn Purée, Poblano-Sweet Corn Bisque & Baby Greens. Mild, vaguely southwestern flavor, but quite enjoyable.

Fujisaki Asian Pear Salad. Bleu d’Auvergne Grilled Cheese, Arugula, Cashews & Cider Honey Vinaigrette.

Wagyu Beef Carpaccio. Mustard-Horseradish Sauce, Herb Oil, Wild Arugula & Classic Garniture. Rich beef with lots of lemony zest, quite excellent.

Zoom.

Fiery Sweet Chile & Honey-Grilled Mexican White Prawns. Jasmine Almond Rice Cakes, Red Onion, Yuzu-Basil Aioli & Frisée.

Pan-Seared Salmon. Yukon Gold Potato. Gnocchi, Green Peas, Wild Mushrooms & Thyme Beurre Blanc.

Basic pasta.

Tellicherry Rubbed Elk Tenderloin. Roasted Garlic Fork-Mashed Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas, Applewood-Smoked Bacon & Creamy Brandied Mushroom Sauce.

Prime Beef Rib Eye. Shallot-Mushroom Duxelle, Scalloped Potatoes, Crispy Bacon, Green Onions, Aged Sharp Cheddar Cheese & Veal Demi. Very nice straight up steak with good flavor. The paste to the lower right was very savory. Nice reduction.

Sautéed Spinach. Good with the reudction from the rib-eye.

Le lab.

Overall, a very enjoyable meal. In all ways it was like time travel back to the 1990s. Santa Fe is pretty much a 80s and 90s holdover no matter how you look at it. Still, that’s not always a bad thing. I sort of miss white tablecloths, nice servers, and dining rooms you can talk in. The Southwestern tilt of the cuisine is mild and plating is old-fashioned but neat as a tact (I hate sloppy plating). Flavors were good.

For more dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 1980s, Eating Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe

Eating Santa Fe – Coyote Cafe

Nov04

Restaurant: Coyote Cafe & Rooftop Cantina

Location: 132 W Water St, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 983-1615

Date: March 24, 2023

Cuisine: Southwestern

Rating: Cool but dated

I remember really enjoyed Coyote Cafe when we went in 1995 or 1996!

Immaculate 80s vibe dining room.

The menu.

Drink menu.

Margarita.

Cornbread.

SOUTHWEST ROLLED CAESAR. Organic Romaine | Parmesan Reggiano | Green Chile Polenta Croutons. My wife got a kick out of this different form factor.

WINTER CITRUS & SQUASH. Seared Panela Cheese | Blood Orange-Chipotle Vinaigrette | Pomegranate | Pumpkin Seeds.

FRIED BURRATA. Persimmon | Red Wine Pear Compote | Mexican Chocolate Vinaigrette. Sort of like a cross between a fall dessert and a fancy mozzerella stick!

DUROC PORK BELLY TACOS. Beet Tortilla | Fresno Mayonnaise | Truffle Balsalmic Reduction | Jalapeno | Pickled Onions. Very tasty and savory with a little bit of heat.

VENISON CARPACCIO. Pickled Cherries | Pinon Oil | Crispy Rosemary | Pecorino | Bitter Greens | Cherry Mostarda | Crostini. Nice carpaccio with crunch, a little sweetness, and some acidity.

Mac & Cheese. I actually loved these — and I shouldn’t have had any.

CRISPY BRANZINO. Kaffir Lime-Coconut Broth | Forbidden Rice | Pickled Shemeji Mushrooms | Shiso. Very crispy. The sauce was filled with intense coconut flavors.

GRILLED MAINE LOBSTER TAILS. Sambal | Corn | House Made Guajillo Pappardelle.Sounded great and flavorful — but in practice the pasta was extremely bland.

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS. Pumpkin Polenta | Sherry Braised Medjool Dates | Hazelnut Mole.

GRILLED PORK CHOP. Sour Citrus Roasted Baby Yams | Orange Mojo | Roasted Squash & Cotija | Toasted Coriander Demi. Porkchop itself was juicy and dense. Sauce added some needed zest. I subbed out the yams for asparagus.

Dessert menu.

Awesome freebee dessert wine.

Some muscato d’asti on the house — lovely.

Dark Chocolate Moussse. Chocolate Ice Cream Bon Bons. Pinon Buttercakes. Free gift from the house. The darker chocolate balls were the best.

Zooms.

Overall, incredible service — you don’t get this kind of service in LA anymore — and a really fun night. It’s very 80s, in a good way and quite tasty, although not all combinations gelled perfectly.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 1980s, Coyote Cafe, Eating Santa Fe, Santa Fe

Akbar Pasadena

Nov02

Restaurant: Akbar Cuisine of India – Pasadena

Location: 400 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91105

Date: March 20, 2023

Cuisine: Indian

Rating: Far, but still one of my favorites

We’ve been friends with the Akbar owners forever — hell I’ve been eating their food since 1996 or 97. So I trekked out to the new Pasadena location (and it is a trek for me).

Bright colors.

Huge gang bang table.

Chutneys. I particularly love the spicy veggie mix on the right.

Mango Habanero Sauce. This is a new concoction that Chev Avi whipped up. Leathally hot and super delicious. When used sparingly, quite awesome.

Naan. I avoided the regular naan just for calorie/carb reasons. Later I succumbed to the cheese version. sigh.

French Fries. The kitchen isn’t really geared for our 25+ person party so these came out to sop up some appetite. I skipped, however, because of the obvious carbs.

Shrimp Bhuna. Really delicious and quite spicy. Succulent shrimp and TONS of flavor.

You can see all those tasty onions. Which given that the first couple of these landed at the other side of the table is all I got for a while. Eventually more came and I loaded up on shrimp.

Tandoori Chicken. Succulent and flavorful as always.

Gobi Manchurian. Really tasty with that sweet and spicy flavor. However, small containers for 25+ people and the cauliflower itself was toasted instantly.

Chicken Tikka Masala. One of my two classic flavors at Akbar and still the best CTM around.

Basmati Rice.

Garlic Naan. Stepping up in the naan world. Freshly baked and covered in garlic.

Goat Curry. Very nice, classic “brown curry” with tons of flavor. I do really like the goat meat, although there are a lot of (sometimes sharp) bones.

Bhindi Masala. One of my favorite veggies and nicely salted. I ate about a whole plate of this with the curry sauce.

Lamb Sliders. I haven’t actually had these before. They have a mint chutney and some greens on them lending them a flavor like classic Indian lamb kabobs.

Cheese Naan. Now these made me break my carb diet — wow I love these cheese stuffed naan. So cheesy good.

Saag (sans paneer). I think it was supposed to be Saag Paneer, but someone forgot the cheese. Still, spinach never had so much flavor (and a whole lotta fat) mixed in.

Oxtail Masala. This was the sleeper hit of the evening. Tons of bone you had to chew around, and oddly, while we constantly got new plates someone had taken everything but our spoons, so I was using two spoons to try to pry the meat out. Still, the masala sauce was to die for and it was an incredible dish.

Salty Pistachio Gelato – Pistachio di Bronte DOGC produces an intense pistachio base to which I added just a touch of salt — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistachio #sicily #nuts #salt

Cannoli and Baklava’s Evil American Lovechild — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Base crafted from Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Toasted Noto Romano Almond Paste with a touch of the sugar subbed out for Sicilian Honey. Mixed in is Malibu Honey, California Pistachios, and house-made Gluten Free Honey Graham Crackers (almond flour and so good you can’t tell them from the wheat flour version)! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #Sicily #honey #GrahamCracker #pistachio

Overall, food was great as always. For me personally, given that it’s pretty much the same as the Marina branch, and that’s like 10x closer, I’ll go there. But if you live east side there isn’t any better Indian food!

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