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.