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.