We had a wonderful time catching up, laughing, relaxing, and eating plenty of amazing food. One of the things we talked about was holding each other accountable to do things we want to do, which for me is writing more. So, I am starting today! Back to the blog! I have a recipe to share, but first I have to talk about our incredible meals in Santa Fe.
I often scour the web reading blogs, urbanspoon, and other reviews looking for great dining in Santa Fe. There are so many restaurants there, but I do not want to waste a meal going somewhere bad. Through my previous research, I had a few ideas in mind, and my friends also helped look up places while we were there (gotta love iphones, they are a traveler's best friend). Our first meal was Friday night at La Boca. When we arrived the restaurant was full and without a reservation, we would not have been able to get a table for awhile. However, there just happened to be three open seats at the bar, so we were able to sit there. We ordered a bottle of wine and split the chef's choice of five tapas. It was fun not knowing what dish would be next, and each one was delicious! The bartender was great and very helpful as we chose our wine. The atmosphere was wonderful as well. I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling to Santa Fe and will be back the next time I am in town.
Saturday we ate dinner at Luminaria. This restaurant is located at the Inn and Spa at Loretta, which is a beautiful place that I would love to stay at sometime (I'll be checking online frequently for deals). The restaurant has one of the most beautiful patios I have ever seen, and is literally right next to the historic Loretta Chapel. The lighting, the furniture, everything just combines for a lovely setting. It was a great place to enjoy a dinner with friends and would also be a romantic spot for a date. I would not recommend bringing kids (at least not for dinner). The food and wine were both delicious. I wish I would have been a little hungrier so that I could have enjoyed an appetizer and dessert as well. Seriously, everything on the menu sounded amazing. They bring complimentary bread as well as an amuse bouche. I was aware of what an amuse bouche was not from my fine culinary adventures but from watching "Top Chef." TV isn't all bad folks. For those of you who are either inexperienced in the world of fine dining or television's culinary competitions, an amuse bouche is a small bite brought out before the meal to prepare your palate. Ours was a spoonful of crab ceviche which was quite good. Overall, Luminaria was a beautiful setting in which to enjoy great food and conversation.
Sunday morning we had one last meal to savor before leaving Santa Fe. We decided on brunch at Cafe Pasqual's. I had heard so many wonderful things about this restaurant and was dying to give it a try. This small restaurant is extremely popular, and you will often find a crowd near the door, especially around breakfast time. We didn't have to wait too long in spite of the crowd, and the meal was definitely worth the wait! The food is all fresh and everything on the menu looked wonderful. I had a great chile relleno with a fried egg over easy. The atmosphere in the restaurant is colorful and fun.
That wraps up our culinary adventures in Santa Fe, and I think all three of us would agree that our meals might have been our favorite part of the trip! I had so much fun with these girls and cannot wait for our next trip (this time we are hoping to make it a year from now rather than seven). If you have good friends like mine that you do not get to see very often, plan a trip. It is so much fun!
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