A Weekend in Santa Fe

Our Local Expert Says:

The optional audio headset is well worth it. Next door the four star O’Keefe Café is one of the top three in town. Small and intimate, with a good wine selection. Reservations: 505.946.1065 Lunch, brunch and dinner - try Saturday brunch.

Description:

The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, inaugurated in July 1997, contains the largest collection of O'Keeffes in the world: currently 1,149 paintings, drawings, and sculptures, and 1,851 works by other artists of note. It's the largest museum in the United States dedicated solely to an internationally known woman artist. You can see such remarkable O'Keeffes as Jimson Weed, painted in 1932, and Evening Star No. VI, from 1917. The museum presents special exhibitions that are either devoted entirely to O'Keeffe's work or combine examples of her art with works by her American modernist contemporaries. My favorite in recent years brought together works of O'Keeffe and photographer Ansel Adams. The rich and varied collection adorns the walls of a cathedral-like, 13,000-square-foot space -- a former Baptist church with adobe walls. O'Keeffe's images are tied inextricably to local desert landscapes. She first visited New Mexico in 1929 and returned for extended periods from the '20s through the '40s. In 1949 she moved here permanently. An excellent film at the museum depicts her life.

Our Local Expert Says:

This low-slung adobe building on Canyon houses one of Santa Fe's oldest and most popular restaurants; Spanish-style tapas are the house specialty, but if you hunger for an entrée, do not miss the paella-for-two. It's famous for a reason. There's live music in the front room nearly every night; arrive early if you prefer a quiet, intimate atmosphere, later if you're up for a lively, and loud, local scene.

Description:

This is the place to head for local ambience and flavors of Spain, Santa Fe, and Mexico. El Farol (The Lantern), set in an 1835 adobe building, is the Canyon Road artists' quarter's original neighborhood bar. The restaurant has cozy low ceilings and hand-smoothed adobe walls. Thirty-five varieties of tapas are offered, including such delicacies as gambas al ajillo (shrimp with chile, garlic, Madeira, and lime) and pinchos morunos (grilled pork skewers with harissa sauce). You can make a meal out of two or three tapas shared with your friends or order a full dinner such as the paella or the mixed grill, with lamb, chorizo, and shrimp over delectable potatoes. There is live entertainment 7 nights a week -- including jazz/swing, folk, and Latin guitar music -- starting at 9:30pm. In summer, two outdoor patios are open to diners. Call ahead to find out about their flamenco dinner shows. The restaurant offers some of the finest wines and sherries in the world.

Description:

One of Santa Fe's best walking tours begins under the T-shirt tree at Tees & Skis, 107 Washington Ave., near the northeast corner of the plaza (at 9:30am and 1:30pm). It lasts about 2 1/2 hours. From November through March, the tour runs by reservation only.

Description:

This restaurant has won many awards over the years, and has been mentioned in Conde Nast magazine more than once. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner means that you are sure to get something to please your palate at any time of the day. The menu combines culinary choices from the three main cultures of the area-Native American, Spanish and Anglo. The Habañero Glazed Tuna Mignon is a slightly spicy meal that is fantastic. Other entrees of beef, pork, chicken and wild game are also great.

Our Local Expert Says:

A reliable local bar, with big-screen TVs for sports, a decent menu (wings, burgers, Cajun chicken sandwich, etc), live music on the weekends, and a roomy pool hall upstairs, the Catamount is a sure thing.

Description:

The post-college crowd hangs out at this bar, where live rock and blues music play on weekends. Food is served until 11pm, and there is also a billiards room.

Description:

Just across the street from the bosque-shaded Santa Fe River sits the Inn on the Alameda, a cozy stop for those who like the services of a hotel with the intimacy of an inn. Built in 1986, with additions over the years, it's now a little like a village, with a number of buildings and casitas. All are pueblo-style adobe, ranging in age, but most were built in the late 1980s. The owner, Joe Schepps, appreciates traditional Southwestern style; he's used red brick in the dining area and Mexican equipae (wicker) furniture in the lobby, as well as thick vigas and shiny latillas in a sitting area set around a grand fireplace. The rooms follow a similar good taste, some with refrigerators, CD players, safes, and kiva fireplaces. All rooms have comfortable beds, good linens, robes, and well planned bathrooms with tile. The trees surrounding the inn -- cottonwoods and aspens -- add a bit of a rural feel to the property. If you're an art shopper, this is an ideal spot because it's a quick walk to Canyon Road. A full-service bar is open nightly. Breakfast is delicious, with bakery items and always a hot dish.

Our Local Expert Says:

The "Round House" is both the seat of state government, the symbolic heart of the city's capitol district. Designed to represent a Zia sun symbol when viewed aerially, the building was built in 1966 and houses the state legislature. It's also a tribute to New Mexico's artist culture, displaying works by living and late NM artists.

Description:

Built in 1966, this government center is shaped like the Zia symbol, and is known as the Round House. The four-story building houses government offices and the state House and Senate chambers. From the ground floor, you can enter the rotunda and see the state seal and rotating art exhibits that are often on display. The visitors center is also located on this floor. On the fourth floor, the Governors Gallery offers more works of art. Take a free, self-guided tour during the week, or call to make an appointment for a guided tour.

Description:

Offering culinary tours of Santa Fe and the surrounding area, the Santa Fe School of Cooking has earned national awards for its light-hearted approach to cooking instruction. The Farmers Market class is a day trip to the Santa Fe Farmers Market, where you learn to select the best produce. Then, back at class you will be shown award-winning methods for preparing a mouth-watering salsa. The school also offers a six-day tour of Northern New Mexico's villages and traditional cooking.

Our Local Expert Says:

Up on gorgeous Museum Hill, the Folk Art delights with some of the best views in town from Milner Plaza. Inside, its eclectic collection of global crafts is the largest in the world. metal objects from Africa, beadwork from South America, and potter from throughout the Americas. The on-site shop is the city's best bet for gifts.

Description:

This branch of the Museum of New Mexico may not seem quite as typically Southwestern as other Santa Fe museums, but it's the largest of its kind in the world. With a collection of some 130,000 objects from more than 100 countries, it's my favorite city museum, well worth an hour or two of perusing. It was founded in 1953 by the Chicago collector Florence Dibell Bartlett, who said, "If peoples of different countries could have the opportunity to study each other's cultures, it would be one avenue for a closer understanding between men." That's the basis on which the museum operates today.

The special collections include Spanish colonial silver, traditional and contemporary New Mexican religious art, Mexican tribal costumes and majolica ceramics, Brazilian folk art, European glass, African sculptures, and East Indian textiles. Particularly delightful are numerous dioramas of people around the world at work and play in typical town, village, and home settings.

Children love to look at the hundreds of toys on display throughout the museum, many of which are from a collection donated in 1982 by Alexander Girard, a notable architect and interior designer, and his wife, Susan. The couple spent...

Description:

In a metal building, tucked back off 2nd Street, this brewery has managed to create a lively pub scene and fairly warm atmosphere. The walls, painted in gold hues, enclose a room containing interesting contemporary art and wooden tables. It's a party type of place, especially during the warm months, when diners and beer savorers sit out on the patio. The beers are quite tasty -- I like the amber ale, and my friend enjoys the cream stout. You can even get a 4-ounce sampler size for $1.25 and try a few different brews. The food isn't extremely memorable, but in winter, it can warm a hearty appetite with such home-style dishes as chicken potpie (as a special) and shepherd's pie. The fish and chips is a big seller as are the burgers, topped with green chile and cheese. The menu also offers lighter fare, such as quiches, soups, and salads. There's a kids' menu, and wines are available. Look for their "Hoppy" Hour, when beer prices are reduced. There are also darts all the time and live entertainment several nights a week.