Enchantment on a Budget

Description:

This little French bistro is located just off the Plaza. Owned and operated by a true Parisian, Cafe Paris uses only the finest ingredients to produce the taste of France. For lunch, the Ratatouille Crepe is a very popular dish with eggplant and squash. Other lunch entrees include Quiche Lorraine, Eggs Benedict, and Chicken Cordon Bleu. For dinner, you might enjoy the Filet de Boeuf au Poivre Vert. This wonderful cut of beef is flambeed in cognac with a green pepper cream sauce.

Our Local Expert Says:

The miraculous staircase is one of the most visited sites in the Southwest. Loretto Chapel is just one block away from St. Francis Cathedral – be sure to see both.

Description:

Loretto Chapel carries a fascinating architectural legend, some say miraculous, which attracts thousands of curious visitors every yearly. When the church was completed in 1778 it was impossible to enter the choir loft without a ladder so the sisters made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters for a solution. On the ninth day, as legend has it, a carpenter appeared who, for months of solitary labor, built an elegant circular staircase without apparent visible support - a design unknown at the time. Upon completion the carpenter disappeared without a trace, without thanks or pay. Was it St. Francis himself? The chapel no longer belongs to the Catholic Church. It is a private museum and there is a gift shop on the premises.

Our Local Expert Says:

Tucked into a pretty courtyard on Palace Avenue, the Shed is a favorite for New Mexican cuisine and margaritas. Instead of sopapillas, they serve garlic french bread with their entrees—the best of which include green-chile chicken enchiladas and pollo adobo. Small, low-ceiled rooms and corner fireplaces (kivas) give the building great Santa Fe ambience.

Description:

This longtime locals' favorite is so popular that during lunch lines often form outside. Half a block east of the plaza, a luncheon institution since 1953, it occupies several rooms and the patio of a rambling hacienda that was built in 1692. Festive folk art adorns the doorways and walls. The food is delicious, some of the best in the state, and a compliment to traditional Hispanic and Pueblo cooking. The red chile cheese enchilada is renowned in Santa Fe. Tacos and burritos are good, too. The green-chile stew is a local favorite. The Shed's Joshua Carswell has added vegetarian and low-fat Mexican foods to the menu, as well as a variety of soups and salads and grilled chicken and steak. Don't leave without trying the mocha cake, possibly the best dessert you'll ever eat. In addition to wine and a number of beers, there's full bar service. The cantina style bar is a fun place to schmooze, and the brick patio is well shaded.

Our Local Expert Says:

The IAIA is the country's premier showcase for contemporary Native American artists, as well as a highly regarded training program for aspiring painters and sculptors. Its continuously changing exhibition schedule is as varied as its artists, and many are curated by talented up and coming students.

Description:

Located in downtown, across the street from the St. Francis Cathedral, this is the only museum in the world that highlights contemporary Native American arts. Carl Beam, James Lavadour, Gerald Clarke and Tom Fields are but a small sampling of artists whose works are on display. Each May, the works of students who are graduating from the institute are put on display. Other events include lectures, book signings and children's activities.

Description:

• Located five blocks from the historic Santa Fe Plaza, this hotel is three miles from the Santa Fe Opera House.

• All guestrooms offer refrigerators, coffeemakers, and hair dryers, and include cable TV with premium channels.

• The two-story hotel has a seasonal outdoor pool, and provides free parking and coffee in the lobby.

Description:

If you enjoy the outdoors, you will love this national forest that spans more than 1.5 million acres of mountains and rangeland. Hike in the Pecos Wilderness area, snow ski at Ski Santa Fe or fly-fish in one of the many streams and rivers. In a matter of minutes, you can go from 5,000 to over 13,000 feet in elevation. West of Santa Fe, in the Jemez Mountains, you can observe the fantastic formations created by natural hot springs. The forest service office gladly provides maps and information to assist your visit.

Description:

Located at the Hilton of Santa Fe, this is a wonderful little corner to start the day off right or to relax after a long day. Homemade pastries and gourmet coffee top off the breakfast menu. For lunch, you can enjoy a gourmet sandwich made from freshly roasted meats like ham, turkey or beef on a homemade bun. Homemade soups and stews are available to warm you up on cold days, and if you'd like to end your evening with a glass of fine wine by the fire, this is the place to go.

Our Local Expert Says:

An in-town favorite for locals, the three-mile trail to the top of Atalaya Peak climbs steeply in places through pinon and juniper and, near the top, ponderosa pine. Start at St. John's College or the higher parking lot at Wilderness Gate (spaces are limited, though); from the summit, you can see off the backside into the Pecos Wilderness, and the panorama of Santa Fe is unparalleled.

Description:

Hiking trails in the Santa Fe area are good and plenty. One of the best all-around is Atalaya south of the Plaza about ten minutes by car. It ranges from easy at the beginning to difficult nearing the top. Seven miles round trip - topping out at 9,121 elevation. Trail head is by the parking lot of St. John's College. Or there's a shorter 4.6 mile Trail 170 further up near the Ponderosa Ridge Development. Parking is limited. Nice panoramic views of Santa Fe below and westward to the Rio Grande Valley. From the Plaza drive south on Old Santa Fe Trail and follow the signs to St. John's College.

Description:

Combining alluring ambience and tasty food, this is one of Santa Fe's favorite restaurants, though the food here isn't as precise and flavorful as at Santacafé or Geronimo. It sits within the Sena compound, a prime example of a Spanish hacienda, in a Territorial-style adobe house built in 1867 by Civil War-hero Major José Sena. The house, which surrounds a garden courtyard, is today a veritable art gallery, with museum-quality landscapes on the walls and Taos-style handcrafted furniture. During the warm months, this restaurant has the best patio in town. The cuisine might be described as northern New Mexican with a continental flair. One of my favorite lunches is the fish tacos with achiote-corn rice. In the evening, diners might start with a salad of garden greens and grilled mushrooms, then move onto a pork loin with roasted sweet potatoes and a peach prickly pear sauce.

In the adjacent La Cantina, waiters and waitresses sing Broadway show tunes as they carry platters from the kitchen to the table. The more moderately priced Cantina menu offers the likes of enchiladas with black beans and Mexican rice. Both restaurants have exquisite desserts; try the black-and-white bittersweet chocolate...