Romance in the Land of Enchantment

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:

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:

World-renowned chef and cookbook author Mark Miller put this place on the map decades ago. Now under new ownership, it has gained new popularity as a place for innovative food in a festive environment. The atmosphere blends warm colors and creative lighting to make for a memorable meal. The waitstaff is efficient and friendly. The menu changes seasonally, so the specific dishes I mention may not be available. Past favorites have included sautéed Italian porcinis or prawns over corn cakes with chipotle butter and guacamole. For a main course look for delights such as pan seared white miso halibut with roasted lobster jus, wasabi mashed potatoes, and braised baby bok choy, or the "Cowboy Cut," a rib-eye with "borracho" beans, red chile onion rings, and roasted fingerling potatoes. You can order drinks from the full bar or wine by the glass.

Coyote Café has an adjunct establishment. In summer, the place to be seen is La Nueva Cantina, where light Mexican fare and cocktails are served on a festively painted terrace. Try the guacamole and chips, the crispy calamari strips, or the jalapeno rellenos with buttermilk roasted garlic sauce.

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:

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:

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:

Maria's has the most potent margaritas in town; choose from dozens of world-famous specialty recipes, but do yourself a favor and limit yourself to two, at the most. Fortunately, the New Mexican cuisine—terrific green-chile enchiladas and fluffy sopapillas—will help keep you sober.

Description:

Maria's New Mexican Kitchen began as a simple take-out place in Maria and Gilbert Lopez's home. Maria's home cooking was so popular that the house was eventually converted into the current restaurant. The menu offers a variety of steaks, Mexican entrees, and local favorites. The Blue Corn Enchiladas and the Chile Rellenos are both outstanding, and also come with Spanish rice and beans. If you cannot decide what to order, try the combination plate; it has a little of everything. The cantina offers beer, wine and cocktails.

Description:

This Japanese hot-spring spa is located in the hilly terrains of Santa Fe. Its tempting offerings include outdoor hot tubs, facials, skincare treatments, and spa treatments. For the over-stressed, there is a whole range of treatments, such as the Japanese Hot-Stone massage, Thai massage and Yasuragi Head & Neck treatment to rejuvinate you. If you want to elongate your visit to the Spa, the House of Moon resort located close by offers luxurious suites.