off the lobby There used to be a time when food connoisseurs avoided hotel restaurants like the plague, knowing they served only a perfunctory menu designed to fuel travelers but never thrill them. Thankfully, times have changed. In fact, in many cities worldwide, restaurants in prominent hotels are sought out by foodies and stand on their own as recognized and celebrated eateries. Such is the case with two Santa Fe hotel hotspots, both on the list of must-try culinary canteens and both under the direction of not-yet-40 chefs whose skills belie their years. At the Eldorado Hotel and Spa’s Old House Restaurant, the formal white tablecloths of yore are gone, and the new, more contemporary setting is reflected in Chef Evan Doughty’s eclectic menu. It’s still one of the prettiest dining rooms in town, though, with glowing candles and patches of brightly colored art on the walls. Doughty hails from Oregon, and his food mirrors Northwesterners’ reverence for fresh seafood and market vegetables. A crispy soft-shell crab appetizer late in the season gets a fiery kick of chipotle and topping of herbaceous pea shoots. The signature crab cake is very crabby and yummy, with a sweet corn reduction and zippy pico de gallo. The Thai-curry-inspired pan-steamed mussels get a fragrant Pernod splash to cool the kick, while the wedge salad sports crispy pancetta and a gorgonzola buttermilk dressing, allowing for a nice saltycreamy-crunchy play on the tongue. The crab-stuffed lobster tail with hollandaise sent my taste buds (and probably my cholesterol) over the top. Beef fans know that dry-aging the meat ups the flavor and tenderness, and the 28-day Black Angus rib eye corroborates that fact. Served with hatch green chile mac and cheese and a simple but tasty herb butter, it launched my carnivore friends into delirium. The vegetarian with us that night was suddenly pescetarian and consequently loved her pan-roasted sea bass with slow-roasted tomatoes. Chef Evan Doughty She could have had the chef’s vegetable
At the Old House Restaurant, Chef Evan Doughty’s Thai-curry-inspired pan-steamed mussels get a fragrant Pernod splash. Top, right: Crab-stuffed lobster tails are dressed with hollandaise sauce.
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santafean.com
december/january 2013
In many cities worldwide, restaurants in prominent hotels are sought out by foodies. two-course tasting, which offered artisan gazpacho and mesquite grilled portobello with Parmesan risotto cake. Next time. The knowledgeable and hospitable staff was terrific at guiding us with wine selections and explaining the menu in detail, including the nifty three salts on the table and their origins (Cyprus, Hawaii, and Australia). A crisp Sauvion Sancerre was perfect with our seafood course. We lingered over a peppery Louis Latour Pinot Noir while gobbling up the decadent deconstructed caramelized “banana split” and a peach and berry cobbler topped with buttery oatmeal streusel. There is nothing old about this Old House. Brett Sparman at Luminaria at the Inn and Spa at Loretto comes to Santa Fe after stints at two top Texas restaurants: the Foundation Room in Houston and Nobu in Dallas. He has a somewhat non-traditional way of looking at food, but I love the tilt he imbues in his flavors. While Doughty dabbles with New Mexico ingredients, Sparman spins and juggles them, adding a touch of contemporary Spanish cuisine. Tacos are almost an art form here when decked with lobster that’s been bathed in an achiote citrus glaze and topped with micro basil. Delish. The romaine on our salad spent some time on the grill, giving it smoky notes that paired well with the limey Caesar dressing and Cotija cheese. Spice-crusted tuna came with a piquillo pepper salsa and Turkish anchovy, while duck breast gets an intense Mexican mole saucing with tart green apple to counterpoint the depth. Sparman likes his grains: A pancetta-wrapped sea bass swims on black-pearled barley, a risotto has green onion, and—the surprise hit of the night—a grilled marinated tofu steak (really) is dressed with mixed grains and a drizzle of chipotle crema that I could almost convert for. (Almost!) The desserts at Luminaria have a playful candy theme. Reese’s fans shouldn’t miss the Nutterfinger chocolate cake with peanut butter mousse and spicy peanuts. The chocolate banana cream tartlet gave me the happy memory of eating Coco Puffs with bananas as a kid.