table hopping
Fiona Wong and Soma Franks mission of responsible ingredient sourcing and environmental stewardship, exemplified by the installation of New Mexico’s first temperature-controlled wine taps and the daily milling of their own buckwheat, spelt and oat flour. “A low carbon footprint is important to us, so we look for ways to achieve this goal while also providing a healthy and tasty meal.” Executive chef Skye Hothan came in earlier this year to oversee the eclectic Sweetwater menu and counter service concept. Hothan trained at Le Cordon Blue in Scottsdale and oversaw the kitchens of the Rancho Pino Grill and the Amber Inn. 1512 Pacheco Street; 505-795-7383, www. sweetwatersf.com
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n the summer of 2011, Josh and Kate Gerwin were forced to close Casa Vieja, the Corrales restaurant they had put back on the map, because of major structural damage to the old building. It was a difficult time, but fast-forward a couple of years and we find Josh recharged and ready to get back to what he loves, running a kitchen. Maintaining his chops since the closure with catering and a consulting gig at Albuquerque’s popular Desert Fish, Gerwin was ready to get back to operating a restaurant, and will be opening Dr. Field Goods. The 1,200-square-foot space recently housed Los Nietos Café, and was completely renovated. A New Mexico horno sits in the middle of the restaurant, and the kitchen is built around it so that Gerwin will be preparing meals surrounded by his customers. The forty-seat dining room includes sixteen bar stools providing the close quarters environment that Josh has long wanted to work in. “It’s like you are walking into my kitchen, and that’s how I like it,” he says. Four forty-three-inch plasma televisions are strategically placed to show the game, and a well-rounded beer and wine list will be affordably priced. Gerwin is bringing the Casa Enchiladas with him from Corrales along with the legendary New Mexican, a delectable pulled pork sandwich. Chef Josh’s emphasis on local sourcing of ingredients is well documented, and he will look to local growers like B&B Farms for produce and Lamont Buffalo for meat. 2860 Cerrillos Road; 505-670-6583, www.drfieldgoods.com
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Nelli Maltezos
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rattoria Nostrani has for years been a Santa Fe dining treasure and destination for people visiting from around the world. Deemed one of the Top 50 restaurants in the United States by Gourmet Magazine, and Top 500 in the world by Frommer’s, the cozy Italian restaurant, set in a nineteenth century historic building, was renowned for its excellence, and globe-trotting epicureans in the know had it on speed dial. But this January, chef and owner Nelli Maltezos quietly changed the name of the restaurant to Vivre and installed a French bistro concept menu. “I wanted to get back to where I started and what I know best,” says Maltezos, who started her culinary career learning the foundations of French cooking at Charlie Trotter’s. “I felt like I was using Italian ingredients and trying to be true to Italian cooking traditions, but being called back to the French style of cooking that I’d started with and had become such a part of me.” Those with long memories know that this is actually the second namechange at the location—that before Nostrani there was Rociada, the French bistro Maltezos and Eric Stapleman originally opened to great acclaim in 1997. An affordable wine program emphasizing French selections complements the new menu. So, in some ways, things have come full circle. 304 Johnson Street; 505-983-3800, www.trattorianostrani.com
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aul Hunsicker is wearing a chef's coat in public again. Many Santa Feans fondly remember Paul’s Restaurant on Marcy Street, long located in the building that today is home to La Boca. Hunsicker closed his restaurant in 2006 and spent the
edible Santa Fe · Spring 2013