Following a couple beers each, we walked across the parking lot to Ribs BBQ, a locally owned restaurant that proudly describes itself as “a carnivore operation.” Having not fully digested our lunch (or breakfast, for that matter), Sullivan and I shared the half combination platter, which features ribs, smoked brisket, pulled pork, and hot links. Once our carnivore smorgasbord arrived, I had hardly rolled up my sleeves before Sullivan had plowed her way through three ribs—and for good reason! The wellflavored meat easily fell off the bone, and no sooner had I reached for my first rib than all that was left on our plate was a pile of bones. The platter’s other options more than met expectations, but the ribs, appropriately, stood out as the highlight. Upon eating our monthly meat quota, we headed back home to Santa Fe, but for out-of-towners seeking to fully enmesh themselves in rural New Mexico or locals wanting a quick weekend getaway, Rancho Gallina, a self-described eco-retreat and bed and breakfast, serves up just such an experience. The following weekend I met Mitch Ackerman and Leslie Moody, the husbandwife team who began restoring the historic estate in 2012. Rancho Gallina opened in 2014 and is one of only two properties in New Mexico to earn TripAdvisor’s platinum Green Leader status.
that’s like where we like to stay,” Moody says. “We cook like we like to eat.” Ackerman and Moody will work with their guests to develop a menu that fits their wants and needs, but typical dishes include the Croque Gallina. This New Mexico twist on a French classic features a slice of Ackerman’s wild yeast sourdough topped with prosciutto, gruyère, mornay sauce, red chile, and an over easy egg from one of their chickens. Ackerman is also proud of his cocktails, such as the Santa Fe Sazerac, which employs mezcal to provide a hint of Mexican flavor.
Santa Fe Inn & Eco-Retreat
As a former ranch and art colony turned eco-retreat, Rancho Gallina perfectly embodies the Turquoise Trail’s mixture of historic appeal and modern adaptation, bringing together northern New Mexico’s disparate charms. As Ackerman says, “For people who want something rural, a little more rustic and to be out in nature, you get the best of both worlds.” www.turquoisetrail.org www.ranchogallina.com www.blackbirdsaloon.com www.alerepublic.com www.ribsbbq.com
According to Ackerman and Moody, the five-bedroom property, which now features rain catchment tanks to water their garden, solar power, geothermal heating, and a fruit orchard irrigated with greywater, offers an ideal setting for visitors looking for an alternative to the typical Santa Fe experience. “It’s not like Santa Fe at all,” claims Moody, citing their plentiful wildlife and unadulterated night skies. After working high-stress jobs in Denver and Washington, DC, for more than twenty years, Moody and Ackerman admit they were burned out and looking for a change. They had been visiting Santa Fe for more than a decade, enjoying its culture and opportunities for outdoor recreation, so when the property became available, they were excited to create a space that would help others fall in love with northern New Mexico, too. “We built a place
Rancho Gallina
Best Kept Secret on the Turquoise Trail
Local. Organic. Authentic. Retreats · Celebrations Bed & Breakfast
Genuine Food & Drink Enchanting, Dusty... Wild West Style 28 MAIN STREET LOS CERRILLOS 505.438.1821 · Thus - Sun blackbirdsaloon.com
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