meat, topped with Amaretto foam and a sprinkling of cocoa and cinnamon. It’s perfect for celebrating with that special someone. Reservations strongly recommended.
ROMANCING THE CITY
505.983.8604 221 Shelby Street Sazonsantafe.com
Don’t just give flowers and a card for Valentine’s Day (though by all means do that too!). Here are a few of our favorite spots for romantic interludes:
SAZÓN PHOTO: SAZÓN
Award-winning chef Fernando Olea, originally from Mexico City, creates sophisticated dishes that draw on Mexico’s rich culinary traditions, all in a warm, intimate setting. Although Olea is famous for his moles—rich, complex sauces popular throughout Mexico that can have up to 30 ingredients—our favorite item on the Sazón menu is his signature Sopa de Amor (Soup of Love), a memorable cream-based, poblano-chile soup with lump blue crab30
E VO K AT I O N
JANUARY 2022
KAKAWA CHOCOLATE HOUSE PHOTO: KAKAWA CHOCOLATE HOUSE
A romantic city at the best of times, Santa Fe in winter offers even more opportunities for quiet connection. Cool, clear, blue-skied days and crisp, starry nights are perfect for convivial dinners and tranquil walks. Crowds are generally smaller, and you can often make a dinner, spa, or entertainment reservation without having to wait for days.
TEN THOUSAND WAVES AND IZANAMI PHOTO: TEN THOUSAND WAVES
HOW TO SANTA FE
If chocolate be the other food of love (along with music), then Kakawa Chocolate House will transport you to new realms of romance. Kakawa fulfills its mission to reintroduce the public to chocolate by specializing in authentically historic chocolate drinks. These are not your average hot chocolates, but elixirs concocted from recipes ranging from 1000 BCE to the present, including from the Pre-Columbian Mayan and Aztec cultures, 17th-century Europe, and colonial America and Mexico. Kakawa also offers chocolate confections—truffles, chocolates, caramels, ice cream—with an array of classic and contemporary flavors, such as pomegranate, chocolate chile, or prickly pear. Two Santa Fe locations: 1050 Paseo de Peralta 505.982.0388 1300 Rufina Circle #A4 505.930.5460 Kakawachocolates.com
Ten Thousand Waves is a Japanese-inspired spa, boutique hotel, and restaurant on the mountain road that leads to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. Private outdoor hot-tub suites, and a full spa menu that includes massages, facials, and packages, make for a romantic experience found nowhere else outside Japan. In Houses of the Moon, you can stay in a ryokan-inspired room just steps from the spa and restaurant. Guests have priority for private spa suites and services. Izanami is an award-winning izakaya restaurant (small plates, casual atmosphere) that emphasizes fresh, locally sourced ingredients in all its preparations. There’s a stellar selection of premium Japanese sakes, and plenty of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options, all in an authentic Japanese atmosphere. The cozy outdoor pavilion can be used year-round for a warm, safe dining option. 21 Ten Thousand Waves Way (3.5 miles up Hyde Park Road) Reservations and information: 505.982.9304 Izanami meal reservations available through the Open Table app Tenthousandwaves.com
