DOUGLAS MERRIAM. tortilla image courtesy of rivera restaurant.
Chef Tony Blankenship of Rio Chama
ryan tanaka
boost to our local nightlife options. Not to be outdone, the Inn and Spa at Loretto has hired a plucky new chef, Marc Quiñones, who moved north from Bien Shur at Sandia Resort & Casino to fill the vacancy left by Brett Sparman, who left to open Georgia (I told you there’s been some jumping around going on). Quiñones, an East Coaster of Puerto Rican heritage, landed with gastronomic guns blazing. A recent lunch I enjoyed on the lovely sunny terrace at the hotel’s Luminaria Restaurant and Patio (still one of my favorite al fresco settings) showed off Quiñones’s love of playing with textures and sauces. Cubes of a greaseless tuna tempura were carefully composed on a plate with tart green apple, peppery Easter egg radish, croutons, and a zippy kiwi fruit gel. Seared wild halibut came with a sweet and savory lavender corn pudding and appropriately biting apricot gastrique. Still in his 30s, the youthful-looking chef cooks confidently beyond his years. At Rio Chama, newly ensconced chef Tony Blankenship cleverly embellished the seafood options to give non-carnivores plenty of choices. I’m a sucker for fried oysters; the ones I had here were crunchy on the outside and creamy and warm on the inside—perfect—and served with a
Below: Chef Sedlar’s colorful tortillas with edible flowers and herbs are as pretty as they are delicious.
Chef John Sedlar of Eloisa
Seafood options like horseradish-crusted halibut on crab mashed potatoes round out the menu at Rio Chama.
smoky Cajun remoulade. The horseradish-crusted halibut was moist and meaty, served with rich crab mashed potatoes and fried leek sizzle. Delish. The Mountain Mixed Grill, with varied preparations of elk, boar, and duck, will satisfy the hunters among you, but the large eclectic menu has something for everyone, including a decadent fondue better suited for the winter months. Warning: Do not attempt to devour the honking slab of carrot cake with caramel by yourself. You may be tempted, but sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. Most restaurateurs might not agree, but I think it’s a good thing when chefs get restless and antsy. We as diners only benefit from their new locations, fresh attitudes, and scrumptious original dishes. Change is good!—JV august/september 2014
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