| Coyote Cafe Contemporary Southwestern 132 West Water St., Santa Fe 505-983-1615 |
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| Santa Fe Restaurant Review: Coyote Cafe is probably the best-known of Santa Fe's nationally-acclaimed restaurants – with good reason. You might say that chef Mark Miller (along with Dean Fearing of The Mansion in Dallas) "wrote the book" on contemporary Southwestern cuisine. SETTING - Gorgeous adobe building in downtown Santa Fe, one street south of the plaza. Walk past the "pendulum art" that swings inside the entrance and up the stairs to the dining room. FOOD - You'll find a mix of "New Southwestern", fabulous steaks, seafood, and fowl. Everything I've ever had has been outstanding. You may notice that there are no prices. As they say, "if you have to ask, you can't afford it". (Seriously, in the $30 range for entrees.) Top notch wine list and impeccable service. You can see the menus by clicking here. (Select Coyote Cafe for dinner or Rooftop Cantina for lunch.) AMBIANCE - The interior is a mix of Southwestern, contemporary, and whimsical. You'll be mesmerized by the soaring ceilings and subtle lighting. This is a see-and-be seen place. LUNCH - The mid-day meal is not served in the main dining room -- only in the adjacent open-air rooftop cantina from April to October (it's roofed, visible at top left in the photo above). It's a whole different experience – just as enjoyable, but more casual. You'll find smaller plates of Southwestern food, salads, upscale tacos, and interesting sandwiches. And great views of the street life passing below. RESERVATIONS - If you didn't make reservations at least 3 days ago and it's "high season", it may be too late. But call anyway. You might get lucky. BOTTOM LINE - If you have time for only one world-class meal in Santa Fe, in my humble opinion, Coyote Cafe is the place to go. |
| Santa Fe Restaurant Reviews |
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