Santa Fe Essentials

By Nancy Zimmerman, FrontDoor.com | Published: 9/18/2009

Pick up locally grown produce, gifts and other unique items at the Santa Fe Farmers Market. Evalyn Bemis

Food and Drink Essentials: Best Places to...

BUY GROCERIES

Kaune's Neighborhood Market
511 Old Santa Fe Trail 505-982-2629
A full-service neighborhood market that's been around forever, Kaune's is known for its high-quality meats and a wide variety of imported specialty foods you just can't get anywhere else. They even deliver!

GO ORGANIC

La Montanita Co-Op Food Market
913 W. Alameda St.
Members get a discount on the fresh, organic, locally produced vegetables, fruits, and meats. A bit pricier than regular supermarkets if you're not a member, but you're supporting local growers and ranchers and getting healthier products in the bargain.

Santa Fe Farmers Market
1607 Paseo de Peralta
Known as one of the country's best farmers markets, this one offers locally grown organic fruits, vegetables and meats as well as baked goods, body care products, unique condiments, crafts, gift items and more. It's as much a social scene as it is a market, with locals and visitors mingling. Open Tuesdays and Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon in summer, Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in winter.

FEEL THE BURN

The Shed
133 1/2 E. Palace Ave. 505-982-9030
It's housed in an old hacienda that dates back to 1692, so you know the atmosphere is authentic. This family-run favorite is where locals like to bring their out-of-town guests to sample local specialties like Hatch-grown chile (milled fresh daily) and blue corn tortillas.

SAMPLE SOME TAPAS

El Farol Restaurant and Lounge
808 Canyon Road (505) 983-9912
If you could hit only one spot to get a taste of the real Santa Fe, this would be it. The town's oldest bar, it's been serving up Spanish-style tapas since before they were cool, and it has the most eclectic bar scene in town. Whenever movies are made in the area, which is often, their stars invariably stop by here, so the people-watching is great.

GO NATIVE

Amaya
1501 Paseo de Peralta 800-825-9876
Serving an innovative menu using Native American ingredients, Amaya, the dining room of the Pueblo Indian-owned Hotel Santa Fe, offers unusual flavor combinations like apple-ginger sautéed salmon and cinnamon-sherry marinated duck breast that marry traditional ingredients with contemporary style.

GRAB COFFEE ON THE GO

Holy Spirit Espresso
225 W. San Francisco St. 505-920-3664
A tiny downtown spot suitable for a quick pick-me-up, with what some say are the best espressos and lattes in town -- even visitors from Seattle agree. Open until 4 p.m.

Photo courtesy Evalyn Bemis, City Different Realty

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