Whoo Dat?

New, sharper Tecolote takes flight

Many mourned the closure of Tecolote Café last April. The business started by Bill and Alice Jennison some 30 years earlier and now run by daughter Katie Adkins and husband Matt was the definition of a Santa Fe foodie institution. Its Cerrillos Road locale had a cramped charm to it. For generations, regulars washed down their atole piñón pancakes with bottomless cups of coffee, new friends were made at the communal dining table and staff maneuvered around the place with a synchronized swimmer's precision, all while a bevy of eyes attached to owl paraphernalia far and wide kept watch.

As SFR first reported, the Adkinses were entwined in a dispute with their landlord, who served them up an eviction notice. Since that fateful last day of operations, Easter Sunday, faithful patrons have awaited Tecolote's next chapter. Would the ambience hold up? What about the food, would it be as good? More importantly, would the legendary bakery baskets be back? All those questions were answered on Tuesday morning, when the couple decided to pull the trigger on their new St. Mike's location.

"We decided to open today out of necessity to make money," Matt Adkins told SFR shortly after making the announcement public on the restaurant's Facebook page. "There's nothing particularly special about today...it's Bastille Day, I think," he continued with a laugh.

Adkins called the hiatus "horrible," while his wife poured coffee and greeted diners personally. "We had a deal to purchase a property within three weeks of when we closed down and that fell through. We were freaking out, trying to find places, going, 'OK great, there goes all of our money, how are we gonna do this?' and then finally landed this deal in September."

The ambush inauguration worked, and, as expected, guests arrived in droves to get their sheepherder's breakfast and carne adovada burrito fix.

"It's awesome, because you can see the joy in people's faces," Adkins said. "But it still hasn't really sunk in; it's been go, go, go."

The new space at 1616 St. Michael's Drive, next to Cinemacafé, is sleeker and, at a sprawling 5,200 square feet, a behemoth compared to the old 89-seater. It's also equipped with a lofty bar counter and open bakery area. Drawings done by children that day were already starting to encroach on their sparse canary-hued walls.

Foodwise, I stuck with the basics. Figuring that nothing trumps the OG's taste, I settled for Billy's Omelette ($10.50)—an airy three-egg monster stuffed with bacon and fresh spinach and drenched with Hollandaise sauce. The side of potatoes was definitely the supporting character, but when you're competing with everything else on the plate, including a slice of orange that tinged the creamy sauce with a delightful touch of citrus, it's understandable.

Other breakfast options include eggs Florentine ($10.25), shirred eggs ($10.95) and the delectable huevos Yucatecos ($11.25), which are accompanied by black beans, feta and fried plantains.

As far as sides go, the decision was clear: Bakery basket, baby. The eatery's venerable staple is back and accompanied by whipped butter and a side of strawberry preserves, ready for its carby close-up.

Overseeing the operation was 19-year Tecolote veteran Karen Bonnivier. "It's exciting!" she beamed, reinforcing the locale's legacy as I brushed telling crumbs from my beard. "I was always invited to Bill and Alice's house, we became great friends," she said, pausing. "Katie I've known since she was a child, and it's wonderful…just wonderful."

AT A GLANCE
Open: 7 am to 2 pm Tuesday-Sunday
Best bet:
Come on an empty stomach
Can't miss:
You'll fend off your friends with a fork for that cinnamon roll

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