An insider's guide to Santa Fe's coffeeshop scene.
Eating local sounds great! But wait, what about coffee? Tropical coffee***image1*** bushes are so not local. But come on, how far are we expected to go? Isn't it fair to make exceptions for chocolate, coffee, spices and the few other things that cultures have been trading for the past 1,000 years? So go ahead and drink coffee grown in Ethiopia or Guatemala or Sumatra, but at least do it in a local coffeeshop. Santa Fe has a particularly vibrant coffeehouse scene, with highly individual shops that cater to unique niches. Here we've broken them down by occasion, so you'll know exactly where to go when you need to get out of the office for a few minutes and work on that plan to retire in Borneo. (Hint: Travel Bug.)
Planning a Revolution
Aztec Café
317 Aztec St., 820-0025
With a staff and clientele of young artists and a menu full of vegan- and vegetarian-friendly food, Aztec is a home away from home for the
subversive and cutting edge. The funky art leaves no doubt about the independent spirit of this favorite local haunt. The back room, which used ***image2***to be the smoking room, is now a bright and cheerful little corner of the world where secrets don't escape, as it's an often-overlooked part of the café. The same is not true of the streetside patio, where no one will mind hearing about your self-published leftist manifesto. In the winter you can warm up that renegade soul with piping hot homemade soup; in the heat of the summer sun, relax your political spirit with fresh cooling ice cream. The café uses locally grown produce whenever possible and always serves organic milk.
Menu must-have:
"The Martin," a tasty sandwich of turkey, apples, Swiss cheese and sweet and spicy mustard that goes great with a latte or housemade chai.
Seeing and Being Seen
Santa Fe Baking Company
504 W. Cordova Road, 988-4292
www.santafebakingcompanycafe.com
The always-bustling Baking Company is like a home office for Santa Feans. With a strong Wi-Fi connection, super-caffeinated coffee and a ***image3***menu full of comfort food, it's easy to see why. But sometimes it's hard to get much done when you're always running into old friends and new acquaintances. In the summer, a few lucky patrons get the chance to soak up some rays on the tiny patio-the perfect spot to catch a glimpse of everyone who comes or goes. For those who want to remain incognito, there are pockets of tables tucked into corners and downstairs. But remember: They take your name with your order so if you don't want to be noticed, use an alias.
Menu must-have:
The burrito combo adds all the coffee you can drink to a bacon, scrambled egg, potato, cheese and chile burrito that'll make you forget that pancakes and waffles even exist.
Study Group Meeting
The Teahouse
821 Canyon Road, 992-0972
Big tables and a cozy little reading room make The Teahouse just the ***image4***place for a light meal and intellectual discussion. The newly rearranged restaurant, located in an old adobe house, is infused with the scent of the hundreds of teas that are on offer, giving it a European feel that helps get the creative juices flowing. During breakfast and lunch rushes, the conversations from nearby tables float around room so, for a little more privacy, stake out a table on the Zen-garden-like patio. High, protective walls block out the traffic on Canyon Road and give the place the feel of a faraway retreat.
Menu must-have:
Tea, tea, tea! The coffee here is great, but just reading the tea menu is like taking a trip around the world.
Debating Sartre and Foucault
Le Zodiac Café, Salon de Thé and Bakery
311 Old Santa Fe Trail, 984-8500
Even the cloudiest days feel bright inside the open and airy Le Zodiac. The tantalizing scent of freshly baked bread and pastries wafts through this Parisian-style café. One can almost imagine the older Francophones ***image5***who frequent Le Zodiac might have been students of Sartre. Their hushed conversations drift through fragrant air that could only be more French if it swirled with cigarette smoke. The lush, multi-stepped patio offers views of passing tourists and a cool breeze invites lounging. Despite its large tables, Le Zodiac doesn't feel like the place for a large group outing. Instead a quiet conversation between two or three takes place, leaving the tables open for the irresistible, freshly baked delicacies that pepper the pastry case and counters.
Menu must-have:
A melt-in-your-mouth vegetarian quiche with a side of perfectly dressed salad, followed by a sinfully rich chocolate croissant and a perfectly foamed cappucino.
A Quick Cup on the Way to Work
Ohori's Coffee, Tea and Chocolate
1098½ S. St. Francis Drive, 982-9692
507 Old Santa Fe Trail, 988-7026
With two convenient locations, Ohori's is just the place to grab a quick cuppa joe when you're running a few minutes behind schedule. There are***image6*** only a few seats at either location, so this isn't the place to meet a big group of friends. The walls and shelves are covered with tea and coffee accoutrements, making it easy to lose track of time while you wait for your cappuccino. The folks here have been roasting coffee in small batches since 1984, so they really know their stuff; the staff has that friendly, knowledgeable air that Starbucks tries but fails to emulate. The St. Francis location even has a drive-through, but it's usually faster to go inside and avoid the lady in the SUV in front of you who's picking up four non-fat, no foam vanilla lattes, a mocha and two large coffees-one with cream and a single packet of Equal,
not
Sweet and Low-to bring back to the office.
Menu must-have:
Plain old coffee is what Ohori's built its business on, so forget the fancy stuff and go back to basics. Take a bag of freshly roasted beans home with you.
Reading in Peace
Downtown Subscription
376 Garcia St., 983-3085
Like to read in coffee shops but always forget to bring a book? Never fear, Downtown Subscription was made for you. There's no lack of reading material on sale here. Rack upon rack of magazines line the walls with everything from Architectural Digest to the underground import Wire.***image7*** This busy little Canyon Road coffeeshop is a favorite among members of the art community who need a little hangout just a stone's throw from the hustle and bustle of gallery life. During warm weather, there are two patios to hang out on: one in front of the entrance, where it's easy to whisper to a companion about the famous face that just walked in, and a lush back garden filled with big lavender plants that give the air a soft scent -perfect for relaxing with a good book.
Menu must-have:
Indulge in a vanilla-flavored latte, a chocolate cookie and a copy of Signal To Noise magazine.
Beautiful Food with the Beautiful People
Counter Culture
930 Baca St., 995-1105
There's something about Counter Culture that makes you feel like one of ***image8***the beautiful people as soon as you walk in the door. Maybe it's the up-and-coming artist community that surrounds the joint. It could be the décor straight out of Dwell or it could just be that everyone in Santa Fe is really, really attractive. The people-watching here is great. The large dining room and spacious patio give patrons a direct view of nearly everyone else; you'll want to scoot closer and listen in to what diners are talking about over their breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Menu must-have:
In the morning, alongside locally roasted Aroma
coffee, grab one of the to-die-for blueberry muffins; they're so rich you probably can't finish one alone, but your buddies will be glad you gave it a shot as they inhale those leftovers. For a light lunch the spring rolls are a healthy choice that can't be beat, and at dinner there's nothing better than a perfectly cooked hangar steak.
Plotting Your Escape
Travel Bug
839 Paseo de Peralta, 992-0418
Whether you need Frommer's
Adventures Guides: India, Pakistan and the Himalayas
, a street map of Dublin or just want to indulge in the fantasy of a Tokyo vacation, Travel Bug has the inspiration to get antsy travelers on***image9*** the move. The majority of the space is filled with bookshelves and sliding ladders, like in an old-time library, but the wrap-around coffee bar is as inviting as that imaginary trip. Even if you're just running in for a quick cup before hitting the office, there's no ignoring the colorful flags and maps that fill what little wall space is left. If you're not planning an international escapade, Travel Bug has tons of information about exploring right here in New Mexico. This place is also popular for the weekly lectures about exotic locales like the Andes and Bali.
Menu must have:
A café au lait, a Hindi/English dictionary and a Swiss Army knife-this is one-stop shopping of a different kind.
Late-Night Pick-Me-Up
Atomic Grill
103 E. Water St., 820-2866
Santa Fe doesn't have too many options for a late-night caffeine rush, but the Atomic provides a much-needed hangout for insomniac writers and artists. More often than not you'll find the twilight crew made up of a ***image10***few solo patrons bent over notebooks or giant tomes, focused on getting through just a few more pages. The high walls are covered with photo-realistic paintings of Biggie, 2Pac and Ian Curtis, giving the place a slightly rebellious feeling that goes perfectly with a late-night rant on a blog, a fiercely competitive game of Scrabulous or nefarious editing of some politician's Wikipedia page. In addition to refill after refill of java, Atomic offers more than 100 beers, and there's nothing the tortured artist needs more than a little alcohol alongside the jitters.
Menu must-have:
But since the food is so rich, stick with a piping hot cuppa joe to match couture grub with a cup of simplicity.
A Clandestine Affair
Meridian Espresso and News
228 Old Santa Fe Trail, 989-9252
Meridian's location-right on the corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and Alameda***image11*** Street-is great. The coffee is strong and the atmosphere is inviting, but somehow it's easy to slip into this tiny coffeeshop unnoticed. And sometimes that's exactly what you want. The chances of running into ex-boyfriends, coworkers, in-laws and other snoops are slim. The corner café has a couple of patio tables but the traffic there is too busy, so secret yourself away inside at one of the romantic little tables.
Menu must-have:
An Americano-no coffee pot here, everything is fresh from the espresso machine-and a Torino's at Home sandwich; they're perfect for splittin' while you're busy sinnin'.
A Cup and a Scoop
Ecco
105 E. Marcy St., 986-9778
Mmmm…gelato. It's better than ice cream and better for you. That means that you can eat it every day, right? Well, maybe not. Gelato has less sugar and fat than ice cream but it'll still add a few inches to your ass if you indulge too much. Plus, the flavors are so decadent-whiskey cream, chai or ginger, anyone?-that it's kind of unfair to taunt taste buds into believing they can have it every day. But Ecco isn't just for cooling off on ***image12***a hot summer day. The spicy hot chocolate kicks up the heat and melts away the dreary winter weather outside. Inside, there are always a few folks on laptops laboring to meet deadlines, business folks talking shop and a mix of tourists and locals enjoying the laziness of a day off, even midweek. Its downtown location makes parking a bit of a bear, but the excitement that always seems to be bustling-whether it be a film crew across the street, a celebrity who makes the baristas blush or an emphatic storyteller who relates the gory details of last night's party-wakes you up almost as much as much as the espresso.
Menu must-have:
Affogato
, two scoops of gelato drowned in several shots of espresso.
