One of the few Santa Fe institutions not located in a century-old adobe house, Tomasita's inhabits a century-old brick railroad station house. The airy aura given by the high ceiling and the amber light filtering in through the tall windows gives the dining room the feel of a train station waiting room from an old movie. Then the food comes and you don't care about ceilings or windows or anything. Because this is honest-to-goodness down-home New Mexican food, the place locals recommend to tourists looking for a taste of authentic cuisine. Try the enchiladas and order them slathered with beef and red chile. Then rip off a hunk of a steaming hot sopapilla, drizzle honey on it, then dip it in the red chile, scooping up a little beef from the sauce. It is absolutely unbeatable. Except, of course, if you're a vegetarian. In which case you should order the vegetarian enchiladas with meat-free green chile and do the honey and sopapilla thing anyway. Lunch on Saturday is particularly popular as folks wander over after shopping at the nearby Farmers' Market. Get there as close to 11 am as possible, because by 11:30 am the foyer is full of people waiting for a table.
500 S. Guadalupe St., 983-5721.
Lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. $
