Raising the Bar

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Alex De Vore

Escondido’s Dario Jimenez says he plans to bring more mocktails to the restaurant’s bar menu, as well as a more robust wine list and other surprises down the line.

Believe it or not, Escondido (1101 Paseo Corazón, (505) 316-4718) from chef Fernando Ruiz—the guy who beat Food Network braggart Bobby Flay on the aptly named Beat Bobby Flay show, no less—has only been open two-ish months. Perhaps the two-year wait following Ruiz’s initial announcement that he was partnering with former Meow Wolf Ceo Vince Kadlubek for a taco joint distorted time, but somehow it feels like Ruiz’s first-ever self-owned eatery has been around much longer. Aw heck, that’s probably because it’s just plain nice to have an elevated yet affordable Mexican joint outside of downtown Santa Fe, and all the early anecdotal reviews have pretty much said the same thing: Escondido is excellent.

But this story isn’t about Ruiz. I doff my hat to the guy, of course, as proven by SFR pieces from his Palace Prime days—or the time I took him shopping and he made me some of the best tacos of my life on a grill in a buddy’s backyard. Still, Escondido’s early successes certainly haven’t happened in a vacuum, and a big part of the fervor comes down to its bar program run by longtime local restaurant pro Dario Jimenez.

Jimenez is the first to admit he was a last-minute addition after Escondido’s original manager departed the project before the grand opening. He’s the right guy for the job, though, both as a longtime friend of Ruiz’s, and as a glutton for foodservice punishment with literal decades in the industry.

“I started when I was 18 as a busboy; moved up to food runner; barbacking; bartending when I turned 21—I’ve worked everywhere in Santa Fe,” Jimenez says. “I’ve probably worked at more places that closed, like Wilee’s [Blues Club], but also La Casa Sena and every incarnation of bar or club before Hervé Wine Bar—like Milagro and Milagro 139 and Skylight…I worked at El Paseo; was a bouncer at The Matador; worked at Agave Lounge; and I helped open Radish & Rye among other things.”

This is a common story in the restaurant world, but Jimenez also leveraged his skills when he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. There he worked in various restaurants and clubs. But he also struggled with substance abuse.

“I mean, I was in my mid-20s in Vegas, and I was doing a lot of drugs,” he says. “I was going to die if I stayed, so I came home and got clean and have been clean for almost 15 years.”

These days, Jimenez says, he enjoys a beer now and then. But with two young kids entering the picture during the pandemic, he’s committed to doing so responsibly. Besides, the Escondido job is a big one.

“Having come on as a manager late, I had to undo some things, because the previous manager had a pretty ambitious vision for what he wanted to do,” he explains. “And then we were busier than we anticipated at first. We couldn’t do walk-ins, we couldn’t serve at the bar at first, and I wanted to make it executable for my bartenders with drinks people know, just with a twist.”

The drinks list showcases that mission well. Included, of course, are a number of margaritas running $14-$17, plus a handful of signature cocktails. As Jimenez says, many are recognizable, like the negroni and the silver coin margarita. But rather than overloading the drinks with complicated syrups and liqueurs, Jimenez sticks to simpler—yet still delicious—methods.

“The Palomita, for example,” he says, “has the tequila, the lime juice; but also the grapefruit juice and the grapefruit Jarritos. It’s effervescent and refreshing.”

In keeping with Ruiz’s Mexican-inspired menu, Jimenez also stocks plenty of mezcal and tequilas, plus corn-based whiskeys and, within the next few weeks,  he says, numerous Mexican wines.

“We’re building that program and should have a new list by next Friday,” he tells SFR. “We’ll have more non-alcoholic drinks pretty soon, too, because as somebody who took a long time off from drinking, I know there’s a market for people who want to sit at the bar but don’t necessarily want to imbibe.”

Having recently sampled a mocktail version of Jimenez’s Palomita margarita, I can confirm he’s on the right track. Not only was the mix of grapefruit juice and soda a bitter yet sweet delight, Jimenez is right on the money with its effervescent nature. Given that I was also working my way through literally every taco Ruiz offers (Escondido serves beef, pork and seafood tacos at $16 per each four), plus beef cheek croquettes ($12) and bacon-wrapped and cheese-stuffed jalapeños ($10), the fizzy booze-free drink was a pleasant accompaniment. Ruiz is a taco master, by the way, and while the beef-based options like carne asada and barbacoa were both tender and brilliantly seasoned standouts, the subtle spice of the achiote-braised chicken and the melty pork carnitas wowed as well.

The restaurant itself will stay firmly focused on locals, according to Jimenez.

“We’re staying busy even though the slow season is creeping up on us,” he says. “We look forward to serving everyone, but we’re dealing with 85%-90% locals, because people don’t really have a place like us on this side of town. We’re hoping to take the slower winter months to catch up a little and be creative.”

Surely Jimenez and Ruiz will need taste testers during the coming months. Make it a point to do that.