SFR uncovers three ethnic eateries hidden in plain sight.
It's easy to get into a dining rut. You don't eat out that often, so maybe you gravitate toward dishes you crave at familiar restaurants, or special-occasion fare from the finer kitchens in town. But when was the last time you scoured Santa Fe for a culinary adventure? Chances are, even in a diminutive city like this one, there are a few great dining spots you've never visited, or perhaps even heard of. Guided by my taste buds, I uncovered three such "hidden"***image1*** haunts this week. As with any great expedition, I had to slog through some not-so-awesome bits to get to the real gems, but in this case the tasty rewards made the labor that much more gratifying.
Argentina Grill
Down on the southwest side of Cerrillos Road, next to a sketchy-looking liquor store in the old space that used to house the cheery Guadalajara Grill, the Argentina Grill (original name, right?) feels like a real South American neighborhood dive, complete with
Cerveza Quilmes
signs, unpleasantly dingy lighting and a jovial chef-owner named Cesar who fries up
milanesas, croquetas
and a host of meaty delights under the indoor shade of his gaucho hat. The space is seriously charmless-don't bring your out-of-town inlaws here unless they're really cool-but what it lacks in aesthetics it makes up for with good, cheap grub.
We started with an
empanada
and a potato
croqueta
. The
empanada
was a flaky grease bomb stuffed with ground meat, olives and spices-yummy, but oh so heavy. We didn't finish one between us, but we were glad we tried it. The croqueta was also sinfully fried, but inside the crisp batter was a warm blob of buttery, cheesy potatoes spiked with smoky pork bits. I could see this becoming a favorite comfort food on cold winter evenings, after a long day on the slopes.
Next we tucked into a traditional
morcilla
(blood sausage) plate and a chorizo sandwich, served up on a fresh, pillowy white roll. The
morcilla
was lackluster at best. Admittedly, I'd never tried blood sausage before, and it was better ***image2***than I expected: delicately spiced with no hint of iron flavor at all-but the bland Spanish rice and sweet plantains didn't add up to a satisfying meal.
The chorizo, however, made in-house by Cesar (who was very excited to tell me he also sells it at Latinos Unidos and Plaza Centro Americano), was nicely spicy and not too oily-the perfect crispy counterpart to the accompanying fresh lettuce, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers. I'd definitely travel across town again for that sandwich with a
croqueta
on the side (hold the French fries). Also worth trying: the menu's considerable selection of roasted meats. The
pollo asado
on another customer's plate was jealousy inducing.
Mucho Gusto
For several years, I've driven past the little shopping center on Paseo de Peralta at Palace Avenue and wondered about Mucho Gusto, but for some reason I've never ventured inside-and I didn't know anyone else who'd eaten there, either. But a recent visit revealed a warm and cozy space and a plethora of fresh, housemade interior Mexican dishes and a killer agave wine margarita.
The turkey
mole
was divine-one of the most subtle, well-balanced
moles
I've tried, rich with almonds and free of the bitterness that roasted chiles and chocolate can sometimes impart. The
sopa lima
was bright and spicy with generous chunks of chicken, and the grilled vegetable taco plate was simple, healthy and delicious with lightly oiled and salted hunks of zucchini, fresh peppers and onions, and a heaping side of refried black beans and Spanish rice. Still on my list to try is the homemade flan. I was too stuffed to taste it on this visit, but properly made flan is one of my great loves, so here's hoping the desserts at Mucho Gusto are as well-executed as the entrees.
Chow's Asian Bistro
Okay, apparently lots of people know about Chow's-the ornately decorated dining room was loud and bustling on a recent Wednesday night-but for some reason the place had fallen off the radar for my friends and me. Luckily, I discovered that this old favorite still delivers really solid Chinese food made with heaps of fresh ingredients-a far cry from the soggy, overcooked veggies and deep-fried battered meats you might expect from a little joint tucked into a strip mall on St. Mike's.
We started with the fried quail appetizer, and I fell in love. The little birds were juicy, crisp, basted with a thin glaze of plummy hoisin sauce and served with a bright, vinegary salad of ripe mangos, fresh bell peppers, onions and cilantro. Completely perfect.
Next up was a less impressive mushu pork: yummy-sounding marinated bits of piggy sautéed with ribbons of cabbage, carrot and bean sprout and served up with flour pancakes. But the colors and flavors ran together into a monochromatic, salty tan palette and the pancakes were, from what I could tell, just plain flour tortillas. The kicker, however, was the "staff's favorite"-green-bean chicken. This was the Chow's dish of choice, just as I remembered it: crispy, fresh green beans in a tangy fermented black bean sauce, spiked with tender chicken pieces.