Can you smell that?
I woke up this week to the most delicious scent in the world: Roasting chile! I've seen red and green rotating in the roaster drums at La Montañita Co-op (913 W Alameda St., 984-2582), at Food King (1700 St. Michael's Drive, 424-1535), Whole Foods (753 Cerrillos Road, 992-1700) and there are rumors of similar operations in the Big Lots parking lot as well (3140 Cerrillos Road, 438-0203). Both Sprouts locations in Santa Fe (199 Paseo de Peralta, 988-1140; 3201 Zafarano Drive, 424-1900) are roasting 10 am-5 pm. Buy a pound. Buy five pounds. Send them to loved ones.
Let's FORK!
I have been informed that Monte del Sol Charter School also has a free and reduced lunch program. Add it to the list I made last week!
So. Green chile. Did I mention that?
I love El Rancho de las Golondrinas. They host amazing events year-round. This week they kick off their Adventured in Territorial New Mexico Weekend with a CHUCK WAGON DINNER!!!
Carl Hawkins and Golondrinas are recreating the feel of a trail camp with a taste of the old West, featuring chopped, smoked beef brisket, cheese enchiladas, sweet/hot baked beans, buttermilk fruit and cabbage slaw, homemade chili biscuits and Dutch oven fruit cobbler! Get your frontier on!
There will also be entertainment during dinner with period music on the harmonica and guitar and even a sing-a-long in which everyone can participate.
WHEN: 6-9 pm Friday Aug. 18
WHERE: El Rancho de las Golondrinas (334 Los Pinos Road, 471-2261)
COST: $20 adults / $18 seniors & teens / $12 kids 5-11 / 4 and under FREE — TICKETS!
Wine Spectator has released the names of their 2017 award winners. Eight Santa Fe restaurants are on the list this year, with La Casa Sena (125 E Palace Ave., 988-9232) earning the title of Best Award of Excellence. This places La Casa Sena among the 1,168 restaurants in the US with this title. A big deal! You can find the full list HERE and congratulations to all the restaurants that made it this year! (Not for nothing, SFR's monthly wine columnist, Mary Francis Cheeseman, works at Casa Sena's wine shop.)
And if you ever make it down to Santa Teresa on our southern border, be sure to check out Billy Crews Dining Room (1200 Country Club Road, Santa Teresa, 575-589-2071). They picked up a Grand Award this year, making them one of 89 restaurants in the entire country with that distinction. The awards have been given since 1981 and Billy's first won in 1986.
We need to talk about Marc Quiñones, the executive chef at MAS Tapas y Vino (125 Second St. NW, Albuquerque, 923-9080).
Why? Because he beat the pants off a bunch of coastal chefs to come in third at the annual Great American Seafood Cookoff in New Orleans on Aug. 5. He was one of 13 chefs from across the country to compete in the event. You can see him mid-cook in the photo below.
Quiñones was selected to represent New Mexico after an invitation was sent by Lousiana's Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Office of Tourism to New Mexico's lieutenant governor.
He did New Mexico proud by including both Chimayó red chile and Hatch green in his New Mexico spiced duck fat fried oysters. The scores between the top three were incredibly close and Quiñones missed the top spot by only one point! Keep us proud Marc, and congrats!
Go get your chile.
Michael
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