The Anasazi Restaurant - Inn of the Anasazi, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Restaurant Review and Information - Anasazi Restaurant

Anasazi Restaurant Address: 113 Washington Avenue, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
Phone: 505.988.3030
Dress: Santa Fe Dressy Casual
About Southwest Rating: 5 Stars

A First and Memorable Visit to Santa Fe

We settled in for a memorable visit to historic Santa Fe, the highly touted art and culinary capitol of the Southwest. We visited Canyon Road with it’s world-class art galleries, toured some of the art-filled floors of New Mexico’s State Capital and so now it was time to experience the culinary side of this multi-faceted “City Different.” We were sent in the direction of The Inn of the Anasazi and promised a memorable evening in the company of Jennifer Rios, wife of The Anasazi Restaurant’s highly acclaimed Executive Chef, Martin Rios.

Not knowing what to expect, we entered the restaurant from the street and found a relaxing bar with spotlighted examples of Pueblo Pottery. The service was attentive and the bartender busied himself making drinks and dispensing tourist information and recommendations to the visitors who had stopped in. This wasn’t unusual. Santa Fe values their visitors. The décor of the bar and of the inn restaurant was both elegant and down-to-earth southwestern. We assumed the meal to follow would be the same.

Chef Rios - An Artist Whose Medium is Food

We were introduced to Jennifer who was to be our guide through the maze of enticing offerings the menu provided. We soon found out what she meant when she described her husband, the Executive Chef, as an “artist whose medium is food.” And, we were soon to experience the artistic side of The Anasazi Restaurant.

We also learned why the cuisine was so highly acclaimed. I can't be considered “foodie” or culinary expert by any stretch of the imagination. So I asked Jennifer to take the lead in ordering for my friend and I. She really wanted us to express our preferences so under duress, I admitted to loving both salmon dishes and lamb.

Fresh Fish in the Southwest High Desert

As she explained how the fresh fish is flown in from as far as Hawaii daily, she convinced us to try the Hawaiian Ahi Tuna Tartar. We couldn’t resist ordering appetizers of Dungeness crab cakes and Mexican prawns. It was difficult to choose from the extensive list of starters. So here we were in the middle of the high desert ordering sea food... sea food that had been swimming in the world’s oceans less than 24 hours earlier. Amazing, I thought to myself. The Ahi Tuna Tartar, was indeed that, fresh but raw tuna accompanied by artichoke-scallion blinis (thin pancakes) and served with organic soy caramel. As fine fish goes, it was excellent, but I am not a sushi fan and moved on to my favorite, the pan seared Dungeness crab cakes. I have had crab cakes in Maryland but I have never had crab cakes this fresh and prepared so delightfully. The crab cakes were served over pickled fennel, leek and ginger salad with a smoked carrot citrus puree. Excellent!

My friend's favorite appetizer and a close second to those wonderful crab cakes, was the Anasazi spiced sautéed Mexican prawns. The prawns were served with aged jack potato mash with a brown butter-jalapeno emulsion. The flavors were rich but not overpowering. Indeed, each of these appetizers was a stand-alone masterpiece.

More... Appetizer Photo Gallery

Too Much - Too Good

Having sampled all the appetizers we moved on to the entrees. I have to say that the delightful flavors were, by now, running together in my mind and my taste buds. I would recommend a more linear way of savoring such delights in the future. One appetizer and one entrée per evening is the best way to get the most out of culinary art.

Caring and Community Involvement Add to the Experience

The food was excellent but the conversation was even more stimulating and educational. We learned how Chef Rios had recently joined the Inn of the Anasazi and a bit about his impressive background. More important to me, was to learn how this young couple worked so hard both in their careers and in raising a family in New Mexico and how involved they both were in the community. Jennifer was carrying on a tradition started by her mother of leading a non-profit effort to rescue abused horses. Both she and her husband participated in fund-raising efforts. She also recommended that we return and enjoy the Santa Fe Wine and Chili Festival, an amazing opportunity to sample the culinary delights of Santa Fe.

On to the Entrees