Old House

Santa Fe, in addition to a well-deserved reputation for its art galleries, has to rank as one of the top cuisine capitals not just of the southwest but the entire country. Variety of cuisine, freshness and innovative foods at all price levels make the City Different a joy to visit or live in. Some 225 restaurants thrive in a city and county with a population of about 140,000. Eating out here is a way of life. In the tier of upper end restaurants, The Old House in the four-star, four-diamond Eldorado Hotel (309 West San Francisco, off Guadalupe Street) does not disappoint. The bar, dark and intimate, compliments an elegant setting for the restaurant itself with about thirty tables in the main dining room, and two others rooms for private parties of up to fifty. The southwest décor is not clichéd or overwhelming. Without being patronizing, our waiter was particularly knowledgeable about the wine list, which included almost 400 offerings, mostly from California, with prices ranging from $27 for a Pinot Grigeo to $500 for a "Eisele Vineyard" Napa 94 or 95 Cabernet, if you're really celebrating. There are some reasonably priced French (most from Reims) champagnes as well, and for those who just want to sample, a decent selection of red and white wines by the glass ($6 to $16). The menu changes seasonally and as of this moment consists of nine appetizers (priced between $9 and $17) including what my companions and I enjoyed--an ahi tuna tartare, quail breast, Maine lobster, vichyssoise, and blackened shrimp with a tasty orange cilantro sauce. In general, sauces here are innovative and divine. The menu offered us ten entrees, priced between $20 and $35, and we tried the pepper-crusted rack of lamb, sea scallops and foie gras (with wild mushrooms) and a beef strip with roasted garlic and Bordelaise sauce. The steak was slightly salty, but otherwise there were no complaints and lots of approving nods. The desert chef deserves his own pedestal. Our group tried the milk chocolate, banana and caramel mouse cake, the vanilla bean crème bruelee (my favorite), the warm liquid center chocolate cake, and an almond cheesecake tort. The presentations here are works of art. Eating at The Old House is not an inexpensive pleasure. With a three-course meal plus wine you will pay $100 per person, but in this case value definitely exceeds price. Dress is elegant casual. Most major credit cards accepted.