Favorite places

• Shidoni Foundry and Gallery Shidoni is both a bronze sculpture foundry and large (9 acre) sculpture gallery. If you like modern sculpture, this is a magical place. I personally enjoy just sitting in the shade of a large sculpture or fountain, reading. But if you're interested in the sculpture-making process, a tour is available and it's very interesting, especially on Saturdays when they do a "pour". From La Posada: Left out of the hotel, right at the first light (Paseo de Peralta), right again (north) at the 2nd light, Washington St. which becomes Bishop's Lodge Road, ~5 miles to Tesuque, it'll be on your left. Note: the big current project at Shidoni is a monumental bronze sculpture of (I think) Conqistador Austin. You may have to wander through (and behind) the foundry to see the enormous and beautifully detailed parts.

• Los Alamos Library There are two libraries in Los Alamos; the municipal public library, which is a normal small-city library (I suppose) and the research library at the LANL, which is a national treasure. It's essentially a comprehensive collection of everything written about chemistry, physics and engineering. Some biology and medicine, too (especially radiation and nuclear medicine). The library was set up in the days of the Manhattan project as a national priority and there's a lot of stuff there that you can't find elsewhere. What I find most amazing is the library staff. They really are trained professionals who know what they're doing way better than a normal mortal. Want an article from a 1870's German journal? You can spend 15 minutes figuring out their web-based computer system and find it, or ask one of the staff and in a couple minutes you're presented with the original plus two different translations. (This actually happened to me.) Way different than the usual university library organization. Hey Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. Bottom line is that you can get more library research done there in a few hours than in a week at a big university library. Badged employees have priority but it's available to the public until 4:30 pm. There are a few tricks ... e.g., there's an honor system copier in the stacks that's usually available, you can't get into the computer system from the outside but public terminals are available in the library and you can e-mail yourself search results, abstracts, etc. From La Posada: Left out of the hotel, right at the first light (Paseo de Peralta), right at the "end" (St. Francis/285), 30-40 minutes north (follow Los Alamos signs), though town until "the end == the Rio Grande gorge", left on MacArthur, right over the Rio Grande into LANL, library is on the east side of little traffic circle on the left. It's a spectacular drive. Note: the Research Library was closed after the events of 9/11 but re-opened to the general public on 11 Feb 2002, 9:00a-4:30p, Some new security restrictions are place: you need to show identification and sign in/out. For more information, call 667-4448.

• The Black Hole If you're in Los Alamos and you like scientific junk, check out the Black Hole. The fellow that owns it is a packrat who must have bid on most of the junk coming out of LANL and it's basically a scientific equipment junkyard. Geiger counters, centrifuges, stainless steel tanks, atom bomb detonator cables, frequency generators, you name it, he's got a dozen models, all obsolete of course. But cheap. Also, he's quite a character. Among other things, he's been in trouble with the Secret Service for mailing the President a can of Los Alamos' best plutonium ("Hey guys, it was only relabeled dog food, where's your sense of humor?") The city of Los Alamos is getting croissantified and giving him a hard time about his mess, but (like LANL) he's kind of an institution. From La Posada: Follow above directions to Los Alamos, but turn right on MacArthur, go about two miles, look for a rocket-shaped sign marked "Church of Atomic Power" on the left.

• Wild Oats Community Market This is just a grocery store in on St. Francis, but it's oriented to whole food and it's very Santa Fe. For things like yogurt and grains and tamari, you can't beat it*. They also have a great deli. Most of their stock is organic, especially good, and more expensive than normal. The strange thing is that they embrace a lot of alternative stuff, like Taro card reading and Kirian photography and massage therapy, which is strange to see in a grocery store. After you've lived in Santa Fe a few years, it doesn't seem strange at all, which is in itself kind of strange. Anyway, NPR did interviews there which were broadcast as an "All Things Considered" show ... the reporter supposedly did the interviews while getting a massage in the produce section ... and the place got a certain amount of notoriety. Hah, it must have been a special set up, everyone knows the massage tables are near the checkout and diary ... 1090 S. St. Francis, 983-5333  *According to my favorite occasionally reliable intelligence source, Whole Foods on Cerrillos does beat it. They seem similar.

• Jackalope There's a lot of high-end art in Santa Fe and after you've been here a while you learn to appreciate the workmanship that goes into a genuine San Il Defonso vase and the uniqueness of a $40000 antique Navajo weaving. If that interests you, there are literally 100's of specialty galleries in town who can help you spend the big bucks wisely. But most of us are more likely to buy a $20 Mexican clay pot or a mass-produced $10 Thai saddle blanket. Jackalope is the place for that ... their slogan is, "Folk art by the truckload", and it's a fun place. I'd guess that most households in Santa Fe have something from there, if only a plant or the pot it sits in. A great place for souvenirs. From La Posada: Left out of the hotel, left at the first light (Paseo de Peralta), down and around, left at the Cerrillos light, it's a mile or two down on the left at 2820 Cerrillos, 471-8539

• Georgia O'Keefe Museum There are a number of big, wonderful museums in Santa Fe on "Museum Hill", but for the most part, the art in the galleries is just as good, or even better. (we're going to one of them on Wednesday night). IMHO, the small Georgia O'Keefe Museum is outstanding, probably because it's very directed. They have a large number of (guess what?) O'Keefe's works from throughout her interesting life and a good film about her. The museum is right behind the Eldorado hotel so it's very convenient. Much of her work was done in this area and she had a wonderful vision of the world. Actually, the best part of the experience is after you leave ... the mountains, trees, everything ... look a little different, a little more vibrant or something. From La Posada: It's easiest to walk. Left out of the hotel on Palace Ave., straight across the Plaza, take the 2nd right beyond the Plaza (Grant), then first left (Johnson), it's on your right. Note: There was a clever art theft from this museum recently which caused a "3-day wonder" and seemed to be more in place in a movie than sleepy Santa Fe.

• Sandia Crest Tram If you can find 2-3 hours extra on your way from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, take a ride up to Sandia Crest on the tram. For the record-minded, it's the worlds longest tram free-span. For everyone else, it's just amazing. As you climb, you can look down on hawks circling below and the occasional mule deer or bighorn sheep, over terrain more rugged than you ever imagined. Great view from the top. This is where intrepid aviators jump off the cliffs during the National Hang Gliding competitions. Yikes. There's also ski lifts and a restaurant/lodge. Definitely worth the time. It's "only" 5000' or so above Albuquerque, but dress warmly. From La Posada: back to Albuquerque, just the way you came, but take the "Tramway" exit east, just before Albuquerque. Look up towards Sandia Crest (the big mountain); you can't miss it.

• Madrid The ride from Santa Fe down to Albuquerque on I-25 is nice, but if you can manage to leave 30 mins earlier, consider taking the Turquoise Trail instead. It takes you through Madrid, an old mining town and then around the east side of the Sandias, dropping you off on I-40 just east of the ABQ airport. It's good two-lane road all the way, a bit mountainous in places, but a beautiful drive. You might want to leave another hour or so to explore Madrid itself, a town with an interesting history. From La Posada: Left out of the hotel, left at the first light (Paseo de Peralta), down and around, left at the Cerrillos light, all the way to I-25, under it and just keep going. Cerrillos joins 599 which it becomes the Turquoise Trail.

• 10,000 Waves This is a Japanese-style resort with about a dozen hot pools of various sizes, some public, some private, most at least partly outdoors. It's a very beautiful place a few miles up the road to the Santa Fe Ski basin. They also offer first rate massages by certified massage therapists. From La Posada: Left out of the hotel, right at the first light (Paseo de Peralta), right again (north) at the 2nd light, Washington St. then right again at the first light (Artist Road). Up the mountain good about 3-4 miles, it's well marked on your left.

• The Night Sky One of the natural wonders of this area is the night sky. The altitude and clarity of the desert air provide near-optimal astronomical seeing near Santa Fe. Many of our visitors come from cities and have never seen the Milky Way. So when the moon's not up, bundle up, find a dark spot, and take a look up. It's really neat. You don't need any equipment, but if you can bring a thermos of coffee, a chair and a pair of binoculars, that's even better. Probably the easiest way to find a dark area with good horizons is to drive out of town to the north along 285. (Most other directions work too.) You don't have to go far, e.g., the Opera parking lot is a pretty good place for being so close. Then let your eyes adjust to the dark; it takes something like 20 minutes for the full effect, so be patient. Then take a good look at our neighborhood. The nearest stars will be twinkling, the bright non-twinkers are planets, spread out across the E-W ecliptic. If you go with someone who knows the sky (like me), you'll probably get an earful about nebulosities and spiral arms and constellation names and such; that can be interesting, but it's not the main point. This is our corner of the universe; it's where we live, the gestalt of it is really much more impressive than any of the details. At MUG'04: The planets are laid out beautifully this week. Venus is low in the west, the brightest thing in the evening sky. About 25 degrees up along the ecliptic is Mars, with an unmistakable color. Wheat-colored Saturn is 50 degrees further up in Gemini (just south of straight up in the early evening); a telescope is needed to see it's rings clearly. Jupiter is rising in the East, climing to about 50 degrees above the horizon by midnight: it's very bright, just to the left of the "backwards question mark" of Leo. You can easily see four of its moons using binoculars.

Restaurants

• Horseman's Haven The best breakfast burrito in the world, no kidding. A bit out of the way, it's next to a gas station on the East side of Cerrillos just south of the Villa Linda Mall. This is a family-run place, well loved by locals for phenomenal green chile. If you're sensitive to hot chile, get it red (or Christmas, or on the side). You won't believe it at first, but just a few doses of "Horseman's green" causes a progression from chile-shock to to chile-addicted. 6500 Cerrillos, 471-5420 Horseman's Haven (finally!) reopened after moving to a new building, basically in the same location. The consensus among the chile-addicted of Santa Fe is that, after a slightly shaky start, it's all that the old place used to be and the chile is righteous.

• Pasqual's A wonderful place for a nice meal; a creative mix of fine cooking and New Mexico style. My favorite meal there is roasted garlic/brie appetizer, lamb chops entree, with Tempranillo Rioja, wow. But they serve a lot of great stuff from chicken mole to housemade pinon ice cream. It's a popular place especially for breakfast and dinner; you'll need reservations for dinner. 121 Don Gaspar, 983-9340

• Gabriel's Out of town along 285 (the road towards Los Alamos and Taos), this is a really good place to chow down New Mexican food with a Mexican leaning. Wonderful guacamole made to your liking at your table goes great with chips, salsa and mexican beer (can't recommend the margaritas, though). Lots of good food, but the "Chile Rellenos de Santa Fe" is especially great: chile rellenos stuffed with chicken and topped with pipian or something like it (it's sort of like mole but made from pumpkin seeds). 10 min N of Santa Fe on 285, 1 mile past Camel Rock, 455-7000

• Inn of the Anasazi A quiet restaurant with great food, in an elegant hotel just a couple blocks from the Eldorado. Exceptional soups. One of Dawn's favorites. 113 Washington, 988-3236

• Diego's Cafe Another place with unexpectedly great green chile, Diego's is in the DeVargas mall close to town. They serve the perfect classic Santa Fe lunch, which is a bowl of plain green chile with sopapillas and honey. You can add beans or posole or even meat without hurting it too much, but why? Also a great place for fried ice cream (but unless you're having an ice cream meal, get it to share, the portions are huge). DeVargas Mall, 983-5101

• India Palace Unbelievably good northern Indian food. It's in the far corner of a city parking lot on Water Street just south of the plaza. But don't let it's location fool you: it's received national attention. Great lunchtime buffet, one of our favorites. 227 Don Gaspar, 986-5859

• La Casa Sena My favorite place for a romantic dinner. A comfortable historical place with wonderful, unique food and nice decor (check out the painting collection on the walls). One of the traditional New Mexican cuisine motifs is game, and La Casa Sena usually offers several choices like squab, duck and venison. If you are a trout fan, their "adobe trout" (a trout literally baked into an brick of adobe) is a must-try. The adjoining Cantina is a different world altogether, with waitpersons singing musicals as they work, not my favorite but I guess it takes all kinds to make a horserace. 125 E. Palace, 988-9232

• El Meson A relatively new old-Spanish restaurant, specializing in tapas, but also offers a good selection of normal entrees. The tapas are great and it has the general feel of a Spanish tapas bar, very heterogenous crowd, snacking and talking over wine, coffee, and hot chocolate (which BTW is very rich, very different). They keep New Mexican, rather than Spanish, hours here, i.e., they close about the time a real Spanish tapas place gets going. on Washington between Marcy and PDP

• La Choza Another good restaurant for New Mexican food, just outside downtown area but still within easy walking distance if you know where you're going. The same family owns and runs The Shed right downtown. For some reason (IMO) La Choza is better in all respects except perhaps location. 905 Alaird, 982-0909

• Downtown Subscription This isn't a restaurant and the pastry they serve isn't even all that good anymore. It's a magazine and coffee shop. But it's more than that somehow, a social center in my old neighborhood, and for some it's a way of life. Fantastic selection of journals, from serious counter-intelligence reviews to poetry to J. Irreproducible Results along with international newspapers. Great discussions abound. Only a corpse couldn't find something interesting there.

• 2nd St. Brew Pub A near-town English-style brew pub. Good bitter. Americanized pub food. Darts. S on Cerrilos, left on 2nd Street, on the right just before the RR tracks

• Bagelmania A righteous NY-style deli run by a Lower-East-side escapee. 420 Catron, 982-8900

• Baja Tacos New Mexican fast food on Cerrillos, but good! 2621 Cerrillos, 438-7198

• Blue Corn Cafe South A biggish brew pub. corner of Rodeo & Cerrillos, 438-1800

• Cafe Oasis And now for something completely different ... a restaurant owned and run by a person who is considered by some (e.g., the local medical community) to be an ambulatory schizophrenic. Kicked out of most of the restaurants in town, she opened her own. Each room is furnished differently (e.g., every dish and piece of cutlery is different, one of the dining rooms doesn't happen to have any chairs). But the strangest thing is that it's a pretty good restaurant; good food at reasonable prices and a comfortable (if unusual) environment and a reasonably good dynamic among the staff. For that reason, it does pretty well and it's outlasted a lot of other places. And why not? 526 Gallisteo, 983-9599 There have been some changes at Oasis, all to the good. The service was always friendly, but it now seems pretty quick, too. There's a new chef from Morroco who really knows his stuff.

• Carlos's Gosp'l Cafe A favorite local lunch spot tucked away on Lincoln, serving mostly sandwiches but also known for their Hangover Stew. 125 Lincoln, 983-1841

• Coyote Cafe This is Mark Miller's restaurant; he's the chef credited with making SW cuisine internationally famous, sort of Santa Fe's Paul Prudhomme. IMO, the service is has gotten pretty upitty, it's overpriced, and Miller doesn't cook there himself very often. But still, it's legendary and in any other town it would be a wonder. 132 W. Water, 983-1615

• Dave's Not Here Sort of an ex-hippy joint, now favored by the artsy crowd (e.g., opera costumers and stage hands) in the summer. Good honest food, locally famous burgers, chile rellenos and fries, also great browies and pies. 1115 Hickox, 983-7060

• Gardunio's A Mexican buffet place, one of the few successful chain restaurants in town; good food at good value is the reason. If you want sweet corn pie, this is the place to get it. 130 Lincoln, 983-9797

• Guadalajara Grill Great place for barrio-style hispanic cooking, in a perfect location for such food (near liquor store and pawn shop) on Cerrillos. 3877 Cerrillos Rd., 424-3544

• El Primo A few blocks away on Guadalupe, unique full-strength, hand-made pizza. 234 N. Guadalupe, 988-2007

• IHOP Yes, this is the same chain pancake place as everywhere; no surprises. I can't resist stopping in there for a "Split Decision" breakfast from time to time. It's good! 3301 Cerrillos Rd., 424-9712

• Il Vicino Immediately next door to Eldorado, good light-crust pizza. 321 San Fransisco, 986-8700

• Maria's New Mexican Kitchen A big bar with good food, famous for their 100's of margaritas (they literally wrote the book on margarita-making). I'm probably just a contrary geezer, but I don't like their margaritas much at all, I mean, ugh, lemon juice? But they've got a large and loyal following. 555 W. Cordova, 983-7929

• The Palace Good, mostly Northern Italian food at good value in a nice restaurant just a block from the Eldorado. A few years ago I would have said *great* Northern Italian food, but that was before the EuroMUG-97 meeting in Verona. Ah. It's not as great as the real thing but it's close. They make a fantastic Ceasar salad at the table, easily the best I've ever eaten. Good wine list. In a remodelled bar/bordello; no longer a cowpuncher crowd, the customers generally go home with the one they came in with, and there's not too much gambling or gunfighting anymore, but it's still pretty red and it's still a good value. 142 W. Palace, 982-9893

• The Pinion Grill Right across the street from the Eldorado, a restaurant specializing in wood-grilled game. 308 San Francisco, 986-6400

• Plaza Restaurant A 50's-style diner right on the Plaza with a Greek bent. It would be easy to mistake this for a period reproduction place, but I think in this case they just haven't remodelled in 40 years. Good food. on the plaza, 982-1664

• Pranzo's Italian Grill Another northern Italian place with good food and nice ambiance, notable for the fact that they serve until 11 pm, which is late for Santa Fe. Sanbusco Market Center, 984-2645

• Sakura A nice Japanese restaurant with good food and tatami rooms on the same block as the Eldorado hotel. Although overall I like Sakura best, the sushi bar at Shohko-Cafe (one block NW) is probably better and livier. 321 W. San Fransisco, 983-5353

• Santacafe Another legendary Santa Fe restaurant with widely-copied dishes, famous for melding Asian and New Mexican cuisines. "Where East meets Southwest." Very beautiful nouveau food presentation, artistic and expensive, kind of a power broker / movie star hangout in one of the "other" Santa Fe worlds. 231 Washington, 984-1788

• Tecolote A really good breakfast/brunch place with homemade everything. Unfortunately, it appeared on the New York Times "10 Best Breakfasts in America" list and it's been swamped by tourists for the last few years. 1203 Cerrillos, 988-1362

• The Shed A popular lunch spot on E. Palace, a block from the Plaza. Designed by hobbits, I think. They serve a great example of the "other" kind of green chile, the true green chile stew with potatoes and other stuff in it. 113-1/2 E. Palace, 982-9030

• Tomasitas A northern New Mexican high-volume food factory in the old Santa Fe railroad station. Good food, though, and very popular with locals. 554 Juanita, 983-5721

• Zia Diner American-style diner, great diner-style food (e.g., milkshakes, pies, hot beef sandwiches, meatloaf) but also dishes you wouldn't expect at a diner (hummus, grilled trout). Often a long wait at popular times. 326 S. Guadalupe, 988-7008

In memorium

• Atalaya Restaurant & Bakery What happened? Seemed like a keeper ...
• La Tertulia   Ah, real tradition fades, I guess.
• Le Cafe   we're going to miss their French pastries
• Tony's Pizzeria on Cerrillos   I can't believe they're gone, say it ain't so, Guido.