A Gringo's Meandering Guide to the Best Margaritas in Santa Fe, Part 2
The Wisdom and Buffoonery of One Too Many
Today Nava and I are at La Choza, my Number One Recommended Margarita Watering Hole in Santa Fe (See Part 1 if you haven’t already.)
We’re joined by Ohnyo, a burly and strong, bronze-skinned plumber, probably a descendant of a Pueblo tribe he can’t quite trace, and the 2 Sierra brothers, Sal and Tony (Salvador and Antonio), who in LA might claim to be of “Latino” heritage, but here in Santa Fe, call themselves “Hispanic”, descendants of the Spanish “settlers” (not “colonizers” in their minds), and definitely not of “the Mexicanos”. Of course, these definitions are probably far more important to me, and my understanding of my Southwestern history, than it is to these guys, who just came out for a post-pickleball refresco.
I do have to say, on a side note, that Santa Fe and New Mexico are registering very low on the international Israel-Gaza outrage barometer, for which, as a member of my “Tribe”, I’m quite grateful. But I can also say, that New Mexico is not without its own identity politics, about which I’m still learning.
In fact, I’ve just finished listening (on Audible) to Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West by Hampton Sides, a detailed, character-driven history of the “taming of the American West”. This sage-brushed, bloody tale, colorfully and violently describes America’s first “self-chosen, foreign” war outside its own borders, the unfair, land-grabbing “charade” with Mexico that eventually doubled the United States’ geographical size in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. The book mythologizes the small, almost feral and illiterate, mountain man-scout-trapper-Indian hunter, Kit Carson, and traces the legendary Army of the West’s trek across the Santa Fe Tail from St. Louis to Santa Fe, now my hometown, but in 1846, no longer Mexican or Spanish, but “hail the conquering heroes”, suddenly American! It then follows the U.S. government’s and military’s aggressive and brutal treatment of the indigenous Southwest American tribes (Navaho, Comanche, Apache, Ute, Pueblo and more), forcing the inconvenient Native American occupants of the lands of Manifest Destiny to become an almost disappearing and dying race of starving and corralled people.
Sorry for the bit long-winded and sad historical detour - on my way to La Choza.
What you really want to know is what makes La Choza NUMERO UNO in my “Margarita Hall of Fame”?
Well, 3 things: 1- Design, 2- Atmosphere, and of course, 3- The Margarita itself.
Just look at this place.
Colorful, si? I don’t know about you, but this looks like a bar where I’d like to have a margarita! Maybe a few - like that hombre or mujer on the left.
And this is only one of about six or seven rooms like this at La Choza. All, always busy, breakfast lunch, and dinner. Sometimes a waiting line… but always worth the wait. Also in the Railyard section of Santa Fe, not far from Tomasita’s, but with a different vibe altogether.
“La Choza” translated from Spanish means “The Shed”, also the name of one of Santa Fe’s best-known New Mexican restaurants, right on Palace Avenue in the center of town, a couple of doors down from La Casa Sena, home of jazz’ Club Legato, and another top-notch Santa Fe eatery set in a historic 19th-century courtyard, both restaurants with delicious food and excellent margaritas. But for me, I like the atmosphere of old-school, family-run authentico restaurantes like Tomastia’s and La Choza, so I guess that’s why you’re getting the flavor and the choices of this post.
This is La Choza’s Margarita Menu.
What’s The SF Margarita Trail at the top left?
It’s the modern take on the “Old Santa Fe Trail” (1821-46) which shines a light on the historic city’s “favorite cocktail”. A pub crawl, the Santa Fe Margarita Trail rounds up 43 different area restaurants and bars, during which time you can order the signature margarita at any of the establishments and earn a stamp on your margarita trail passport. After just five passport stamps, you can collect your first prize, soon resulting in a LOT of besotted prizes being handed out along the Trail!
Anyway I order La Choza’s “House Margarita”, $8.75, as is my habit, but “The Boys” make a lot of noise and insist,
You can’t do that, Trules. You gotta get the best.
Nahhh, “The House” is fine.
No way, Ohnyo says. Senor, get my friend the “Grand Tepozan”. The most “expensivo”!
Man…
They cut me off and order food for all!
While we wait for the food and drink, I gush about the vibrant colors and “Mexican-ness” of La Choza, comparing it to El Compadre in Echo Park, my favorite Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, and my memories of driving the entire 1500 miles south from LA through all of Mexico in 1997 to Zihuatanejo on the Pacific Ocean north of Acapulco -to look for Andy Dufresne and Red from Shawshank Redemption. (I found them barbecuing some fresh albatross on the beach!)
Now hold on, Trules. This ain’t no Mexican restaurant. You know that, right? It’s New Mexican.
Yeah, I sort of know that, Sal. But I can’t tell the difference. The food and the drinks seem the same to me.
Oh, c’mon man. How ‘bout the chile?
Well, sorry, man, I can’t handle the heat, Mexican or New Mexican. It gives me “mengeret”. That’s diarrhea in Indonesian.
They all laugh.
Ohnyo, the big burly plumber, has pounded down a couple of “silver margaritas”, and is working on a “Jack & Coke”. He’s fast. The waiter knows him and his tempo. He and I don’t know each other too well from the pickleball courts, but everyone is great amigos here at La Choza’s. Ohnyo is a loose-lipped, happy guy.
Oh, man, I missed my son’s hearing today. Hangover, dude! But shit, his case got totally dismissed. Good news!
Nava says, “Car problem again?”
Yeah, the kid don’t listen to me anymore. Not that he ever did. At least he’ll be 17 and outta the house in a coupla months.
Wow. My son, Exsel, is 16 and just got his “provisional” driver’s license! My wife and I watch his driving like two hawks. My wife even has an app where she can track him in his car! But hey, he’s an adopted Indonesian kid of a Jewish New Yorker, me, not the son of a burly Pueblo plumber, so luckily, Exsel’s not in trouble with the police or the law. Not yet, anyway!
Now I don’t want to jump to any “class” conclusions here, nor do any glib racial profiling, but like I said in Part 1, it’s pretty clear that “I’m not in Kansas anymore, Toto.” (Nor am I in New York or LA.)
I do have to say that my “Grand Tepozan” is very smooth. The “anejo” tequila must have been aged in a nice ollld barrel for a very lonnng time. It’s delicious. I could drink four of five. But then… someone would have to drop me off - unconscious - at my house - in a heap.
Back to New Mexico.
You know about the “Obelisk”, Trules?
No, what’s that, Sal?
They tore it down on the Plaza in 2020.
Who did?
Protestors, man. People who didn’t like what the Plinth on the Soldiers Memorial said about celebrating the Union soldiers in the Civil War and what the other US soldiers who died in battles did to the “savage” Indians.
Political correctness, man.
Yeah, but me personally, I think we should be proud of the Union soldiers who fought the South. And I don’t think any of my Hispanic forefathers mistreated the Native People here in Santa Fe.
Oh boy! Here’s a real kettle of fish that I don’t want to be getting into. I just listened on Audible about the rift between the New Mexican soldiers fighting in the Civil War. Most didn’t have a choice about which side they fought. There were Southern-born New Mexicans forced to fight for the Union Army. Brothers forced to fight brothers. They became completely untrustworthy and unreliable.
And Sal… doesn’t think his 16th-18th century Spanish (“Hispanic”) colonizing forefathers (pre-1821 Mexican independence) mistreated the indigenous Pueblo people, forced them to convert to Catholicism against their will, to build their Spanish churches and monasteries under great cruelty and hardship, and killed them with their European diseases?
Hey, I just came out to drink a few margaritas and eat some New Mexican food after pickleball.
I think I’ll try the House Margarita to compare it to the Grand Tepozan. Ok with you, Ohnyo?
Go for it, man.
I do.
It’s pretty damn good.
I’m lucky. I survive La Choza with friends intact and my mouth editoriously shut, an act of rare reticence and clever prestidigitation by yours Trulesly.
DEL CHARRO
It’s another Wednesday after another game of pickleball. 1 p.m.
Today Nava says,
Del Charro, baby. Famous for their “skinny margarita”. That’s the one for you. Trules. Low sugar.
Nava knows that my A1c blood count keeps fluctuating between “diabetic” and “pre-diabetic” numbers, currently at the latter because of my recent “no sugar/no white/low carb” self-disciplined diet: no bread, no rice, no potatoes, no desserts, and I mean,
NO NO NO, Trules!
So yeah, Del Charro’s “skinny margarita” is the low-calorie version of their “regular house margarita”. Of course, I should be ditching the sugary blended restaurant margaritas altogether and shaking up my own - to slash both carbs and calories, say with 1.5 ounces of tequila, a little low-sugar juice, simple no-sugar syrup, and fresh lime juice for my own skinny margarita, but then, hey, I couldn’t be posting my recommendations here, could I?
I follow Nava’s VW over from the Fort Marcy courts to Del Charro in my since-repaired RAV4. He knows right where to park, gratis, and we saunter up (keep that perambulating pace in mind) along the now-seasonally, just-trickling Santa Fe River parallel to West Alameda, into the bar’s lobby. Of course, Nava knows the bartender and he grins out a,
“Como estas, amigo?” Two skinnies for me and “Senor Trules”.
Coming right up, “amigo”. Have a seat.
Sometimes I get the impression that Nava knows every bartender in town.
Whoah! The skinny is strrronnnng. Good thing I’m sitting down.
How ‘bout the green chile burger, Trules? One of the best in town.
Nava doesn’t remember my telling him about my bowel’s inability to hold down the hot chile, but I figure it’s a battle between an empty stomach, “the skinny”, and the chile.
I tell the waitress,
Can you hold the green chile on the side?
She and Nava have a good New Mexican laugh - at my expense.
Goooooood burger, oh yeah, and another strronnnng skinny later, me and Nava hit the West Alameda air, in “good spirits”.
We cross the street, over onto the beautifully-unpaved grounds in front of the river. There’s a cacophony of overhanging tree branches, thick bulky roots bulging out of the ground, and
BAM!
Man down!
Trules down!
That me… having acrobatically-tripped over one of the gargantuan dinosaur roots. I tumble - circus-like, “Cumeezi”-like (that’s my clown name, “Gino Cumeezi”), in a well-practiced, roll/fall over onto my side, onto my hip, onto my back… drunkenly…. Del Charro-like, dead stop… onto my back… with my legs up, kicking like an infant - looking straight up - and roaring in laughter at - Senor Nava.
Wow! Are you ok? That was awesome, man! Amazing! Are you still in one piece? How did you do that?
Practice, man. Remember, I told you I used to be a clown. I’ve had more than my share of falls! I’m a professional.
We laugh and laugh. Luckily, I AM still in one piece.
Nava clasps my arm, pulls me up, dusts me off, and we walk over to the nearby historic Santa Fe Plaza to sober me up. Rather, he walks and I wobble, into La Fonda on the Plaza, probably the oldest and most famous hotel in Santa Fe, where they also serve one of the best margaritas in town, but since the rooftop Bell Tower is closed for the season, and the goal is to sober me up, we pass on our third margarita, to give me a better chance of driving myself home in one piece. (I’m joking here a bit, using a comic dose of literary license if you don’t mind, because, in fact, I’ve never gotten a drunk driving citation in my life!)
Ok, it’s been a good week now. Meaning, I’m good a good week sober.
It’s time for…. Maria's New Mexican Kitchen.
Simply put, Maria’s is a Santa Fe institution that has been serving classic northern New Mexican fare since 1950. The restaurant is located on Cordova Street, right across from Santa Fe’s one and only Trader Joe, in a rambling old adobe structure that is adorned with colorful and authentico paintings throughout. In several of the older rooms there are wood-burning kiva fireplaces providing cozy dining spots, although what can I say, Nava knows the bartenders, so we go… right to the bar.
What’s great about post-pickleball “margarita time” at 12-2 p.m., is that wherever we go, it’s never crowded, and there are hardly ever any tourists. We can chat with the bartenders, and I can grill them on the history and traditions of the bar and restaurant.
Locals have voted Maria’s as serving the best margarita in Santa Fe twelve years in a row. I have no quarrel with this voice of the people. Maria’s literally wrote the book on margaritas and you can get a copy of “The Great Margarita Book” from them if you ask. They also have tasting flights of tequila, a great way to get a sense of the subtle differences in the agave-derived brands . Maria insists, however, that you have a designated driver before you proceed to educate your palate.
I’m chatting up Geraldo, the bartender, who has been there “a long time”. I discover that since art dealer and gallery owner, Gerald Peters, bought Maria’s in 2013 to add to his Santa Fe restaurant empire of La Casa Sena, Rio Chama Steakhouse, and the Blue Corn Cafe restaurants, as well as Rooftop Pizzeria, the once “free-pour” policy of Maria’s has since been changed — due to a drunk driving case of 7 million dollars against Peters when an over-inebriated Maria’s customer took to his car and killed two people, shortly after Peters’ purchase. Now, like a lot of Santa Fe bars, as well as others around the country, Maria’s won’t serve beer chasers and cuts customers off at two drinks without ordering (and eating) an entree.
So… Nava and I leave, this time, after just one drink - and 3 baskets of homemade chips and salsa - and luckily, I don’t pull off any more Cumeezi-like acrobatics.
I see that his post is getting rather long-ish, yet I don’t want to leave off — many other fine margarita establishments that I still definitely want to recommend.
So here they are, briefly, in no particular order:
LOW ‘N SLOW
Stop off, late night, at Hotel Chimayó's Low’n Slow Lowrider Bar, where I’ve heard that many of Santa Fe’s after-hours hospitality crew mosey over to The Chimayo after work to blow off some steam. The Chimayóso Margarita, created specifically for the Santa Fe Margarita Trail, is composed of serrano pepper-infused Espolon Reposado Tequila, Rothman and Winter Orchard Apricot liqueur and fresh-squeezed lime juice, served with a Chimayó chile-salt rim. I guarantee that its flavors will linger long after you’ve finished drinking it.
INN OF THE ANASAZI
Right next door to Low ‘N Slow on Washington Avenue, is one of Santa Fe’s old-school, best-renowned hotels, The Rosewood, part of the international 5-star chain, where my wife worked for almost the entire first year we lived here. The warm, romantic wood and stone dining room at the Inn of the Anasazi, the Hotel’s restaurant, along with its bar, patio, and lounge, are the perfect spot for their classic “Silver Coin Margarita”, along with their generous flights of tequila tastings. Say hello to Kevin, the busser; he and his Dad landscaped our backyard.
SECRETO
The Secreto Bar and Lounge at Hotel St. Francis is famous for handcrafted garden-to-glass cocktails. Here, inside the old stone hotel that feels like an Italian monastery, the signature “Smoked Sage Margarita” is a work of art. The recipe includes orange liqueur, smoked sea salt, and sage leaves set afire so the smoke is captured inside the shaker. This infuses the cocktail with a smoky, earthy flavor. You will exit the bar and hotel feeling like enlightened St. Francis himself.
BAR ALTO
Bar Alto‘s “Sangre de Cristo” is a house specialty margarita that combines Reposado Tequila, orange liqueur, cinnamon and orange soda which looks enticingly like a Santa Fe rainbow sunset. Drink it on the rooftop of the Drury Plaza Hotel just as the sun starts to set over the New Mexican “ocean” of blue sky and mountains, and you may find yourself drifting off into a Santa Fe reverie, dreaming of Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville”, even though you’re thousands of miles from Cabo San Lucas.
EL FAROL
Wander up Canyon Road, the art mecca of Santa Fe, and you’ll find historic El Farol, which has been serving guests since 1835. It was once praised by none other than The New York Times which deemed it "one of the best bars on earth!” With its old-world Hispanic atmosphere, rambling kiva-ceiling rooms, fresh tapas, live flamenco, and covered porch overlooking Canyon Road, El Farol is the perfect place to sit, chill, and sip a “Smoking Bull”, an almost-margartia, combining smoky mescal, and cilantro-piqullo pepper agave syrup, rimmed with Chimayó red chile. Ole!
BOXCAR
Sports fans flock to Boxcar, which, as a hot spot for live music, sports, and karaoke, also has some pretty damn good margaritas. Located for years in the trendy Santa Fe Railyard, but now moving downtown, Boxcar’s “H.O.T.T”, or Hot On The Trail Margarita” is hard to resist, being a spicy concoction of green chile-infused tequila, cucumber vodka, and a dash of Tabasco. Grab a seat and enjoy your H.O.T.T. at the longest bar in the city.
COYOTE CAFE AND CANTINA
The outdoor cantina upstairs at the famed Coyote Cafe makes a perfect spot to perch and enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the bustle (or the quiet, depending on the season) of the Santa Fe streets below. Try the “Lava Lamp Cocktail”, a more-delicious-than-it-sounds blend of draft beer and a frozen margarita. Other concoctions like the prickly pear margarita make excellent companions to the warm, thickly cut tortilla chips and fire-roasted salsa. A little too noisy and trendy for me personally at night, but each to his own. Maybe you will hear “The Sacred Coyote” howl from the arroyo!
SANTACAFE
Having the same owner as Coyote Cafe, restauranteur Quinn Stephenson, Santacafé combines elegance and charm with contemporary cuisine in a venue that offers one of the best indoor/outdoor dining experiences in Santa Fe. Nestled within the old rooms and courtyard of one of Santa Fe's most beloved historical homes, Santacafé has been a restaurant icon for over 40 years. It’s known for its famous Chipotle Margarita, with its layered flavors of citrus and chile, with more than a bit of heat. For my birthday or something special, it’s always a choice between Santacafé and Casa Sena.
HOTEL LORETTO AND LUMINARIA RESTUARANT & PATIO
These are actually two different establishments separated by a long, beautifully-decorated hallway from the front desk and lobby bar of The Living Room in the Hotel Loretto down to the far end of the hallway which runs into the host stand at Luminaria’s, just kitty corner to La Fonda on the Plaza while, on the other side, the Hotel is adjacent to the “Miraculous Staircase” at the Loretto Chapel. Try “The Essential Margarita” at The Living Room with Patron Tequila and “The Strawberry-Jalapeño Margarita”, Luminaria’s Margarita Trail Signature drink. And hey, cowboys and cowgirls, both classy “joints” are right on the Old Santa Trail.
Ok, I better stop here. I know I haven’t covered ALL THE BEST margarita bars in Santa Fe. In fact, if I’ve left off one of your favorites, please let me know and I’ll make an edit and add for you.
I’ve consciously left off a few, personal non-favorites (though well-reputed) like Cowgirl’s which I’d rather just stick to for its delicious barbecue, and the Tune-up Cafe, whose tequila pour I found a bit “underwhelming”.
But cheers, amigos.
Even if you don’t play pickleball. Or live in Santa Fe. Or are a Friend of Bill.
Salud!!
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Thanks so much!!!
Trules
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I’m drunk just reading about these drinks. Luckily I’m home and don’t have to drive anywhere