Well, its past 20 years that Flying Star (or Double Rainbow of years past) has been both tempting locals with sweets and pissing off damn near everyone it seems with their price increases.

I have defended Jean and Mark in the past, and I will continue to do so, and I will also start bitching the moment things start going downhill.  I send emails monthly to Jean letting her know that something tastes awesome or that the coffee pots aren’t changed frequently enough, and it is this kind of feedback that keeps restaurateurs on their toes and serving the public – which is of course the way that they remain profitable.

So, they begin to break ground in Santa Fe, and also near completion of a huge Bernalillo complex combining work, eats, and residential units.

Jay Wulf at the Greenside Cafe has rather frequent wine dinners, exploring some new item he found or a wine that just had to be bought on a great recommendation.

Last fall there was an oyster fiesta, of course recently a Valentine’s dinner was held, and now the next several weeks hold the promise of Italian delights.  See the menu below:

Italian Wine Dinner
Thursday, March 6th
and
Saturday, March 15th

Handmade Wild Mushroom Raviollis
Santa Martina Rosso Toscano 2005

Proscuitto, Arugula, Balsamic, Strawberrys and Black Pepper
Salviano Orvieto Classico Superiore 2005

Free Range Chicken Saltimbocca with Soft Polenta
or
Sea Bass with Salsa Verde
Nozzole – Chianti Classico Reserva

Tuaca Zabaglione with Vanilla Poached Pears
Nivole Muscat de Asti 2006

$52.50 tax and gratuity included
$50 for cash paying customers
reservations only 505-286-2684

Vox kind of sux.

Welcome me to my new home, and let the insane food gossip and restaurant tidbits flow…

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The most enveloping little store in all of Santa Fe is, blessedly, a chocolate shop by the name of Todos Santos.

The man behind the day-glo meets day-of-the-dead decor is Hayward Simoneaux.  A transplant with a true knack for the dark and sweet abilities of cacao, he hails from Louisiana well over a decado ago.

I have purchased bars before, a few truffles and caramels (fantastic and not outrageously priced).  On my last visit I went for a newly crafted nougat bar, one in pistachio chile and the other yet to be devined.

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Unlike other chewy and European nougats, Howard's is fluffy like mousse, sugar-sweet with potent honey flavor, and delicate until the chile peeks its head out.

Each iPod-shuffle-sized bar is the perfect amount for a little indulgence on a Sunday afternoon.  Next time, I'll also remember to remove the deceptively thin and clingy pieces of wax paper before I eat half the bar.  Ooops.

…let them know where protein comes from.

Beeffairy

Meat Fairy

Eating meat is not WRONG, but it is to be savored, appreciated, and enjoyed.  Something died to make that steak appear on your plate, so having the grace to educate yourself about the animal itself is a gesture worthy of effort.

I am not advocating dragging your 6-year-old to a slaughterhouse (though YOU might get some value out of that visit, yourself), but seeing a half a carcass at the butcher shop is going to be fascinating for them even if it freaks them out a bit.  But the next time they bite into a roast and say, "mom, this is a good cow leg!", you'll know you've done your part.

**Find a butcher shop near you.  Please.  They are slowly disappearing despite the unique and valuable skillset only they can provide.

Here are some local Albuquerque butchers, to get you started:

Keller's Farm Store

El Mezquite Market (or any place you see with the word "Carniceria" in the name)

Talin World Market