Tune-up Cafe -- Santa Fe, NM

Tune-Up Cafe

Tune-up Cafe, (tuneupcafe.com) at 1115 Hickox St. (505-982-7060) restored our faith in the Food Network program, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. That is, once we found it! The building was not marked by address or name. We drove by it twice and seeing that it was the only restaurant on the block, decided it must be the place. Then we had to find a place to park. Drive-by number three.

Once parked, we walked the short distance to the restaurant and found it packed. It's a tiny place with as many tables squeezed in as possible, one long narrow table in the entry and a wood counter along the front windows. There were no tables available, so after ordering at the register, we sat at the counter along the windows where childrens books sat in the pockets that are formed in the places where the windows dipped down behind the counter. So, I was entertained while waiting for my food!

Basic Breakfast

Oh yeah, the food! You order and pay for your food at the register and peruse the menus while waiting in line. Rob, wanted a basic breakfast so he ordered the Basic Breakfast, which includes 2 eggs, homefries, toast or tortilla ($6.50) he added a side of bacon ($2) and green salsa on the side. I couldn't make up my mind, so I asked the girl behind the counter for a suggestion. First she suggested the Chile Relleno, but my stomach wasn't ready for that so early in the morning. Then she said that I should go with the Huevos El Salvadorenos ($8.25). Scrambled eggs with scallions and tomatoes, with refried beans, pan-fried bananas, crema and Alicia's corn tortilla. So, I did.

Huevos El Salvadorenos

We waited about ten minutes for our food, which we didn't mind because the place was fairly busy and I had the books to read. When our food did arrive it was freshly made -- no sitting around waiting for someone to get it to the table. It was hot and it was good! Rob's eggs were cooked the way he likes them and the potatoes were nicely seasoned. The salsa was mild, and we were thankful that they provided enough for both of us. My eggs were yummy! The scallion and tomatoes were mixed in at the last couple of moments before the eggs were set, so they still had a fresh taste to them. Now, I've never had pan-fried bananas and I don't know if I would ever have thought to pair them with scrambled eggs and refried beans, but this combination was amazing, especially when you add in the crema! The bananas were carmelized on the edges and added a sweetness to the meal that rounded it out nicely.

We really enjoyed Tune-Up Cafe and would definitely recommend it. There are more tables on a small patio area where we would have sat, had the temperature been a little higher. I just wish we had had more time to go back to try out their lunch menu. After watching the clip from Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives on their website, I'm looking forward to the next time we are in Santa Fe.

Atrisco Cafe & Bar - Santa Fe, NM

After arriving in Santa Fe we thought we'd see where our cooking class was located and stumbled onto the Atrisco Cafe & Bar. It's located in the DeVargas Mall on Peralta St., just inside the entrance. It's a small but lively place serving up New Mexican dishes. The staff seems to take care of each other's tables, so we weren't sure who our actual server was.

We both ordered the Lite Plate which is described as including one rolled chicken enchilada, rice, beans, posole and a choice of sauce. Well, of course, we both ordered "Christmas" since every place has their own sauce recipes. The plates arrived and I was surprised to see hominy on the plate. Evidently, hominy is considered posole, at least in this establishment. I thought posole was more of a soup/stew that often contains hominy, so I looked it up in the dictionary and found I was right. I love when that happens!

Lite Plate

Anyway, the flavors were all there, and it seems that sopaipillas (that's how it's spelled here) are to New Mexico cuisine like flour tortillas are to Tex-Mex -- served with every dish. Both sauces were pretty high on the heat scale and we were not warned about it. Even Rob commented that the heat was more than expected. He loved it, but recognized that most people might not. As a matter of fact, I asked about the heat factor when ordering and was told that the green sauce was hotter. Fortunately, we like heat, but this was almost too much. I don't normally suffer with stomach problems after eating spicy foods, but I carried this one with me for several hours.

We liked Atrisco and went back a couple days later for a glass of wine. The atmosphere is comfortable and colorful, the prices moderate, and the staff are friendly. The food was really good, but if you have a low tolerance for heat order carfully!