Happy Birthday to Carollee!!
![[drinkers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/82916bed5ad74ac8470bc04089d9758b0c80c9fa.gif "drinkers"){kind=small}
We were back to Maria’s today, after missing last week due to Wine Geeks being on Wednesday, and we can’t do a lunch at Maria’s and Wine Geeks at Tr. Nostrani on the same day. We started with our usual of chips, salsa, & guacamole with ‘100% Agave’ for Carollee and ‘Larry, Curley, & Moe’ for me. Mine slipped down quite smoothly, so i ordered a ‘Certain Someone’ and the daily special, one of our favorites, Sirloin Tips and Green Chile. Carollee ordered that as well
We were told that several patrons had decreed it quite hot. It turned out to be rich green chile in flavor with reasonable hotness. It only made me sweat on my temples and forehead. It didn’t make it to the top of my head. But the good green chile flavors were very good. Partway through the stew we ordered ‘El Reformador’ for Carollee and ‘Moonlight Sonata’, Chaya Reposado & Cointreau, for me. It was all a nice return to Maria’s after a missing Wednesday.
Oh, that’s my kind of lunch! I don’t get sweaty, though-- I get drippy. My eyes tear and my nose leaks!
Steve and I spent our honeymoon in Santa Fe and Taos, and your Maria’s posts always make me want to plan another trip. I can’t remember where we had our first chile (Tomasina’s? Tomasita’s? John Tomasso’s?) but I was a little wussy about heat in general back then. it was the first time I ever asked for sour cream to cool down my mouth. It would be fun to see how much of a tolerance I’ve built up with six years of palate abuse at Indian and Thai restaurants. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Well, why don’t you and Steve come back sometime? Just let us know.
Today we were back at Maria’s for our accoustomed Wednesday lunch; it was clearing after a night and early morning of rain showers. We started with “Cheap Date” for me and “100% Agave” for Carollee. They were both enjoyable with our usual starters of chips, salsa, and guacamole. When i had finished my first, we ordered our meals, for me - today’s special of chicken-fried steak with a corn-green chile-zucchini mix and green chile mashed potatoes; Carollee had Carne Adovada. I also ordered a ‘Certain Smile’ - Certeza Reposado and Triple Sec. In the middle of our lunch, it got quite dark out, and began to rain again. Then partway through, i had a ‘Miracle Mile’, Milagro Single-Barrel Reserva Reposada and Cointreau. After a nice conversation with Laurie & Al Lucero, we headed for home under clearing skies. It’s been an interesting day, with much needed rain showers.
Dick, your writeups are excellent. If I am ever in Santa Fe, I will definintely check Maria’s out!
If you make it to the Phoenix area, you have to try a local favorite: Barrio Cafe. Very good to excellent food in an eclectic setting http://www.barriocafe.com/.
Josh-
I haven’t been to Phoenix since my Mother, who lived in Sun City West, died in 2003. The weather there doesn’t work very well for me. When she moved there in the early 90s, I told her that I wouldn’t visit her from May thru November.
My preferred restaurants (still in business) in the area are: Pizzeria Bianco and Mosaic.
Well, I can’t argue with you about the weather: 36 years here has not made summers any more tolerable. Agreed on Bianco (although it’s quite an ordeal to get in), and still need to try Mosaic.
I hope you find a reason to stop through sometime!
Today on an increasingly cloudy and threatening rain day, we were joined by Sue & Dick Daniels for our usual Wednesday lunch at Maria’s. We started with ‘Cheap Date’ for me and ‘Cabo Wabo Kevin’ for Carollee. Sue & Dick arrived and had a frozen House Margarita for Sue and a Dos Equis Amber for Dick. All was very enjoyable with our starters of chips, salsa, and guacamole. it was great to get back together with Sue & Dick after her serious health problems in the beginning of the year.
When I had finished mine we ordered our food: Sue - Chile Rellenos; Dick - beef enchiladas; Carollee & I - today’s special, Sirloin Tips and Green Chile. Then i ordered a ‘Santa Fe Moonlight’ and Dick had another Dos Equis. The green chiles weren’t as hot as usual (only barely got to my forehead) and there wasn’t as much meat in the bowl, so I added some of our guacamole. That made it quite good, though Al would complain. Then I finished with a ‘Full Moon’ - Dos Lunes Reposado and Cointreau. Al Lucero came by and talked with us briefly.
This was another enjoyable afternoon at Maria’s, although there were occasional rain showers while we were eating, but very little driving home (with the top up).
Today we back at Maria’s for another Wednesday lunch. i started with ‘A Certain Smile’; Carollee started with her usual ‘100% Agave’ with salt. We also had our usual starters of chips, salsa, & guacamole. Bernie was on vacation, so Dave was the bartender. The Margaritas were harsher than we are accoustomed to, seemed to me to be a bit heavy on the tequila. When I had finished mine, we ordered today’s special, Chile con Carne - rich red chile, garlic, and pork. I also ordered a ‘Milagro Beanfield’, Milagro Reposado and Cointreau. When we were served our chile stews, Carollee ordered an ‘El Reformador’. The red chile was medium hot, made it barely to my forehead, but was rich in chile flavor. Partway through I had a “Chocolate” Margarita; I have enjoyed these with various red chile dishes here. The Godiva Chocolate in the Margarita imparts a a hint of mole flavor to the red chile. It also makes a nice finish to the meal.
Today we were back at Maria’s for lunch with Jeff & Veronica, to give Veronica an introduction to Northern New Mexican cuisine and to Maria’s Margaritas. We were seated at our usual table. We started with our usual chips, salsa, & guacamole. Carollee had her usual ‘100% Agave’ with salt, Veronica & I each had a ‘Cheap Date’ - hers with salt, Jeff had a ‘Silver Charm’ - Milagro Silver w/Cointreau. Al & Laurie were there with Laurie’s mother and brother. When I had finished mine we ordered our food - Carollee had posole, Veronica had today’s special, a chicken chimichanga, while Jeff and i each had a LisaBurger. I also ordered a "Certain Smile’. Then partway through our meals, Carollee had an ‘El Reformador’, Veronica had a ‘Krueger’s Reserve’, Jeff had an ‘Elizabeth Two’ - El Tesoro Silver with half Cointreau / half Grand Marnier, and I had a ‘Miracle Mile’. Then at the end both Veronica and Carollee had sopapillas with honey. Another lovely afternoon at Maria’s.
I almost forgot - Thanks much, Veronica, for buying lunch for us.
Well, even though we were there Monday, and after Wine Geeks last night, we still went to Maria’s for our accoustomed Wednesday lunch. We started with Carollee’s usual ‘100% Agave’, while I had a ‘Larry. Curley, & Moe’. All very nice with our usual starters of chips, salsa, & guacamole. When i had finished mine (it went down very smoothly and easily), we ordered our food, Carne Adovado with soupy beans (instead of re-fried beans and rice) for me, and the rib appetizer with a side of blue cheese dressing for Carollee. I also ordered a ‘Santa Fe Moonlight’. Both the guacamole and the Carne Adovado were noticibly spicier than usual, really good red chiles. Then partway through I ordered a Godiva Chocolate Margarita. This time the red chiles were sufficiently spicy hot, that the chocolate Margarita didn’t develop the mole flavors that i normally get with the chocolate and red chile. Laurie’s brother and mother were still visiting and were sitting across the room from us. We had good conversations with them and with some others around us, an ex-Mayor of Santa Fe, that we had previously met at a party at the Luceros, and a couple guys in construction and financing. After all this we headed for home.
I’ve actually had Maria’s delivered to me in San Jose. 
The owner thought I was nuts I’m sure, but he’s done it for me.
I thought we might get to Chama Day’s this year, but it looks like we’ll be another year away before we can go again.
We were back for another summer lunch at Maria’s. It was a warm, clear summer day (low 90sF, when we left). We started with out usual chips, salsa, & guacamole and ‘Cheap Date’ for me and ‘100% Agave’ for Carollee. When I had finished mine we ordered - ‘Cabo Wabo Kevin’ and a bowl of posole for me and a tostada compuesta w/beef for Carollee. The posole was lighter than it’s been for a while, not as much red chile and a less meaty broth. Then partway through i had a ‘Boogie Woogie’, Chamucos Reposado & Cointreau. Then as we were finishing, we decided to have a couple sopapillas with honey for ‘dessert’. The sopapillas were fresh from the fryer, very hot and very good with a corner bitten off and the honey drizzled inside. A great finish to a nice lunch.
Yesterday we were back at Maria’s with Jeff Pfohl for another delightful Margarita lunch. Jeff started with tasting flight of three half-oz glasses of Milagro single-barrel reposado & añejo and El Tesoro Paradiso añejo. Carollee had her usual of ‘100% Agave’, while I tried a new tequila, Azul Reposado, in a Margarita w/Cointreau, These were enjoyed with our usual starters of chips, salsa, and guacamole. When I had finished mine, we ordered our food, Jeff had a LisaBurger and Carollee & I each had the daily special, our favorite, Sirloin tips and green chile. I also ordered a 'Generation Gap, from Sauza Tres Generatiions Reposado and Cointreau. The green chiles were quite hot today, really good with the Margaritas. Partway through, I ordered a ‘Conmemorativo’, from Sauza Conmemorativo Añejo and Cointreau; Carollee had a ‘Miracle Mile’. Jeff’s favorite of the tequila flight was the Milago Reposado, so Carollee gave him a taste of her ‘Miracle Mile’ (from the same tequila); he really liked it. It’s also one of our favorites. Another very enjoyable afternoon at Maria’s on a hot day, temperatures in the low 90sF.
Today we were back for our usual Wednesday at Maria’s with Cabe & Allyson. Cabe & I started with ‘Cheap Date’; Carollee had a ‘Cuervo Tradicional’; Allyson hadn’t arrived yet. We got our usual chips, salsa, & guacamole. Allyson then arrived and got another ‘Cheap Date’. When Cabe & I had finished ours we ordered ‘Dirty Old Man’ for Cabe and ‘Larry. Curley & Moe’ for me, along with our food: Chicken-fried steak for Cabe & me, Pork tamales with red chile for Carollee, and a tortilla burger for Allyson, then Allyson had a ‘Dirty Old Man’. Partway through, Cabe & I finished with ‘Miracle Mile’. Then we had sopapillas with honey to finish. Another great afternoon at Maria’s, with clearing skies instead of impending rain.
Today we were back at Maria’s, on Thursday instead of our usual Wednesday. This was because we had Jeff over for dinner last night for his birthday. Jeff also joined us at lunch. Carollee & I both ordered a ‘Cabo Wabo Kevin’ to start; Jeff had ‘Milagro Beanfield’. We also ordered our meals - Carollee & I had the special, pork and red chile; Jeff had a LisaBurger. The red chiles in the pork dish were hotter than usual, there was more pork, and the sauce, besides being very hot, was thick and rich. Jeff’s LisaBurger looked very good and he ate all of it. Partway through I ordered a ‘Miracle Mile’; Jeff couldn’t decide on his next margarita, so he had another ‘Milagro Beanfield’. It had rained some during lunch, and when we got home there was a lot of large pea-sized hail around our home.
Check this out… It is the Margarita Menu from Maria’s in Santa Fe… a thing of beauty.
More importantly, look at the 2nd page, 4th column halfway down.
Not only are the Kruegers wonderfully sweet people, they have a Margarita named after them.
My heroes. 