The Santa Fe Cafe. Will It Live On?

The Santa Fe Café has been called "a Seattle institution".  It has also been called a home away from home for those like my family and I who have ventured away from the "Land of Enchantment".  Since leaving the warmth (weather and food) of Santa Fe, New Mexico, nearly 14 years ago, we have longed for a true taste of home that you cannot find here in the Pacific Northwest.  The Santa Fe Café is, without doubt, the best place to help in our long adjustment to life without easy access to Hatch chile, posole (hominy stew with tender pork), and sopapillas (Indian fry-bread, or something like "elephant ears" as they are known here, minus the sugar and cinnamon).

A Sad Day
Yesterday at 4:15pm, it was announced that Mr. Drew Bloom, current owner and operator of the Santa Fe Café, and his wife have decided that it is time to sell the café after 6 1/2 years of ownership, and a whopping 30 years of business.  The demands on his time, family, and the desire for a slower pace of life have prompted his decision.

Personal message from Drew:
"As Winston Churchill once said, "I think it may be time for Drew Bloom to sell the Santa Fe Café". He was a wise man and he saved England, too. Yes folks, after 6 1/2 years of ownership and 30 years of involvement with the Santa Fe Café, Mrs. Bloom and I have decided to sell. The rigors of parenthood (good rigors by the way), lack of time with my family, and a desire t...o slow my lifestyle down a bit have led me to this very emotional decision. Let's not also forget that I'm crowding fifty years and this tends to be a younger man's venture. The Café requires and deserves more youth, enthusiasm and energy to really get it right and keep it rolling another 30 years. It has been the honor of my life to have owned this city institution. I have seen families raise their kids before my eyes, been there with friends and clientele through births, deaths, grief and, most of all, great joy. This decision has been made with great thought and I'm very excited to start a new venture in my life when the lights finally go down. My intention is to have a fairly speedy transition and most importantly to KEEP THIS THE SANTA FE CAFE even after I'm gone. My other intention is to see as many of you as possible in the next few weeks and months as there are so many of you I so deeply care about and want to see before I bow out. Please stay in touch with me on FB and e-mail and phone and let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Much love to all of you. THE BEST CLIENTELE AND FRIENDS IN THE WORLD!! As the Moody Blues once said " I think it's time to go now". Thanks again y'all!!"

 

 

 

While change can bring about great things, there is a tug at the heart by fear of the unknown.  Will this establishment continue on as the place we have all grown to love and visit?  Will the food get better?  Will it get worse?  Will a new owner bring new life, or let her smash upon the rocks like a ship in rough waters?  Only time will tell...

 

Until then, it is with heartfelt sincerity that I wish the Blooms all the very best, extend my deep gratitude for the years of home memories through their food, and urge my readers that you visit the restaurant and experience for yourself real New Mexican cuisine.  It is vastly different from what people know as "Mexican" and even "Tex-Mex" food.  There truly is nothing else like it.

 

A word of advice: if your forehead is sweating, and your nose is running, then you know it is good chile and it is authentic.  Yes, those seem like gross indicators, but ask any born and bred New Mexican and they will tell you it's true.

The big question you will face at the café, as though you were in 'ole New Mexico, is this: "Do you want red or green?"

You are now tasked with deciding if you want your food smothered in red chile or green chile (both from the legendary area of Hatch, New Mexico. FYI- red is typically hotter, but it can be a gamble depending on how the crop is that year).  You can't go wrong with either, but as an expert in the subject matter of New Mexican chile (grandma's little chile-dipper knows best), ask for "Christmas".  This means both red and green.  Mind blown?  I think yes. 

(Red chile enchilada plate with beans and posole)

 

(Carne adovada burrito with red chile, beans and posole)



 

The key to great New Mexican food is understanding where it comes from.  During my last visit home I was chatted with a fella who was also visiting the land of his origins.  He said something to me that will always echo in my mind and my heart: "Santa Fe is not just a place, but a way of life".  I couldn't say it better if I tried.  Spanish influence, melded with Native American, Mexico, Anglo influence, and even Mediterranean make for an explosion of diverse food, art, language, architecture, and rich culture.  If you didn't know it, Santa Fe (meaning "Holy Faith") is actually the oldest state capital in the United States.

 
Have a look as Mr. Bloom cooks one of the Santa Fe Cafe's signature dishes: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Green Chile & Citrus Marinade

 

Sopapillas- a type of fry-bread, much like a donut, that puffs up when fried.  Here in the Pac Northwest these are usually sold at fairs, doused in sugar and cinnamon.  These delicate little pillows of fried gold are traditionally served much like a bread roll with your meal, not as a dessert.  In a typical New Mexican restaurant, you will always find a bottle of honey at your table alongside the salt, pepper, and ketchup for use with your sopapillas.  There is nothing like biting a corner off and filling a sopapilla with honey, or using it to soak up the last bits of chile from your meal.

The beauty of the sopapilla lies in its versatility.  Not only can these be a sweet treat, but you can also fill them with many stuffing choices like beans, rice, meat, or make a taco out of them.
Do take note that the Santa Fe Café is the only place around here that offers them.

 

(Stuffed sopapilla with meat and beans, smothered in green chile and cheese.  Heaven if you ask me.)

 

Again, it is with a fond heart that I recommend stopping in for a "Blue Mesa Plate" and a pint of red chile ale at the Santa Fe Café.  Get yourself a little taste of the American Southwest in true form and perhaps, no matter where you are from, you will see why this is beyond doubt my favorite restaurant.  To the Blooms I wish very best in all their endeavors and a great big thank you.

With great hope, curiosity, and faith in the future of The Santa Fe Café, let us see what becomes of this gem in the future.

Eat Well, Live Well.

-Chris