Chasing Santa Fe

THIRSTY? HUNGRY?

TRY A FEW OF CHASING'S FAVORITES

AMAZING TAKEOUT -
THE BEESTRO

Photography by C. Whitney-Ward

Chef Greg Menke is smart, brilliant in the kitchen and a passionate melittologist. For those of us unfamiliar with the term, Greg lives and breathes honeybees - hence the name of his two-month old takeout eatery on Marcy Street - next to the Design Warehouse.

"Bees effect everything," intones Menke, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of honeybees, and through words and actions works towards reversing the bee population decline. But back to the BEESTRO. Except for a few brightly colored chrome stools out front and a painterly window touting Hot Soups...

what you'll find 'inside' is a glass case filled with chef-made sandwiches and salads, colorful chalkboards touting the day's menu - it changes each day - and a smiling staff that will fill your order and even whip up an amazing panini if your hankering for something hot besides The Beestro's hearty soups.

Yes, there's honey for sale...a vintage bee carrier nestled on the counter...

and a bright yellow hive in one corner (no bees have moved in yet!

But the star of the show is the food.

Each container brims with fresh salad fixing's and a perfect dressing to add the final taste touch.

This is the just-made Reuben. Quite wonderful.

If you're walking by, just step inside and place your order. But, if you'd like to drive and pick-up your order curbside, just call/text your order and when you arrive (there's parking out front and at the side of the building) your lunch order will be brought to your car. They also deliver. Pretty nifty.

T H E B E E S T R O

www.thebeestro.com

101 W. Marcy Street

next to Design Warehouse

505-629.8786

HOURS: M - F 10AM - 3PM

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COCKTAILS?

S L E E K & S O P H I S T I C A T E D

Photography & Text - C. Whitney-Ward

Just below the Coyote Cafe on Water Street is the DEN, a really luxurious bar that is spacious and visually chic - low leather couches, a long, slim electric fireplace above the bar, cool graphics on charcoal walls, and a savvy bar menu that literally lights up when you open it. How crazy is that?

The cocktails (no food) on this snazzy menu are tantalizing, creative and amazing.

Calvin - the very savvy bar keep, suggested that I try the SAMURAI. Intrigued I got my camera and captured this master cocktail maker at work...

Glass and shaker at the ready...

The glass gets dusted with Saigon cinnamon - considered one of the finest in the world. Rich, pungent and intensely sweet, this spice has a high concentration of oil which makes it spark when touched with a flame

A diminutive Fourth of July in a cocktail glass...

The flames are extinguished when a lovely mingling of Mandarin Vodka and

Blood Orange juice are poured...

A BLAZING SUCCESS!

THE DEN

Owned by the Coyote Cafe

132 W. Water Street

Santa Fe, NM

BREAKFAST? LUNCH?

AFTERNOON COFFEE & SWEET?

Photography by C. Whitney-Ward

CHEZ MAMOU - a French bakery and cafe opened a month ago at 217 E. Palace, and what a delight! Owner, Noëlla is French, the pastry Chef Paul Perrier is French and the menu is - you guessed it - French. It's quite charming and when you step inside, you feel as if you've been transported to a a cafe on the Left Bank. Sun pours through the large front window and delightful seating vignettes beg you to sit and enjoy breakfast, lunch or a late afternoon coffee and pastry.

Glass cases in the back display Chef Perrier's wonderful pastries and a glass wall let's you peek into the kitchen where he whips up his masterpieces.

Butterfly Palmiers. Light, airy and perfect for dunking into a cup of Chez Manou's amazing hot chocolate or Illy Italian coffee.

An apricot tart...

A white meringue filled with chocolate ganache. My personal favorite!

A raisin-filled delight. I'm devouring it now as I write this post.

The star of Chez Manou's kitchen is Pastry Chef Paul Perrier who was enticed out of retirement to work his fine pastry magic. For 17 years he held sway in the kitchen at the legendary Cafe Paris on Santa Fe's Burro Alley, but after the restaurant closed and he tried taking a well-deserved hiatus, he jumped at the chance to get back into the fray, creating memorable fine pastry, chocolate, ice cream and other French delights.

Born in Lyon, France, he learned to cook in his Father's restaurant and apprenticed at a legendary boulangerie in Paris where he perfected his pastry skills. He moved to the United States in the 1980's, and he and his wife opened Cafe Paris. "I've been making fine pastries for 55-years," says Perrier, who still has a twinkle in his eye when he talks about creating memorable desserts.

But the Chez Mamou menu goes beyond wonderful pastries...

The EGGS BENEDICT that I ordered was perfect. The poached eggs had just the right 'shimmey'; the Hollandaise was fresh, light and lovely; the ham wonderful; and the lightly-dressed salad and broiled tomatoes made a very-French meal.

The CROQUE MADAME at a neighbor's table looked equally inviting.Yes, I'm incorrigible. I walk up to perfect strangers and ask if I can photograph their food!