We found nothing but tourist traps on our first night in Santa Fe, but the second day was a success, thanks to Grover’s friend Andy Biggs. Andy is a wildlife photographer (www.andybiggs.com) who lives in Santa Fe.
“You’ve got to go to Maria’s Cantina,” he said. “They have an amazing tequila selection.”
We found nothing but tourist traps on our first night in Santa Fe, but the second day was a success, thanks to Grover’s friend Andy Biggs. Andy is a wildlife photographer (www.andybiggs.com) who lives in Santa Fe.
“You’ve got to go to Maria’s Cantina,” he said. “They have an amazing tequila selection.”
So, we were off. From the outside Maria’s looks like just another restaurant tucked into a commercial corner, with a simple yellow sign out front. But once inside, we saw the sprawling rooms full of homey tables, topped with chips, salsa, sopapillas and elegant Riedel tequila glasses (just like the ones we have at home). This was more like it! When the waitress sat us down with a page-long list of their tequila selection, in 6-point font, we knew we had hit the motherlode. We quickly scanned the reposados and añejos, looking for brands we had never tried. Maria’s offers a tequila “sampler” of three one-ounce shots, so we quickly ordered a sampler of 30-30 Añejo, El Diamonte del Cielo Añejo, and El Amo Añejo.
The waitress lined them up on our table like little soldiers, awaiting inspection. First up was the 30-30. This tequila has the strong agave flavor of a repo or blanco, with a fragrant agave nose. Not quite what we were looking for so we moved on to the El Diamonte del Cielo. This was more like it – sweet, floral smell, complex flavors of vanilla and caramel with a surprise at the back. We were impressed.
Next up was the El Amo. It had a sweet, clean nose and a very herbal flavor, almost minty. The finish was a double whammy – with flavor exploding at the tongue and the top of the mouth. It was interesting but not as good as the previous one, so we decided to get a second sampler round.
Round two consisted of El Mayor Reserve Añejo, El Diamonte del Cielo Reposado (after the great tasting añejo, we wanted the repo) and Buen Amigo Reposado.
The El Mayor was sweet on the front but had a LONG, spicy finish. And when I say long, I mean I tasted it minutes later, after several drinks of water. The El Diamonte repo had a discrete front, and also a spicy finish, but nothing like the El Mayor.
Finally, we tried the Buen Amigo repo, which we were dubious of, given its overtly friendly name. It had a subtle, floral nose and the flavor was sweet and smooth, with a spicy finish that doesn’t outstay its welcome. Grover said he tasted a whole new honey flavor emerging in the middle. I didn’t really get that but you can try it and see for yourself. Overall, it was a very pleasing tequila, but only for those who like sweet flavors. The Buen Amigo would make a great finish to a meal and is a friend worth having around.
It was with regret that we left Maria’s that day, with so many undiscovered tequilas still sitting above its bar, but we didn’t think our rental car company would appreciate it if we ordered another round.
A few more images to share…
Shooting the shooter…
So, a note to our readers: when in Santa Fe heed Andy’s advice and go straight to Maria’s Cantina – you won’t regret it!
– Scarlet
Maria’s has been a favorite of my wife and I for many years. Both well versed in the New Mexico lifestyle before married, we honeymooned in Santa Fe nine years ago – spent ten days eating nothing but GREAT New Mexican fare every meal except for one day (Cinco de Mayo – go figure) when we decided to break the rally for dinner and ate “Italian” Arrrrgh!! I know, scourge me!
We make the pilgrimage back to Northern New Mexico on a regular basis to get our red chilli “jones” on and expand our horrizons in terms of regional food and drink. I love New Mexican’s approach to their love of things chilli – eat it the way the locals do or quite yer whinning about the heat! In general in the Southwest (including Phoenix where we reside) Mexican fare has been dumbed-down over the last few decades to suit the delecate (bland) tourist palate – not so in New Mexico. There has been a resurgence in interest in Mexican cuisine other than your typial Chimi-enchilada-burrito-blah-blah and a number of great eateries have sprung up locally, but when in Santa Fe Maria’s is always is on our list. They do have a tremendous tequila listing – my only regret is not enough time to sample them all!