Santa Fe Dining: The Pink Adobe Restaurant

My first rendezvous with The Pink Adobe was over the Christmas Holiday in 2006, it was love at first bite. It was a Christmas of first times. To say I was full of hope and the wonder of a child would be an understatement, this in reality was my first real Christmas. We arrived one blistery afternoon the week before Christmas and we were scheduled to stay 10 nights departing back to California the day after Christmas. My ex was an expert on Santa Fe, having spent most of the past Christmases here and at least a week every summer here golfing the six years I had known him prior to our first visit together.

The snow started falling within an hour of checking into La Fonda. This Montana girl was in absolute heaven, it had been a good 15-20 years since I had a white Christmas. Our dining schedule had been carefully curated to make sure all the top dining spots were hit. The daily schedule was full frog marching to galleries, museums and shopping (of course), without much room for randomness. That’s frequently what happened when we traveled, he’s an attorney so by nature/profession he is very structured. For me structure is by necessity, otherwise those squirrels and shiny things can distract me (fine – I admit it, I still get distracted even with structure). For some reason we found ourselves at lunch and in need of a spot to dine and randomly wandered into Pink Adobe and I experienced my first Green Chile Stew. Almost 20 years later and I still smile at that memory.

Fast forward to 2024 and The Pink Adobe still rocks (it is part of the Relais Chateau Property Inn of the Five Graces – Relais Chateau properties are up there with Bentley). The Pink Adobe has been serving what it brands New Mexican Cajun since 1944. Everything about it celebrates the spirit of Santa Fe (rumor has it that the dining room and kitchen are haunted) including The Dragon Room which has been a local hangout for years complete with Chihuly chandeliers and local characters. The vibe of this restaurant is part white tablecloth demure with a good dose of the wild southwest thrown in for good measure. The Pink Adobe always reminds me a little of being in some little Spanish village with a cross section of cultures meeting.

The menu is this epitome of cultural fusion with the local New Mexican Cuisine – Plato Mexicano Enchilada Bar, Red Mole Pork Tenderloin (please don’t confuse this for Mexican cuisine, New Mexico is distinctly different) and classics like Tournedos Bordelaise, Fried Shrimp Louisianne, Rack of Lamb and Poulet Marengo. Oh, and don’t forget their famous Rosalea’s French Apple Pie. This is one dining destination in Santa Fe that I always recommend to friends, tourists and eagerly accept reservation invitations to dine at. Honestly, I think I fall in love with this restaurant every dining experience.

My love affair with Pink Adobe was re-ignited again on a recent visit with friends. (Okay, I went twice in a week, I couldn’t help myself.) It was my first time dining under the stars and in close enough proximity to enjoy the trio playing Latin tunes. Twilight skies with the aroma of the recent rain wafted through the light breeze and spun sugar pink clouds were dosed with the sunsetting behind us, how can you not fall in love with this – especially when you are sipping on a Skinny Silver Coin Margarita (my go to drink here – they make it just right with fresh lime juice). I ventured off my normal menu selections and tried two new items – the Heirloom Tomato Salad with basil pesto, goat cheese mousse and balsamic glaze (it’s still summer) and Red Mole Pork Tenderloin roasted root vegetables, mole rojo, black bean puree, plantain chip, sesame seeds. The delicate balance of flavors are happy little kisses on your tongue.