Eat It: New, Different
By Gwyneth
Doland
Published: August 1, 2007
Mix it
up!
BALEEN (AT THE
INN AND SPA AT LORETTO)
211 Old Santa Fe Trail,
984-7915
Looking for a relaxing mid-afternoon snack? Baleen
recently introduced a tapas menu served on its beautiful, private
patio. Chef John Cox’s menu only nods at traditional Spanish tapas,
favoring instead an international approach. Highlights of the menu
include Peruvian-style ceviche with habanero, lime and sea salt;
Mongolian pot stickers; Nigerian-style chicken kabobs and green
papaya salad. (Cox says he has a hard time getting papayas that
haven’t ripened yet; when unripe, their flavor is refreshingly
un-sweet). Also available are 15 wines and a dozen beers by the
glass. The tapas menu also is available for dinner in the lounge.
JOSH'S BARBECUE
3486 Zafarano
Drive, Suite A, 474-6466
If you like barbecued ribs then you’d
better hightail it over to Josh’s (in the same shopping center as
the new Regal Stadium Cinemas 14). A recent visit revealed smoky,
peppery ribs that were thick, meaty and delicious, even better than
the surprisingly moist and tender brisket. The pulled pork was
rather dry and the jarring flavor of the smoked carne adovada was a
disappointment, but the very mild green chile coleslaw and sweet
cornbread were both satisfying. A special of cottage fries smothered
with green chile, queso and barbecued rib meat was sinfully
delicious.
SLEEPING DOG
TAVERN
114 W. San Francisco St., 982-4335
After a
recent update, Sleeping Dog has been unleashed with an intriguing
new menu. If you’re looking for a place to take a group of people,
some of whom want a burger and a beer and some of whom want
something more interesting, this is a great compromise. The
atmosphere is relaxed but not at all dive-y. The menu ranges from
Kobe beef burgers ($12) to duck confit with mashed sweet potatoes
($19) and lobster salad ($14). Clearly, Sleeping Dog is aiming for
the sweet spot where gourmet meets comfort food—and they’re hitting
pretty close to the mark.
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2000–2007 by the Santa Fe
Reporter