Share with your friends
El Nido: A Celebration of History, Past and Present
Written by Dani Staley
July 27, 2024
www.elnidosantafe.com
El Nido Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 4:30 to Close
Su Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 4:30 to Close
505-954-1272
elnido1577@gmail.com
1577 Bishops Lodge Rd., Santa Fe, NM 87506
El Nido restaurant has been a generational treasure in the Village of Tesuque, New Mexico for over a century. Popularized by the locals for its live-fire cooking and fresh pastas, and recognized as a significant establishment within the community, El Nido is as famous for its history as it is for its food.
The moment I walked into El Nido’s main dining area it felt like I entered an art gallery. The room was empty, the tables neatly prepped in anticipation of the dinner crowd that would arrive prior to the performance at the Santa Fe Opera later that evening. I took my time reflecting on the colorful pieces of art along the walls while listening to the sound of Latin music playing softly in the background. The patio door was open, casting a small pool of sunlight onto the floor and letting a slight breeze in, lifting the fragrance of fresh cut flowers through the room.
Just past the foyer stood a narrow, rectangular table with black and white pictures of the original El Nido. A monochrome record of times long ago, these photos tell the tale of a restaurant that once was a roadhouse, a dancehall, and rumored to be a brothel. A place where cowboys would ride into the bar on horseback to grab a beer in the middle of the day, and flamenco dancers performed passionately to the sound of the cajon late into the night.
If you look closely at the photos, you can recognize some of the architectural features that still exist today as part of El Nido; the portal, the patio doors and front windows, and the vigas on the ceiling. Timeless and immortalized, the building is its own time capsule, a living tribute honoring its past. It’s a fascinating history to ponder over during dinner next to one of the restaurant’s kivas or with a mocktail at the bar.
Designed in a U-shape and deceptively larger than it appears from the outside, the restaurant has four interdependent spaces, including El Nido’s main dining room, featuring an open view of the live fire cooking station, the bar and alternate dining area, Su Sushi ( El Nido’s sister restaurant) and the garden patio. Upscale yet unassuming, El Nido is a cross between Casablanca and Cheers. It’s the perfect combination of class and comfort to make its patrons feel welcomed and at home and want to come back.
Adding to this recipe for success is El Nido’s new house manager, Brian Kinsella. Congenial and warm, Brian is incredibly adept at balancing priorities when it comes to greeting customers, overseeing the staff, checking on the food, maintaining the restaurant, and making sure everything is in perfect order. Exuding a sense of confidence and calm, Brian has an excellent grip on things at El Nido, even though at the time of our meeting, he had only been working at the restaurant for less than a week.
But that’s the type of consummate professionalism you can expect from someone who worked for the Queen of England for 25 years.
Trained in hotel management at TAJ International in London, Brian has an extensive and impressive professional career working for five-star hotels in Europe. Personally requested by Lord Beale, Head of the Royal Household, to work at Buckingham Place, Brian has had the honor of coordinating Royal weddings and State visits by diplomats, Heads of States, and Presidents from around the world. Although he has lived in America for almost three years now and has made a permanent home for himself in Tesuque, he has an open invitation to return to work at the Palace.
For now, Brian has his eyes set on El Nido.
“… I don’t want this to be the kind of special place where you go two or three times a year, I want this to be a special place for locals where they come two, three times a week. I want to get that backbone where people know people and they want to come here. We do have that already, but I want to enhance that.”
Miguel was my server for the evening. Originally from the East Coast and a resident of Santa Fe for almost a decade, Miguel received his bachelor’s degree in hospitality management and has built his entire career in the industry. He knew Chef Ziggy and eventually made his way over to work with him at El Nido. He has been part of the staff for four years now.
Echoing Brian’s sentiments, he said, “It’s really nice season after season seeing people come back; you build all these relationships with them at El Nido.”
“We’ve created a very cohesive team over here that embodies what El Nido wants. You can make it as casual as you like or as fine dining as you enjoy.”
I had the pleasure of my mother’s company for dinner; we each opted to order a different protein from the Ashes & Embers menu and experience El Nido’s live fire cooking techniques of grilling, spit-roasting, smoking, and ember cooking. Embracing resources from the region, El Nido uses wood from Las Cruces to create flavorful, woodfire dishes. El Nido’s menu changes based on season, so these options may have changed.
Limoncello Chicken with Polenta Cake, Limoncello Gastrique
This was a wonderfully aromatic dish with rosemary, oregano, shallots, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and limoncello. Served with a chicken breast, thigh and leg, the skin was crispy, with a deep gold color and nice char. The mesquite, cedar, and oak wood added a subtle smokey flavor, and the limoncello gastrique was a nice balance between sweet and bitter that I enjoyed. Beneath the chicken, was a small square of polenta made with goat cheese that was wonderfully savory, with just a twang of sweet from the sauce. The chicken was even tastier the next day after all the spices from the gastrique settled in.
Mac N Cheese and New York Strip
Served in small casserole dish, the mac n cheese was a meal in itself. A mix of cheddar, gouda, and parmesan cheeses, the consistency of the sauce was superbly smooth and creamy, and the noodles stayed firm and didn’t fall apart on the fork. The hatch green chile had a good flavor and just the right amount of heat, the bacon was savory, smokey, and chewy, and there were generous amounts of both mixed in from the first to the last bite. Topped off with finely grated breadcrumbs, this is comfort food at its finest.
Considered one of the best pieces of meat because of its leanness, and definitely one of my favorites, this New York Strip was beautifully cut and perfectly proportioned for a meal for one. My mother ordered this medium-done with no seasonings with the exception of onions and garlic. As with the limoncello chicken, the steak was kissed on a live fire. Nicely charred on the outside, tender on the inside and evenly cooked through, this was a delicious piece of meat even without a single sprinkling of salt or any other seasonings. Served on top of a bed of fresh broccolini, this was a very satisfying meal.
EL NIDO AND ZOZOBRA – A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Over its century plus years in business, El Nido has been a draw for creative types, including famous American artist, Will Shuster, who was a frequent patron of the establishment.
Recognized for his creation of ‘Old Man Groucher’ aka Zozobra, meaning a strong sense of worry or anxiety, this 6-foot effigy was first burned in Shuster’s backyard in 1924. The burning went public in 1926 behind Santa Fe City Hall and has since been a yearly tradition held in Santa Fe’s Fort Macy Park at Zozobra Field every year on the Friday of Labor Day Weekend. An incredible event and spectacle to behold, Zozobra is now a towering, 50-foot tall marionette.
In 1964, El Nido’s owner commissioned Will to paint a mural of the legendary effigy; the paintings were hung in the space where the arched windows leading to El Nido’s garden patio is now. The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe officially became involved with Zozobra that same year and Shuster assigned them all rights, title, and interest in Zozobra. Today, the Club retains exclusive copyright and trademark to the effigy and images. No longer part of El Nido, the Zozobra paintings can currently be seen in the New Mexico Museum of Art.
In honor of this year’s 100th anniversary of the Burning of Zozobra, and in partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, El Nido will be renaming its bar the Zozobra Bar. The dedication will take place on site, Friday, August 9, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. There will be a live musical performance and El Nido will be serving ‘Zororitas’ to celebrate. KOAT will be present to film the event live.
For more details on the annual Kiwanis Club burning of Zozobra, click here.
For writing and business inquires contact Danielleastaley@gmail.com
Share with your friends
Become a Patron
Support Santa Fe Foodies and dive into the food scene!-
Full Unlocked Features
-
Benefits and discounts include-25% off HORNO appetizers, 20% off The Artisan’s Bottega, 10% off Dinner For Two, 10% off Mille crepes, 10% all Fusion Tacos orders, 10% off all Jesushi orders, 10% off all MacSanta Fe orders, and many more!
