But it seems that all serious cuisines, however local in heart, are exotic in fact. No thanks, I said. Just some coffee. And a glass of water. The Geronimo restaurant.
Red chilies are ubiquitous.
Veal tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with sweet red peppers at Geronimo. To drive from Albuquerque into the historical heart of Santa Fe is to undergo an act of visual purification. Dwellings in the historic district must conform to the city's architectural heritage. Even the chain stores have done a mostly successful job of blending into the architecture. Walking around Santa Fe on a sunny afternoon, you might almost succumb to the happy, restorative illusion that McDonald's, the Gap and Starbucks are not colossal, competition-swallowing international chains, but local concerns.