I had to go to Santa Fe for a real estate
closing that took me to a less populated area on the east frontage road of I-25
across from the racetrack just south of its junction with the 599 By-pass and Cerrillos
Road (South 14). At noon we wanted to get
some lunch. I suggested La Choza. So we jumped in my client, Josefo’s, truck
and he started driving us north toward Santa Fe. When we arrived at 599 he turned right and then
north onto Cerrillos Road, I realized that we did not have enough time to drive
to La Choza and eat a leisurely lunch and return to the property in time for
our scheduled 1:00 meeting. So after we
passed the U.S. Forest Service Headquarters and came upon a small commercial
development on the east side of Hwy 14 across from the Santa Fe Brewery, where I remembered eating at a small
Mexican restaurant, I asked Josefo to turn into the development. As soon as we turned into the development I spied
the Crumpackers Café and Bakeshop on the right and got that intuitive feeling
that we needed to try it, mainly because I did not have a happy memory of the
Mexican restaurant. So Josefo turned into
the parking lot and we went in.
Crumpackers
Phone 505.471.0226
5 Bisbee Ct #108 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508
5 Bisbee Ct #108 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508
The restaurant was well lighted and airy with
about fifteen tables and an open kitchen and counter and pastry display cabinet.
While we waited many people came into the restaurant
and lots of interesting and beautiful sandwiches were being served, one was a
huge Hoagie style sandwich on a large slice of baguette. When our order arrived the Reuben Sandwich was
beautifully prepared with what appeared to be melted brie cheese and fresh sauerkraut
and what appeared to be Boar’s Head corned beef with a large scoop of quinoa
vegetable salad creatively nestled in a bowl shaped leaf of Iceberg lettuce. The quinoa were small white kernels and the
vegetables included diced haricot verte, bell pepper, jicama, cucumber and lots
more vegetables that were colorful and the delicious salad was not ruined by a
heavy dressing, allowing the quinoa and vegetables to dominate the visual and
taste space.
But the real winner was the rabbit stew. The man who was obviously the owner had come
to the counter when we ordered and when I asked where they buy their rabbit, he
answered in a foreign accent, “We are at the Farmer’s Market and we buy free
range rabbit at the market.”
The Rabbit Soup or Stew included large pieces of
rabbit flesh, potatoes, carrots, celery and onions floating in a clear broth obviously
made from the rabbit bones and carcass after the meat was removed. It was clear dark and flavorful. I loved it and even had a Déjà Vu memory of
the last time I was startled by a good rabbit dish. It was in a small town in Northern Spain not
far south of San Sebastian where the Madrid to France highway winds through mountain
valleys. We were tired and hungry after driving
inches away from thousands of huge trucks on narrow mountainous highways for
hours, so we stopped for lunch when saw
a small town along a winding river just off the main road. Suzette and I parked the car near the center
of the town and went to a travel agency and asked what restaurant they
recommended. They directed us to a small
restaurant down the street. When we
walked into the restaurant, we walked past the darkened bar in the front and
down a hallway to the dining room in the back that was filled with people. In Spain most restaurants offer what is
called a Comida for lunch, which includes an appetizer or soup or salad and
then an entrée with vegetables and bread or rolls with either wine or beer and
then a dessert for a set price. Comida
at small restaurants like this one are usually under €15. We asked what the entrée choices were and when
one of them was “Conejo”, we immediately said, “conejo (rabbit)”. That was the last time I was startled by how
good a simple dish made with rabbit can be.
Crumpackers achieved that level of wonderfulness.
Its Reuben sandwich was perfectly prepared and
grilled to golden brown, but I could not finish both it and the bowl of Rabbit Stew,
so the management gladly wrapped my unfinished half of the sandwich to go.
One ordering note.
Josefo and I both agreed that his cup of soup contained the same amount
or more soup than my bowl, so note, what Crumpacker uses for their cups of soup
are what other restaurants call a bowl, so when you order a sandwich choose the
cup of soup and you will only sacrifice the two pieces of bread served with the
bowl of soup, which are superfluous anyway.
See the pictures and judge for yourself.
Needless to say a restaurant reviewer finding a new
wonderful restaurant is like a gold prospector finding a large nugget of gold. It doesn’t happen very often and it is
wonderful when it does occur.
Crumpacker’s is the real deal, freshly baked
interesting breads, creative cooking and superbly fresh local ingredients from
the Farmer’s Market at reasonable prices.
And it is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I highly recommend it.
After completing my transaction I stopped at Casa Abril
Wineyards and Winery and said hello to owner, Raymond Vigil, who told me the tasting
room is open Thursday through Sunday and that last year’s harvest was really
good and the Malbec was exceptional. I can’t
wait to go back and taste it. I really
like Casa Abril’s tempranillo and think it is wonderful if it also has a good
malbec now. The vines looked very
healthy, although Raymond said the late cold spring caused the vines to have a
late start.
Bon Appétit
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