Tidbits: Santa Fe dining, art, music and more

Santa Fe made another “Best of” travel list. Our little town was named  the 6^th most popular travel city in the US and Canada in Travel +Leisure’s 2012 World’s Best Awards. It’s the 11^th straight year The City Different has made the list. Santa Fe joins 96 other destinations  that have been winners for at least a decade in T & L’s newly created Hall of Fame.  Not bad for a city of under 75,000 people. Come see what all the hoopla’s about. We can arrange the perfect Santa Fe visit for you.

Santa Fe dining and food news:
Sometimes the Sherlock Holmes in me takes over. Today, while shopping at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market I noticed that the space south of the Second Street Brewery was under construction. There was a liquor permit for Vivac Winery on the wall, so I started there. Michele Padberg, co-owner and public relations person  for the Dixon winery, said they will be selling their NM wines there. But there is more to the story. She sent me to Farmers’ Market Director, Bryan Adams, who gave me the rest of the scoop. The market is opening a 2,500 square foot space featuring four local vendors and more. Besides Vivac, local chocolatier Chocolate Smith, ArtfulTea  a tea blender and a garden shop, simply called Gardens.  The Farmers’ Market coffee bar will expanding into that space offering coffee and espresso drinks along with some of what Adams called “gourmet delights.” There will be both indoor and outdoor seating for shoppers wanting to relax over a cuppa. The last occupant is the Farmers’ Market Gift Shop. Ever wonder why the market, dedicated to local has imports for sale in the indoor space? I did, so I asked Adams. He explained that the shop is a big source for their operating funds (over 50%) and allows them to keep booth costs down for the farmers. Much of what they sell is fair trade and they help to support artisan co-ops around the world. The hours for the new venture will be the same as the market’s hours in the beginning but may later expand. Currently, the Farmers’ Market is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays . Hours vary seasonally. They sponsor the local Artisans’ Market year round on Sundays. They hope to have the shop open in late summer. Stay tuned.

Chocolate Smith will be one of the vendors in the new Farmers Market retail space, photo/Steve Collins

Didn’t get enough hoopla on the 4^th of July? The 14^th is the day France still celebrates the storming of the Bastille. French-influenced 315 Restaurant and Wine Bar is celebrating the occasion with a “Lamb Feast.” The three-course dinner, paired with wines is $65 per person.  Diners can also order from the regular menu. Every Friday and Saturday this summer there’s live music on the patio. For reservations call (505) 986-9190.

The Santa Fe Chef dance continues. seems like chefs are coming and going all the time Luminaria, the restaurant at the Four Diamond, Inn and Spa at Loretto has a new chef. The restaurant’s former Sous Chef, Brett Sparman, was promoted to the Executive Chef spot in Mid-May.

Doug Coffin’s “Buffalo Sun”, photo/courtesy Beals and Abbate Fine Art Gallery

Speaking of Sparman, he (along with the hotel’s pastry chef, Andrea Clover) is creating a six course art and wine dinner featuring artist, Doug Coffin on Wednesday, July 25^th.  Coffin, a painter and sculptor, is known for” his monumental, brightly painted steel and mixed media sculptures.” His style is “a fusion of the ancient totemic form used by many Native cultures with the abstraction and geometric forms of the modernist.” According to Jacob Martinez, Director of Beals and Abbate Fine Art Gallery, where Coffin is shown, Coffin and Sparman collaborated on the menu, which reflects the both artist’s palette and his love of food. Robert Beals, the gallery’s co-owner will both be at the dinner along with Coffin to talk about the artist’s work.  The evening begins at 6pm with a reception.  Dinner ($125 per person plus tax and gratuity) begins at 6:45pm. Reservations can be made at (505 984-1915.

Art and museums:
Openings at Beals and Abbate Fine Art Gallery (see the dinner above) on Canyon Road are always fun. Besides great art, they have great food and music, too. Really interesting people turn up. It’s like going to a great party, but it’s open to all. Friday, July 13^th from 5 to 8pm there’s an opening reception for the show, One Million Birds, featuring paintings from gallery co-owner, Anthony Abbate. The show runs from Tuesday, July 1oth through Monday, July 23^rd. Greg Meinke of The Beestro will provide the food. Rumor has it, There’ll be an eight-piece marimba band providing the evening’s musical accompaniment.

Max Olivas “Big Tesuque Canyon I”, courtesy Victoria Price Art & Design

Victoria Price Art & Design at 1512 Pacheco Street will host an opening reception for their show, Slow Motion Surrender,” on Friday, July 20^th from 5 to 7pm. The show, which runs through August 15^th, features about 20 small, mixed media pieces from contractor turned painter, Max Olivas. The show marks a return to regular art exhibitions at the gallery which at one time was located in Santa Fe’s Railyard District.

Santa Fe is bidding goodbye to Shelby Tisdale, the director of the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. She’s off to LA soon to assume the newly created post, Vice President of Curatorial and Exhibitions at the prestigious Autry National Center which includes the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. She’ll be working with Rick West, the founding director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Tisdale, who was at MIAC for seven years, will remain until August 15^th.  She’ll assume her new duties in early September.

Music:
I hear the name Kaye Ballard and I’m taken back to variety TV from the 50s and early 60s, the heyday of that genre. The singer/actress/comedienne was on Ed Sullivan’s Toast of the Town, The Perry Como Show and shows hosted by Gary Moore, Jack Paar, Carol Burnett and others. She’s now in her 80s and still on the road. She’s appearing at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on Friday, July 20^th and Saturday, July 21^st at 7:30pm. The show, DOIN’ IT FOR LOVE, offers “an evening of song, dance, and timeless comedy acts from the best of Broadway and New York cabaret.”  Joining Ballard: Broadway legend Liliane Montevecchi, winner of both the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for her role as Lilaine La Fleur in the 1982 production of Nine. Broadway star, Lee Roy Reams rounds out the evening’s cast.  He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the original Broadway production of 42nd Street. Local pianist and singer, David Geist, the show’s musical director, will conduct a 10-piece orchestra.  Tickets, ranging from $20 to $50, are available at the Lensic box office or online at Tickets Santa Fe.

Lee Roy Reams, Kaye Ballard and Liliane Montevecchi  photo/courtesy Lensic Performing Arts Center

The Santa Fe Concert Association presents a series of three Sunday solo concerts featuring stars from the Santa Fe Opera. Each one-hour concert is followed by a Meet the Artist reception. They all take place at the Scottish Rite Center at the corner of Paseo de Peralta and Bishops Lodge Road.  All concerts are at 4pm.
Sunday, July 22^nd:
 Soprano, Leah Crocetto, Anna in this year’s  production of Maometto II,  will present a recital of classic art songs and lighter fare accompanied by pianist Joseph Illick.
Sunday, July 29^th:
Soprano, Nicole Cabell, who’lll be starring in The Pearl Fishers as the priestess Leila, will appear with composer/pianist Ricky Ian Gordon in a recital of songs from their soon to be released CD Silver Rain.
Sunday, August 5^th:
Bass-baritone,  Luca Pisaroni, who plays the title role in Maometto II in Luca will present a recital of songs by Schubert, Rossini and Liszt. Joseph Illick will again be at the piano.

Tickets for the series are $40 each for general admission. You can also buy a series ticket for $100. Students are half-priced. They can be purchased at the Lensic box office or online at Tickets Santa Fe.

Gardens:
The Santa Fe Garden Club presents Behind Adobe Walls, two tours that take you into homes and gardens you’d never be able to see on your own. They’re always held the last two Tuesdays in July.  On both Tuesday, July 24th and Tuesday, July 31^st, buses will leave from the Hotel Santa Fe at 12:30pm. The over four hour escorted tour features four unique homes and their gardens. The cost is $75 per person and reservations are strongly suggested. These sell out.  There is an optional prix fixe lunch prior to departure. For tickets contact Westwind Travel at (505) 984-0022 or e mail [email protected].

And that’s it for another week’s Tidbits. If you have any Santa Fe news to share with us, let us know.