T he Spring Equinox (Sunday, March 20) is barreling down hard, but before it arrives, there are some delicious culinary happenings to consider, in Santa Fe and beyond. A hydroponic farm and shipping-container community opens in Albuquerque; a chocolate celebration on March 5 at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa benefits La Familia Medical Center; the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show lands at Sandia Resort & Casino and more!
Bromance at the Boxcar
Head down to the Boxcar in the Railyard between 6 and 8 pm on Saturday, Feb. 27, to help Communities in Schools spread its message of hope and have some snacks. The Communities in Schools program provides on-site mentorship and other services to try to keep kids in school—and happy to be there. They do excellent work, and Santa Fe is a finer city for their involvement in the community.
Wasabi: More than a Hobby
Is that real wasabi on your plate of sushi? Probably not. While many restaurants in New Mexico offer the real stuff, you have to ask for it, and it isn't cheap. What better way to get familiar with the real McCoy than hitting a fresh wasabi and sake dinner? At 5 pm Saturday, Feb. 27, Izanami restaurant at Ten Thousand Waves serves up a five-course sake-pairing dinner featuring small-batch sakes from Joto Sake Imports and real wasabi from one of the US's only producers, Oregon-based Frog Eyes Wasabi.
Get in These Jeans
Anchored by the Santa Fe Brewing Co. taproom on Cutler Avenue in Albuquerque, the Green Jeans Farmery retail compound is now completely open for business. Billed on its website as "a community-oriented commercial plaza constructed entirely with re-purposed shipping containers as modular, architectural building blocks, the Farmery functions as an indoor/outdoor gathering place that builds on ingenuity, fun and localist choices with the message of healthy living and neighborhood." From 2 to 9 pm on Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20, the Farmery parties hard to mark the grand opening with food and beverages from its various on-site restaurants and live music.
All in La Familia
For many Santa Feans, easy and affordable access to health and dental care can be a challenge. La Familia Medical Center, which has provided these services to the community regardless of one's income or ability to pay for more than three decades, invites everyone to its Divine Decadence: The Chocolate Challenge benefit at 6 pm Saturday, March 5, at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa ($75). Taste chocolate creations from local restaurants Santacafé, Eloisa, Kakawa Chocolate House, Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder and many others. Bonus: It's a competition! Judges include Chef Rocky Durham of the Santa Fe Culinary Academy, Local Flavor's Patty Karlovitz and local cookbook maven and food writer Cheryl Alters Jamison. There is also a silent auction to benefit La Familia.
Bring the Heat
From Friday-Sunday, March 4-6, there will be tears of joy (and for sure, a few of pain) during the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show at Sandia Resort & Casino. Hundreds of exhibitors and producers from around the US gather at this annual festival to celebrate the mighty chile in its many forms. But there's more to do here than just whip your taste buds into submission. Candy makers, ice cream vendors and alcohol distributors are on hand to give your palate a break. On that note, hail the creation of a hot sauce made by combining the super-spicy Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper with—jet-fuel technology?
Bubbles on High
Congrats to New Mexico's own Gruet Winery for recently snagging a "best sparkling wine in America" nod from Vine Pair columnist Rachel Singer, who fell in love with Gruet's strong French connections.
Another Burger Champion in New Mexico
Kudos to Roswell-based Chef Toddzilla's Mobile Cuisine for earning the top national spot in mobilecuisine.com's 2016 search for the best food truck burger! Toddzilla's garnered more than 50 percent of more than 4,700 votes from around the country. Not too shabby.
The Millennial Diet?
Check out this insightful story with graphics about the DIY dining habits of the common American millennial. While you're at it, look at this long read about how the traps of the industrial food complex and social media may have a lot in common.
Thank you for subscribing to The Fork. Remember: Your food news could be our food news, and we love hearing from you. Hit us in the culinary sweet spot at [email protected]
