Santa Fe, we need to talk about Radish & Rye (505 Cerrillos Road, (505) 930-5325), that downtown dining spot from executive chef Dru Ruebush and his wife/partner Camille Bremer into which droves enter, at least according to anyone who hangs around the patio of the CHOMP food hall. Oddly, at least in my circles, there’s nary a mention of Ruebush and Bremer’s fine dining joint when the topic of fine dining comes up. But for those among us who’ve long known the deal at spots like Santacafé and Geronimo and The Compound and such and thought we pretty much had fine dining figured out on a local scale, the time for Radish & Rye is nigh— right now, if you’re smart.
First, some personal history: It’s been years since I ate at Radish & Rye, partly because my initial visit, back when the restaurant lived inside the little house on Agua Fría Street that formerly housed Ristra, was what I’d call “fine.” I remember I had a piece of salmon and a bourbon cocktail of some kind, and the drink outshone the fish. So I’ve labored under that impression for many years, and I’ve certainly come to the point as a food writer wherein another grilled salmon sounds like another grilled boring. How wrong I was with the Radish & Rye case, and I perhaps should have known that from the sheer number of diners I’ve observed inside whenever I’ve traipsed by its massive Cerrillos Road window.
2025 marks 10 years of Radish & Rye, however, and that was certainly on my mind when I made a dinner reservation. Well, that and how it’s funny that you can think you’re familiar with a restaurant you’ve never been inside. If I’d bothered to get in there before, even for a glimpse, I’d have seen the beautiful decor—a warm mix of industrial-esque exposed brick and inviting fine dining-style white tablecloths, plus a beautiful chandelier which certainly has no bearing on food, but, like, is good to look at when you’re perusing a menu. In short, Ruebush and Bremer’s spot nails the ambiance and somehow feels laid back enough for jeans, yet upscale enough that a suit coat wouldn’t be out of place. That’s a tough line to straddle, but they do.
Of course, it makes sense. Together, the couple has eons in foodservice with stints at spots like the Nob Hill Bar+Grill in Albuquerque (where they met), to various eateries around Santa Fe. Ruebush hails from New Mexico, I know for sure; Bremer, I don’t know, but I have to assume she counts Santa Fe as her capital-H home as people don’t generally craft such a beautiful dining room if they don’t care about sticking around. In others words, Radish & Rye is one of the more beautiful restaurants in town, and you truly feel like you’re getting a hospitality experience the instant you walk in the door. Oh, and if you make a reservation for two early enough in the week, you might just find yourself seated at that beautiful window I mentioned earlier.
From there, things got a little more intense, but in a good way. Radish & Rye’s menu is concise, but it’s also a powerhouse of Southern-inspired dishes, from starters like fried green tomatoes and fried gulf shrimp to main courses like blackened snapper and shrimp and grits. As myself and my companion were dining for work reasons, we sucked it up and ordered as much as we thought we could eat. It is no exaggeration to say every dish impressed us thanks to chef de cuisine Brandon Burns, who is clearly quite the talent.
We started with smoked pork ribs ($18), a trio of rather large ribs served with a chipotle sauce and house-made sweet pickle slices. Our server was kind enough to offer a fourth rib when we noted we’d share them, but we figured three would be enough. Oh, how wrong we were—not from a portion point of view, but from a place where a smoked pork rib can be so delicious you kind of want to ditch the rest of the meal and eat a million of them. The edges of each rib were satisfyingly crispy, while the meat closer to the bone remained tender and borderline sweet and buttery. With the slight tang and kick of the chipotle sauce, we had a real winner on our hands, plus a nice kickstart to a ferocious shared appetite for our main courses.
My companion gleefully ordered the shrimp and grits ($54), a dish I’ve long known her to love and one that seems uncommon on Santa Fe menus, or, at least, uncommon at restaurants you’d trust to handle shrimp well. Radish & Rye’s take was impeccable, both from the expert cookjob on the shrimp themselves to the included pork belly and sprinkling of tart and sweet cherries and beer-based mustard. I’ve always preferred a slight grit to my grits, and not just because of the name, but for a counterbalance of textures. These had that in spades, and the soft pork belly merged with the firm shrimp for a delightful combination of surfy and turfy flavors.
I only snagged a couple bites, and I’d have been jealous had Radish & Rye’s menu not featured a shareable dish of potatoes cooked in duck fat ($8) and a chicken and waffle dish ($38). The chicken and waffle is one of the all-time comfort dishes, and one I’ve seen pop up more places locally in recent years. And though Boxcar chef Eric Stumpf’s take will always have a place in my heart thanks to the red chile-infused butter, Ruebush/Burns’ version included some of the best fried chicken I’ve tasted in my life, or at least since the inimitable Santa Fean Shontez Morris died some years ago, taking with her her phenomenal fried chicken pop-up business. Radish & Rye’s fried chicken is a potent combination of flavors and textures that illustrate why we love fried chicken so much as a people—the chicken had clearly been brined for some unknowable period of time, but its tenderness and richness shone through the perfectly crisped breading of the exterior. The waffle came gluten-free and adorned with rye syrup doled out in a geometric pattern that practically made the plate a piece of art. That, plus the salty potatoes, felt almost breakfasty, though certainly of a higher quality than what I can muster in my home-cooked meals. Also? Hear and believe me when I say that the only better sweet-savory combo in existence is that of the mighty Reese’s peanut butter cup, and without all that gluten slowing me down, I managed to devour the dish and still have room for dessert.
Speaking of which, the dessert was…OK, listen carefully when I tell you that our dessert experience at Radish & Rye was among the most memorable I’ve ever had in Santa Fe. ‘Twas a rye chocolate mousse with fresh blueberries suspended throughout, plus thick whipped cream and a sprinkling of crunchy piñon clusters. Where has this treat been all my life? The sweet juice of the blueberries augmented the deep richness of the thick mousse, and the spelt-like piñon clusters added another dimension to a dessert that didn’t seem like it could get any better. It did, though. As a final thought, I suggest sharing that dessert if you can, for it is so rich. Otherwise, don’t share it if you dare, because it’s so nuanced and delicious that you’ll probably only resent the second spoon-holder.
