The Bavarian, Taos Ski Valley NM

At the bottom of the ski lift of Taos Valley Ski Resort is the Bavarian. It sure has the look of a Bavarian   gastehaus sitting at about 9000 feet on the side of Wheeler Peak. The hippy girls in dirndls kind of made it feel Bavarian.

The half liter or heifeweisen sure made it taste Bavarian. The weisewurst, or veil bratwurst, was spot on Bavarian. The buffalo bratwurst did not make it taste very Bavarian at all. The $17.50 for two sausages, a so called sampler, was not so tasty to me. Beth and I shared this entree. We did eat it all since at high altitudes you build a serious hunger. The kraut was okay as was the mashed potatoes. The gravy was brown, not sure what flavor it was besides brown. It was billed as an Optinator beer sauce.

Dan got the Bav dog. It must have met his pallet since he ate it all.

Jen had the spatzle. A seriously hardy offering as an entree. It tasted pretty good on my sample. It is not like my Mothers, but it was very good.

Dining experience, 9 but the atmosphere resulted in a boost to the score.

Taos Diner, El Prado NM

We always seem to have breakfast at the Taos Diner. Located at 908 Paseo del Pueblo Norte it is also known as The Taos Diner 1. There is a second one on the South end of town. They did a recent remodel of the place. It is brighter and sits more people, but I kind of liked it before. It was a little seedier and more homey to me. A big plus for this place is the kids area. There is a big pile of toys and the kids can leave the adults to talk.

I got another New/ Old Mexico standard, Huevos Rancheros. It was, well, standard, nothing special about it. The green chile was even kind of standard. This is not my usual experience at the Taos Diner. The coffee was rather good. 

The breakfast burrito my table mate had sure looked good. Bacon, ham, sausage, potatoes, eggs, and cheese smothered in red and green (christmas) chile sauce. The red sauce was fiery as it should be.

Dining experience; Usually 9, this time (just for me) 7

Horseman's Haven, Sante Fe MN.

While in New Mexico I had the pleasure of eating at some very good eating establishments. Horseman's Haven at 4354 Cerrillios Road was the first of them. I ate here a few years back and little has changed  since then on the interior. The first time I was here the Cafe was a stand alone business. Since then the surrounding land has been intensively developed around it. The building is not really much from the outside. The interior has a decor of worn, cow boyish, high desert cafe feel. It is nothing special, it does not need to be. People come here for the good food at a very reasonable price, not the decor.

The kitchen was humming place as we watched from the lunch counter. They have the routine finely tuned and everything happens very fast. Our food hit the table in  lightning speed.

Beth has the special of day; Chicken Fajitas. The beans, rice, and tostada filled with guacamole was a meal in itself. The chicken was crisp, moist, and heavily flavored of lime. The two of us could have made a meal of just this entree alone.

I came for the New Mexico classic; the green chile cheeseburger. It is served smothered, so a fork and knife were required to eat this bad boy. The green chiles were mighty spicy I should say. This burger is not for those who do not like it hot. The home fried potatoes were an unexpected touch, but a great way to sop up the spilt green chiles.

Dining experience; 8.5 Have not expectations and you can call it a 9