A Taste Of Santa Fe in Tulsa- La Tertulia
Such a lovely small and beautifully pared back restaurant! The distinctive attitude towards food and interiors is at the heart of La Tertulia and make each visit exciting, intimate and unforgettable. The kind of place you could linger over a glass of sangria or a pitcher of margaritas and dinner for hours and hours…
Anyone who has read this blog a few times knows I’ve had a very long love affair with Santa Fe and New Mexican cuisine. And I am already having a massive love affair with Tulsa based La Tertulia. I love any and all New Mexican cuisine! There is nothing like Northern New Mexican food for spicy, earthy comfort food. I simply can’t get enough of it!
As you may know Tulsa’s restaurants are open for indoor dining and outdoor dining and people are getting vaccinated - but if you’re sticking with takeout still like me- then add La Tertulia to your list! Going out to eat is what you do and well, this is rough. I get teary eyed reading about restaurants and thinking back to my fond memories of eating delicious dinners with friends but I am happy I can still support my local faves and take a break from cooking! I really am not sure when I will be ready for indoor dining again. (Just being honest here)
As soon as we got our food home, I could hardly stand how wonderful everything smelled . We did not even bother with plating things because why dirty up dishes?! The whole point of a takeout night is to take a COMPLETE break. Am I right?!
The grace and simplicity are so apparent on these plates but why would I expect anything less or different from James Beard Winning Chef Kevin Nashan?!
Born in Chicago and raised in Santa Fe, Kevin Nashan spent as much of his childhood in a restaurant as he did in the classroom. For 27 years, his family owned La Tertulia, a beloved Northern New Mexican restaurant started by his Hispanic grandfather in 1972. Throughout his youth, Nashan helped out doing everything from washing dishes to working front of house. After graduating from St. Louis University, he enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
After culinary school, Nashan interned at Commander’s Palace under Chef Jamie Shannon, introducing him to the fast-paced world of restaurant kitchens. Nashan then moved to Chicago to immersed himself in French cuisine under the guidance of celebrated Chef Roland Liccioni at La Francais in Chicago. In 1998, Nashan moved to northwestern Spain to stage at El Raco de Can Fabes, but due to a miscommunication, found himself there in the wrong month! Always resourceful, he set out for San Sebastian, a laid-back surf town with one of the highest concentrations of Michelin stars in the world. He knocked on doors and landed at the famed three-starred restaurant Martin Berasategui.
After nearly a year in Europe, Nashan longed to return to the states and assumed a position at Daniel in New York City, working his way through the kitchen under the watchful eye of Chef Daniel Boulud. In 2002, Nashan returned to his adopted hometown of St. Louis with the intentions of opening a restaurant. He learned the owners of local standby Sidney Street were looking to pass the torch after 16 years in business. Nashan loved the beautiful building and decided, along with his wife, Mina, to buy the restaurant in 2003.
Nashan seamlessly incorporates his wide variety of culinary experiences and influences into seasonal, locally sourced creations. His French training shines through his food while his time in Spain shows its lasting impact in soulful sofrito-based dishes and the innumerable cured products in the pantry. The New Mexican cuisine of his childhood is also never far from his mind and his love for Southern cuisine is reflected in the form of ingredients like ham hocks, sorghum, and speckled grits. Nashan believes that sourcing locally should be expected, not celebrated, and it doesn’t get much closer to home than the micro greens he grows in the basement or the garden occupying in the Sidney Street parking lot.
In August 2014, Nashan opened his second restaurant in St. Louis, Peacemaker Lobster & Crab. Inspired by Nashan’s time spent cooking and living in New Orleans and his travels along Maine’s rocky coast, Peacemaker highlights the Acadian tie between Northeastern and Louisiana cuisines. The menu features creative interpretations of coastal favorites like lobster rolls, po’boy sandwiches, steamed blue crab, seafood boils, chowders, gumbos, and seasonal pies. Nashan opened a second location of Peacemaker right here in Tulsa, OK in a historic downtown space at the heart of Tulsa’s Blue Dome District in September 2018. And now we have the incredible La Tertulia in The Blue Dome district too!
We are truly so lucky!
Everything we had was absolutely delicious. The food is simple, yet decadent! Delectable, really. And just screams Hello, New Mexico. I feel quite spoiled really having this gem of a place blocks away from where I live. Now I no longer have to try and day-dream about what my perfect date-night dinner would look like………….
So here is what I recommend ordering.
Guacamole & Chips: This is a delightful creamy guac with lots of flavor and the size of it is just perfect. At first Rodge was like “Oh is this all the chips?!” but really the limitless bowls of chips and platter of guac as big as your head is not La Tertulia.
Green Chile Stew: This stew is what I dream of when the weather starts cooling off each fall but honestly I could eat it all year round. This New Mexico comfort food is simple, rustic and satisfying! Green Chile Stew is a humble dish. Seared chunks of pork, potatoes, onions, garlic, broth and of course green chilies. It has the distinct flavor of green chilies however isn’t necessarily spicy unless it has been made with fresh chilies which can vary in heat. This particular one had just the right amount of heat!
Kale & Piñon Salad: A delish nutritious salad made up of baby kale, tomato confit, diosa verde toasted pine nuts, cotija cheese, and pickled red onions. This is such a unique salad and we were so surprised with how much you get just ordering the regular portion over the entrée salad! I could drink the salad dressing alone.
Enchilada Plate: Three layered house made blue corn tortillas, red or green chile (or request my personal favorite and request both by saying you would like your enchiladas Christmas style) cheese, spanish rice, and pinto beans. You can add chicken or beef and even an egg! This is a truly traditional New Mexican dish. These enchiladas are perfect meal of the day and guaranteed to set your taste buds on fire! This dish is addicting once you experience the great red and green chile made from scratch. I seriously cannot stop dreaming of this!
Chiles Relleno: You know how some dishes just take you back to simpler times? This dish does that for me. They were my absolute favorite childhood meal, and to this day I still get excited about eating them. Slightly spicy, lightly crispy and oh so creamy and melty, they are everything you could possibly want from a chile relleno. You get two whole roasted green chiles stuffed with cheese, green chile, spanish rice, and posole. These rellenos were so spicy and divine. They are such a quintessential New Mexican dish! They are, simply put, the best dang stuffed peppers you’ll ever try. Comforting, filling, and downright delicious.
Sopapillas: New Mexican sopapillas are made from Tortilla-like dough. The dough is fried until it is puffy and a small air pocket appears within the pastry and a true southwest dinner is not complete unless you include a basket of these incredible delights. Anyone who has ever lived in New Mexico knows what Authentic New Mexican Sopapillas are; a delicious spin on Native American fry bread, Sopapillas are ‘little pillows’ of dough that puff up when fried. And I do mean puff up! You talk about being full of hot air, the pocket inside is the perfect cavity for filling with all sorts of delicious things like honey, frijoles con carne (refried beans and meat), or even ice cream. They can be eaten as an appetizer, main course, or dessert! However I love them with my meal dipping them into my chile and pinto beans! You can get 5 for $3 bucks and they are served with warm honey butter!! Please do not forget about these.
As you can see, our take-out dinner was superb! And I highly recommend for you to try La Tertulia. We are hosting a fun little giveaway on Instagram too so click over to this post and enter for a $50 gift card that can be used for indoor dining or carry out. They just opened for lunch too.
Please let them know you discovered them through this post too as it really helps us to understand what is working in terms of marketing!
Shop a new date night look below: