Santa Fe- Francophile Edition
They don't say Paris is a good idea for no reason but when you can’t get to Paris for the weekend..you can find little glimpses of it wherever you might be! And today I am sharing some wonderful places that remind me of France in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
I mean once a Francophile, always a Francophile.
Where To Eat:
Mille: It began in Los Alamos, New Mexico, in 2017 when the owners, Stephanie and Marcel, decided to take a break from their scientific career to follow their passion and open the French grocery-café, Fleur de Lys. The adventure continued in 2021 when Stephanie and Marcel were given the opportunity to purchase the Bouche building complex on West Alameda in Santa Fe. This building is now the home of Mille, a French café and crêperie. Mille was originally the pâtisserie of Marcel's grandparents in the city of Ajaccio in Corsica, France. The mid-20th century tradition of Mille continues today in Santa Fe.
Walking into their café means being immediately greeted by a delightful smell of freshly baked treats that no one can resist. As a neighborhood café and crêperie that serves the local community, they are committed to using the best ingredients and serving you delicious, handcrafted baked goods.
Highly recommend the Moules Marinières & Fries. These sailor-style mussels (12 mussels in a wine and butter sauce with garlic, shallots, parsley, and lemon) served with a side of fries and toasted baguette slices are just magnificent!!!!
The Buckwheat-Flour Crêpes are just so delicious too! Soooo savory! We enjoyed the Classic with ham, swiss, and green chile. (love that even the french adore their chile here)
The French Soda Pop’s from Rieme, France are so refreshing! The blood orange is my absolute favorite!
And of course the croissants are a must.
Just look at how flaky this is.
Clafoutis: Serving up the finest pastries, coffees, and delectables this side of the Rio! Smiling service and a warm greeting happen each time you step inside this restaurant and bakery. Master hands working with the finest ingredients is what really sets this place apart from all others in town.
There is always an applaud for small family businesses that start from humble beginnings and stay that way for generations. Such is the case with Clafoutis, owned and operated by Anne Laure and Philippe Ligier. They began their culinary adventure as teenagers in eastern France quite a few years, operating restaurants and bakeries in a number of different places over the years including southern France and Albuquerque before finding their way to Santa Fe. Anne Laure has become the ultimate hostess and Philippe a true maestro of French breads and pastries. Their oldest daughter, Charlotte Kolkmeyer, has worked with mom and dad all along the way becoming the consummate manager in charge of restaurant activities and the delightful and accommodating staff.
Everything at Clafoutis is fresh…the food, the delightful ambiance and the crisp aromas that waft through the restaurant. Friendliness is another hallmark of Clafoutis. From the warm “Bonjour” greeting from Anne Lauer as she serves up pastries, to the attentiveness of Charlotte and the occasional magic smile of Philippe as he pops out of the bakery area, the scent of friendliness mixes warmly with the remarkable tasty delights.The ultimate compliment that one can make about Clafoutis though, is that, while there is always green chile in something (which is de rigueur in Santa Fe) and the tasty Cuban sandwich on the menu, rest assured Monsieur and Madame Croque, Clafoutis is French, very, very French.
The Quiche Lorraine is to die for!!!And the French Toast with fresh fruit is delicious!!! And the desserts are just the chef’s kiss!!!
Cafe des Artistes: The Café des Artistes is a charming and friendly establishment to enjoy fresh, homemade food. Dining on an organic gazpacho, a cheese plate or some foie gras while sipping a refreshing beverage people watching from the terrace in The Plaza. The handcrafted sandwiches and salads made of the finest ingredients are a tasty delight. There is a wide selection of Gelato’s and many delicious desserts. Coffee too!!
The Salad Niçoise is sooooo good—-Tuna, Spanish Anchovies, Spring Mix, Baby Dutch Potatoes, Haricots Verts, Tomato, Olive Niçoise, Boiled Egg, Niçoise Dressing Prosciutto and Mozzarella ! The Cheese Plate has a selection of 5 different European Cheeses, Figs, Walnuts, with Local Honey. The Quiche du Jour is also an excellent choice…. comes with a green side salad! Delicious Roast Beef too- not really French but I love a good roast beef sand!!
https://www.cafedesartistessf.com/
Madame Matisse: Cozy little French cafe-bakery and restaurant….Highly recommend the Crêpes with Nutella and the Parisian omelet. The French Onion soup is delicious too and they make a really good Croissant. The Pistachio Chocolate Almond Croissant is out of this world!! I wish I had photos to share with you but my camera was dead unfortunately.
Sage Bakehouse: IN 1996, Andrée Falls opened Sage Bakehouse. Andrée grew up in the restaurant business. At age four, she was sitting on the kitchen counter of her mother's restaurant watching the cooks prepare the day's lunch. By the time she was eight, she was wearing an apron and has been cooking and baking ever since. In 1981, Andrée went to Paris for a semester abroad that turned into a 3-year stay. When she returned home to Dallas in 1984, she opened Parigi Restaurant and was chef/ owner until 1995, when she sold Parigi to move to beautiful Santa Fe and open the Sage Bakehouse.
LOAVES
Their breads are what the French call “pain tradition,” which means they are naturally leavened, hand-formed, slowly fermented, and baked directly on the hearth of the French oven. You’ll find their breads at their bakery and in northern New Mexico’s finest food shops, restaurants, and hotels. The Tartines are scrumptious and the Pastries are sooo delicious!!!
Where To shop
La Boheme: Located on Santa Fe’s east side on Canyon Road in an 1860’s adobe house, La Boheme is a small shop that offers a unique range of handmade and ethically sourced clothing, jewelry and folk art. Here you will find their bespoke handmade bras, slips and bloomers alongside several different contemporary designers’ clothing and textiles. From time to time, the shop is stocked with things such as old Mexican milagros, French vintage bloomers and vintage South American textiles.
Additionally, they offer the vintage and historic Navajo and Pueblo jewelry from the collection of Teal McKibben, Santa Fe artist, collector and founder of La Bodega, the predecessor (and their marvelous mother in law).
L’Ecole Des Beaux Arts: L’Ecole Des Beaux Arts is truly such a special place on Canyon Road! They sell handmade watercolors, artist kits, supplies and clothing! Their handmade watercolor paint is pure pigment mixed with natural watercolor medium; this gives the paint a rich, opaque, pure quality. The medium is from Germany and is made from stabilized Gum Arabic, (sap from the Acacia Tree), honey and glycerine.
They use the finest natural, mineral, earth and some synthetic pigments from Italy, France, Germany, Mexico, Austria, India and the US- and they use no known toxic pigments. Their paint is handmade in their studio on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, NM and I am in love!
Build your own custom palette by selecting your colors and fill your favorite empty watercolor tin! They have inspired my adoration for watercolor again! I can’t wait to show you what I have been working on!
Bon Marché- Shop colorful, French Fermob Patio furniture, high end custom patio umbrella, outdoor Sunbrella Fabric and custom upholstery, French artisan made lifestyle ...
They are passionate about celebrating and entertaining on their patios! They believe that spending time around the table is fundamental to a good life. They sit together and share food, their stories and their lives. So having a great patio table, chairs and lounge furniture lends to this mission!
Born and raised in France, Jean-Philippe steers the whole team with a very strong aesthetic and great taste. Amy is a an entrepreneur that saw the vision for this company when she met JP.
Together, they started this company more than 10 years ago with the goal of helping all their customers enjoy a more colorful lifestyle and bring quality products from Europe that are artisan made.
The colors, style, history and quality of our furnishings all echo the European love and enthusiasm for lounging, eating and sharing a special moment in a beautiful surrounding – you just need to light the candles and open the wine (French wine of course).
History of THeir Fabric
The linens are of the highest quality using artisan made fabrics from premium threads of dyed cotton that are warp and weft-twisted, fast colors. The exuberant colors are modern and fresh. The origin of these fabrics echo the 150-year tradition of placing linens over the backs of the cows and burros on the farms to protect them from the heat of the Mediterranean sun. The larger the stripes in the pattern of the fabric that draped the cow or burro signified the wealth of the owner of the land. Today, each modern design represents a different province or village within the Basque and Catalan regions.
They sell the most beautiful Laguiole Cutlery too! I bought a set while I was visiting which you can see here in this fun reel I made for Bastille Day!!!
What are your favorite places to visit as a Francophile in Santa Fe??!!!! I know there are others I need to try and add to my list!!!
