Diners and dives are my favourite locations to scope out and, once we first moved to Santa Fe, my husband instantly acknowledged The Pantry on Cerrillos as certainly one of these locations that we maintain close to and expensive. He had an uncanny capability to smell out nice eating places from merely driving by and we have now been followers ever since I took that first chunk of their Chile Relleno Omelet.
Father and son, Stan and Michael Singley, purchased The Pantry in 2001 and collectively they’ve expanded the Pantry’s footprint with a location downtown, The Pantry Rio, in addition to The Pantry Dos, on the eastside of city in Oshara Village close to Rancho Viejo and the Santa Fe Neighborhood School. Having visited each spin-offs, I desire Pantry Dos, which, since opening in 2019, has turn out to be such a treasure for locals – as you received’t discover any vacationers at this location.
Just like the scratch cooking The Pantry is understood for, The Pantry Dos was constructed from the bottom up. Vibrant and ethereal, with pop music taking part in frivolously within the background, there’s a cool vibe that exudes past the partitions of the constructing. The overflowing car parking zone and other people ready exterior for a desk point out you might have landed in a scorching spot. Each Sunday morning, there’s an agua fresca stand manned by two lovable youngsters serving up free glasses of horchata, agua de mango and agua de fresa (strawberry) to clients ready exterior for a desk inside.
When you step inside the fashionable however industrial stylish area with polished concrete flooring, uncovered ceilings and beneficiant pure gentle from many home windows, the partitions are sparsely embellished with New Mexico posters and an image from The Pantry from manner again when. For many who must see weekend sports activities, there’s a TV within the nook of the bar whenever you stroll in. Patio diners will discover a beneficiant lined out of doors consuming space.
Whereas the menu is sprinkled with traditional Pantry staples, The Pantry Dos menu feels much more formidable in that it brings in new dishes to essentially make this a stand-out restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A menu options breakfast on the entrance and lunch and dinner on the again.
Breakfast consists of the Chile Relleno Omelet ($13.95) that stole my coronary heart; Conventional Breakfast ($12.75) of two eggs and your alternative of meat, which might be carne adovada; Breakfast Burrito ($11.95) and Tup’s Burrito ($12.95), which options corn tortillas crammed with scrambled eggs and greens topped with top-of-the-line pink chiles on the town – that occurs to be gluten-free. Many of the breakfast plates include Pantry fries and toast. When the kitchen is just not too busy, I wish to request “additional crispy” on the Pantry fries for an outrageous fried potato expertise.
Or select from Blue Corn Cinnamon Pancakes ($8.95), Belgian Waffle ($9.50) or a favourite Cinnamon Roll ($6.50) for a candy begin to your day. Avocado lovers will dig the Avocado Toast ($11.75) plate which comes with two eggs and Pantry fries or fruit.
Regardless that we arrived at brunch time, my eating companions and I have been all within the temper for lunch. To start out, we examined the Chips and Dips ($11.95) and let me say that home made tortilla chips are a powerful method to begin any meal and these have been excellent. Skinny and crispy, these tortilla chips have been sprinkled with a little bit of seasoning salt to make them nearly addictive. Three dips embrace do-it-yourself spicy salsa, guacamole and a white chile con queso that was additionally fairly spicy and actually good.
On earlier visits, I’ve had the Vegetarian Tacos ($11.25) that are crammed with diced calabacitas and black beans for a healthful vegetarian meal. However, trying to develop my culinary horizons, I opted for a Home Specialty – Fish and Chips ($17.75) – and was stunned with what arrived. A bountiful plate of 4 massive items of cod are lined in a tempura batter and deep fried till golden scrumptious, this felt extra like a British pub than a Santa Fe diner. Served with french fries, this can be certainly one of few objects on the menu that isn’t made in-house. However these fries resemble McDonald’s fries which makes them completely acceptable. An apple-cabbage slaw is served on the facet nevertheless it lacked taste and desires a little bit assist from the gifted kitchen to make this a signature slaw value serving and consuming.
My eating companions each had the Reuben Sandwich ($13.95). This hearty sandwich is made with a lot find it irresistible confirmed up formed like a coronary heart. Scrumptious rye bread is buttered and grilled and crammed with corned beef, sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese together with a layer of Thousand Island dressing for simply the correct quantity of candy to offset the savory, briny, tacky sandwich. A facet of fries tops this sandwich off.
The lunch and dinner menu is crammed with salads and soups, New Mexico Classics like Enchilada Platter ($13.50); Home Specialties and Sandwiches and Burgers, similar to a BLTA ($12.25), SF Hen Sandwich ($13.25) and The Pantry Burger ($15.25). Costs vary from $4.50 for Chips and Salsa to $23.75 for a Grilled N.Y. Strip with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and sauteed greens.
One thing that has at all times impressed me about The Pantry is that the homeowners lead by instance. Michael Singley is likely one of the hardest working restaurateurs on the town as he greets and seats visitors, busses tables and strikes tables. He’s at all times in movement. This units the tone for the workers to observe and it’s obvious that the employees loves their work and so they have enjoyable and they’re at all times smiling. This vitality is contagious and maybe one of many the reason why Pantry Dos has already established itself as a locals favourite. Recent and do-it-yourself meals with nice worth factors served in a heat area with completely happy workers makes for an unbeatable mixture. The Pantry has been Santa Fe’s assembly place since 1948 and Pantry Dos is the place the actual locals meet and eat since 2019.
