Chasing Santa Fe: 2011-10-23

10.31.2011

Day of the Dead - Santa Fe Style

D I A D E L O S M U E R T O S

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward

When I lived in Mexico, the Day of the Dead celebrations were always a treat. Flower 'paintings' filled the plaza and at night we'd meander the cobblestone streets stopping at open windows to admire each family's personal altar. It was truly a celebration of life. But, Santa Fe also does itself proud with a myriad of Day of the Dead celebrations - el Museo Cultural to the International Folk Art Musuem - I tried to capture some of that vibrancy with my camera...Here goes...

10.28.2011

Tomme - A Restaurant

S O P H I S T I C A T E D B I S T R O - D O W N T O W N S A N T A F E

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward

I dropped by for lunch with a friend and all it took was one bite...

Yes, real women swoon.

Where to begin. I ordered the Slow-Braised Short Rib Gougeres. The perfectly-piped choux pastry puffs were a treat all by themselves. But, with the shredded beef topped with a smidgen of apricot gremolata...it was remarkable. I'm not kidding.

My friend had the Baby Greens Salad studded with crisp apple, candied hazlenuts, farm-fresh chevre, and tossed with a simple, but memorable sherry vinaigrette.

And the Southern Fried Chicken is pure sophisticated comfort food.

No wonder Executive Chef Mark Connell is smiling. He knows he's got a winner! And rumor has it that he's going to be putting a Coq au Vin Pot Pie on the dinner menu. I'm there...

T O M M E

(Named after a type of French cheese and pronounced TUM)

Brian Rood - Chef de Cuisine

229 Galisteo Street - corner of W. Alameda

505.820.2253

Open Lunch & dinner - Tuesday through Saturday

CLICK HERE TO SEE RECENT POSTS...

10.25.2011

Kate Palmer - An Artist's Dream Home/Studio

Landscape painter Kate Palmer and husband Robb Habbersett live in this turreted, two-story passive-solar house designed by famed Santa Fe architect William Lumpkins. Kate and Robb's home is wonderfully unique, embracing the architect's penchant for asymmetrical design and flowing room blocks. Lush gardens and open patios - designed and created by Kate and Rob on each of the home's three levels, offer grand solitude and gorgeous vistas.

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward

The house was designed to be in sync with Mother Nature. Two-story exterior windows capture sunlight, and a series of sliding glass widows on the interior can be opened or closed - depending upon the season - to regulate the temperature. And as the sun drops in winter, sunlight pouring through the front windows goes deeper into the house.

As you enter, a sculptural spiral staircase takes you to the second level. The beautiful iron railings were designed to store heat...

The only other source of heat is this sleek wood-burning stove, purchased from a neighbor and moved to the second floor with a lot of help...

Each room is filled with much-loved art.

And lots of sunshine.

Kate's beloved pottery sits on every surface...

And her soaring 1,100 sq. ft. studio - added on to the north side of the original house - is filled with light from 18 ft. floor to ceiling windows that face the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and foothills. There are framed landscapes on every wall, and large and small easels cradle canvases in various stages of completion.

Kate received this behemoth easel as first prize in a show at the Salmagundi Club in New York.

"I was always an outside person," explains Kate who grew up in Oklahoma City. "I used to make small pots out of red clay down by the stream near my house," she recalls. "My parents had to use a grappling hook to bring me home."

As a result, she is passionate about landscapes and travels and paints in Tuscany, Charleston and the Monteray Coast when not capturing the beauty of New Mexico. She is formally trained and has won numerous and prestigious awards and has been featured in a myriad of art publications.