Arroyo Vino

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  I have to agree with Maggie L.  The food was tasty, but portions were a "taste for one person" not a share with three other people at the table.  The waiter asked us if we minded him bringing one plate at a time; however, we were three-fourths through our dinner.  I was was the first to receive a dish of soup and was confused as to how I was supposed to share it.  It was less than a 1/4 cup and I had to ask for a spoon.  We were able to split the second dish that consisted of a tablespoon of mushrooms.  I calculated the $10 soup to come to about $40 for a full serving.  If I had know our waiter was going to serve one plate at a time, I wouldn't have let my soup sit and get cold.
  
  The gentlemen helping us select wine was friendly and informative and the wine selection was outstanding, but if you order off the menu you are charged an additional $20 even though the menu wine comes from the same room.  The restaurant determines what wines are on the menu.  It was very confusing.
  
  I'm not opposed to small plates, but the hostess and waiter assured us that each plate was enough to share.  For the portion size and price Arroyo Vino was very pricey.

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  Posted on 07.20.13 Pam L.

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  On 4th of July, we headed out to the see fireworks in Santa Fe - and since this required us to go way west of town, we went early.  Too early - - so we wanted to drink wine while we waited.  We had reservations at Arroyo Vino the following night, which was close by, so we went to find it, since it is a bit out of town!  Went into Arroyo Vino, the wine expert pick out a lovely Bandol rose, loaned us two wine glasses and off we went.  GREAT wine, met some great new friends waiting for the fireworks!  THANKS for loaning us the glasses!
  Next night we went back to return our glasses (!!), and for our dinner reservations.  Delightful AND delicious.  I especially liked the piquillo peppers stuffed with lamb sausage and pine nut pistou - - worth the trip!

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  Posted on 07.18.13 Pat L.

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  Have been at least 10-12 times.  My experience does not change.  The last time was as good, or better than the first. Soft crabs unbelievable. Fabulous food, fabulous wait staff and fabulous wines to choose from.  The chef is extraordinarily talented.  I have Not taken anyone there who has not raved.  They are also working on noise reduction.  I appreciate their listening to that sort of feedback .

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  Posted on 07.10.13 Gail H.

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  Hello all-
  
  If you have not visited ARROYO VINO yet....what are you waiting for?  :-)
  
  Being a chef - working privately in Santa Fe - I adore this new place.  I have dined there three times - once at the bar...then the community table (fun!)...then at an  intimate private table.  
  
  The fine food - creative and well-priced - the great service and the lovely atmosphere have made me come back time and again.  I will continue to support this gem as long as I am living in lil'  ol'  Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
  
  It is a perfect place for a light bite of something more substantial.  Perfection.  Perhaps I will see you there.
  
  -JGC

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  Posted on 06.30.13 John C.

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  Arroyo Vino is new (maybe two months), 10 minutes or so west of Santa Fe, and is already far and away my favorite Santa Fe restaurant. They serve up "small plates" that are best shared among an intimate group of 3 or 4 friends, and that are uniformly interesting and delicious. If the friends don't happen to be available, alone at the bar is not half bad! I just dined alone there (after 3 or 4 previous outings with good friends)and (greedily not sharing) had amazingly good (be patient): asparagus soup with lobster and tarragon; pan-seared lamb top sirloin with mint, pea puree and Israeli couscous; and raspberry semifreddo, lemon meringue, basil, salted vanilla sponge cake. (I'll post pics next.) Order from a small menu and the daily specials board. Take my word and (if you're a group of 3 or 4) just order all of the daily specials to start. They're always a treat. That and a glass of their excellent wine (the recommended daily special wines seem always to be wonderful) may leave you fully satisfied or ready for another round of small plates. Yes, multiple rounds and fine wine end up getting a tad pricey in total. If you're looking for volume and cheap, go somewhere else. But we've never left over-full or remotely unhappy about the check or the service.

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  Posted on 06.22.13 Mac L.

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  guess i'm going to be the lone dissatisfied customer so far.  yes, the food was tasty, but $16 for a one square inch (okay maybe an inch and a half) of fish....i think not.  the $14 crispy pig slider was a better value tho still small.  all in all, this is a 'small plate' dining place.  not a lot of food for what i think is a lot of money.  was really hoping for a more reasonably priced tapas place.  not sure we'll be back

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  Posted on 05.01.13 Maggie L.

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  So I previously wrote about the wonderful wine tastings at AV and now that their restaurant has opened, I have returned to try their dinner. AV serves tapas for now T-Sat from 5-8:30, but will expand as the weather heats up to include lunch, an outside patio, and even a bocce ball court.  But for now, they serve absolutely phenomenal tapas....I am semi-retired now here in Santa Fe but had my taste buds groomed in the San Francisco Bay Area and I can't say I habitually eat at haunts like the Bay Wolf, Chez Panisse, French Laundry, Zuni, Ad Hoc, Kokkari, I have definitely had more than my share and my wife and I cook from these restaurant cookbooks almost daily.  Suffice to say, we are serious foodies. ....And AV belongs in the conversation with the best of the best.  Where to start?  
  
  There were three of us. A bottle of great Treana Marsanne-Viognier blend and four glasses of wine plus about 7-8 dishes for three of us:  $150 before tip.  For the math challenged that is $50/person for wine and dinner.  And what a dinner.
  
  Started with a salad of sunchoke, pear and hazelnut.... very good, but truthfully, it paled with what followed:  Chicken Liver Cristini with Mushroom Ragu was amazing with the ragu melting in your mouth.... Crispy polenta with blue cheese fonduta also incredible. They certainly know how to toast or crisp a polenta or a potato and retain and moist creamy interior, to wit, the Truffled Potato Cake with a caramelized onion puree had such a gorgeous and yummy crust with the insides a heavenly creamy texture... a nice contrast and wonderfully flavored.....Then Cacio e Pepe is a pasta dish with an airy foam as the 'sauce' tasting of parsley, olive oil and a cheese that smacked of a great pecorino.... so light....But the piece de resistance was the ravioli with braised short ribs. For this I ordered a great Gigondas and they matched perfectly.  I know we ordered something else wonderful from the specials list, but alas, only the faint memory of it being delicious remains.  So often we go out and say to ourselves:  that was good, but you know, we could replicate that at home....  But at AV, after every single course all three of us were just speechless and I kept repeating:  how did they do that?  
  
  I don't write many reviews...this being about my fifth I think, ever.  But when young talented folks stick their necks out on a dream and hit a frigging grand slam, they deserve kudos.  Wonderful food....and I can't wait to park my butt on their deck one Saturday afternoon, with a great book, some wine and appetizers, and maybe some bocce ball.  
  
  Go! You won't regret it.

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  Posted on 04.09.13 Paul G.

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