Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, locals treasure Santa Fe for its restaurant and cuisine scene. From 400+ restaurants, diners, and cafes to the bounty of an award-winning farmer’s market, Santa Fe’s culinary landscape is built on a foundation of tradition and innovation.
That said, we won’t pretend that the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t severely impacted Santa Fe restaurants, which shut down in the state’s effort to contain the virus. On August 29, however, the state’s emergency public health order was amended to allow many businesses and organizations to partially reopen.
Those changes included food and drink establishments, which have been allowed to reopen with indoor dining service at 25 percent of maximum occupancy and outdoor dining at 75 percent capacity.
Santa Fe locals who rely on all-day breakfast at The Pantry breathed a sigh of relief. They can now get their breakfast burritos and huevos consuelo at an outdoor patio.
You can still get your Santa Fe food fix and support the local food and restaurant scene, all while following COVID-safe practices. Here’s how.
Contact Your Favorite Restaurants and Patronize Them Safely
The simplest and best way to support local restaurants is to find out if your faves are open and how they are serving. Some establishments are operating with any combination of takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery. Others have added outdoor dining or indoor service in accordance with state requirements. Then patronize them regularly and safely, following all state guidelines.
Use Online Resources to Track Restaurant Status
Google is the obvious online resource indicated here, but you might check out these resources as well. Keep in mind that online resources, Google included, are only as accurate as the data feeding them, so these resources may not be up to date. Hence our first tip is to contact the restaurant directly.
Edible New Mexico posted a searchable list of Santa Fe restaurants and food purveyors open for business. It’s called #Supportlocal Santa Fe.
SantaFe.com published a list of Santa Fe restaurants open for takeout, curbside, or delivery. The article was posted in early August so it may not be up to date.
NM Safe Certified trains New Mexico businesses in adopting COVID-safe procedures. Use their restaurant directory to find Santa Fe restaurants that have completed the training. Note that the directory is not a complete list of every business that has earned COVID-safe certification.
Head to the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market
Head to the Santa Fe Farmer’s MarketThe Santa Fe Farmer’s Market is NM Safe Certified and is running at 25 percent of maximum capacity in accordance with the state order. Vendor booths are spaced six feet apart and all vendors must follow protocols such as wearing mask and gloves and providing hand-washing stations or hand sanitizer. All customers must wear face masks.
Market hours are 8 AM to 1 PM Saturdays all year round at the Santa Fe Railyard. On Tuesdays until November 24, the market is open from 8 AM to 1 PM at the same location. Check out what’s in season now.
Is there an ATM nearby (yes) and can you bring your dog (no, service dogs only)? Get all the FAQs here. Then grab your personal reusable shopping bags and head out. The market is no longer using reusable produce bags for vendors to fill at this time.
