Courtesy Photo: Il Vicino bambino pizza with artichoke hearts, capers, kalamata olilves, and sausage.
From classic New Mexican food to wood-fired pizza and a sweet ending with ice cream, everyone is happy with these local options.
By Heather Hunter
Il Vicino
321 W. San Francisco Street
505-986-8700
Who doesn’t love pizza? And when it’s cooked in a wood-fired oven, yes please. With three locations in Albuquerque and one hot spot in Santa Fe near the Plaza, Il Vicino is a contemporary Italian pizzeria and a New Mexico staple that is adored by everyone—and where everyone feels welcome.
Since opening in 1994, Santa Fe customers are drawn to the aroma of savory Italian food and pizza wafting outside. The name Il Vicino means neighbors and you feel the love as soon as you step through the doors. The delightful, hospitable, and loquacious general manager Juan Alvarez started as a cook when they opened and worked his way up. Some of the kitchen crew have been cooking here for 20 years, and Juan proudly boasts that he now has a second-generation employee, which speaks to the family philosophy that Il Vicino embodies.
A thoughtful kids menu for ages 12 and under offers meals for $8.95 and includes penne pasta with butter and parmesan, marinara, or Alfredo sauce; margherita or pepperoni pizza; or a grilled cheese, also known as piadine mozzarella, which is grilled flatbread with melted mozzarella.
Or zero in on the Bambino, featuring a small salad and personal sized pizza along with a drink. This is a perfect meal for one that is an ideal combination of healthy and totally satisfying.
Parents can savor one of nine tasty healthy salads, a variety of pizzas, paninis, and piadines. Some of Il Vicino’s most popular dishes are the Il Vicino salad and the chicken panini, and the pizzas are legendary. Pay special attention to the bottles of olio piccante on the table—this is not to be missed. A spicy oil made in-house, you will want to pour this on your pizza and anything else that needs a zing. It’s addictive in the best way.
The calzones are big enough to serve two and are a wonderful starter for the table, while the lasagna is another favorite and the penne arrabbiata is spicy enough to make you want more. Everything is made with love and you will taste it.
Juan says, “People come here for the food, service, and community. This is our cultural fabric that we share with every customer. And that’s why they come back. Time and again.”
There is an acute attention to detail that makes Il Vicino such a special place. And the music is on point creating a perfect vibe for everyone to enjoy a casual and delicious family meal at a restaurant worthy of frequent repetition.
Courtesy Photo: Double scoop of chocolate sea salt and vanilla ice cream.
La Lecheria
500 Market Street
505-428-0077
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream—especially during the summer.
Everyone knows the best place to get a scoop of homemade ice cream in Santa Fe is La Lecheria. It started on Lena Street in 2016, then moved to Marcy Street in 2018 as a small walk-up space, and, in May 2022, expanded into a 2,700 square feet space at the Railyard that features 2,000 square feet of production space. The storefront isn’t hard to find because there is often a line of customers waiting patiently outside for a glorious scoop of hand-crafted ice cream.
What sets La Lecheria apart is they use no stabilizers, artificial ingredients, or preservatives. Just organic dairy, organic eggs, and organic sugar. And the bonus is when they make something to add into the ice cream, like cookies, they typically make it from scratch.
Owner and chef Joel Coleman says, “As a chef, using quality ingredients is the way it should be and I could never compromise on this. One of my favorite compliments from older generations is when they tell me, ‘This is what ice cream used to be like.’ It might cost more, but you can taste the difference.”
Chef Joel enjoys partnering with other local businesses to make great ice cream even better. They exclusively use Java Joe’s coffee for the coffee ice cream, Artful Tea for the tea inspired ice creams, and Eldora Chocolate in Albuquerque. In the summer, they partner with different farmers for fruit.
Last summer, Joel worked with Matt Hauser, of Mountain Valley Produce, who has a farm in Colorado and is known for his succulent peaches. Joel says, “We used his stone fruit for a peach amaretto ice cream and we always do a variation with goat cheese mixed with a berry and it comes across as a cheesecake. Even people who don’t like goat cheese are blown away. The big one last year was Thai tea. We steep the Thai tea into the ice cream base and the result is amazing.”
For dairy-free customers, look for creative combos like pineapple-red chile or strawberry margarita to please the palate.
With ice cream season in full swing, stop by the Railyard and enjoy a cool family outing. Make this a fun challenge to see who can choose the best flavor. Because when it comes to La Lecheria ice cream, there are no losers.
Courtesy Photo: Taquitos kids meal with beans, applesauce, and guacamole
La Choza
905 Alarid Street
505-982-0909
In the heart of Santa Fe at the intersection of Cerrillos and St. Francis sits La Choza, a beloved landmark institution since 1983. The sister restaurant to The Shed downtown, La Choza is where locals convene and where New Mexican food reigns supreme.
Upon entering the colorful space, you immediately feel at home. The staff are gracious, the service is hospitable, the drinks are delicious, and the food is unbeatable.
Sarah Carswell, the granddaughter of The Shed’s original founders, owns and operates La Choza with the same gracious hospitality her grandparents shared that has made these two restaurants so iconic. With plenty of indoor and outdoor patio dining space, La Choza feeds hungry crowds all day long, an estimated one-third of the customers are families.
Families love La Choza for many reasons—making the space safe, comfortable, welcoming, and healthy for everyone. The restaurant has highchairs for the little ones and a kids menu with dishes for $7 or less. The kids menu features all the dishes the young one’s love including bean burrito, cheese quesadilla, veggie quesadilla, chicken quesadilla, crispy tacos, enchiladas, chicken or cheese taquitos, cheeseburger, and a grilled cheese. Each kid’s menu item comes with a fresh and colorful selection of sides, such as carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, apple sauce, Fritos, potato chips, pinto beans, and refried beans.
Sarah says, “Having had children, it is nice to arrive at a restaurant and have options that the kids will be excited about—and that are healthy. Because we offer salads, we have plenty of raw vegetables that make a wonderful side for kids’ meals. We also offer purple daikon radish and jicama which are crispy, fresh, and colorful.”
Courtesy Photo: Overhead shot of veggie quesadilla and raw carrots and cucumbers
Of the kids menu, she says, “We like to make New Mexican food approachable and familiar for our local families as well as visiting tourists. Our veggie quesadillas and chicken and cheese taquitos are the most popular kids’ items. Very consistently, we see cucumbers and carrots as popular sides. I rarely see kids order chips because the color and crunch of the cucumber and carrots is more enticing.”
Ending the meal on a sweet note is a favorite. “There is something about seeing a fresh, warm pastry, the sopaipilla, delivered to the table. To see the kids’ eyes get big when they see this—there is this playfulness in their enjoyment that covering it with a little or a lot of honey brings to everyone, me included,” she says.
Outdoor dining on the patios is also great for families, as these spaces are safely enclosed and dog friendly. Sarah intentionally has the patios protected so when kids run around, there is a natural element of security.
And the proximity to the Railyard is both convenient and entertaining for families. Kids love to see the Railrunner and the Sky Railway trains pass by. Being close to the Railyard also means that families can enjoy a walk while waiting for a table, allowing exploration and movement rather than sitting idle.
But waiting for a table at La Choza is part of the experience. Fortunately, the food and service are always worth the wait and make everyone in the family happy.
Courtesy Photo: Lavendar lemon honey
Courtesy Photo: Kid’s pepperoni pizza
Heather Hunter is a marketing and communications consultant who puts words in people’s mouths. She enjoys sharing her favorite recipes at thecowgirlgourmetinsantafe.com. When she’s not writing or talking, she’s thinking about food and can be found at the farmers market, cooking for friends, celebrating life at a local restaurant, on a hike with her dog, or finding peace and movement on her yoga mat.