by katezr | Jan 16, 2016 | New Mexico Happenings

Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail, New Mexico
New Mexico’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail — with nearly 100 spots to sample — is a tasty way to add a little spice to your life this year.
Though their exact origins are unknown, the distinctive burgers laden with cheese and green chiles have appeared on menus across the state since at least the 1950s.
At Sparky’s in Hatch, a town defined by chiles, you can wash your burger down with a green chile shake.
At 5 Star Burgers — a chain with locations in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos — green chile mayo amps up the green chile cheeseburger experience.
But we all know that the Santa Fe Bite has the best green chile cheeseburger anywhere.
Copy and past the link below for the other 15.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/08/travel/united-states-travel-destinations-2016/index.html
by katezr | Mar 9, 2015 | New Mexico Happenings, Santa Fe New Mexico
SANTA FE (KRQE) – It’s the stuff that causes furious debate. It’s even a state competition. Who cooks up the best green chile cheeseburger in the state? Yahoo has declared a winner as it went out to find the best burgers in all 50 states.
After the three months of researching, eating, and yes, fighting, Yahoo believes the best burger in New Mexico can be found at Santa Fe Bite in our capital city.
“It’s a great article. It’s always good to be recognized,” said John Eckre, owner of Santa Fe Bite.
Eckre previously owned Bobcat Bite and earned a reputation for mouth-watering burgers there.
“I’ve been doing it for 15 years now, so I should start getting good at it pretty quick,” he joked.
“We always do our best. We grind our meat fresh every day: whole boneless chuck and sirloin; it’s like ground steak,” he said.
Eckre set out to cook with the best ingredients he could find. But that’s not his only secret behind the kitchen door.
“We take our time with the burgers. We don’t hurry them and mash them down. We let them cool slow. That leaves you with a savory flavor that longer cooking gives you,” Eckre said. “I made my grills myself. I used to be a welder, so I built three cast iron grills that really do enhance the flavor of the burger. It makes a big difference,” he said.
Customers, whether first-time diners or longtime patrons, raved about their meals over their Friday lunch.
“When you order a medium, it’s just a perfect medium. The meat is very well made, and it’s juicy. It’s never dried out, and the vegetables are always fresh,” said Lewis Smith. “I’ve been coming here every other Friday,” he added.
A Huffington Post article also recognizing Santa Fe Bite is what led Sandy Usita of Rio Rancho to choose to dine here this particular Friday.
“I’m glad I had a chance to read the article because it’s great. I missed this for I don’t know how long,” Usita said. “I absolutely love a good burger. This is quality,” she said.
Shane Plossu developed his cravings back at Bobcat Bite and visits Santa Fe Bite when he returns to Santa Fe. “It’s just a real treat for me to do that. Get a green chile fix everytime I come back home,” he said.
“The Bite is really the best burger I’ve had. I’ve traveled a lot myself as well, tried lots of burgers and to me the green chile cheeseburger is just the one,” Plossu said.
In its review, Yahoo said, “The chuck and sirloin beef mix complements the smoky heat of the chiles, and makes you wish more people from other states would start putting green chiles on everything.”
But was there a runner-up in New Mexico?
Yahoo began its burger choice for the Land of Enchantment by saying, “With apologies to the delicious burgers at Manny’s Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio, we had to go with Santa Fe Bite’s green chile cheeseburger.”
Santa Fe Bite is located at 311 Old Santa Fe Trail.
by katezr | Jan 8, 2014 | Santa Fe New Mexico

Holiday lights on the Santa Fe Plaza
This Forbes Travel Guide writer spent “Two Perfect Days in Santa Fe” and details his trip below. Sounds like he had a great time.
You’ve seen blue skies before, but you haven’t seen them quite like this. Santa Fe’s blue looks almost Photoshopped it’s so crisp. Combine that piercing hue with the earth-toned adobe buildings the area is synonymous with, and you have the kind of……click link below for the full story.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestravelguide/2013/11/20/spending-two-perfect-days-in-santa-fe/?sh=603d3138be50
by katezr | Jan 10, 2013 | Eldorado Photos, Santa Fe New Mexico, Welcome
Eldorado in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is home to some of the most sought-after real estate properties in the county. My name is Lisa Smith and I am a long-time resident and a realtor in this community. I specialize in listing and selling Eldorado area properties. It is truly a unique community which offers something for everyone: hiking trails, biking, swimming, tennis, basketball, stables, soccer fields, dog park, children’s parks, a 4,000 acre nature preserve and more.
It’s just 20 minutes to the heart of Santa Fe and the art, culture and history our beautiful city offers as well as excellent year-round climate, gorgeous views, clean air and a variety of recreational activities.
There are 2,670 homes on 8,000 acres with about 6,000 residents. Singles, families, artists, couples, sports enthusiasts, writers, historians—you won’t meet a boring person, believe me! Residents have moved here to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Santa Fe or just enjoy the beauty and expansive views of Eldorado.
The homes are primarily Pueblo Revival Style with a few Northern New Mexico (pitched metal roof) style mixed in.
The Agora shopping center in Eldorado has restaurants, vet services, hair salon, shops and mail services as well as a beautifully landscaped courtyard. La Tienda across Avenida Vista Grande has tap room, more restaurants, hardware store and boutique shopping.
Dues are an extremely low $525 a year because Santa Fe County maintains the roads. Eldorado also has the top ranked Volunteer Fire Department in New Mexico.
We would not live anywhere else! Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this wonderful community or the real estate properties available in Eldorado.
by katezr | Aug 29, 2012 | New Mexico Happenings, Santa Fe New Mexico
Santa Fe has been ranked in the Top 10 Art and Architecture Destinations in the World by Hotwire. The highest ranking US city.
But we already knew that…
LONDON | Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:51am EDT (Reuters) – From Picasso in St. Petersburg to sculptures in Sydney, Hotwire.com has compiled a list of the top 10 places to admire famous art around the world. Reuters has not endorsed this list.
1. Paris, France. It may seem obvious, but there’s a reason why Paris always ends up on top of most art-lovers’ lists. Start with one of the largest and most well-known museums in the world, the Louvre (Musee du Louvre). This museum displays an estimated 380,000 objects and 35,000 works of art including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. And of course, the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre) is one of the most famous architectural works of art in its own right. Beyond the Louvre, visitors can experience impressionist and post-impressionist French art at the Musee d’Orsay, the surrealist movement at Espace Dali or view modern works by artists like Pablo Picasso at the Musee d’Art Moderne.
2. Florence, ItalyKnown as the “cradle of the Renaissance,” Florence is overflowing with beautiful pieces of art and architecture. Before even setting foot inside a museum, visitors can take a tour of Firenze to bask in all of the great architecture that makes up the city. From palaces to monuments to religious buildings, the city itself is a giant museum of master architectural work that is sure to leave folks breathless. Once inside these beautiful buildings, be sure to visit Galleria dell’ Accademia (Academy Gallery), which is home to Michelangelo’s David, or the Galleria degli Uffizi (Uffizi Galleries), to view works from artists such as Giotto, Botticelli, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.
3. Vatican CitySt. Peter’s Square is an architectural masterpiece designed by Gian Bernini in the seventeenth century, but it’s the Vatican museums and churches that are the stars. These museums hold an immense collection of sculptures, paintings and artefacts that have been collected by the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. This includes some of history’s most renowned works of art, such as Michelangelo’s painted ceiling at the Sistine Chapel and the Last Judgment. Famous works by Raphael can also be found throughout the Vatican but are mostly concentrated in the Apostolic Palace. And don’t forget, just outside the Vatican walls sits Rome, which could stand alone as an art lover’s delight with its museums and Roman architecture.
4. Berlin, GermanyOver the last 20 years, Berlin has emerged as one of the biggest art venues in Europe with an impressive selection of new architecture, exhibits and art galleries. But even with its new art scene, Berlin will always have strong ties to the past, which can be seen at one of the 17 Berlin State Museums that are divided into five clusters. Museumsinsel (Museum Island), a complex of five museums, is the largest in Europe, and is comprised of the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum, and Pergamon Museum, which were all built on the site of the original city settlement. The museums’ collections range from Roman and Greek Classical Antiquities, to 19th century sculptures and paintings, to prehistory and early history.
5. Amsterdam, the NetherlandsAmsterdam is a great destination to experience the out-of-the-ordinary, and the art is no exception. If you are craving something a little unusual, The Florescent Art Museum, also known as “Electric Ladyland,” is a tribute to Jimi Hendrix and has a vast collection of psychedelic pieces. But the Dutch also have a wealth of classics, and gave the world such famous painters as Rembrandt and Van Gogh. The Van Gogh Museum displays the most extensive collection of his work including 200 paintings, 550 sketches and hundreds of letters from Van Gogh to his brother Theo.
6. St. Petersburg, RussiaSt. Petersburg is arguably one of the most picturesque cities in the world, and at its center is the State Hermitage Museum. This museum contains three million pieces, including works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Pablo Picasso and Nicolas Poussin. It is also one of the most extensive museums with objects from around the world, ranging in time from pre-historic to post-modern. St. Petersburg also has a wealth of museums dedicated to Russian art, with the State Russian Museums housing the largest collection of pieces from Russia. For something out-of-the-box, be sure to stop by the Museum of Non-Conformist Art, which features the art movement under the Soviet Union.
7. Santa Fe, New Mexico. The community of Santa Fe has long been considered both a haven for creativity and an important gathering place for the American art community, especially those who love Native art. In August, the annual Santa Fe Indian Market attracts thousands of visitors to the city for the largest showing of authentic Native art in the world. Other art enthusiasts with eclectic tastes can venture to the art district on Canyon Road, which features more than 100 art galleries and studios. Finally, Santa Fe was home to many well-known artists including Georgia O’Keeffe. O’Keeffe became famous for her depictions of enlarged flowers and paintings inspired by her time in New Mexico, which are on exhibition at The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
8. Los Angeles, California. As one of the most eclectic cities in the United States, Los Angeles is a giant melting pot of art that is just waiting to be explored, with a lot of it on the cutting edge of modernity. Visit Chris Burden’s iconic Urban Light display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in West Hollywood, or travel downtown to the Museum of Contemporary Art MOCA.L, where artists such as Banksy and Tim Burton have shown their work. LA is home to not only one, but two Getty Museums. Whether travellers feel like exploring the beautiful gardens at the Getty Villa, or admiring the collections of European and American art at the Getty Center, both venues provide breathtaking views of the City of Angels.
9. Sydney, AustraliaEven though Sydney is more known for its beautiful beaches, it still offers travellers a unique artistic experience. Visitors can explore the city to see the architecture, local galleries and the Sydney Sculpture Walk, which features Australian and contemporary artists. In March, Sydney celebrates its vibrant art scene with a month-long festival. During Art Month, visitors can not only expect an abundance of art exhibits, but can experience art talks, tours, performances, art bars and gallery openings. Or for a more intimate look into Sydney’s local art, Sydney Art Tours lead people through the smaller galleries and provide an up-close look into artists’ studios. Travellers can also head over to Balmain, the suburb of Sydney where artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers are known to hang-out. And don’t leave Sydney without touring its most famous piece of architecture, The Sydney Opera House.
10. Tokyo, JapanTokyo offers art enthusiasts a chance to experience amazing Asian styles that were created independently of the West. The city is home to more than 240 museums, such as the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum and the Nerima Art Museum, plus an array of magnificent temples and shrines. For the arts and crafts lover, visit Tokyo’s arts and crafts scene at the Edo Shitamachi Traditional Museum, and for someone with an ear for music, stop by the Musashino Music College Musical Instrument Museum, which has more than 5,000 instruments from all over the world.