The southside of Santa Fe is booming with new development and building which gives numerous causes to enterprise south of Siler or head north from Albuquerque to style what’s new in The Metropolis Completely different. Having reviewed many eating places over the past yr, I’ve not but featured a southside eating institution. After a good friend took me to Rustica for my birthday – which exceeded my expectations, I returned on one other evening to ensure this was the actual deal. And it’s.
Situated off Cerrillos Highway throughout the road from the extremely profitable sister restaurant, The Ranch Home, house owners Josh Baum and Ann Gordon are constructing a culinary empire. Although Rustica opened to combined critiques one yr in the past, it was throughout Covid and anybody courageous sufficient to open a restaurant throughout a pandemic deserves a break. Nevertheless, having learn numerous rave critiques on social media as of late, I used to be delighted to make my inaugural go to.
The restaurant is a southside marvel. The tile within the foyer will instantly make you smile. Vibrant and daring, however not too daring, the tile is a press release piece that eludes happiness. With three eating areas to select from, the within eating space is massive and full of cubicles and four-top tables, the bar space affords excessive high chairs in addition to a eating space, whereas the patio gives a coated area to get pleasure from good meals and good climate.
Whereas the clear, trendy and complex inside lends itself to excessive worth factors, the considerate menu is each approachable and inexpensive and a full bar invitations friends to sip on a particular cocktail to start out the night. We had been entranced with the Rosemary Gin and Tonic ($7), Aperol Spritz ($7) and the Rustica Margarita ($10). The scent of rosemary when sipping the gin and tonic is intelligent and provides an herbaceous layer to a easy drink and the Rustica Margarita is made with home made limoncello which supplies this signature cocktail an Italian spin. A variety of artistic and home made dishes promise one thing for everybody and the kitchen prides itself on gluten-free choices.
Over two visits in a single week, my eating companions and I savored the Caesar Salad ($10) and the Kale and Apple Salad ($10). Utilizing pesto as a base for the Caesar dressing, this can be a stand-alone salad and one that may linger with you lengthy after you allow Rustica. The basil pesto dressing is so tasty, they may serve it on a flip-flop and we might lick the sandal clear. The usage of romaine and child kale is a wholesome nod that was not misplaced on me and the shaved Parmesan makes you recognize the kitchen’s consideration to element.
On the lighter facet, the Kale and Apple Salad may simply be topped with protein of option to make a lightweight and wholesome dinner. Child kale is combined with batons of crunchy and tart inexperienced apple, dried cherries, thinly sliced purple onion and Gorgonzola crumbles for a mix that may knock your socks off.
For a consolation dish, we ordered Fried Calamari ($10) which options completely crispy squid rings and tentacles with fried pepperoncini slices for a pleasant pickled zing. Served with an aioli and a heat marinara, we had been uncertain which sauce we preferred higher.
As a result of gluten-free is usually a problem, this kitchen makes their very own gluten-free pasta and pizza crust, so we ordered each. The Cavatelli Pasta ($18) is a savory and wealthy pasta dish that features crumbled and home made Italian sausage with a creamy rossa sauce, a sauce made with tomatoes and purple bell peppers for a sweeter sauce, and some stalks of broccolini for a punch of colour. Although I believe this dish could be finest when cooler climate strikes, we devoured this severe pasta dish and the home made gluten-free fettuccine was past spectacular.
However, the gluten-free pizza wasn’t the perfect I’ve ever had, but it surely was respectable. We veered from regular and ordered the Rustica ($14) with ricotta, contemporary mozzarella, Gorgonzola, garlic, pecorino, purple onion, prosciutto and Calbrian chile honey. The crust was chewy and the dough appeared to be fairly moist earlier than baking, however I admired the try.
For the second go to, my eating companions had Shrimp Piccata ($18) and Duck Ravioli ($18), whereas I ordered the Branzino ($24). Usually, branzino is served in high-end eating places and might value greater than $40. Served with crispy potatoes and roasted tomatoes and a facet of broccolini, this fish dish was scrumptious however positively yearns for a lightweight sauce to convey every part collectively – and the potatoes additionally may have used a sauce as they had been a bit dry.
The sauce on the Shrimp Piccata was the present stopper. Briny capers mix brilliantly with butter, garlic, parsley, white wine and olive oil to make a sensational sauce that adheres to the home made pasta. Small tomato halves are cooked till nearly damaged down so as to add much more taste to this sauce. The dish options six shrimp which had been small, however not overcooked.
The kitchen additionally makes the pasta for the ravioli. Eight massive ravioli are filled with shredded duck and coated in a stellar Marsala-mushroom wine sauce. Appears the kitchen has a knack for sauces, which makes the dearth of a lightweight sauce for the branzino seem to be an oversight.
Regardless that we didn’t have room for dessert, we had to ensure their desserts had been as much as par. Throughout my first go to, we shared the Heat Chocolate Budino ($8). Assume actually undercooked chocolate lava cake. The pudding didn’t do it for me, however I used to be captivated by the textural mixture of heat pudding and chilly salted caramel ice cream. On the identical be aware, we weren’t mesmerized by the Apple Crostada ($8). The crust was overcooked and there have been barely any apples within the filling. However the vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce had been simply what we would have liked on a sizzling summer season evening.
Total, we discovered the employees welcoming, caring and happy with the high-quality meals and distinctive eating expertise. Savannah took care of us on the patio throughout our first go to and although we waited for a bit earlier than our server reached us on the second go to, having Divine maintain us made it properly definitely worth the wait. Her dimples, smile and real happiness lifted our spirits. Throughout programs, Divine positioned a brand new rolled serviette with contemporary silverware in entrance of me as she surreptitiously snagged my material serviette from my lap. It was magical the best way she did this and it made me really feel tremendous particular.
The subsequent time you need basic Italian with a up to date spin at a good and affordable worth, know that Rustica awaits with a cheery inside, home made pasta, lengthy simmered sauces, convivial employees and a reliable kitchen. This can be a highly effective mixture that deserves much more consideration.
