Soak & dine
Artesian satisfies at Ojo Caliente
The Ojo Caliente spa is a venerable institution. The bones of the buildings that house the mineral baths date back more than a century, and that’s not counting the hot springs’ preEuropean history. In recent decades, the once-dilapidated spa has found new owners and been spruced up considerably. The result is true to its northern New Mexico roots, but pleasantly updated. The menu at the spa’s restaurant reflects the same balance: local produce, local meats, local decor, all translated to a contemporary experience that doesn’t overreach. In the midst of a recent visit for long soaks in the spa’s iron and arsenic pools, we enjoyed lunch at the adjoining Artesian Restaurant.
One of my guests chose the Artesian’s signature salad with additional shrimp ($16). Chicken, mahi mahi and salmon are the other optional additions to the basic salad, which is $8 for the small, but very adequate, size.
The salad included a very nice batch of mixed greens grown in the spa’s small garden up the road, laced with the shrimp and apple slices, and swathed in a prickly pear vinaigrette. What we especially liked was the dressing’s blend of sweet and tart, echoed by the crisp apple slices. The shrimp were large and perfectly poached. A scattering of feta cheese over the top added a salty layer of flavor.
Another guest chose the green chile enchiladas with chicken ($14). These, too, were very good. We appreciated the meticulously diced chicken chunks, again perfectly cooked and tender, as well as the robust, peppery flavor of the chile. If you’re looking for heat, though, you won’t find it in the spa’s choice of green.
The accompanying rice, we noted, was a cut above the unimaginative versions standard in Española Valley variations of this plate, made interesting with additions of peas and other vegetables.
The Frito pie ($11), made with the spa’s red chile-marinated carne adovada, was excellent. The spa’s red is just hot enough to be interesting without being overwhelming. The pork also was meticulously cut into small chunks and wonderfully tender.
And, no, this pie was not served in the “traditional” way — atop a lunch-sized open Frito bag. More elegantly, the chips were scattered on the plate and topped with the chile meat and cheese. The side of sour cream and the obligatory lettuce and tomato garnish were ramped up with a little raw onion. We especially appreciated the light hand with the cheese that topped the creation: fewer calories, less fat, still tasty.
The Artesian’s lunch menu includes a variety of sandwiches, including a couple of burgers, as well as salad variations and vegetarian options that include chile rellenos, a cheese sandwich and a garden veggie burger.
Vaguely mindful of the healthconscious notions that led us to visit the spa in the first place, we ordered only two desserts. Of the variety available (chocolate truffles, pumpkin tamales), we opted for the spa’s creme brûlée ($7) and the coconutmango tres leches cake ($8). Both were excellent.
We especially appreciated the creme brûlée, with its crisp, burntsugar crust, and the bits of ground vanilla seed that added both rich flavor and visual interest to the creamy pudding. The cake was a nice variation on the tres leches theme — a moistly, milky white cake laden with coconut and topped with two curls of ripe mango — a sweet fruit that nevertheless was a wonderful foil compared to the even sweeter cake.
The point of visiting Ojo’s spa is relaxation. In keeping with that, lunch was leisurely. But we were not impatient: service was prompt and attentive without being hovering. We also enjoyed the spacious atmosphere in the dining room, and the art (local and very good). While we wouldn’t classify the Artesian Restaurant as a destination for innovative food, we were very pleased with what we found.