Albuquerque Journal

Leanly contempora­ry menu fits in Cafe Sonder’s diner niche

Nod to owners’ Greek heritage a welcome treat

- BY KAREN PETERSON

Both Plaza Cafes — on the Plaza and south side — have long been among our favorites. So we were excited to learn that the same restaurant family was opening Cafe Sonder in the Guadalupe Street spot occupied formerly by Zia Diner.

After a pre-Thanksgivi­ng visit, we can report that our enthusiasm wasn’t misplaced. Cafe Sonder promised to be a little different from its sister restaurant­s and it is, both in decoration and cuisine. But not so far different that it misses what we figure is, for lack of better terms, the diner niche.

The Guadalupe Street location is a prize: In the hub of Santa Fe’s “second downtown,” it’s airy, sunny, spacious and has a small patio. Cafe Sonder has done it one better with spiffy, very contempora­ry-industrial metal chairs, a neutral overall palette of gray with bright red accents, and quite attractive origami-like red light fixtures.

The menu, too, is leanly contempora­ry. Its sister cafes offer something for everyone, but Sonder is content with a one-page list, plus a couple of desserts. The diner theme is there, though, including the Razatos family’s nod to their Greek heritage in the form of gyros — roasted lamb on pita bread — as well as hummus and other Mediterran­ean dips, and, of course, a Greek salad. You can get a green chile cheeseburg­er, naturally, and a variety of other standard sandwiches, including a prime rib sandwich.

Larger meals include a vegetarian pasta medley, a roast chicken dinner or steak with frites. But the menu also includes a Japanese breakfast of smoked tofu, soft-boiled egg and house pickles, or lamb and green chile hash, and arugula-date salad.

Arriving for Sunday lunch, we opted for a representa­tive trio of the offerings. The arugula salad ($9) was exactly what you’d expect, arugula and tomatoes, with roasted beets and toasted almonds, bound with a tart-sweet sherry vinaigrett­e. It worked as a light main course, which is exactly what one of my guests wanted.

The gyros sandwich ($13) was excellent: plenty of slow-roasted lamb piled with lettuce and tomatoes on a very fresh, hot pita. The obligatory tzatziki sauce (cucumber and yogurt) was on board, too. Better than most in Santa Fe, opined my other guest.

My fisherman’s stew ($20) promised saffron broth, rock fish, shrimp and assorted shellfish, and it certainly delivered. The bowl was loaded with fish, with shrimp and clams well represente­d, and the tomatoey saffron broth begged to be mopped with the accompanyi­ng toasted french bread. I was in heaven!

Desserts don’t seem to be the main focus at Cafe Sonder. We asked for a menu and got the waiter’s recitation: bread pudding, a couple of other options that I confess I’ve forgotten, and an unspecifie­d sorbet. Well, who doesn’t like bread pudding? We got it and the sorbet ($7 each), and were pretty happy.

The sorbet du jour turned out to be lemon — a big scoop of it with berries — and it was very good and refreshing. The bread pudding, with the obligatory vanilla crème anglaise, was excellent as far as I was concerned, but my Southern-bred guests though it wasn’t quite rich enough. Still, it was warm and sweet, and just gooey enough to be pleasing.

Cafe Sonder’s service is excellent. Who’d expect less from a family that has been in the restaurant business here for well over half a century? As noted, we loved the new decor. And we appreciate­d the pared-down menu that neverthele­ss includes plenty of comfort food, while managing to be adventurou­s besides. Quinoa-dried cherry salad, anyone?

 ?? EDDIE MOORE/JOURNAL ?? Cafe Sonder has opened in the old Zia Diner space on Guadalupe Street, serving both adventurou­s and comfort food.
EDDIE MOORE/JOURNAL Cafe Sonder has opened in the old Zia Diner space on Guadalupe Street, serving both adventurou­s and comfort food.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States