Coyote Café reopens with new look, new menu items
Coyote Café showcases dramatic makeover of main dining room
Coyote Café, the iconic restaurant founded by celebrity chef Mark Miller that helped define modern Southwestern cuisine, reopened recently after a month-plus makeover of the second-floor main dining room.
Owner Quinn Stephenson, a 19-year veteran of the 30-year-old trend-setting Water Street eatery, declined to say how much he spent on the renovation, except to admit, “It wasn’t cheap.”
Stephenson said he’d been wanting a redo for some time because the “atmosphere didn’t match the service or food.” His investment shows in the new, brighter, contemporary décor, from the turquoise and black concrete floors to bancos (including a new center banco) newly upholstered in colorful striped fabric. Today, “There’s not a bad seat in the house,” Stephenson said.
The tops of the all-new customized mahogany tables in the 90-seat dining room feature the Coyote star. Stephenson chose Diego Velasquez of Santa Fe Metal Clad to design the new zinc bar countertop where diners can still watch the chefs preparing meals in the kitchen, something that back in the day was a novelty.
The dramatic red chile glass ristra hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room took 32 hours to assemble from 600 pieces of glass. The fantastical folk art animals from the original incarnation are long gone, but he pays homage to them in the new artwork. Stephenson bought some alebrijes (brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures), took high-resolution photos of them and hung the images in the dining room with LED screens to bring back the early décor in a modern way. The skylight is illuminated by 125 feet of LED lighting and glows at night.
There’s a new mural in the hallway leading to the bathrooms, depicting the story of the coyote acquiring the flute from the medicine man and playing it to cheer up his friends, the rabbit, raccoon, bear and other animals. The mural was inspired by the story in the original 1989 Coyote Café cookbook. Also in the hallway are new retail cabinets displaying T-shirts and other souvenirs.
The menu has some new options as well, including a cold poached lobster appetizer with peach habañero sauce, mint and lemongrass vinaigrette. Even chips and salsa got a makeover from executive chef Eduardo Rodriguez, with help from Stephenson. The giant chicharrón ,or pork skin, comes in a vase with red chile and avocado dipping sauces. The popular elk tenderloin is still on the menu, but the classic pork and pineapple al pastor tacos on the starter menu are wrapped in homemade tortillas and Iberico ham.
The menu also offers new “For the Table” selections, such as a flight of mini tostadas with black bean, calabacitas and queso fresco for
diners to munch on with drinks while deciding what else to order.
Stephenson, who is from Northern New Mexico and graduated from Pojoaque High School, ate mostly meat and potatoes growing up. He got started in the food business when he took a summer job busing at Pranzo when he was 15 and not yet driving.
Stephenson earned his stripes on the beverage side of the business, becoming a full-time bartender at age 21. He is continuing to pioneer what he calls “culinary cocktails,” which use some of the same techniques employed in the kitchen. His style includes foams, gels, flavored ice cubes, vacuum techniques and using chemicals to change the weight of liquids. The best-selling Señorita Margarita is served with a layer of salted lime
foam “unlike any other presentation,” he said.
His work computer is filled with ideas for new cocktails. One that he’s tinkering with now calls for Granny Smith apples, fresh thyme, lemon juice and citrus vodka. It will be served in an infusion jar that he purchased from Alinea, an awardwinning Chicago restaurant.
Stephenson, who has taken the first part of the level three sommelier test, also has selected over 250 wines for the restaurant. Eating and drinking consciously are one of “life’s greatest pleasures,” he said, and he is always looking for something new. “The idea that you can try a different wine, hence a different flavor, every day for the rest of your life makes me feel excited. Apply that to the world of cocktails and mixed drinks and it’s easy to understand I prefer experience over familiarity.”