Steaksmith at El Gancho Restaurant in Santa Fe

How good is Steaksmith? It's so good that on a recent two-week visit to Santa Fe, my wife and I squeezed in 10 terrific dinners at the Steaksmith at El Gancho Restaurant in Santa Fe, NM.

Why?

Because I like a variety of dishes, from steaks, to seafood, to pasta, to veggies, and I like them fresh, elegantly prepared, and cooked just as long as necessary, but not longer. Rare needs to be pink-red; vegetables crisp; pasta al dente. Steaksmith never missed! Oh, and the drinks were hearty, and the table wines actually satisfying.

But the harder one to please in my family is my wife. Although she's even more of a foodhound than me, life cast her a dirty turn when she developed interstitial cystitis, generally described as a bladder condition, which severely limits her choice of food. No spices, no citrus, no tomatoes, no alcohol, no sauces, etc. Finding a restaurant with fresh, individually prepared, tasty servings for a limited palate is a major challenge!

At Steaksmith, manager Tupper Schoen, and on his day off, partner Tom Vimont, made it seem, well, like a piece of cake. He and the courteous and attentive wait staff, most of whom have been with Steaksmith for years, made sure my wife's food was separately prepared in the kitchen and served up just as she likes/needs it, and attractively, too. As her official taster, I can vouch for the fact that Steaksmith can make the plainest foods look and taste delicious!

Steaksmith is 10 or 15 minutes out of town, where they were initially located and flourished as an elegant, downtown steak and seafood restaurant. The move, about 20 years ago, to El Gancho, proved a wise business decision. The atmosphere is still inviting and cozy, the food still superb, but the prices, compared to restaurants in the heart of Santa Fe, are downright inexpensive.

The only thing wrong with Steaksmith is that we couldn't take it home with us.

Check out the menu and amenities on their website: http://www.santafesteaksmith.com/

And be sure to make a reservation. The locals love this place.