best vegetarian cafe

body cafe

best local hardware store

the country store
(located in eldorado)

alpine.
(and for hard woods and furniture supply. alpine has more furniture/cabinet oriented stuff).

empire.
(also, a lumber yard, building and steel supplier. empire has more stuff.)


big joe's/true value is great, but not entirely local, as it is a franchise, part of the true value chain. big joe's is top rated for their customer service. don't ever go to ace hardware. incomplete inventory, employees know little to nothing and offer little help. there are one or two that are willing to help, but good luck finding them every time.

best sit-down mexican restaurant

at the top of the list is los portrillos.


st mike's and cerrillios.

best fish burrito

bumble bee's.

get the bumble bee burrito or the burrito grande and add fish.

best tutoring and fun for kids

big sky learning


it's on hickox street, by dave's not here cafe.

best breakfast burrito

tribes coffee house

"breakfast burrito, hand held, green." do you know how many times i say that every month? well, when the new movie theatre opened, i went into tribes to see if they were an actual coffee house or not just another starsux, i mean starbucks, clone, (tribes is so much more). they had food! actual food and lots of it. i ordered my usual, and "wow," was i amazed. it was the best i had ever had. i was also surprised with how much food was in the burrito and how little the cost. places like posas, keep increasing their prices and diminishing the amount of food in each of their products. well not tribes. their hand held breakfast burrito has almost twice the food and is only 5 bucks! it's like getting 2 for 1. you'll be so happy, you'll spend all the savings on one of their ridiculously priced, coffee drinks. their prices are standard throughout the industry and in santa fe, i just think all of the prices everywhere are too high for what you get; 6 bucks for a fancy way to consume caffeine and sugar. most of the coffee at regular coffee places is bad coffee, but most of the populace can't discern a difference in the quality. just add lots of sugar and a fancy name and no one will ever know. and they don't, and wont ever. starsucks has made billions knowing just this. coffee has come a long from just being coffee. anyway, i digress. back to the breakfast burrito. try it, you'll love it, guaranteed. call ahead, as they do make each one from scratch (very cool. not fast food) and this process does take a while. i've waited 20 minutes before. good thing i was early for my movie.



enjoy.

wheat and gluten-free

once you decide to take the plunge and go wheat and/or gluten-free, there is a great deal to know before you can get started. if you've discovered that you have celiac disease or are allergic to wheat, as one-in-30 americans are, well, then, you may have no choice, but to go on a wheat/gluten-free diet. those who are only allergic to wheat, may only need to be on a wheat-free diet, and may be able to eat oatmeal and other gluten products (some say that oatmeal does not have gluten in it, but some celiacs have a reaction to it and need to stay away from it). if you have celiac disease, you would need to go completely wheat and gluten-free. a celiac will have a much more severe reaction to wheat and gluten than someone who is only allergic or intolerant to wheat, and in many cases will not be able to breathe, or even have a heart attack if one comes in contact with wheat or gluten. for more specific information, there is a wealth, as always, on the internet, but this post will get you started. i have known some, who have gone on a wheat-free or a gluten-free diet for minor health reasons, or just to try it. these people will not have severe reactions if trace amounts of wheat or gluten are in their meal, but will affect their wheat-free/gluten-free fast.if, when you eat a large amount of wheat, eg baguette, and you feel itchy, get the sniffles or feel like there's something in your throat, then you probably just have a wheat intolerance and should reduce your wheat intake to feel better; (you may not need to go completely off wheat and gluten, just drastically reduce the amount you consume). here are a few tips, hope they help.



where to buy wheat/gluten-free products in santa fe:

natural groceries (was vitamin cottage) is a great initial source and their prices are the best in town. whole foods has an excellent selection (better than natural groceries (was vitamin cottage)), but their prices are higher. whole foods have pricey frozen things, like muffins, etc., that are quite tasty. also mixes with bean flour, like cookie mixes, are available from both vitamin cottage and whole foods. the people at natural groceries (was vitamin cottage) are very knowledgeable and very aware of gluten-free diets and products. it may be a good idea to start shopping shop there to make the initial adjustment.



everybody loves pasta, but...:

... pasta has wheat and gluten in it. rice pasta is the alternative, but most varieties taste and function horribly. the only rice pasta to purchase is “tinkyada pasta joy;” all types of this pasta cook well and taste good, but they must be cooked to the exact time; too short, even by a minute, and it will taste uncooked; too long, and the pasta will taste mushy.




what not to eat

well none of the obvious things that are or contain wheat or gluten. no barley, rye, spelt or oats (some say that oats does not have gluten in it, but most celiacs have a reaction to it and need to stay away from it). wheat and gluten are in many foods that you would not expect. wheat/gluten, in the form of wheat syrup, is found in most chocolates. ice cream, cheese and vitamins may have gluten or wheat in them. the bottom line is, you need to check everything, everything. read every label, ask detailed questions if it is unclear, even call the company if you aren't sure. the more detailed you are, the better chance you have of being wheat/gluten-free.



know your ingredients:

the only way you know something is truly wheat/gluten free is if it is labeled as such. however, it is important to read the fine print. the mystery ingredients at the end of list of ingredients may contain wheat and/or gluten. "natural flavorings," “natural flavors,” "flavorings," "seasonings" "edible starch," "hydrolyzed plant protein," "emulsifier," "stabilizer" or "binder" may have wheat/gluten in them. If that is the last ingredient on a label, chances are it will only have a miniscule amount in it, and the wheat/gluten part would be even less than that.

eating out

if you are someone who is severely allergic to wheat or gluten or have celiac's disease, please tell the wait staff the severity and nature of your condition; eg tell them, you will not be able to breathe if your meal contains gluten. this does two things: they believe you right away and, if nothing else, out of a fear of being sued, they will be absolutely sure no wheat, mystery spice or anything gluten will be in or have contacted your meal).

anupurna (located in the solana center, off alameda)

they have a separate grill and area of the kitchen dedicated to only gluten-free menu items.

mucho gusto (located downtown, near alameda and paseo. same parking lot as act2 clothing)

i know of a doctor with a severe case of celiac, so bad that he will have a heart attack if he consumes gluten, and he eats here.

harry's roadhouse (located on old las vegas highway before el gancho)

harry's daughter was gluten intolerant, if one can recover from it, i don't know, so everyone there are very aware of what that means. i believe they clean the grill and other prep areas before a gluten-free order comes through.

the body cafe (located at 333 cordova, on the corner of don diego and cordova, just north-east of st francis)
the chefs here are well versed in gluten-free cooking and they are delicious meals as well. in general, the body cafe has very healthy foods, and for all that you get, the prices are reasonable.

torino's (don gaspar)

the owners are gluten-free and are able to present gluten-free meals. (this is an untested restaurant. i do not know of any celiac or wheat-allergic person who has eaten here, which is the ultimate test).

mu doo noodles (on cerrllios, just north of second street)

gluten-free items on the menu. (this is an untested restaurant. i do not know of any celiac or wheat-allergic person who has eaten here, which is the one, true test).

antidote:

"glutenese" is the antidote to gluten and wheat and can be used in emergencies. if you’ve accidentally eaten something with wheat or gluten in it and you start to get the “itchy throat” feeling, or for celiacs, the throat begins to swell and restrict (this can be very serious and you may need to call 911), take the glutenese enzyme. it will help right away and for mild allergies, it will, for the most part, solve the problem. many people also take "Digest" in place of, or in conjunction with glutenese. both are made by the same company, enzymemedic (sp?) and both are available at natural groceries (was vitamin cottage).