Taos Report - "No Joseph's Table!"

Joseph gets a lot of press (uh, hype?) and my first foray to his latest incarnation in the La Fonda in August, was less than impressive. Maybe it was just an off night. We've also frequented Momentitos de la Vida a lot and although the food is stellar, the atmosphere and staff can be pukingly pretentious. So, this time around we tried some old favorites and something new.

It's been about 10 years since we last dined at Villa Fontana. Whenenver in Taos, we always talk about what great meals we used to have but always managed to find some reason to go somewhere else. I'm glad we went back. The menu hasn't changed much and still leans heavily towards traditional Italian classics but there are some new twists. Sue had the gnocci and I went for the grilled salmon special in a tomato-caper sauce. Doesn't sound all that exciting but both were outstanding.

Antonio's is a real find! Regional Mexican menu, reminds me a little of Rick Bayliss' Topolobampo. We started with rolled tacos filled with cilantro and garlic mashed potatoes. Absolutely stellar! Sue had a quite non-traditional chile relleno as a main course which was terrific. I went with one of the recommended specials - lamb shank with ancho mushroom sauce and perfectly prepared calabacitas. They have a nice wine list with decent selection of Spanish reds. Dessert was chipotle-chocolate cake. Great combination of flavors. This is a fairly small restaurant that is intimate and warm. This place goes to the top of our "A" list.

Our last night was at Lambert's - also someplace we have managed to avoid for many years. We were not disappointed. Began with a perfectly prepared quail starter with a just-right tamarind sauce. Sue's main course was elk medallions in a cab sauce. I had salmon stuffed with crab accompanied by corn pudding. We will not make the mistake of staying away from Lambert's again.

No trip to Taos would be complete without at least two lunches at Orlando's. This is consistently one of our favorites and still remains so. However, on an off day, I grabbed a chicken burrito and pork tamale at Rita's. Have to say neither was anything special.